Institute for Psychoanalytic-Ethnological Disaster Research

Disasters are described as major incidents in which people are injured or killed and which cannot be managed with the resources of the local infrastructure. A distinction is generally made between natural and technological disasters, even if some researchers question the usefulness of this categorisation.

The special thing about disaster research is that it involves a large number of natural science and humanities disciplines, such as history, geography, sociology, literature, theology, psychotraumatology, geosciences and engineering. Although interdisciplinarity is often called for, it is rarely realised, apart from interdisciplinary anthologies, in which the individual contributions usually only represent one subject and are therefore not interdisciplinary in themselves.

It is therefore desirable to have an approach that simultaneously takes into account different perspectives and the fact that both individuals and collectives are equally affected by disasters. As a result, a combination of psychoanalytical and ethnological approaches can be useful, as this focuses on the individual on the one hand and on the group on the other. The meaningfulness of this is also made clear by terms that are of great importance in the context of disasters and biographical interviews, namely “vulnerability” and “resilience” as well as “identity”, because they are used by the psychological as well as the social sciences with different emphases.

Psychoanalytical-ethnological disaster research is not synonymous with ethnopsychoanalytical approaches, as the latter aim to explore cultures with the help of psychoanalysis, while the latter is characterised by a more open horizon, in that it strives for an equal-ranking coexistence of both disciplines and also draws on methods of ethnological narrative research. Furthermore, “psychoanalysis” is understood here in a broader sense, namely, as is common in Germany, for example, as a synonym for “psychodynamic theories”, meaning not only the teachings of Sigmund Freud and their further developments, but also those of Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav Jung.

In order to draw attention to both individual and collective aspects, small communities that have been affected by disasters are a good place to start. The time of the disaster should be several years or a few decades ago in order to find out more precisely how vulnerable or resilient the individuals or the collective proved to be.

Head: Univ.-Prof. Mag. DDr. Bernd Rieken, e-mail

Conferences

1) “Erzählen über Katastrophen”, 03-06 September 2014 at the Alpenhotel Gösing, 3221 Gösing an der Mariazellerbahn.
Conference of the Commission for Narrative Research in the German Folklore Society.

Publication:
Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Erzählen über Katastrophen. Contributions from German philology, narrative research and psychotherapy science. Münster, New York: Waxmann 2016 (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur. Publication series of the Sigmund Freud Private University, vol. 16).

2) “Angst in der Katastrophenforschung”, 06.06.-09.06.2018 at the Alpenhotel Gösing, 3221 Gösing an der Mariazellerbahn.

Conference together with the disaster network KatNet, c/o Disaster Research Centre (KFS), Freie Universität Berlin.

Publication:
Rieken, Bernd (ed.) 2019: Fear in disaster research. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, Vol. 27).

3) Conference “Eco-Anxiety” – Fear of the Future and Climate Change. Interdisciplinary approaches, 25.11.-28.11.2020, SFU Vienna

The conference was cancelled due to the Corona lockdown, instead an anthology on the topic was published.

Publication:
Bernd Rieken, Reinhold Popp, Paolo Raile (eds.): Eco Anxiety – Future Anxiety and Climate Change. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann 2021 (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur. Publication series of the Sigmund Freud Private University, vol. 33)

4) Conference “Climate-related disasters – impacts, coping, and resilience”, 15 Sep – 16 Sep 2025, SFU Vienna

Conference together with the Katastrophennetzwerk e.V. (KatNet), Freie Universität Berlin.
Read more…

Academic activities in disaster research

Teaching

Exercise “Qualitative Interpretation”
5th semester, bachelor’s programme in psychotherapy science
Head: Univ.-Ass. Dr Anna Jank

Lecture series
1st semester, bachelor’s degree programme in Psychotherapy Science
Head: Professor DDr Bernd Rieken

Seminar “Methodology and Methodology of Psychotherapy Science 4”
4th semester, doctoral programme in Psychotherapy Science
Head: Professor DDr Bernd Rieken

Academic theses

1) Bachelor’s and master’s theses:

1.1) Christine Leutner: “Danube Flood 2002” (completed)

Leutner Christine 2012: Ethnological disaster research: Danube flood 2002 in Lower Austria using the example of selected regions. Vienna University, Dipl.-Arb. European Ethnology.

