“How progress came to the museum” Obituary for Helmut Lackner (22.10.1954–1.05.2024)

In Ferrum 83/2011, Helmut Lackner published an article entitled "Das Technische Museum - oder wie der Fortschritt ins Museum kam". This was his farewell as a country delegate (now the scientific advisory board member) of the Iron Library's History of Technology Conference - a position he held in an honorary capacity for 15 years.

This article combines two of Lackner's passions, which he was able to combine brilliantly in his life: historiography and museology. Helmut Lackner was one of the leading historians of technology in Austria as well as a long-time employee and deputy director of the Technical Museum in Vienna. From 1995 to 2010, he generously made his expertise available to the Iron Library and, as a country delegate, shaped the content and development of our History of Technology Conference. The combination and dialogue of research, teaching and communication as well as a strong practical focus were always important to him. His era included such legendary conferences as 2003 on industrial film, 2007 on tunnelling with an excursion to the NRLA construction site in Amsteg - or, as already mentioned, 2010 on the history of technology in museums.

Helmut Lackner passed away in spring 2024 at the age of 70. We are grateful to have been able to count him among the longstanding researchers, supporters and friends of the Iron Library.

Helmut Lackner as an author in Ferrum:

• Baugeschichte und Architektur der ehemaligen «Hermann Göring»-Werke in Linz, heute VOEST-ALPINE AG, Ferrum 61/1989 Link to PDF 
• Zur Bedeutung der Weltausstellungen für die technische Entwicklung im 19. Jahrhundert, Ferrum 66/1994 Link to PDF 
• Technische Katastrophen und ihre Bedeutung für die technische Entwicklung – Ein Überblick, Ferrum 69/1997 Link to PDF 
• Vom Vogelflug zum Flugzeug, Ferrum 72/2000 Link to PDF 
• Die Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG und die Österreichisch-Alpine Montangesellschaft. Neue Arbeiten zur deutschen und österreichischen Schwerindustrie, Ferrum 74/2002 Link to PDF 
• Die Selbstdarstellung der österreichischen Eisen- und Stahlindustrie im Film, Ferrum 76/2004 Link to PDF 
• Die Werkszeitungen des Deutschen Instituts für technische Arbeitsschulung (Dinta) – Ein Instrument im «Kampf um die Seele des Arbeiters», Ferrum 78/2006 Link to PDF 
• Das Walzen seit Beginn der Industrialisierung (Überblick), Ferrum 79/2007 Link to PDF 
• Das technische Museum. Oder wie der Fortschritt ins Museum kam, Ferrum 83/2011 Link to PDF