Mission & Vision
The Democracy Centre Vienna is an independent scientific institution with tasks in democracy research and civic education. Our empirical and theoretical research serves the furthering of scientific knowledge, the strengthening of democratic political discourse and the transfer into educational applications.
Democracy is an open and dynamic process that constantly has to be redefined in civic and political cooperation. As a continual process of learning and adapting, democracy depends on the conscious and active development through its citizens. As a form of government, social organisation and way of living, democracy signifies both the starting point and the goal of our activities.
Research
Our empirical and theoretical research provides the basis for a reflective engagement with historical and current issues of democracy and politics. more information in German
Dialogue
In our diverse projects, we dive into dialogue with the democratic public. In this way, we offer a platform for the discussion of democracy, the democratic and democratisation.
Education
With regards to a subject-oriented and emancipative political education, our guiding principle is the promotion of citizens’ maturity and their ability to participate in politics. more information in German
Target Groups
Our content is aimed at a broad audience. With specific offers, we address teachers and learners, academics and journalists. Our website is used for the political self-education of those interested in our work.
History of the Democracy Centre Vienna
The Democracy Centre Vienna was founded in 2000 by historians and cultural and political scientists as a scientific institute with an application-oriented profile at the interface between science, education and the interested public. One of its early tasks was the high-quality and participatory design of online content on topics related to the history of democracy and politics. What began with the development of an internet platform, grew into the continued engagement with Democratic Citizenship Education.
The institute developed along projects on different aspects of democratic science as well as the mediation of these topics in different knowledge spaces, such as youth and adult education, school or the university sector. With its thematic orientation (e.g. historical and political iconography, media and democracy, e-democracy, migration) and the development of online multimedia teaching materials for the field of civic education, the Democracy Centre proved to be a pioneer from its early days.
The historian and civic educator Gertraud Diendorfer served as its exectuive director from the beginning until 2018. Founded as an association (Verein), the Democracy Centre Vienna has been a non-profit limited liability company since 2005, for which the association acts as sole shareholder.
Since 2018, Dirk Lange, Professor for Didactics of Civic Education at the University of Vienna, has been the academic and executive director of the Democracy Center Vienna, while Gertraud Diendorfer joined the board as chairwoman.