11/07/2025 14:00
- 17:30
HALL: Seminar Room 06
Chair:
Wolfe J.
Proponent:
Moreman S.
Speaker:
Howell C.,
Konzelman A.,
Worley T.
Monsignore Otto Mauer (1907-1973) exerted a surprising degree of influence on Austrian culture from his post as a priest at St Stephens in Vienna. He achieved this influence by three notable contributions: a series of writings on theology and the arts; the founding of the "Gallery Next to St Stephens" which effectively introduced Avant-Garde art to Vienna; and establishing the journal Wort und Wahrheit. Cardinal Franz König (Archbishop of Vienna) says of Mauer that, "In a crucial phase, between the end of the war and the beginning of the Council, he was the organizational motor and spiritual guide of the country's Catholic action." Today, Mauer's contributions continue to be celebrated through the annual "Otto Mauer Fund" prize, which recognizes work that resumes the dialogue between art, religion, and science.
The relative silence on and ignorance of Mauer is shockingly disproportionate to his impact on Austrian culture and German-speaking Catholic theology. This panel seeks to introduce Mauer to conversations related to theology and the arts. Presenters from universities in USA and the UK, alongside contributions from art galleries and museums in Vienna, will come together to help shed light on this forgotten figure of theo-cultural history. The panel will include paper presentations and a round-table discussion, both with the aim of bringing to light the cultural influence of Mauer and developing the key insights which drove him to engage culture from his own theological prerogatives. Also, a visit to the Dom Museum in Vienna will be organized to explore the archives of Mauer's work held there. This panel accompanies the publication of a special forum edition of Religion & Literature (Notre Dame Press) that includes the first translation of any of Mauer's works into English and a number of essays that bring Mauer into conversation with theology and the arts.