Publication:
Wiedersich (Leutner), Christine 2016: Donauhochwasser 2002 in Niederösterreich am Beispiel ausgewählter Regionen. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Narrating about disasters. Contributions from German philology, narrative research and psychotherapy science. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, Vol. 16), pp. 275-283.

1.2) Jaqueline Marylin Vessely: “Crash of Swissair flight 306 in Dürrenäsch and the death of 43 people from the village of Humlikon in 1963” (in progress)

Previous publication:
Vessely, Jaqueline Marylin 2019: Wall of silence. An attempt to process two villages after the Swiss Air crash in 1963. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Angst in der Katastrophenforschung. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 27), pp. 79-91.

1.3) Marlene Fitzka: “The crash of the Germanwings Airbus A320-211 in the southern French department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence on 24 March 2015” (completed)

Publication:
Fitzka, Marlene 2022: Flight into death. The crash of the Germanwings Airbus A320-211 in the southern French department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence on 24 March 2015. In: Journal for Free Psychoanalytic Research and Individual Psychology 9, Special Issue 2. DOI 10.15136/2022.9.S2.1-108

1.4) Lisa-Marie Radl: “How effective are crisis intervention measures for the prevention of stress disorders in Austrian Airlines flight attendants?” (Bachelor’s thesis, completed)

Publication:
Radl Lisa-Marie 2022: What can happen when flying. Crisis intervention for the prevention of stress disorders among Austrian Airlines flight attendants. In: SFU Research Bulletin SFU Research Bulletin 10, Issue 1, pp. 26-49. DOI:10.15135/2022.10.1.26-49

1.5) Viola Stadlbauer: ‘Die Schlammlawine in Gondo (CH) am 14.10.2000 – ein Beitrag zur Katastrophenforschung’ (in progress).

1.6) Philipp Konvicka: “Helmut Schmidt und die Sturmflutkatastrophe vom Februar 1962 in der Hansestadt Hamburg. Individual psychological approaches” (in progress).

2) Dissertations:

2.1) Brigitte Strohmeier: “Mining accident in Lassing/Styria 1998” (completed)

Publications:
Strohmeier, Brigitte 2018: The mining accident in Lassing. A contribution to disaster research. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, Vol. 23).

Strohmeier, Brigitte 2019: On the Fear Genesis of Empirical Researchers in the Context of Disaster Research. An illustration using the example of the mining accident in Lassing. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Fear in disaster research. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 27), pp. 93-105.

2.2) Anna Jank: “Sturmflut 1962 auf den Halligen in Nordfriesland” (completed)

Publications:
Jank, Anna 2016: The storm surge of 16/17 February 1962 on the Halligen of North Friesland. A contribution to ethnological-psychoanalytical disaster research. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Narratives about disasters. Contributions from German philology, narrative research and psychotherapy science. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 16), pp. 241-250.

Jank, Anna 2019: Wild North Sea: Disaster experiences on the Halligen of North Friesland. A psychoanalytical-ethnological study. Münster, New York: Waxmann 2019 (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 25).

Jank, Anna 2019: Blind fear – or why seeing makes you resilient. Storm surge disasters between dyke and Hallig. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Fear in disaster research. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 27), pp. 127-135.

2.3) Nina Arbesser-Rastburg: “Earthquake in Los Angeles” (completed)

Previous publications:
Arbesser-Rastburg, Nina 2019: Magnitude of Fear. Earthquake processing in Los Angeles County. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Fear in disaster research. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 27), pp. 59-77.

Arbesser-Krasser, Nina 2021: Coping with Shaking – Shattering Processing in Los Angeles. A contribution to disaster research. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 29).

2.4) Peter Schichan: “Angst – das vergessene Thema in der Katastrophenforschung” (in progress)

Dissertations in a broader context (resilience and security research):

2.5) Andrea Jerković: The international community and tertiary prevention in the Western Balkans: from Dayton via Brussels to no man’s land? – The Comprehensive Approach put to the test. Diss. SFU 2012 (completed).

