The “Verein für kulturelle Transfers” (VkT or CulturalTransfers.org) was founded in 2007 by Sabina Muriale and Rüdiger Wischenbart.

The goal of this not for profit organization is to “initiate cultural events and knowledge based research, or to execute respective projects for third parties as well as to form cooperations with Austrian and international institutions. The name of “Verein für kulturelle Transfers” highlights the international perspective in these co-operations in which exchanges play an imminent role.”

Currently, Miha Kovac is chairperson (since 2010); Rüdiger Wischenbart is secretary and cashier of VkT.

VkT took up its activities right after its creation by winning a grant from Stadt Wien / Culture & Science for a study of the role of Austrian publishing houses with regard to translation. This study was presented with the Association of Austrian Publishers and Booksellers in April 2009 as “Rüdiger Wischenbart, Jennifer Jursitzky: Translations of Books in Austrian and Viennese Publishing Houses. Data, Analysis, Perspectives.”

In 2008, VkT won a second grant from Erste Bank Stiftung allowing it to research and write the “Diversity Report 2008. An overview and analysis of translation statistics across Europe: Facts, trends, patterns. Written by Rüdiger Wischenbart, with research by Jennifer Jursitzky and Sabina Muriale.”

Further research on translation and diversity led to the release of “Diversity Report 2009” (at Buch Wien 2009), and “Diversity Report 2010” (at Lijubljana World Book Capital, in spring 2011.

In fall 2011, the report “Literatur übersetzen in Österreich: Status quo, Perspektiven und Potenziale, Ausblick und Empfehlungen”, co-authored by Rüdiger Wischenbart and Jennifer Krenn was completed on behalf of Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (BMUKK).

The Diversity Reports are available for download here