Vienna

We are proud to announce the speakers for our 2026 Summer Lecture Series including lectures by scholars based in Vienna who are working in the field of animal studies: 12 March 2026, “ Animal Futures in an Economy of Cultivated Meat ” by Dr. Arianna Ferrari (WU, 18:00-20:00). 9 April 2026, “ From Refugees to Residents and Beyond: The Legal Status of Animals in Sanctuaries ” by Dr. Zipporah Weisberg and Sona Kalafusova (WU, 18:00-20:00). 26 May 2026, “ Do Organoids Matter in T

In late November 2025, the 9th Austrian Animal Rights Congress ( Tierrechtskongress ) convened in Vienna, bringing together activists, scholars, and advocates from across the German-speaking world to share their campaigns, strategies, and theoretical reflections. The congress serves as a vital gathering point for those working daily on behalf of animals - offering a view of the broader movement landscape and fostering connections between diverse projects and initiatives. This

Leon Borgdorf at the Messerli Research Institute (Photo Credit: Thomas Kainberger) On December 1st, Leon Borgdorf gave a talk at the Messerli Research Institute on mercy as a fundamental virtue in animal ethics. Leon, a PhD candidate at Utrecht University, works on the ethics of emerging technologies in animal agriculture — especially genome editing — and looks at these issues through the lens of virtue ethics. Instead of focusing only on rules or consequences, virtue ethics

Dr. Zipporah Weisberg gives a lecture on humanism at the University of Vienna  (Photo Credit: Oliver Hirtenfelder) On November 11, 2025, Dr. Zipporah Weisberg – who teaches at the University of Ottawa and is a guest researcher at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna – gave a compelling talk at the University of Vienna’s Department of Philosophy. Her central message was both surprising and refreshing: despite decades of critique, the humanist tradition still contains valu

A poster I designed for the event. On Halloween, I attended the Multi-Species Poetry Event at the Fledermaus Station Österreich (Vienna Bat Station), as part of a larger international public philosophy project organized by Mara-Daria Cojocaru , philosopher and poet. Notes from a Biscuit Tin brings together researchers, philosophers, animal caretakers, and artists from around the world to explore different animal species through research, storytelling, and poetry. While othe

This semester we are proud to announce the launch of the Vienna Animal Studies' Visiting Lecture Series. Unlike the Winter and Summer Lecture Series that aim to highlight the work of scholars based in Vienna and foster networking and collaboration, the Visiting Lecture Series provides opportunities to scholars who are visiting the city to showcase their work. We start off this initiative on the 19th of November with a fascinating talk by Dr Barbara Holthus on the multifacete

Dr. Judith Benz-Schwarzburg gives a lecture on virtual animals at the Immersium in Vienna (Photo Credit: Oliver Hirtenfelder) On the 8th of October 2025 the Vienna Animal Studies group hosted its largest lecture yet. Held within the impressive in Immersium in Vienna Dr. Judith Benz-Schwarzburg, a Senior Researcher in Animal Ethics and Animal Cognition at the Messerli Research Institute, talked to us about the ethics of digitally representing animals. The event started with a