Publication:
Jerković, Andrea 2016: The international community and tertiary prevention in the Western Balkans: From Dayton via Brussels to no man’s land? – The Comprehensive Approach put to the test. Hamburg: Disserta Verlag.

2.6) Florian Fritz: “Resilienz als Planungsgrundlage sicherheitsbezogenen Außenhandelns der EU”. Analysis of individual and collective resilience factors and case studies of EU foreign and security policy (completed)

Publication:
Fritz, Florian 2014: Resilience as a security policy design model. Factors and metaphors in case studies. Vienna, Berlin: Lit (Schriften zur Rechts- und Kriminalsoziologie, vol. 6).

2.7) Horst Rieger: On the significance of vulnerability and resilience for individuals in high reliability organisations in crises. An investigation in the aviation industry. Diss. SFU 2018 (completed).

Publication:
Rieger, Horst 2016: Individual Resilience and Vulnerability in High Reliability Organisations – Preliminary Results of a Study in the Aviation Industry. In: SFU Research Bulletin, Issue 2, pp. 1-16. DOI: 10.15135/2016.4.2.1-16

Supervision of theses

If you are interested in writing a master’s thesis or dissertation on empirical-qualitative disaster research, you are welcome to contact us. Adequate supervision, also taking into account the problem of counter-transference (fears in connection with field research etc.), is guaranteed. Theoretical papers can also be written.

Research points – Research Labs

ECTS points can be acquired for smaller research projects as part of the degree programme (4th semester bachelor’s degree). Enquiries to Dr Anna Jank, e-mail: anna.jank@sfu.ac.at

Research projects

1) Storm surge disasters on the Frisian North Sea coast (completed)

Publications among others:

Rieken, Bernd 2005: “Nordsee ist Mordsee“. Storm surges and their significance for the mental history of the Frisians. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Abhandlungen und Vorträge zur Geschichte Ostfrieslands, vol. 83; Nordfriisk Instituut, no. 186) (also Vienna, Univ., Habilitationsschrift Europäische Ethnologie 2004).

Rieken, Bernd 2019: Autoethnographic and depth-psychological approaches to the phenomenon of fear in disaster research using the example of the North Sea storm surge of 16/17 February 1962. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Angst in der Katastrophenforschung. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, Vol. 27), pp. 107-126.

Jank, Anna 2019: Wild North Sea: Disaster experiences on the Halligen of North Friesland. A psychoanalytical-ethnological study. Münster, New York: Waxmann 2019 (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 25).

Jank-Humann, Anna 2023: Land under – Forever? Threatened Halligen. In: Horvath, Kathrin: Dimensions. Science journal Ö1, ORF. 14.02.2023, 19:05.

2) Avalanche disaster in Galtür 1999 (completed)

Publications among others:
Rieken, Bernd 2010: Shadows over Galtür? Conversations with locals about the 1999 avalanche. A contribution to disaster research. Münster, New York: Waxmann.

Rieken, Bernd (ed.) 2015: How to cope with the incomprehensible? Interdisciplinary approaches using the example of the Galtür avalanche disaster. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, Vol. 10).

3) The avalanche disaster of Blons in the Great Walser Valley in 1954 (in progress)

Previous publication:
Simon, Michael; Rieken, Bernd 2016: Die Lawinenkatastrophe von Blons im Großen Walsertal anno 1954. Ethnological and psychoanalytical approaches. In: Bernd Rieken (ed.): Narratives about catastrophes. Contributions from German philology, narrative research and psychotherapy science. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur. Schriftenreihe der Sigmund-Freud-Privatuniversität, vol. 16), pp. 265-274.

4) “Eco Anxiety” – Fear of climate change

a.) Monographic work (authors: Raile, Rieken),
b.) Interdisciplinary anthology on the topic of fear of the future and climate change (editors: Rieken, Popp, Raile).

