Honorary Degrees and Awards

The University of Vienna awards honorary degrees to persons who have earned particular merits in relation to the University and academic pursuits. These degrees, which are presented at solemn ceremonies, include the honorary doctorate, honorary senatorship, honorary citizenship and the decoration of honour. The honours and awards are listed in the Statutes, as published in the University Gazette No. 15, 22 October 2007, vol. 2007/08 (including the latest amendments introduced in 2007, in German only).

Moreover, there are traditional physical forms of commemoration, such as monuments and plaques, mainly in the Arcaded Courtyard and in the Aula of the Main Building, but also in and outside many other university buildings.

Honorary doctorates are awarded for outstanding scholarly achievement benefitting the University or one of its faculties.

The honorary senator title is awarded for outstanding services to the University over a period of many years. The honorary citizenship is granted in recognition of generous financial support for the University. The Decoration of Honour is granted to employees who have served the University for many years.

After an extended period of preparations, the Memorial Book for the Victims of National Socialism at the University of Vienna in 1938 was presented to the public in 2009. It is a work in progress which can be accessed online at http://gedenkbuch.univie.ac.at.

Also in 2009, a survey was carried out of all decentralised memorial activities at individual university departments, faculties and centres. This will also be made accessible online.

We would like to thank Dr. Herbert Posch, Department of Contemporary History, for providing the text (for more information see Forum Zeitgeschichte).