Hanns Koren
Promoter of Styrian culture
| Folklore and traditional culture were his lifelong passions. Both as a scholar and as a politician, the Styrian Hanns Koren did great services for Styria in these two fields.
1906 Hanns Koren is born in Köflach in Styria.
1932 Koren studies German, folklore and sociology at the University of Graz. He receives his PhD in 1932.
1932-1935 Koren moves to Salzburg, where he becomes an assistant lecturer and plays a key role in establishing the department of religious folklore at the university. For a brief period, he also serves as the head of this department.
1936 The Köflach-born academic returns to Styria to work at the Joanneum provincial museum.
1945 Hanns Koren becomes a lecturer in the department of folklore at the University of Graz.
1951 The folklore specialist receives the title of Associate Professor.
1953 Koren becomes a member of the Austrian parliament for the Austrian People’s Party (until 1957) and publishes the „Österreichische Zeitschrift für Folklore“ („Austrian Journal of Folklore“) for the first time. He is to remain the publisher and editor of this journal until his death in 1985.
1963-1970 Koren serves as deputy governor of Styria.
1970-1983 The Styrian serves as the Culture Spokesman of the Styrian regional government. During this period, he founds the „steirischer herbst“ festival.
1985 Hanns Koren dies in Graz at the age of 79.
Hanns Koren (*20.11.1906 +27.12.1985)
Hanns Koren was born on 20 November 1906 in Köflach, where he also went to school. After leaving grammar school, he studied German, folklore and sociology at the University of Graz.
Scholar
He obtained his PhD in 1932 and then went to the University of Salzburg to become an assistant lecturer. His work there centred mainly around the department of religious folklore, in which he also served as department head for a brief period. However, in 1938, under a new department head, the department was closed down.
Koren returned to Graz in 1936. Here he worked at the Landesmuseum Joanneum before becoming a lecturer in folklore at the University of Graz in 1945 and an Associate Professor six years later.
Politician
Hanns Koren was dedicated not only to research, but also to politics. From 1953 to 1957 he served as a member of parliament, and between 1963 and 1970 he was deputy governor of Styria for the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). After that, he served for 13 years as the Culture Spokesman of the Styrian regional government. During this period, the folklore specialist, who was also the publisher and editor of the „Österreichische Zeitschrift für Folklore“ („Austrian Journal of Folklore“) from 1953 to 1985, initiated many cultural projects. One of the most famous is the „steirischer herbst“, which continues to attract culture enthusiasts from all over the world to Styria.
Hanns Koren died in Graz on 27 December 1985. But the Styrians will never forget his work. In his honour, the Styrian government awards the annual Hanns Koren Culture Prize for notable cultural achievements.