IWM Vienna

Matúš Kostolný, editor-in-chief of @dennikn.bsky.social, completes this Sunday's expert panel.

A few seats are remaining—get your ticket here: www.burgtheater.at/produktionen...

Join us next Thursday for an evening in cooperation with the Sigmund Freud Museum as an international panel examines notions of resistance in society and psychoanalysis. What happens to society when politics slides into authoritarianism?

👉 Register here: buff.ly/1pLm5HN

Next Tuesday, we welcome Michael Stewart to the IWM library. Taking the example of the Romany peoples between 1933 and 1945 and their legal struggles post-war, the @ucl.ac.uk professor, anthropologist, and filmmaker will ask: What does it mean to be racially persecuted?

➡️ buff.ly/rMaYYIu

New podcast episode out! How did fin-de-siècle Vienna produce both groundbreaking modernism and the seeds of totalitarianism? Together with Richard Cockett, Misha Glenny and @evakonzett.bsky.social explore the world of Karl Popper, Lise Meitner, and Sigmund Freud:

🎙️ buff.ly/ZUGH0mS
🤝 @falter.at

Francis Fukuyama im Interview zum Krieg in Iran: „Trump hat keinen Plan“ Der amerikanische Politikwissenschaftler über Trumps neue Rolle als Kriegspräsident.

"Trump versteht nicht, wie kompliziert Militärschläge sind. In seiner Unerfahrenheit denkt er, er kann in einem Ein-Tages-Manöver irgendwelche Staatschefs ausschalten." - Europe's Futures Fellow @frankfukuyama.bsky.social im Interview in der heutigen SZ: sz.de/li.3396982

What began as a small library selection on gender research in the 1980s has grown into a collection of over 2,700 books and journals—hidden gems and feminist classics alike, including essays by Emma Goldman, namesake of our annual Emma Goldman Awards.

👉 More about the 2026 ceremony: buff.ly/qLPVO0g

As our second panelist, we welcome media researcher and industry expert @alexandraborchardt.bsky.social!

Join us this Sunday: www.burgtheater.at/produktionen...

We are delighted to welcome nine fellows to the Institute in March. Wojciech Engelking, Vito Laterza, Fei Vincent Mo, Mary Onguko, Andrii Portnov, Aleksandra Tobiasz, @kiavahland.bsky.social, @tobywalsh.bsky.social, and Tomasz Wiśniewski are starting their fellowships this month: buff.ly/Ms3VNXu

MANUELA BOATCĂ: Unthinkable Europeans in Unequal Europes Monthly Lecture Unthinkable Europeans in Unequal Europes Manuela Boatcă, Ayşe Çağlar 24 February 2026, 18:00 CET IWM Library The reigning notion of “Europe” and its corresponding claims to…

"I propose the concept of 'Romani Europeans' not so much as a scholarly concept (yet), but more as a way to signal a political necessity."

📺️Missed @manuelaboatca.bsky.social's lecture last Tuesday? Watch the recording and her full lecture on unthinkable European history here:

Ehemalige EU-Kommissarin Jourová: "KI hat kein Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung" In ihrer Zeit in Brüssel war die Juristin Věra Jourová maßgeblich an Regulierungen zum Datenschutz im digitalen Raum beteiligt. Heute beschäftigt sie sich wissenschaftlich mit dem Thema

@verajourova.bsky.social, ehemalige EU-Kommissarin und erster Karel-Schwarzenberg-Fellow des IWM, sprach im gestrigen Interview mit @derstandard.at über Datenschutz, Plattformen und Möglichkeiten der Regulierung von KI in Europa:

www.derstandard.at/story/300000...

Europa im Diskurs – Debating Europe | Burgtheater

Our first panelist is Márton Gergely, editor-in-chief of Heti Világgazdaság (HVG) and chair of the IPI (@globalfreemedia.bsky.social) Executive Board.

Get your tickets here: www.burgtheater.at/produktionen...

Lesia Ukraїnka, one of Ukraine’s most distinguished writers and intellectuals, was born 155 years ago today. @timothysnyder.bsky.social met with @okhromeychuk.bsky.social to discuss Ukraїnka’s legacy, her connection to Vienna, and the relevance of her writing today.