Information on the anthology:
Exceptional weather phenomena such as the drought and heatwave summer of 2018 in northern and central Europe or the 2019/20 bushfires in Australia are widely echoed in the media and in everyday narratives. Climate change issues are therefore no longer confined to the academic sphere. Rather, they are now also being discussed by broad sections of the population. This is made clear by the Fridays for Future movement, among others, but also by the sometimes violent reactions to it.
Climate change evokes emotions, including fear and anxiety about the future. In the USA, there is already a separate term for this, namely “eco-anxiety”, which the American Psychological Association describes as “a chronic fear of environmental doom”.
This new publication will therefore focus on the connection between climate change and anxiety or fear of the future. This publication project is interdisciplinary in nature. In this sense, the contributions come from different disciplines and research fields (e.g. psychotherapy science, psychology, disaster and security research, ethnology, geography, geology, climatology, historiography, futures research, theology).

Previous publications and lectures:

Rieken, Bernd 2019: Fear from proximity or distance. Reflections on the understanding of nature since the Middle Ages. In: Rieken, Bernd (ed.): Fear in disaster research. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann (Psychotherapiewissenschaft in Forschung, Profession und Kultur, vol. 27), pp. 15-26.

Raile, Paolo 2019: Eco-Anxiety. The Fear of Climate Change and its Consequences. Lecture at the Winter School at the Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQYCr9aKgfI

Bernd Rieken: Pandemics and disasters. Couch talks of the Association of Austrian Psychotherapists (VÖPP), Tue, 17.03.2020. Internet: https://soundcloud.com/couchgespraeche/14-katastrophenforscher

Raile, Paolo 2020: Where hope is at home. Sources of resilience in times of doomsday scenarios. Lecture at the Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna
Presentation Conference Islam and Environment.pdf

Raile, Paolo; Rieken, Bernd 2021: Eco Anxiety. The fear of climate change. Psychotherapeutic and ethnological approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann.

Bernd Rieken, Reinhold Popp, Paolo Raile (eds.) 2021: Eco Anxiety – Fear of the Future and Climate Change. Interdisciplinary approaches. Münster, New York: Waxmann.

Presentation by Paolo Raile on the book Eco Anxiety as part of the Climate Study Group at SFU: https://youtu.be/_Z2fKq83kEA

Bernd Rieken: Psychotherapy, Climate Change and Eco Anxiety. Guest lecture as part of the lecture Medical Anthropology, Prof Dr Mirko Uhlig. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Institute for Film, Theatre, Media and Cultural Studies, Department of Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology 25.01.2022.

Spotify original podcast on the topic Eco-Anxiety Paolo Raile (18/09/2022)

Raile, Paolo 2023: Psychotherapeutic Multi-Approach-Perspectives on Eco-Anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology 14, 1162616.

Raile, Paolo 2023: Poetry Therapy and Eco-Anxiety – A Case Study. Journal of Poetry Therapy 36, 2203833.

Raile, Paolo 2023: Loneliness and community as influencing factors in dealing with eco-anxiety. Presentation at the symposium Loneliness and Relationship of the Alfred Adler Institute Munich.

5) Psychotherapeutic and ethnological aspects of the corona pandemic

Previous publications:

Bric, Benjamin & Raile, Paolo (2020): Installing an Innovative Helpline at the Psychotherapeutic Outpatient Clinic of the Sigmund-Freud-Privat University in Vienna during the COVID-19-Crisis. In: International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 22, 3, pp. 133-147. DOI:10.32604/IJMHP.2020.011375

Raile, Paolo; Diem, Anna Maria; Duda, Patrizia, Gren, Maria & Riegler, Elisabeth (2021): The CoViD crisis in self-reflections. Self-experience reports interpreted psychotherapeutically. In: Psychotherapie-Wissenschaft, 11 (1 ), 37-47.

