Thomas Hellmuth

Thomas Hellmuth is a University Professor for History Didactics at the University of Vienna, working within the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies and the Department of History. He also holds a position at the Center for Teacher Education, demonstrating his commitment to both academic research and practical teacher training in historical education.

His academic journey began with studies at the University of Salzburg from 1986 to 1991, where he focused on History, Social Studies, and German Philology. He completed his doctorate in History at the same institution in 1997 after doctoral studies from 1991-1996, and received his Habilitation in 2013 for "Didactics of History and Political Education." Prior to his university positions, he taught in secondary schools from 1997 to 2009.

Professor Hellmuth's research spans multiple areas with a primary focus on history didactics and political education. His work explores historical-political education and subject-oriented history didactics, examining how students engage with historical content. He also investigates the cultural history of France since 1789 and local and regional history, particularly regional identities. His earlier research included studies on the history of salt, working class and bourgeoisie history, drinking and eating culture, tourism history, and populism.

His recent publications and upcoming presentations demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of history education and contemporary social issues, with particular attention to political education frameworks in Austria and Switzerland, textbook analysis, museum-based historical learning, and critical examination of historical periods like Austrofascism. His work increasingly addresses current challenges in historical education, including the phenomenon of "Fake News" and its implications for historical understanding.

His notable awards include:

• AK Science Prize of the Chamber of Labor for Upper Austria (1997)
• Franz Triendl Prize of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce (1998)
• ipol Young Science Prize

Professor Hellmuth has been actively involved in educational policy and curriculum development, serving on multiple working groups for the Austrian Ministry of Education. He chairs the Forum for Political Education in Vienna and is a board member of several organizations including the Austrian Society for History Didactics, the Democracy Center Vienna, and the scientific advisory board of "erinnern.at." His editorial work includes co-editing the "Vienna Contributions to Political Education" and "History Didactic Studies." He has organized significant conferences including the 2018/19 Public History conference and the 2019 History Educators International Research Network (HEIRNET) conference.

He is currently leading several research projects including a cultural history of France in the 19th century, discourse-analytical textbook research with Judith Breitfuß and Isabella Schild, and a Czech-Austrian history textbook project with Ondřej Matějka. His upcoming conference activities include multiple presentations on Austrofascism and its historical interpretation scheduled for 2024-2025, demonstrating his continued active engagement in both research and academic discourse.