At the invitation of Wernfried Hofmeister, Daniel Fabry and I contributed the chapter “Grenzüberschreitungen by Design."

The fourth volume in the Historische Landeskommission (HLK) series Memoranda Styriaca gathers transdisciplinary essays on outstanding events, ideas, and developments in the context of Styrian regional history. Emerging from the University of Graz / HLK lecture series, the volume brings together historical, architectural, design-related, and educational perspectives under the shared theme of boundary crossing — geographic, mental, institutional, and cultural.

Our text focuses on the development of a socially minded approach to design in Graz, in which design is understood not as mere styling or function, but as a cultural and societal process. At the center of this contribution is the role of FH JOANNEUM and its close connection to the local, internationally networked creative industries. We show how this environment helped shape a broader understanding of design as a values-based practice — one that contributed to Graz’s profile in the fields of culture, education, and design.

Daniel Fabry, Karl Stocker, “Grenzüberschreitungen by Design”, in: Wernfried Hofmeister (Ed.), Grenzüberschreitungen. Transdisziplinäre Betrachtungen herausragender Ereignisse, Ideen und Entwicklungen im Kontext der steirischen Landesgeschichte (= Memoranda Styriaca 4, Graz 2026), 129-156.

The book is available from booksellers or directly from the HLK, Karmeliterplatz 3, 8010 Graz, Austria, <hlk@stmk.gv.at> for € 30.