Rieken, Bernd (2020): The Corona virus, the Holy Corona and the winter sports resort of Ischgl. In: Journal for Free Psychoanalytic Research and Individual Psychology 7, Issue 2, pp. 61-78. DOI: 10.15136/2020.7.2.61-78

Rieken, Bernd (2021-2022): About a train journey during the strict Corona lockdown in November 2020. Publications:

1) The last train to Bad Gleichenberg. REPORTAGE. A train journey from Baden to the south-eastern Styrian spa town: A railway enthusiast on a journey during the lockdown. In: Kleine Zeitung, Südoststeiermark, 13.02.2021, p. 24-25. Titled “Start of the Gleichenberg railway. Report by a railway enthusiast about a journey during the lockdown “: https://www.kleinezeitung.at

2) History and stories: With direct current to Bad Gleichenberg. In: Model railway enthusiasts, issue 11, 2021, p. 42-46.

3) The last train to Bad Gleichenberg. On the melancholy of travelling by train during the strict corona lockdown in November 2020. In: Journal for Free Psychoanalytic Research and Individual Psychology 9, Issue 1 (2022), pp. 108-132. DOI: 10.15136/2022.9.1.108-132

Rieken, Bernd (ed.) (2022): Zeitschrift für freie psychoanalytische Forschung und Individualpsychologie, No. 1 (2022): Focus topic Corona. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15136/2022.9.1

Article:

  • Gabriela Pap, Brigitte Sindelar: Decently mentally ill thanks to Covid. On the destigmatisation of mentally ill children and adolescents and their parents, p.1-31.
  • Gabriela Pap, Vivien Kain, Julia Polz, Julia Deimel: The power of the golden ninja sticker. The meaning and impact of the vaccination issue for children and adolescents, p. 32-53.
  • Vanja Minić, Valerie Hofbauer, Jasmin Ghazanfari: Fear vs. aggression. Deep hermeneutic cultural analysis of the dominant emotions of the first two lockdowns, pp. 54-90.
  • Elisabeth Angerer, Anna Lena Fellinger, Niccola Liedl, Severin Pühringer, Julia Rathwallner: HUMOR – Sonst kriegen wir noch die Krise. Research paper on humour in the corona pandemic, p. 91-107.
  • Bernd Rieken: The last train to Bad Gleichenberg. On the melancholy of travelling by train during the strict corona lockdown in November 2020, pp. 108-132 [see above].

Publications

List of previous publications

see: SFU Publication Database

Lectures and interviews available on the Internet (selection)

Monographs and anthologies at a glance

The North Sea is a murder sea

Storm surges and their significance for the history of Frisian mentality
2005, 456 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-1499-0

Shadows over Galtür?

Conversations with locals about the 1999 avalanche
A contribution to disaster research
2010, 216 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-2336-7

How do you cope with the incomprehensible?

Interdisciplinary approaches using the example of the Galtür avalanche disaster
2015, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 10, 192 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-3214-7

Telling stories about disasters

Contributions from German philology, narrative research and psychotherapy science
2016, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 16, 288 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-3489-9

The Lassing mining accident

A contribution to disaster research
2018, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 23, 366 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-3817-0

Wild North Sea: Disaster experience on the Halligen of North Friesland

A psychoanalytical-ethnological study
2019, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 25, 258 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-4010-4

Fear in disaster research

Interdisciplinary approaches
2019, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 27, 208 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-4090-6

Coping with Shaking - Shattering processing in Los Angeles

A contribution to disaster research
2021, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 29, 225 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-4298-6

Eco Anxiety - the fear of climate change

Psychotherapeutic and ethnological approaches
2021, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 32, 228 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-4372-3

Eco Anxiety - Fear of the future and climate change

Interdisciplinary approaches
2021, Psychotherapy Science in Research, Profession and Culture, Volume 33, 350 pages, paperback, ISBN 978-3-8309-4402-7

Contact us

Head

Univ.-Prof. Mag. DDr. Bernd Rieken

CV, list of publications (PDF)
E-mail: bernd.rieken@sfu.ac.at

more

Team

Univ.-Ass.in Dr.in Anna Jank-Humann

Publication list (PDF)
E-Mail: anna.jank@sfu.ac.at

more

Priv.-Doz. Dr Dr Paolo Raile, MSc

E-mail: paolo.raile@sfu.ac.at

more

Institute for Psychoanalytical-Ethnological Disaster Research
Faculty of Psychotherapy Science
Sigmund Freud Private University
Freudplatz 1, 1020 Vienna

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