Rebels in Exile: Austrian Resistance against the Nazi Occupation in Belgium, 1938–1945

Lead: Mag. Philipp Strobl, MA Ph.D. 
Project staff member: Mona Müller
Project partner: Prof. Dr. Nel de Mûelenaere (Freie Universität Brüssel)
Funding: Zukunftsfonds der Republik Österreich 
Duration: 1.9.2025 – 31.12.2026

This research project explores a largely overlooked chapter of European resistance history: the Austrian Freedom Front in Belgium. Founded mainly by Austrian political refugees and Jewish persecution victims after the Anschluss of 1938, the group grew to around 750 members and played a significant role in the resistance against the Nazi occupation of Belgium. Closely connected with both the French Résistance and the Flemish Onafhankelijkheidsfront, the Freedom Front engaged in intense resistance activities.
The study, conducted jointly by the University of Vienna and the Free University of Brussels, employs a collective-biographical approach to analyze the cultural and social backgrounds of the movement. Special attention is devoted to female members, their roles within the organization, their strategic use of networks and resources, and their agency in the struggle against Nazi rule. Drawing on testimonies, memoirs, and archival sources, the project aims to challenge long-standing national narratives and to insert a transnational perspective into resistance studies.
Beyond academic publications, including a relational database, results will be disseminated through digital platforms, bilateral teaching, and citizen science initiatives. By highlighting the significant contribution of Austrian resistance fighters to Europe's liberation, the project closes a gap in European historiography and makes visible an important, yet long-neglected, dimension of transnational resistance.