Stella Zhu's Vienna Study Abroad Feature
December 27, 2025
The Religious Studies Department is excited to feature one of our majors, Stella Zhu's transformative study abroad experience this past fall. Stella shared a reflection and photos from her quarter in Vienna, Austria!
"I studied abroad in Vienna in Fall 2025 and took five courses. Two courses that stood out most to me were “Jewish Life in Vienna: Past and Present” and “Religion and Multiculturalism.” Both were far more transformative and immersive than I initially expected.
In my Jewish Studies course, I did not realize the extent to which Jewish communities shaped Vienna, Austria, and the broader Central and Eastern European region. Their contributions to art, culture, the economy, and science (such as Freud, court Jews, and Gustav Mahler) were profound. At the same time, the recurring historical pattern of expulsion and return revealed how deeply entrenched antisemitism has been. This course made me far more attentive to Jewish life as I traveled throughout the region: I visited synagogues in Hungary and Slovenia, as well as Jewish museums, concentration camps, and former ghettos across Germany, Austria, Poland, and beyond.
Beyond learning historical facts, the course changed how I think about knowledge and narratives. It pushed me to ask questions: what information is presented, what is omitted, why certain narratives are promoted, and by whom. For example, after World War II, Austria advanced the “first victim” narrative to avoid accountability, despite widespread public celebration when the Nazis arrived. This contrast made me more conscious of how history is framed and what remains unsaid.
The Religion and Multiculturalism course was built directly on these insights. In addition to Judaism, we examined Christianity, Islam, and other traditions. Nearly every class included a field visit or guest speaker—pastors discussing Protestant life in Vienna, local politicians, an imam guiding us through a mosque, and retired professors explaining Austria’s religious education system. Engaging directly with locals made theoretical debates and historical discussions feel tangible and immediate.
Overall, these two courses allowed me to engage much more deeply with the historical development, social role, and contemporary realities of religion. They strengthened my thinking and made me far more reflective about culture, identity, and the construction of historical narratives."