honoris causa 2025

Program:

Thu 4.12.2025, 19 h: Book presentation
Eduard Freudmann, Jakob Krameritsch, Michael Lunardi, Ruth Sonderegger (Eds.): Ergänzungen und Eingriffe. Zur Geschichte der Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, 1930–1960. Mandelbaum: Vienna 2025. 

Place: Conference room, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Schillerplatz 3, 1010 Vienna

A new publication will be presented and discussed that addresses some of the gaps in research identified during the honoris causa conference series. The book brings together cultural studies, literary, and artistic examinations of the history of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna from 1930 to 1960 and tells stories of transformations and the persistence of fascism at a central location of Austrian art production.

With a book table from Mandelbaum

19 h: 
Welcome by Rector Johan Hartle

19:15 h: 
Book presentation by the editors

19:35-20:40 h:
Lecture and discussion: René Schober: The Athenaia as a German nationalist, anti-Semitic student fraternity at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts

The lecture reports on current research findings on the “Verbindung deutscher Kunstakademiker Athenaia” (Association of German Art Academicians Athenaia). This student association, which was closely linked to the Academy, was founded in 1882 and was one of the most strictly German nationalist, anti-Semitic corporations from the outset. Despite its small membership numbers compared to student statistics, it quickly developed a large presence in Academy life and finally achieved the status of the only approved fraternity in the academy in 1908. In the following decades, it not only remained true to its convictions, but also played an important role at the Academy as a seed cell of National Socialism from the 1920s onwards. After Austria's annexation to the Third Reich on March 13, 1938, Athenaia – like all other student fraternities – was dissolved and transferred to the NSD Student Union. Its fraternity chairman saw this as a logical consequence, since, in his opinion, “our goal of ‘one people, one empire’ has been achieved.”

After the discussion: buffet and bar in the Academy Mensa

For further information on the publication, please see: https://www.mandelbaum.at/buecher/eduard-freudmann-jakob-krameritsch-michael-lunardi-ruth-sonderegger/ergaenzungen-und-eingriffe/ 

Fri, 5.12.2025, 10–17 h: Conference
Conference room, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Schillerplatz 3, 1010 Vienna

The coexistence as well as the intertwining of Austrofascism and National Socialism can be studied in detail at the Academy. That is why this constellation will be the cross-cutting theme of the conference, where current research, for example on the influential Athenaia fraternity at the Academy, will be presented. The agenda also includes a application to revoke an honorary membership of the Academy.

10 h: 
Welcome by Rector Johan Hartle

10:15 h:
About the conference program: Jakob Krameritsch

10:30–11:10 h:
 Lina Morawetz: Über sieben Prosastücken (About seven prose pieces)
The seven prose pieces in the current publication on the history of the Academy draw on source material to examine individuals who appear only marginally in the archives. How can a rupture in reality—a disappearance—become a hinge in the narrative? In an attempt not to avoid the tension between document and narration, the prose pieces oscillate between fragmentary traces and assumptions in order to capture the individual people in their image of themselves, their dreams, and humanity in general. Ultimately, it is also about “the enduring power of not only real but also fictional memories” (Dagmar Herzog).

11:10–11:20 h:
Break

11:20–12 h:
 Christina Wieder: „Bildende“ and „Angewandte“: Highlights of a relationship history. A workshop report. Moderation: Ruth Sonderegger.
This panel takes a look at the history of the relationship between the two Viennese art universities in the 20th century and highlights three contexts that raise broader questions about art, culture, and social policy. In addition to creative conflicts and seemingly insurmountable dividing lines, it also highlights points of intersection, mutual influences, and long-lasting collaborations. It reflects on how these dynamics—both short-term and long-term-have shaped the field of art and science history and what role they play in contemporary projects that examine institutional history.

12–12:30 h:
Michael Lunardi: Proposal to revoke the honorary membership of Hans Pernter. Moderation: Ruth Sonderegger.
Hans Pernter was a member of the presidential board of the Ministry of Education for ten years before becoming section head in 1932, then state secretary in 1934, and finally minister in the Austrofascist government in 1936. During this phase, he played a decisive role in shaping Austria's education, (higher) education, and cultural policy in line with the authoritarian corporative constitution of 1934. In 1937, primarily for political expediency, he was awarded honorary membership of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, which was revoked during the Nazi era (1941) but reinstated in 1945. This article argues for the revocation of this honorary membership once again, based on research conducted for the book.

12:30 h:
 Lunch

13:30 h:
Brief presentation of the workshop discussions
In Panel 1 and Panel 2, authors of the new publication on the history of the Academy (see book presentation on the previous day) report on their work on their contributions, based on selected sources.

