Edition of Documents: Austria and the German Question 1987-1990

The goal of this project is to produce an edited volume of documents on the subject of "Austria and the German Question 1987-90". In so doing, it aims to make a substantial contribution to the ongoing international research on German "reunification". Today editions of British, (East and West) German, French and Soviet documents exist. Research on the position and role of Austria within the stated period has hardly begun. The work can now be undertaken as a result of the declassification of files. While the editions up to this point have placed the focus on the years 1989-1990, this project picks up the story earlier. German-German relations to a large extent escaped the international squabbles of the first half of the 1980s. Those relations had rather intensified on all levels which made the financial dependence of the GDR on the Federal Republic had already become more and more obvious. From September 7-11, 1987, GDR Head of State and Party Chairman Erich Honecker was able to carry out his much desired visit to the Federal Republic, which appeared to be the highpoint of his political career and was to seal the two-state existence of Germany. Taking these developments into consideration, it is evident that even in November 1989 hardly anyone called into question the continuing existence of two German states. The formation of the Grand Coalition (SPÖ/ÖVP) in Austria in 1987 resulted in a deepening of the policy leading toward European integration. This change in policy is of special importance, because a country`s position toward the German question can not be analyzed outside the context of its European and integration-policy. Hence, the year 1987 is a reasonable starting point for documenting and demonstrating the rapid changes in the country`s position on the German question and German "reunification." These decisive years will be reconstructed, primarily on the basis of sources of the Austrian foreign ministry which have been declassified at the request of the project applicant. Most of these documents contain diplomatic reports and notes on conversations on developments in the GDR, on the German-German relationship and on the international dimension of German "reunification" (in the fields of diplomacy, politics, economics and security questions). Moreover the sources provide rich material on the relations of Austria with the two Germanies. Not least they will allow a more detailed analysis of the opposing positions of Chancellor Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ) and Foreign minister Alois Mock (ÖVP) concerning the German question in the period from the late autumn 1989 until spring 1990. Additionally, East and West German documents as well as sources from party and private archives will help to round out the picture.

The research done in this project resulted in an edited volume of documents on Austria and the German Question 19871990. Thereby, it contributed to the ongoing international studies on German reunification. Due to declassification of files, for the first time it was possible to publish Austrian foreign policy documents of this period and to provide a comprehensive analysis of Austrias position toward German unification. The Austrian perception of the rapid changes in 1989-90 and politics pursued by the political leadership can now be assessed based on original documents. While the editions up to this point have placed the focus on the years 1989-90, this project picks up the story earlier. In 1987, the East German Head of State and Party Chairman Erich Honecker could carry out his much-desired visit to West Germany, which seemed to have sealed the two-state existence of Germany. In the same year, a reorientation of Austrias politics towards European integration took shape. After the opening of the Austrian-Hungarian border, the East German regime started to collapse and the gates of the Berlin Wall were rather by accident than on purpose opened on 9 November 1989. The German question had returned onto the national and international political agenda. In the case of Austria, the consequence of the opening of the border and the revolution in the GDR was an unintended one. In principle, Austria had welcomed the changes in Eastern Europe in 1989 but the German question constituted something different. Because of the prosperous economic relations between Austria and the GDR, many Austrian politicians and economists were highly skeptical of a possible German unification. Both Austria and the GDR wanted to maintain good relations and intensified political and economic contacts at the turn of the year. The most visible sign was an official visit by Chancellor Franz Vranitzy (SPÖ) as early as 24 November 1989 which contributed to the international recognition of the new East German regime under Hans Modrow. Already in January 1990, Modrow paid a return visit to Austria. At the same time, Foreign Minister Alois Mock (ÖVP) supported the policy by the West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. In the end, Austria officially welcomed German unification, since it was obvious that Austria would need the support of a unified Germany in its ambitions to become a member state of the European Community a membership Austria had applied for in June 1989 and that became reality in 1995.Additionally, the project produced a collective volume on Europe and German Unity. This volume provides a Pan-European as well as a transnational perspective on the German unification. Structured into regional and political sections, its chapters cover almost all European countries. Against the broader historical background, the authors of this volume show through their diverse national perspectives how the events of 1989/90 were perceived and have continued to shape the image of Germany and its role in Europe until today.