Venues of #DigHum2026

The Academy Campus of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) stands in the heart of Vienna as a testament to the city’s tradition of thought and knowledge. Originally the University of Vienna’s main building, with roots in the late Middle Ages, the site underwent significant development during the Jesuit era. The current main building at Dr-Ignaz-Seipl-Platz 2, was inaugurated in 1756 by Kaiser Franz I. and Kaiserin Maria Theresia and has served as the university’s centre before becoming part of the Academy in 1857. It has since been a centre of learning, shaped by transformations in the ways knowledge was pursued, organised, and understood. 

The building’s façade features the Habsburg coats of arms and the four traditional faculties: theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. This introduces a theme that continues inside, where frescoes depict these same faculties. Rooms, once tied to imperial authority, now serve as venues for modern discourse and research in a continuing legacy of intellectual exploration.

Today, the Academy Campus is home to the ÖAW, Austria’s leading non-university research institution. Founded in 1847, the ÖAW operates 26 institutes across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and technical sciences. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, drives innovation, and engages with the societal impact of science.

We look forward to welcoming you to these historic spaces for the Digital Humanism Conference. In rooms where Enlightenment thinkers once balanced reason with responsibility, we now explore how technology can align with human values, democracy, and equity. Digital Humanism builds on this tradition, calling for a future where technology serves humanity. Here, under the weight of tradition and the demands of social progress, we examine how we shape and are shaped by technology, ensuring innovation remains grounded in ethical and inclusive principles.