👉 Full video: buff.ly/Ccw31xD

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a moment to draw attention to the famous words of poet and writer Lesia Ukraїnka: "Contra spem spero"–"Against all hope I hope." Read more from @okhromeychuk.bsky.social: www.iwm.at/news/on-hope...

In the next edition of Debating Europe on 8 March, media freedom takes center stage. Join @alexandraborchardt.bsky.social, Matúš Kostolný, Márton Gergely, and @riedmann.net as they examine disinformation, platforms, trust & more.

🤝 BURG, @erstestiftung.org, @derstandard.at

➡️ buff.ly/Q6V9Tlm

CDU-Parteitag: "Christdemokraten sind unfähig, ihr Erbe zu verteidigen" Die CDU ist an der Macht, aber erschöpft. Der Politikwissenschaftler Jan-Werner Müller empfiehlt der Christdemokratie, sich an ihren Ursprung zu erinnern.

Also read his recent interview with @zeit.de on the subject (in German): www.zeit.de/politik/deut...

JAN-WERNER MÜLLER: What Was Christian Democracy? Jan Patočka Memorial Lecture What Was Christian Democracy? Jan-Werner Müller, Misha Glenny 11 December 2025, 18:00 CET IWM Library Christian democracy has played a fundamental role in shaping European politics after World War II. In his lecture, Jan-Werner Müller will explore the historical developments leading to the formation of this ideology that reconciles Catholicism and modern democracy, focusing on a number of philosophers and political figures. Müller will pose the question if anything remains of Christian democracy today; he will also ask how two recent strands of thought—on the one hand, populism; on the other, the ideologies usually grouped under the label of “post-liberalism”—relate to Christian democracy, whose legacy is claimed by representatives of both strands. Jan-Werner Müller is Roger Williams Straus Professor of Social Sciences at Princeton University, where he also leads the Program in Political Philosophy. From 1996 until 2003, he was a fellow at the University of Oxford’s All Souls College, before moving to St. Antony’s College, where he held a fellowship at the European Studies Centre until 2005. Müller is also co-founder of the European College of Liberal Arts (ECLA) in Berlin, for which he served as founding research director. His recent publications include What Is Populism? (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016), Furcht und Freiheit: Für einen anderen Liberalismus (Suhrkamp Verlag, 2019), and Democracy Rules (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2021). His public affairs commentary and essays have appeared in the London Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Project Syndicate. IWM Rector Misha Glenny will moderate the lecture. ________ Visit our website for upcoming events: https://www.iwm.at/upcoming-events FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/IWM_Vienna LinkedIn: https://at.linkedin.com/company/iwmvienna Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IWMVienna/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/iwm.at

What Was Christian Democracy? In one of our most popular videos this week, Jan-Werner Müller explores the historical developments leading to the formation of this ideology and asks what—if anything—remains of it today.

👉 Rewatch his 2025 Jan Patočka Memorial Lecture here: tinyurl.com/yc8dsymu

What is it that makes Romani Europeans unthinkable in a European project? Join @manuelaboatca.bsky.social next Tuesday, as she examines how notions of "Europe" have been linked to claims of whiteness and civilization, rendering Black Europeans invisible and slavery unmentionable.

👉 buff.ly/WzuMYan

Mussten antike Helden gegen Drachen kämpfen, so genügte Kapitalisten bislang eine exorbitante Vermögensmehrung als Erfolgssymbol. Nunmehr könnte die Suche von Milliardären nach Unsterblichkeit das ultimative narzisstische Unterfangen werden.

📰 Mehr von Martin Schürz in der IWMpost: buff.ly/PGgOfwY

Wiener Vorlesung: China oder USA - wer hat die technologische Vorherrschaft? am 11.2.2026 Wiener Vorlesung https://vorlesungen.wien.gv.at/china-oder-usa-1102/VortragMisha Glenny, Rektor des Instituts für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM)Anschl...

🌐 China oder USA – Wer hat die technologische Vorherrschaft?

IWM-Rektor Misha Glenny spricht heute Abend mit Wissenschaftsforscherin Helga Nowotny über das technologische Wettrüsten zwischen den beiden Supermächten.

