MEETING MINUTES
AFDÖW Annual Meeting, November 7, 2025
I. Update on the organization’s status and standard operating procedures (annual meeting online; individual Executive Council Meeting) (Lorely French)
Meeting Minutes: Notes must be taken so as to maintain status as non-profit. The organization is now fully up and running. We have a bank account with Bank of America and a link to a PayPal account on the website to accept memberships and donations. We have been working on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to maintain consistency and continuity. The Annual Meeting will take place online for convenience, and the Executive Council will meet at least once a year online to set the agenda and talk about any other issues that have arisen. Any questions as to how organization is doing? No questions.
II. Report from the Executive Council Meeting on October 4 (Lorely French)
A. Bylaws changes (changes are highlighted and commented upon in this google doc): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zQvakWk5LZtAdYuXgD7zq4Xgz4K-iCY99JvcAF3ru-E/edit?usp=sharing
Lorely: Laura Morowitz went through the document diligently and found inconsistencies in bylaws. Old laws: when VP can’t do duties, board appoints interim. But no bylaw for President, which is how organization lapsed. Need motion to approve these changes. Second Change, regarding nominating committee: This would allow members of board to be part of nominating committee. Previously this was not the case. Matthew Berg moved to accept the changes as a package, seconded by Emily Marker. Passed unanimously.
B. AFDÖW sessions at conferences and affiliations with other organizations
i. Austrian Studies Association (Gerald Steinacher)
Gerald Steinacher is on Board of ASA and suggests that AFDÖW come up with a regular panel at ASA conference. This idea was welcomed by ASA board at last meeting. Gerald reached out to head of ASA to express support; such a panel helps ASA, and it will help to showcase what we’re doing, so it is a win-win situations. The idea was to organize a panel at the annual conference (sometimes in US, sometimes in Europe), which next year is in Salzburg. The idea is that when conference is in US, AFDÖW would take the lead on this panel and when the conference is in Europe, DÖW takes the lead.
Lorely: Is there something we can do to centralize our ideas here?
Gerald: Yes, we should take the lead in such a panel for US conferences. What happens if we have 3
panel proposals? How will we decide? The person responsible for the panels will decide.
Lorely: Any other associations we should get involved with? No suggestions for now.
Gerald: These panels would give us more visibility.
Winfried Garscha suggested the idea of a panel on Catholic resistance to Nazis.
Gerald: We are in Ohio next year, so would be our jurisdiction.
Betsy Anthony: What would this entail? Does ASA pay? Would we pay?
Gerald: We would sponsor the panel, but up to us to determine what that means exactly. We can hammer out details later. Fund grad students?
Emily: Well, what are our funds? Small subsidy for grad students, especially for ones in Europe.
Friedl will organize ASA for Salzburg
ii. German Studies Association
Lorely: This deadline is January/February. Potential Panel? No suggestions yet, but we will send out a call.
iii. Other suggestions?
C. Policy on submitting letters in support or in resistance to events/causes
Lorely: Bringing up questions from Executive Board meeting: idea was brought up to write a letter against the restitution of a confederate statue in Arlington Cemetery when the GSA was in Arlington. We discussed the questions:
What is our mission here? What is our actual purpose? As the website states: AFDÖW is dedicated to “fostering dialogue between the DÖW and North American scholars, and promoting scholarly research in Austrian contemporary history, cultural studies and political science relating to Austria, with a special focus on the Nazi era.” We thus are “Austria” focused.
Another question we considered: What about our members who are going through questions of immigration/visas, etc. We do not want to alienate or jeopardize the status of our own members who are hesitant to put their names to such a letter given the current political climate.
Matthew Berg: Only weigh in on issues related to our mission, so Austria. Question of credibility & expertise.
Lisa Silverman: Agrees
Gerald: General Agreement. Stick to the core mission.
Emily: Difference between public statement and a communication to the organization. So with issues affecting us as academics within the organization, then that kind of communication makes sense. There is no need to self-censor within our organization, but different from public statement.
Matthew Berg: Motion that AFDOW will refrain from submitting letters in support of events or causes unless they pertain directly to the mission of the organization.
Second from Emily.
Passed unanimously, no abstentions.
D. Radomir Luza Prize (Winfried Garscha)
The committee did not receive any applications within time, but later on heard that because of miscommunication with a publisher, there was an intended submission that did not get submitted. The question is whether to consider this submission or not? The Committee decided to regard it as an application for next year’s prize. The prize money is $1000, which comes from Austrian Future Fund, administered by GSA, and perhaps there will be enough funds to award two prizes, if there is another submission that qualifies next year.
III. Membership Report (Eric Grube)
A. Total members
8 Last Year
9 This year
B. Membership recruitment and retention
IV. Financial report (Eric Grube)
$667 total budget, but allotment of funds becomes a question of priorities. We should definitely try to recruit new members and convince existing members to renew.
Emily: Each person should try to recruit. 3 folks. Should the google sheet with information on membership be shared so that we can all then coordinate whom we contact & reach out to for recruitment.
Lorely: There might be privacy issues with sharing the google sheet.
Lisa: Maybe don’t include payment info?
Matthew: Sees both sides
Emily: in Union world, payment of dues being on a shared spreadsheet is not an issue.
Mikkel Dack: Going through various association lists to head hunt. Maybe delegate to someone on the board.
Lorely: Maybe an ad hoc committee. Anyone want to be on a membership committee? Lorely says that as she moves on to the position as past president, she can take that on.
V. Website Report https://www.austrianresistance.org/ (Mikkel Dackel, Matt Berg, Winfried Garscha)
Mikkel Dack: Will be updating the WordPress site, making membership the centerpiece of the website.
VI. Social media sites
Mikkel created a BlueSky account 10 min ago; he’s happy to manage it. Anyone want to take it on? No one answered, so Mikkel will do it. Handle for BlueSky: @afdow.bsky.social
VII. Nominations for new officers and board members and voting procedures
Lorely: Moving out of Presidency into position as Past President; Frances Tanzer is moving into Presidency; we will be electing VP; Betsy, Laura, & Gerald have terms that are closing. Volunteer & Nominations. Supposed to have an election in March. Thank you to Betsy, Laura, & Gerald for serving
Matthew Berg: Nominate Gerald for VP & self-nominate himself for Board.
Betsy: Also self-nominates for Board, but for employment reasons can’t do anything with money.
Lorely: No term limits. Send names to Eric, Eric formulate a ballot, send out by March.
Gerald: Accepts nomination for VP.
VIII. New Business
Jason Dawsey: With website, we can link articles/videos/talks, including Gunter Bischof. Haymarket Books did webinar. Links to WWII museum artifacts/articles/talks that have done well.
Lorely: Be in contact with Mikkel to coordinate those website details.