studied physics at the Technical University of Vienna 1957–1959, changed to cultural anthropology and ethnomusicology at the University of Vienna; Ph.D. 1970.
Phonogrammarchiv, Austrian Academy of Sciences:
Consultant (2008-)
Director (1972-2008)
Curator (1971–1972)
Student assistant (1961–1970)
Teaching and training
Visiting professor at the University of Fuzhou, Fujian, China (2003)
Lecturer on audiovisual preservation at the College for Information Studies Eisenstadt, Austria (since 1997), Austria, and at the Donau Universität Krems, Austria (1999–2007)
Lecturer in, and organiser of national and international training seminars on audiovisual archiving, partly organised in co-operation with UNESCO, more recently in South-East Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean, Central Asia, China, and within EU-funded Project TAPE (Teaching Audiovisual Preservation in Europe) (since 1977)
Lecturer on audiovisual data carriers, research phonography, and audiovisual preservation at the University of Vienna for linguists, musicologists, anthropologists, and information specialists (since 1976)
Field work
Himachal Pradesh, India, in cooperation with the research focus Cultural History of the Western Himalayas, Austrian Research Foundation (2002)
China, Qinghai and Gansu (1998), and Hainan (2001), in cooperation with the Music Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Arts
St. Lucia (Caribbean, 1985)
Burkina Faso (Western Africa, 1975)
Intensively in Austria (five major projects funded by the Austrian Research Foundation 1972–1985)
Several recording projects focusing on urban anthropology in Vienna
Consultations
(Working)-visits to audiovisual archives in all continents, including consultation for the formation and/or re-organisation of av-archives, partly upon request by UNESCO (eg: 1975 Burkina Faso, 1977 Sudan, 1985 St. Lucia, 1986 Trinidad & Tobago, 1992 Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad, Australia, 1992-1995 Eastern Europe, 1993 Burkina Faso, 1994 Oman, 1995: Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad; 1995/6 Italy, 1996/98/2002/03/07 Beijing); 2005 Kazakhstan, USA, Tadjikistan; 2006 Ethiopia, Russia, 2006–2009 Albania, 2008 Philippines
Re-organisation, digitisation of audiovisual collections abroad
Center for Ethnomusicology, University of the Philippines, Manila (2008–2009)
St. Petersburg Phonogrammarchiv, Russia (2006–2008 , Endangered Archives Programme, British Library)
Institute for Folklore, Tirana, Albania (2005–2009 , Austrian Development Agency)
Music Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Arts, Beijing (2003–4, UNESCO)
Institute for Folk Music Research, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia (1990–1992, Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research)
Positions and memberships, national
Board member Austrian National Commission for UNESCO (new) (since 2004)
Chair Austrian National Committee for IFAP, UNESCO (2004-2008)
Member Austrian National Committee for the Memory of the World Programme of UNESCO (since 1995, Chair 2009–)
Board Member at Large, Anthropological Society in Vienna (since 1991)
Member Austrian National Commission for UNESCO (old) (1988–2001), chair of the working group on culture and communication research (1989–2001)
Member "Großgeräte-Kommission AV" (advisory board to the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research on choice and purchase of audiovisual equipment for Austrian universities) (1984–1995)
Member Advisory Board, Austrian Folklore Society (since 1979)
Chairman AGAVA (Austrian Working Group of Audiovisual Archives), now Media Archives Austria (MAA) (1976–1985), Secretary General (1985–1996), Executive Board Member (1996–2001)
Member Austrian Section Committee, Audio Engineering Society (AES) (since 1973)
Positions and memberships, international
Member of the Archive Advisory Board, Institute for Psycho Linguistics, Max Plank Gesellschaft, Nijmegen, Netherlands (since 2005)
Member of the Advisory Board, EVIA Digital Archive Project, University of Indiana, Bloomington, Ind., USA 2005 (since 2005)
Austrian Delegate to the Intergovernmental Council for the Information for All Programme of UNESCO (since 2003), Vice President (2004–2008, 2010–), Bureau Member (since 2008), Chair Working Group Information Preservation (2009–)
Board Member of the European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA) (2001-2008)
Chairman Sub-Committee on Technology for the Memory of the World Programme of UNESCO (1994 - 2007, member: 2007 -)
Vice-Chairman Audio Engineering Society (AES) Standards Sub Committee SC 03 on Audio Preservation and Restoration (since 1993)
Austrian Delegate to UNESCO General Conferences on Information and Communication (since 1989)
Austrian Delegate to the Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme of UNESCO and member of its Bureau (Rapporteur) (1993–2001)
President of IASA (International Association of Sound Archives, presently International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives) (1975–1978) Vice-President (1978–1984), Editor of the Phonographic Bulletin (1984–1987)
Awards
Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst 1.Klasse der Republik Österreich (2008)
Jointly with Albrecht Häfner Special Recognition Award for Training and Development of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) (2005)
Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst der Republik Österreich (1991)
Publications
Over 150 publications, emphasis on:
The sound recording as source for research
Phonographic field work
Problems related to storage, preservation and restoration of audiovisual data carriers
