Edition Hubatschek

Edition Hubatschek is a small Austrian publishing house (Verlag) devoted to documenting the culture, labour and landscape of Alpine mountain farmers (Bergbauern). It grew out of the lifelong photographic and ethnographic work of Erika Hubatschek, who spent decades living and working alongside Tyrolean mountain farming families, recording their daily lives in some twelve thousand black-and-white negatives. In 1988, at the age of 71, she founded Verlag Dr. Hubatschek, which she led until her death in 2010. Since then her daughter Irmtraud Hubatschek, who had collaborated with her since 1991 on exhibition concepts and the building of a comprehensive picture archive, has continued the house under the name Edition Hubatschek. The publisher's catalogue centres on photographic and reading books (Bilder- und Lesebücher) about Alpine farming, mountaineering history and mountain regions, including titles such as ALMZEIT – UP ON THE ALP and the 2024 release KORSIKA! Alpingeschichte im Mittelmeer 1852–1972. The books are sold directly and through bookshops, primarily in the German-speaking market, and the house also engages in exhibitions, book presentations and themed trails. Edition Hubatschek positions itself as a keeper of cultural heritage, presenting its archive as a valuable cultural document of a vanished way of life.

Edition Hubatschek traces its origins to the fieldwork of Erika Hubatschek, who devoted more than sixty years to photographing and documenting the lives of Alpine mountain farmers. Her motto was that farming work can only be understood by doing it oneself, and during long stays with Tyrolean mountain farmers she took part in the labour — spreading manure, bringing in hay, milking cows, weeding flax — always with notebook and camera at hand. This immersive, 'from-the-inside' experience produced some twelve thousand black-and-white negatives and became the foundation of the publishing house's books, now regarded as a valuable cultural document of a vanished era. In 1988, at the age of 71, Erika Hubatschek founded Verlag Dr. Hubatschek and directed it until her death in 2010. Her daughter Irmtraud Hubatschek, who had worked closely with her since 1991 on exhibition concepts and the creation of a comprehensive picture archive, took over the house in 2010 and continues it as Edition Hubatschek. Under Irmtraud's direction the publisher has continued to release photographic and reading books on Alpine themes, including ALMZEIT – UP ON THE ALP (2022) and KORSIKA! Alpingeschichte im Mittelmeer 1852–1972 (2024), the latter co-authored with Joël Jenin and featuring a foreword by Kurt Diemberger. The house also maintains an active programme of exhibitions, book presentations and themed trails.

• 2024

  Publication of KORSIKA! Alpingeschichte im Mittelmeer 1852–1972.

• 2022

  Publication of ALMZEIT – UP ON THE ALP.

• 2010

  Erika Hubatschek dies; Irmtraud Hubatschek takes over and renames the house Edition Hubatschek.

• 1991

  Irmtraud Hubatschek begins close collaboration on exhibitions and the picture archive.

• 1988

  Erika Hubatschek founds Verlag Dr. Hubatschek at age 71.

Specialist heritage publisher preserving the photographic and documentary record of Alpine mountain-farmer culture.

• 2024

  KORSIKA! Alpingeschichte im Mittelmeer 1852–1972

  A Bilder- und Lesebuch by Irmtraud Hubatschek and Joël Jenin with a foreword by Kurt Diemberger; 480 pages, 25 x 33 cm, 1040 photos and illustrations, 1277 original quotes, ISBN 978-3-900899-52-3, €69.90.

• 2022

  ALMZEIT – UP ON THE ALP

  A book of nearly 200 selected black-and-white photographs by Erika Hubatschek.

1. 1Edition Hubatschek | Willkommen in der Welt der Bergbauernedition-hubatschek.at
2. 2Edition Hubatschek | 2024: NEU: KORSIKA! Alpingeschichte im Mittelmeer 1852–1972edition-hubatschek.at
3. 3Edition Hubatschek | NEU! KORSIKA! Alpingeschichte im Mittelmeer 1852–1972edition-hubatschek.at
4. 4Wikidata: Edition Hubatschekwikidata.org