Austria, a small and neutral country in the heart of Europe, lies on the margins of global nuclear history. It has never possessed nuclear weapons, nor has it considered launching a nuclear weapons program. Austria is home to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), yet it has never produced a single kilowatt of electricity through nuclear power. However, Austria\u2019s recent ambitions to intensify the global debate on nuclear disarmament, as well as the newly vibrant field of nuclear studies, give good reason to dedicate a themed issue of zeitgeschichte <\/I>to nuclear history. This issue offers an introduction to Austria’s nuclear past and present and provides three case studies on the rise and fall of nuclear power optimism in Western Societies. <\/P>
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