History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Social & Cultural History

Austria's Hidden History: 6,000+ Women You Were Never Told About (biografiA Lexikon)

biografiA. Lexikon österreichischer Frauen

Ilse Korotin

For centuries, history books have been written by men, about men. But what if I told you that thousands of women shaped Austria's science, art, resistance, and culture—and you've never heard their names? This video dives into the groundbreaking 'biografiA. Lexikon österreichischer Frauen' project, a massive encyclopedia that uncovers over 20,000 biographies of Austrian women from Roman times to 1938. From the physicist who discovered element 85 (Berta Karlik) to the maid who stole the Hungarian crown (Helene Kottannerin), and from the 'Histamine Queen' (Regina Kapeller-Adler) to the women who resisted Nazi terror—this isn't just a list. It's a radical rewrite of history. Discover how this project, led by Ilse Korotin, uses a gender-sensitive approach to make the invisible visible. By the end, you'll see why understanding these lives changes everything—about the past, and about ourselves.