National History Day Competition
National History Day in Minnesota
National History Day is an interdisciplinary research project for students in grades 6–12.
History Day teaches students to:
- Conduct in-depth research
- Use primary and secondary sources
- Read a variety of texts
- Analyze and synthesize information
- Write and present historical content
Students choose a topic that relates to an annual theme, research that topic, and develop their research into one of five presentation categories: research paper, exhibit, documentary, performance, or website. Students may then enter their projects into History Day competitions at school, regional, state, and national levels.
The Center for Austrian Studies wishes to encourage scholarship in public schools. We feel it is vital for the training of future college students, scholars, and citizens. To effect this, we sponsor two $100 prizes awarded through the Minnesota Historical Society to entries in either the Junior or Senior Divisions. Prizes will be awarded on the basis of:
- Relevance to Central Europe
- Quality and depth of the research
- Clarity of the presentation and/or writing
- Ability of the student(s) to explain their project
This year was my first year doing the History Day Competition in High School. Initially, I was very intimidated by the idea of such a broad topic, and such a large project. However, I'm very glad that I chose to participate. I learned so much, not only about my topic but about how to go about working on a large project. I learned about how a project can grow and change, and I learned the importance of reaching out to ask for extra help when needed. I didn't do my project for a prize, but it is a fun bonus. Thank you so much for your kind and generous prize donation.
Sincerely,
Anna Thickens
So, what can I write about?
There are many possible History Day topics related to the History of Austria and Central Europe. The countries of Central Europe—Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina—are rich sources for study. The Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Empire, and the Russian Empire have ruled, or desired to rule, parts of these territories. After WWI, the Habsburg Empire dissolved, giving rise to a number of independent countries. After WWII, Austria and the former Habsburg territories found themselves on the frontier of the Cold War. The region has a long history of stubborn independence at the regional—and even civic—level. Language, religion, and culture have long been, and remain, areas of friction in this region, and many leaders, among them ordinary men and women, have played their part in preserving and promoting cultural and political autonomy. There is much to write about—feel free to ask us for help!
Here are a few general topics to think about:
- The Habsburg Dynasty (especially at the end of WWI, about which much has recently been published)
- Vienna. The city's leading role in the Austro-Hungarian Europe and in the present. Also, its leadership in the arts and sciences, especially in the early part of the twentieth century.
- Migration and immigration. This is a hot topic in Austria, especially concerning the Muslim community there.
- Geography and borders. A presentation on how the borders of this region changed in the 20th century could be fascinating.
- The Nazi era. This region was caught up in the turmoil of the Nazi onslaught, and leadership was hotly contested between collaborators and resisters. The legacy of this period remains vital and contested, to this day.
- The Anschluß. Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, and most Austrians approved of this; yet after the war, Austrians portrayed themselves as victims.
- The Balkans. The people of the Balkans have defined and redefined themselves many times over the centuries. Leadership here takes many forms, from artists to assassins, from Kings to schoolteachers.
Maggie Jensen: "Poland's Selective Abortion Act of 1993" (Open World Learning Community, 2023)
Kaitlyn Casselman: "Alfred Alder: The Inferiority Complex" (DeLaSalle High School, 2023)
Kiera Myers, Olivia Kramer, and Quinn Kadue: "Galileo Galilei: Science vs. Faith" (Breck School, 2022)
Faye Kelley: "Diplomacy~Extradition~Human Rights: The Case of Jens Soering" (DeLaSalle High School, 2022)
Alice Conry: "The Fight Of The Polish Underground State" (Seward Montessori School, 2021)
Will Pinto: "Walter Duranty and the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933" (Highland Park Senior High School, 2021)
Mack Jorgensen, Naveena Srinivasan, and Sreya Subramanian: "The Prague Spring: Socialism with a Human Face" (Parkview Center School, 2020)
Emma Steen and Wina Vander Heyden: "Maria Theresia von Paradis: The Blind Enchantress" (Moose Lake Secondary, 2020)
Tess Campion and Willa Campion: “Poland’s Solidarity Movement: A Triumph for Democracy” (Open World Learning Community, 2019)
Bezawit Abate, Tea Roepke, and Jamila Mohammed: “Hedy Lamarr: The Unknown Mind of the Beautiful Actress” (South High School, 2019)
Julija Pone: "Stalin's Genocide" (Justice Page Middle School, 2018)
Gabriel Ehlers-Nelson and Elizabeth Jarocki: "The Fight for Solidarity in Poland: Lech Walesa and the Lenin Shipyard Strike" (Marshall School, 2018)
Tessa Mlinar, Paige Olson, and Danielle Verdugo: "The Velvet Revolution: Taking a Stand Against Communism" (Duluth East High School, 2017)
Ava Hansen, Noa Winikoff, and Lydia White: "Irena Sendler: A Hidden Hero" (Twin Cities German Immersion School, 2017)
Sara Abbas and Samiksha Kanukunta, "Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press" (Salk Middle School, 2016)
Anna Thickens, "Sigmund Freud: Exploration into the Mind" (Marshall School - Duluth, 2016)
Henry Jacobs, "The Complex Political Legacies of Mikhail Gorbachev and his Leadership in the Soviet Union" (Friends School of Minnesota, 2015)
Elaea Purmalietis, "The Baltic Legacy: Surviving Stalin’s Oppression" (Highland Park Senior High School, 2015)
Anita Goharfar and Kaitlyn Frutiger, “In the Enemy’s Hands: The Geneva Convention of 1949" (Loyola Catholic School - Fitzgerald Campus, 2014)
Elizabeth Booms, “Kristallnacht" (Parkview Center School, 2014)