14 h:
Start of the workshop discussions

PANEL 1: Sources and (open) research questions from individual book contributions with Ulrike Hirhager, Monika Knofler, Eva Schober. Moderation: Jakob Krameritsch.
PANEL 2: Sources and (open) research questions from individual book contributions with Sigrid Eyb-Green, Verena Pawlowsky, Christina Wieder. Moderation: Simon Nagy.
PANEL 3: Contextualization, redesign, path design: On the current approach to secular sculptures at the Academy. With Eduard Freudmann and Deborah Kaufmann.

15:40 h: Break 

16–17 h:  Plenary session for workshop discussions and final discussion

Fri, 5.12.2025, 18 h: Reading by Nina Schedlmayer
Vereinigung bildender Künstlerinnen Österreichs, Maysedergasse 2/28, 1010 Vienna

We are delighted to invite you to an evening event at the VBKÖ. Georgia Holz (Art historian, University of Applied Arts and member of the VBKÖ archive team) will be in conversation with Nina Schedlmayer, who will be reading from her new book: „Hitlers queere Künstlerin. Stephanie Hollenstein. Künstlerin und Soldat“ (“Hitler's queer artist. Stephanie Hollenstein. Artist and soldier”)

Hitlers queere Künstlerin (Hitler’s queer artist)

Stephanie Hollenstein, born in 1886, came from a farming background, served as a soldier in World War I, and lived openly as a lesbian. After studying at the Munich School of Applied Arts, she earned a living as an expressionist painter and was active in the Association of Austrian Women Artists. In 1926, she was a founding member of Wiener Frauenkunst (Viennese Women's Art), a progressive splinter group of the VBKÖ. She wrote anti-Semitic texts and joined the NSDAP before 1938. As a result, she was installed as president of the VBKÖ in 1939 and brought the association “into line” until her death in 1944.

In her book, cultural journalist Nina Schedlmayer traces the life of this ambivalent artist, who is symptomatic of the VBKÖ's history of perpetration. It is a history that the VBKÖ actively addresses.

Nina Schedlmayer studied art history in Vienna and earned her doctorate with a thesis on art literature during National Socialism. She is editor-in-chief of the cultural magazine “morgen”, writes for Handelsblatt, Weltkunst, Parnass, and other publications, and runs the artemisia.blog on art and feminism. In 2017, she received the first Austrian State Prize for Art Criticism. Her book „Hitlers queere Künstlerin. Stephanie Hollenstein. Künstlerin und Soldat“ was published by Zsolnay.

Please find the program of the last conferences on our website: honoris causa 2023, honoris causa 2024

Event Location

The event takes place at the main location of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Schillerplatz 3, 1010 Vienna. Arrival is possible by public transport (see accessibility at Wiener Linien). If you arrive by car, there are two marked disabled parking spaces available in the inner courtyard (access via entrance Markartgasse).

The main building of the Academy at Schillerplatz has two main entrances due to different physical disability needs.

Entrance Schillerplatz:

• For persons with visual disabilities: a tactile guidance system leads from the sidewalk down the right side of the historic staircase to the porter's lodge (ground floor)
• For persons with walking disabilities: the historic staircase is equipped with additional handrails.
• For persons with limited mobility: a sign leads from Schillerplatz entrance to the barrier-free Makartgasse entrance.

Entrance Makartgasse:

• For persons with limited mobility: via an intercom system (stele on the left) you reach the porter, who opens the automatic gate.
• In the passage, a ramp on the left side reaches the large automatic entrance door, which can be opened with a button to the right of the door.
• From there (Souterrain) you can reach the elevator for access to the other floors. The porter is located on the ground floor.
• Opening hours entrance Makartgasse: from 8 to 20 h.

The "Sitzungssaal" (E 1) is located on the ground floor. When entering via the Schillerplatz entrance, the room in the building is accessible at ground level. If you enter via the Markartgasse entrance, use the elevator from the Souterrain to the ground floor. The elevator is equipped with wheelchair accessible controls. The building has a (tactile) guidance system.

Barrier-free toilets are located on the ground floor as on every other floor of the building. The restrooms are accessible without Eurokey.

In order to be able to take all rescue measures in the event of a fire, wheelchair users are requested to register with the porter (either via the intercom system at the Makartgasse entrance or directly with the porter's lodge at the Schillerplatz entrance).

We want to make it easy and enjoyable for as many people as possible to attend the event. Should individual assistance be required during the event with regard to barrier-free requirements, please contact us via e-mail m.huber@akbild.ac.at or by telephone at +43 1 588 16 1001. Your contact person is Martina Huber.

Photography and filming

By participating in this event, you agree that photographs and films may be taken of you. These recordings may be used in various media for public relations and documentation purposes. No financial compensation is due for this. The processing of the recording is based on the legitimate interests of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Art. 6 (1) f GDPR in conjunction with § 12 DSG). If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, please let us know so that no recordings are made of you.