👉 Verfolgen Sie die Veranstaltung ab 19 Uhr live im Stream:

There are a few seats left for tonight's lecture with Nils Gilman! Join us at 18:00 in the IWM Library 👇

VICTOR BLÜML & HANNA ZEAVIN - ON EDGE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF AN UNSETTLED WORLD VICTOR BLÜML & HANNA ZEAVIN IN CONVERSATION WITH LEONARD BENARDO SONNTAG, 28.09.2025 / 18h30 AKADEMIE DER BILDENDEN KÜNSTE WIEN, AULA Whether we view recent sociopolitical, technological,…

We are living in a time defined by rapid and profound transformation. But what impact is this sweeping change having on our psychological well-being, both individually and collectively?

📺 Rewatch Victor Blüml & @hzeavin.bsky.social as they examine our societies' mental health at the #VHF25:

A theorist of American authoritarianism—read the latest piece by IWM Digital Humanism Fellow James Rosenberg on Curtis Yarvin for Eurozine here:

📰 www.eurozine.com/a-theorist-o...

Democracies worldwide face populism, attacks on truth, and tech-driven division. What to do?

👉 Join @verajourova.bsky.social, Amb. Jiří Šitler, Misha Glenny & Anna Durnova (@ifswien.bsky.social) at the CZ Embassy on 19 February for an evening charting paths forward: www.iwm.at/event/democr...

How do past revolutions live on institutionally and culturally: in political thought, state institutions, literary traditions, and popular culture?

💬 Join us next Thursday for a discussion co-hosted with UHGI, with Yaroslav Hrytsak and Nataliya Kibita, moderated by Taras Fedirko: buff.ly/GyllfDz

This February, 8 visiting fellows join the IWM to explore questions around AI, history, identity, justice, and politics. Welcome, @manuelaboatca.bsky.social, Georgi Georgiev, Nigel Inkster, @verajourova.bsky.social, Sašo Ordanoski, Emilia Sieczka, Michael Stewart & Hanna Yankuta!

👉 buff.ly/lubrs30

What does 'world order' really mean in a time when traditional international systems are failing? And could a truly planetary order focused on ecological survival and radically renewed global governance be the future we need?

🌏️ Find out in our next Monthly Lecture with Nils Gilman: buff.ly/l4TAWNG

The gig economy in developing countries sells immediate work and delivers dependencies. Are there tools for turning digital platforms into channels for genuine inclusive growth?

🗞️ In the latest IWMpost issue, Ivan Napoli takes a closer look at platform-based work in Africa: buff.ly/PIKVkBM

What Do the Tech Bros Really Want: Money, Power, or Total Information Awareness? Debating Europe What Do the Tech Bros Really Want: Money, Power, or Total Information Awareness? 18 January 2026, 11:00 CET Burgtheater Vienna At Donald Trump’s second inauguration as president,…

In last Sunday's edition of our Debating Europe series, four leading experts on the politics of digitalization discussed the rise of the Tech Bros and their quest for power and influence.

👉 You can rewatch the debate here: buff.ly/3hVAnPl

In coop. w/ BURG, @erstestiftung.org, and @derstandard.at

The IWM is pleased to announce the inauguration of the Karel Schwarzenberg Fellowship, established in memory of the eminent Czech-Austrian statesman, and proudly welcomes @verajourova.bsky.social (formerly VP @ec.europa.eu, now @unikarlova.cuni.cz) as the inaugural fellow.

➡️ buff.ly/KFJBVk2

The World Won’t Go Back: Why Europe Is Losing Power | Ivan Krastev Full Interview | ECO 20.01.2026 The rules-based global order is breaking down – and it will not simply return. In an interview with ORF journalist Michael Mayrhofer, political scientist Ivan Krastev explains why Donald Trump is not…

The rules-based global order is breaking down, and it will not simply return, argues IWM Permanent Fellow Ivan Krastev in yesterday's ORF Eco Spezial episode about the economic effects of Donald Trump's presidency.

📺 Watch the full interview with @michaelmhofer.bsky.social here: