Anarchy in Vienna

Fifty years ago, punk caused an earthquake in England—its shockwaves soon reaching Vienna. Starting in 1977, a small but vibrant scene emerged. Its raw music and provocative style put the city’s conservative establishment on edge.

Bands like Chuzpe, Pöbel, Dirt Shit, Die Böslinge, and a-gen53 got teenagers slam-dancing at venues such as the Amerlinghaus, the Metropol, and the Arena. A regular hangout for punks was the flea market held on Saturdays. The motto was clear: Do it yourself. Outfits were handmade, fanzines self-published, badges printed, and music created, often with little or no prior training.

The exhibition traces the history of this energetic youth culture and conveys the spirit of optimism and change of the time through a wealth of material. At its visual core are the photographs of Mickey Kodak, one of Vienna’s first punks. He documented the scene with his camera through the early 1980s, creating an important photographic archive of a city that was only seemingly “dead.” The exhibition also features video interviews with protagonists of the time, posters, fanzines, an abundance of music and historical film footage. The period covered stretches from the emergence of the first punks in 1977 to the eviction of the “GaGa” (Autonomous Cultural and Communication Centre Gassergasse) in 1983, by which time hardcore punk – including the band Dead Nittels – had taken over.

The publication, featuring photographs, posters and other visual material as well as 25 interviews with contemporary witnesses from Vienna’s punk scene around 1980, has already been published by Spector Books.