History

14. May 2025

Philosophical walk through Vienna

A philosophy of history, relativism and despair

From Café Central to the University of Vienna, philosopher Martin Kusch takes us for a walk through Vienna's intellectual scenes. Examining how past philosophers like Wittgenstein worked through issues of their time, Kusch finds the tools to tackle troubles of our own. We discuss post-truth debates in the current political climate and the despair of unspeakable pain.

23. April 2025

A look into the past

Can we learn from history?

Democracies are in crisis, wars are raging and the right-wing AfD party recently became the second-strongest party in Germany. Shouldn't we know better? We ask historian Walter Pohl why we hardly learn from history.

8. April 2025

Migration flows in the post-war period

Migration and new beginnings: The history of displaced persons in Austria

The decade following the end of the Second World War is characterised by major migration movements, both in Europe and worldwide. Contemporary historian Kerstin von Lingen uses methods of digital humanities to visualise these global migration flows and discover interesting patterns in the process.

26. March 2025

War against Ukraine

"Austria underestimates the danger if Ukraine loses the war"

What if there is dictated peace on Russia's terms? Historian Philipp Ther is worried about the parallels in history to the current situation in Ukraine and analyses the image of Russia in Austria and Eastern Europe.

3. September 2024

Summer City Trip

"It smells of Vienna"

Let us follow our noses through the city: We talk to historian Julia Gebke and aerosol physicist Bernadett Weinzierl about the most emotional one of our senses, explore the iconic smells of the Ottakring district and take a deep breath at the Gürtel beltway, where the air is better than its reputation.

4. June 2024

How AI is changing science

Artificial intelligence: The researcher ex machina

Will artificial intelligence revolutionise science? From the universe in the supercomputer to old travelogues from the Orient: Four researchers from the University of Vienna tell us how they use AI and where its limits currently lie.

10. April 2024

Holocaust

World War II refugees: Untold stories of flight

Literary scholar Paula Wojcik and her team collect and analyse little-known stories of flight from the Nazi era. How their research uncovers various escape routes, coping strategies and the many obstacles in beginning a new life.

15. February 2024

History of the women's rights movement

First women's movement: Advice to go in days gone by

How do I start my own business? What kind of education should my daughter receive? Questions like these moved women around the turn of the century and many referred to protagonists of the first women's movement for advice. The contemporary historian Corinna Oesch studies these 'citizens' letters' as new important sources.

24. October 2023

Guest article by

Linda Erker

Rudolphina Experts: History of the University

The University of Vienna in the period of Austrofascism

Historian Linda Erker is a researcher at the Department of Contemporary History of the University of Vienna. Her academic work focuses on the period of Austrofascism. In this guest article, she elaborates on the latest insights into the role of the University of Vienna in this significant stage of Austrian history.

22. February 2023

One year of war in Ukraine

What was and is to be expected

One year ago, the Russian full-fledged invasion of Ukraine began. Since then, war has once again become a topic in Europe. Wolfgang Mueller is professor of Russian History at the University of Vienna and in this interview talks about where the Ukrainians' extraordinary defiance comes from and what the war means for Europe's self-image.

19. January 2023

Digital Humanities

Who wrote Byzantine history?

Tara Andrews from the University of Vienna is re-evaluating the history of the Byzantine Empire. By digging for overlooked sources in archives and employing digital tools, she is adding multiple perspectives to the eventful history of the 11th century.

28. June 2022

Ancient History

Antique PR tools: The making of the Church

Vladimir Ivanovici analyses how a Christian elite – the bishops – used emotions to promote the Church, change society and gain more power. The bishops offered Christian alternatives to polytheistic practices and promoted them with methods not so different from the ones used on social media today.

19. May 2022

Presenting... Egyptologist Lonneke Delpeut

Ancient Egyptian images

What do the images from ancient Egypt tell us? In the video, doctoral candidate Lonneke Delpeut explains who the ancient Egyptians wanted to impress with their tomb decorations 3,500 years ago.

5. May 2022

MEET THE SCIENTISTS

Katerina Douka and Tom Higham about their "love for human origins"

The archaeologists Katerina Douka and Tom Higham examine ancient fragments and bones to better understand how humans evolved. In two videos, the radiocarbon dating experts explain their research – and why fun is an important part of it.

4. May 2022

Archaeological Science as Game-Changer

What ancient genes tell us about who we are

Using the latest scientific methods, Tom Higham and Katerina Douka from the University of Vienna want to solve a great mystery of human evolution: Why are we the only humans left?

2. March 2022

Wolfgang Mueller about the war in Ukraine

"One of the largest invasions in Europe since the Second World War"

"Putin is obviously concerned with exterior aspirations to become a great power and with safeguarding his system internally,” says Wolfgang Mueller, expert in East European history.