{{Short description|Austrian writer}} {{Infobox person | name = Barbara Blaha | image = Blaha Barbara-7240 (18224982473).jpg | birth_place = Simmering | alma_mater = University of Vienna }} '''Barbara Blaha''' (23 September 1983) is an Austrian author and founder of the political congress Momentum and the Denkfabrik Momentum Institute and editor of ''Moment'' magazine. Blaha is a former chairwoman of the Austrian Student Union.
== Life == Blaha was born into a working-class family, the second of seven children.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bunke |first=Christian |date=2023-06-01 |title=Barbara Blaha: Ein Arbeiterkind, das es weit gebracht hat |url=https://www.news.at/a/barbara-blaha |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=news.at |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-17 |title=SPÖ-Bloggerin regt mit Arbeiterkind-Sager auf! |url=https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/barbara-blaha-regt-mit-arbeiterkind-sager-auf/549027765 |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.oe24.at |language=de}}</ref> She attended elementary school and high school in Simmering. Blaha studied German at the University of Vienna and graduated in 2009.<ref name=":0" /> In 2008, Blaha founded the Momentum Kongress in Hallstatt.<ref name=":0" /> After her time with the Austrian Student Union, Blaha became commercial manager at the Vienna-based Czernin Verlag. She managed non-fiction for Brandstätter Verlag from 2014, and became responsible for the digital strategy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbara Blaha wird Sachbuch- und Digitalchefin |url=https://www.boersenblatt.net/archiv/833330.html |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.boersenblatt.net |language=de}}</ref> In 2018 she also took over the ''Art & Life'' Division.
Blaha started the think tank “Project360” in 2019, which became the Momentum Institute and ''Moment Magazine''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Über uns {{!}} Moment. |url=https://www.moment.at/ueber-uns |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.moment.at |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Schaffer: "Wir wollen nicht nur für die kleine Twitteria schreiben" |url=https://www.horizont.at/digital/news/schaffer-wir-wollen-nicht-nur-fuer-die-kleine-twitteria-schreiben-71489 |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.horizont.at |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Unabhängiges Magazin "Moment": Projekt 360 hat einen Namen |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000108511965/unabhaengiges-magazin-moment-projekt360-hat-einen-namen |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}}</ref> The Momentum Institute is financed by donation and carries out social research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elisabeth Stein-Hölzl geht, Barbara Blaha übernimmt "Kunst und Leben" |url=https://www.boersenblatt.net/archiv/1525631.html |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.boersenblatt.net |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Apfl |first=Stefan |date=2019-02-28 |title='Unsere Arbeit wird für alle relevant sein' |url=https://datum.at/unsere-arbeit-wird-fuer-alle-relevant-sein/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=DATUM |language=de-DE}}</ref>
== Political career == Blaha started her social efforts in 1997 when she and her school friend revived the dormant school newspaper project ''Der Gottschalk''. She became involved with her school student council and the Vienna State Student Council. During this time she also became involved in the Action for Critical Students Vienna, of which she was Secretary and chairwoman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=derStandard.at |url=https://www.derstandard.at/consent/tcf/1345166855735/faymann-und-androsch-im-kanonenboot |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=www.derstandard.at}}</ref>
During her studies she began to get involved with the Socialist Students of Austria (VSStÖ). She was in the education policy department of the Austrian Student Union, responsible for questions regarding the Bologna Process.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hallo, was lesen Sie, Barbara Blaha? |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000181707/hallo-was-lesen-sie-barbara-blaha |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}}</ref> She was elected to the Austrian Student Union Leadership Team, and served as chair for two years. She was elected to the University Council of the University of Salzburg in 2013.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
== Science Ball == Blaha is one of the co-founders of the Vienna Ball of Sciences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abrahams |first=Marc |date=2015-02-01 |title=A 24/7 lecture for the Vienna Ball of Sciences |url=https://improbable.com/2015/02/01/a-247-lecture-for-the-vienna-ball-of-sciences/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=improbable.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blaha, Barbara}} Category:Living people Category:1983 births Category:Writers from Vienna Category:University of Vienna alumni Category:Austrian writers Category:Austrian women writers Category:21st-century Austrian writers