Graz Museum
Ins Ungewisse. Graz 1945–1965 (Into the Unknown)

When World War II ended on 8 May 1945, in Graz much was uncertain. Nazi rule and the war had not only left behind a damaged city, but also social and political ruins. In addition to rebuilding, reconstruction also meant developing new values and confidence in the future.

What steps had to be taken in a postwar society in Graz that was first and foremost concerned with existential questions?

The two decades from 1945 to 1965 show: something new was beginning—not suddenly and linearly, but gradually and durably. A democratic society was successfully created along with unimagined prosperity. The exhibition at the Graz Museum tells the story of this new beginning in Graz and gives a voice to people who lived and worked at that time. Their biographies lead us back into uncertainty.

The exhibition invites visitors to pause and think about what was and what became of it. And in the end, it doesn’t provide answers but encourages further questioning.