75 Years AASTirol
From May 2024 to September 2025, the AASTirol celebrated 75 years with a special anniversary series of events, partially sponsored by grant funds and focusing on partnerships and cooperations. Following the overall theme “From Shared Experiences to Shared Values,” activities concluded with a turn to current shared challenges. Beginning with a look at collaborative efforts towards the end of WWII we traced the history of the Austro-American Society in Tirol within the context of post-WWII U.S. foreign policy and strategic diplomacy efforts such as the Fulbright Act of 1946, the Marshall Plan (European Economic Recovery Act) of 1948 and the activities of the Amerikahaus in Innsbruck. Anniversary events involved lectures, presentations, museum exhibits, film screenings and discussions, ½ day walking tours and all day bus excursions.
In the process, we also got a closer look at Tirol itself. We walked in the footsteps of the covert agents of Operation Greenup/Codename Brooklyn; we discussed Marshall Plan projects in agriculture, tourism, hydro-energy, metal works while visiting sites in Höfen and Plannsee; we learned about U.S.-Tirolean reconciliation projects on-site in Matrei am Brenner and Volders-Largoz; we discussed and demonstrated American roots music with Tirolean high school pupils American roots music; and more, not to mention enjoying ourselves in the process.
American Bald Eagle
Steinadler
Tirol and the U.S. have more in common than it might seem. They share, for example, the eagle as heraldic bird: the Tirolean symbol is red, in real life it is the Steinadler (a Golden Eagle), while the American symbol is the Bald Eagle, native only to North America. Both, however symbolize freedom, strength, loyalty and vision. The oldest known rendition of the Tirolean Red Eagle is the medieval fresco from the late 1200’s in the court chapel of Tirol Castle, which we visited on an overnight excursion to South Tirol.
Did you know that when Columbus was exploring the New World on his second trip in 1496, Austria’s Kaiser Maximilian married his son and daughter to the daughter and son of the Spanish royal houses, thus establishing the Spanish line of Habsburg territories, which now included New World America. Kaiser Maximilian loved Tirol, preferred it to Vienna and moved the imperial seat of government temporarily to Innsbruck.
Tiroler Adler
Also, did you know that the last battle of WWII fought in Austria and one of the very last in Europe was won by U.S. tankmen, ex-Wehrmacht and elite French prisoners fighting together against SS troops at the battle of Itter Castle in Tirol? That in the 1800’s, Tiroleans popularized the art of yodeling in America, now standard in country and western singing. That Burton Snowboards has its European headquarters in Innsbruck? That Innsbruck and New Orleans are sister cities? That the University of Innsbruck and the University of New Orleans have partnered in student, faculty and research exchange for 50 years? Just for starters.
See the 75th Anniversary photo gallery in the next section.