1972, Vanderbijlpark: A Photographic Exhibition at the House of Austrian History

This digital exhibition explores the migration patterns of Austrian skilled workers during the economic boom, using the personal history of the Stangl family in South Africa as a case study. It highlights how global economic demand for European expertise allowed families to achieve a higher standard of living by leveraging colonial structures abroad.

The exhibition '1972, Vanderbijlpark' centers on the personal narrative of the Stangl family from Upper Austria, who relocated to South Africa during a period of global economic expansion. As part of the 'Austria Elsewhere' series, it illustrates the trend of European specialists migrating to Africa or Asia for temporary, company-backed projects. For the Stangls, this move enabled them to start a family and maintain a high standard of living, which included the ability to employ domestic staff—a practice facilitated by colonial-era hierarchies. After spending five years abroad, the family returned to Austria, only to find the economic transition back to their home country challenging. Through photographs and biographical detail, the exhibition provides a candid look at the intersection of private ambition, international labor migration, and the unequal power dynamics of the 1970s. It serves as a personal window into the broader historical experience of the generation that came of age during the Austrian 'economic miracle'.