Thomas Kühtreiber

Archaeology

  • Adress
    Körnermarkt 13, 3500 Krems an der Donau

I am an archaeologist and building researcher and have my chronological focus in the Middle Ages and Modern Times.

I am interested in the “built environment”, which includes both interior and exterior spaces. These can be small, mobile things as spatial activity indicators as well as buildings and anthropogenic landscape elements as products and influencing factors of social practices. I pay particular attention to the relationships between castles and their surroundings, as well as to rural households. A separate research project is dedicated to the study of mobility and material culture using the example of small religious objects, in particular pilgrim signs and pilgrimage medals. Furthermore, I am interested in object ensembles of all kinds, from hoards to garbage heaps, especially the flowing transitions from treasure to trash…

2014–2019 Managing Director at IMAREAL.

2012 Guest Researcher and Lecturer at the Department for Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology, Aarhus University, Denmark

Since 1997 employee at IMAREAL

1997–2012 and 2020 Lecturer in Medieval and Modern Archaeology at the Department of Prehistory and Early History, University of Vienna

2007 PhD on the topic: Excavations at the Old University in Vienna (1997-2002)

1997 PhD on the topic: Lanzenkirchen, a lowland castle in southern Lower Austria. The results of the excavations 1988–1992

1993–1996 Contract study assistant at the Institute for Prehistory and Early History at the University of Vienna

Studied prehistory and early history and a
combination of earth sciences, history and folklore at the University of Vienna on the subject of ‘Man – Labour – Environment’

Born 1967 in Vienna

Member of editorial boards of several journals in Germany and abroad.

2016–2022 Spokesperson of the Research Network Interdisciplinary Regional Studies (first), since 2022 representative of IMAREAL on the steering committee.

2016–2018 Member of the jury for the Lower Austrian Science Prize.

Since 2016 member of the Comité permanent of the Western European Castle Research Association Colloque Château Gaillard, 2022 to 2024 President.

2015–2019 deputy speaker of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Salzburg (IZMF)

Since 2011 deputy member of the permanent committee of the Central and Eastern European castle research association Castrum Bene.

2013–2022, 2024 ff. deputy chairman, 2022–2024 chairman of the Austrian Society for Medieval and Modern Archaeology (ÖGMN).

1999–2018 Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Castle Association e.V.

1998–2014 Member of the Advisory Board of the Austrian Society for Medieval Archaeology (ÖGMN)

1995–2002 Member of the Advisory Board of the Austrian Society for Prehistory and Early History (ÖGUF).

SALVATION ECONOMICS AND MEDIA

SALVEMED

The project, directed by Werner Telesko (Austrian Academy of Sciences), focuses primarily on the material culture of early modern pilgrimage from the perspective of mediality and its integration into concrete religious practice.

HISTORY OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF THE MAUTERN READING YARD OF ST. NIKOLAI IN PASSAU

MONASTIC ESTATES IN THE WACHAU REGION

The historical and architectural research of the Mautern farmstead of St Nikola in Passau is part of the IMAREAL priority project ‘Monastery courtyards in the Austrian Danube region’.

MATERIAL WITNESSES OF MODERN MOBILITY (17TH/18TH CENTURY)

RELIGIOUS WEARABLES

In this sub-project of the RTI bundle project of the province of Lower Austria ‘Mobile Things, People and Ideas’, we are researching the mobility of religious movements in the early modern period on the basis of religious medals and pendants.

STUDIES ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF RURAL PROPERTY SOCIETIES IN THE MIDDLE AGES AND EARLY MODERN TIMES

FROM HOUSE TO FARMYARD

The main focus of the project is on the question of why, from the late Middle Ages onwards, relatively simple house layouts in rural areas developed into regionally very different multi-building systems.

A DIGITAL INVENTORY OF ARISTOCRATIC RESIDENCES IN THE TERRITORY OF PRESENT-DAY LOWER AUSTRIA

NÖ BURGEN ONLINE - THE LOWER AUSTRIAN CASTLE DATABASE

Since 1998, IMAREAL has been coordinating the database collection of historical, archaeological and architectural information on castles and aristocratic residences between 1000 and 1500 in what is now the province of Lower Austria.

2024–2027 National research partner of the FWF individual project Salvation Economics and Media (SALVEMED, general project management: Werner Telesko/Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Since 2019 Building and property history research on the Nikolaihof, municipality of Mautern an der Donau, Lower Austria (project management together with Elisabeth Gruber). Funding: Saahs Winery / Federal Monuments Office, Dept. f. Archaeology / Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments, LK Niederösterreich; Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Dept. of Culture. Project focus ‘Monastery estates in the Wachau region’.

2019–2022 Mobile things, people and ideas. An eventful history of Lower Austria (deputy project manager, head of religious wearables). Funding: Gesellschaft für Forschungsförderung Niederösterreich from the funds of the RTI strategy of the state of Lower Austria.

Since 2015 The Tannbauer in Unterhaus, municipality of Krumbach, Lower Austria: Archaeology and building history. Funding: Federal Monuments Office, Province of Lower Austria. Project focus From house to farmyard.

Since 2013 The Ginglsee modern farmstead near Steinaweg, Lower Austria, funding: Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments/ Dept. f. Archaeology, Province of Lower Austria. Project focus From house to farmyard. 2013 to 2015 Settlement genetic investigations at the Allentsteig military training area, Lower Austria. Funding: Federal Monuments Office. Project focus From house to farmyard.

Since 1998 The Lower Austrian Castle Database, together with Falko Daim.

2025–2026 Wie im Himmel, so auf Erden. Wie auf Erden, so im Himmel? Special Exhibition in museumkrems (together with Matthias Däumer, Peter Färberböck and Gregor Kremser)

2023 ‘Juicy grapes – tangy wine. Göttweig Abbey and its wine industry’ Special exhibition at Göttweig Abbey (scientific advice, together with Elisabeth Gruber)

2019 ‘Who owns the city? Shaping Krems and Stein in the 16th century’, special exhibition at museumkrems, Krems an der Donau (together with Elisabeth Gruber).

2009–2013 Co-curator of the ‘Upper Austrian Castle Museum Reichenstein’.

2012 Co-curator of the special exhibition ‘Nobility, Castle and Lordship’ at Freistadt Castle Museum.

2002 Collaboration on the exhibition ‘Gothic Treasures
Upper Austria’ exhibition at the Schlossmuseum Linz / Upper Austrian State Museums, “Nobility” section.

2001 Co-curator of the Lower Austrian provincial exhibition
‘Sein&Sinn – Burg&Mensch’ (together with Falko Daim).

Publications

* peer reviewed

Single Contributions

Monographies

Editorships