Anglo-Austrian Society and Anglo-Austrian Music Society Archive

The Anglo-Austrian Society (until 1947 the Anglo-Austrian Democratic Society) was founded in 1944 by refugees from Nazi-occupied Austria who wanted to 'spread understanding of the importance of Austrian democracy for peace and progress', and to promote closer contact between British and Austrian democrats. The focus of its initial work at the end of the Second World War was to provide relief to Austrians in general and to Austrian children in particular. In the post-war period the Society worked to promote cross-cultural links between the people of the United Kingdom and Austria by developing the knowledge of the British people about Austria, its people and culture, with the participation of Austrians resident in Britain. The Society was partly subsidised by the Austrian governments, and for some years after the War it was the main body to represent and promote Austrian culture in the UK. The Society is [in 2019] still active, running events for members and providing financial support through the Otto Harpner Fund for researchers from the UK wishing to travel to Austria.

The Anglo-Austrian Music Society was founded in London in the autumn of 1942 by a small group of Austrian refugee musicians and a few English friends led by Austrian refugee musician Ferdinand Rauter - initially as a means of surviving in exile, but also to promote the appreciation and understanding of Austrian music in Britain. They gave concerts throughout the war, and increasingly involved British musicians and British music. In 1946 the administration was merged with that of the Anglo-Austrian Society with Otto Harpner as Secretary of both societies, and visits to Britain by Austrian artists began. The Vienna State Opera came to Covent Garden in 1947, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra first played in London for the Society in 1948. The Vienna Boys Choir visited almost every year from 1950 to 2000, and the Society commissioned Benjamin Britten to write the opera The Golden Vanity for the Choir. Harpner died in 1959 and his position as Secretary was taken by Walter Foster. Over the years the Anglo-Austrian Music Society has sponsored appearances by many famous artists besides Britten, including Elisabeth Schumann, Kathleen Ferrier, Richard Tauber, Bruno Walter, Clemens Kraus, Myra Hess, Josef Krips and Peter Pears. There have been many concerts and debut recitals by young Austrian musicians - starting in 1949 with the young Friedrich Gulda and continuing through the years with Paul Badura-Skoda, Joerg Demus, Ingrid Haebler, Irmgard Seefried, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Heinz Medjimorec, Heinrich Schiff, the Alban Berg Quartet, The Haydn Trio, Edita Gruberova, Ernst Kovacic, Thomas Riebl and Stefan Vladar amongst many others.