Episode 12 - Hannes Richter

In the fourteenth episode, Hannes Richter discusses his work at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C., his responsibilities as Deputy Director of the Press and Information Service, and the challenges associated with this role in today’s media landscape. He also shares his passion for developing and designing museum exhibitions that showcase Austria.

In this episode of History Exchange, Matt and Cas speak with Dr. Hannes Richter from the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Dr. Richter is originally from Innsbruck, Austria, where he studied political science at the University of Innsbruck. He then moved to New Orleans to earn his Ph.D. in political science. Dr. Richter has worked as a lecturer, communications officer, and as a country analyst and contributor for The Economist Intelligence Unit. Today, he serves as Deputy Director of the Austrian Press and Information Service at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. With great passion, he curates exhibitions that honor the significant contributions of Austrians in the U.S. over many decades.

In conversation with Cas and Matt from the University of New Orleans, Dr. Richter discusses his longstanding collaboration with Dr. Günter Bischof, which began with their first meeting at UNO and ultimately led to their joint work on the book and online exhibition Towards the American Century: Austrians in the United States. He also discusses his current responsibilities at the Austrian Embassy, the challenges of establishing a digital presence, and the joy he derives from designing exhibitions to highlight the rich heritage of Austrian-American relations.

Interviewer:

Matt Rozzo is an undergraduate student at the University of New Orleans, where he studies anthropology with a special interest in ecological issues in the United States.

Cas O’Brien is a graduate student at the University of New Orleans pursuing a master’s degree in public history. His/her focus is on queer and transgender history in the Southern United States.