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Overview
The winter school courses provide a well-structured introduction into one of the most fascinating periods of Austria's intellectual history in a short time. The culture of the fin-de-siècle is one of the highlights in the history of the Habsburg Monarchy.
The two-week program combines first class academic courses with an extensive social and cultural program. The high level lectures in the morning are complemented with excursions to the city and to museums in the afternoon.Vienna’s rich cultural heritage, especially the museums, will lead to a thorough understanding of the input of the fin-de-siècle on the modernization of Europe.
The international background of the participants offers the possibility to discuss the influence of developments in Vienna (e.g. the famous psychoanalyst Freud, painters like Klimt and Schiele, musicians like Mahler and Schönberg or philosophers like Wittgenstein) and different cultures in Europe and other continents.
The academic course environment encourages intercultural and social exchange and favors mutual understanding within the international student population. Participants thus broaden their horizon, meet colleagues from different fields of study, make friends for life and build connections for their future professional careers.
Accreditation
Application label univie: summer/winter schools
Programme Structure
The preparatory seminar Introduction to Fin-de-Siècle Vienna on the first weekend (January 31 - Feruary 1, 2026) will provide students with the basic knowledge needed for their selected courses. The lessons given in class will be complemented with guided excursions to the city of Vienna (walks around the Ringstraße and Art Nouveau buildings) and to the Upper Belvedere. Attendance at the preparatory seminar is mandatory as the seminar is a prerequisite to attend the following courses.
The winter school offers six courses with 4 ECTS credits per course (corresponding to 32 contact hours). Each contact hour consists of 45 minutes classroom teaching.
In total, students can attend two courses: Students can select one course during the early morning (8:30am –10:30am) and one during the late morning (11:00am –1:00pm). The Courses will take place Monday to Friday (February 2 - February 13, 2026)
There will also be excursions twice a week in the afternoon.
Audience
Given the intercultural and interdisciplinary aspect of the program our course offerings are, without question, of interest for students from all fields of study, but certainly of special interest for students who study one of the following fields: History, Cultural Studies, Art, Design, Architecture, Literature, Psychology, and Political Science.
Lecturers
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Franz-Stefan Meissel, Director; Lecturers: Eveline List, Monika Schwärzler-Brodesser, Elana Shapira, Jonas Pfohl, Stefan Wedrac, Richard Lein
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 14 days
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
- Apply before
-
More details
Applications for the winter school 2026 are open now!
The application deadline is November 30, 2025.
Language
English
TOEFL® IBT 83
IELTS 6
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Credits
8 ECTS
Delivered
On Campus
Campus Location
- Vienna, Austria
Disciplines
Visual Arts History Political ScienceWhat students do after studying
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Academic requirements
GPA Required
English requirements
TOEFL® IBT 83
IELTS 6
Prepare for Your English Test
Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.
- Trusted by 300k learners
- 98 accuracy using real exam data
- 4.9/5 student rating
Other requirements
General requirements
Applicants have to be at least 18 years old and must have completed two years of studies at college or university level in their countries of residence or have an educational background equivalent to one year at a European university before the beginning of the program.
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Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Vienna and/or in Austria, please visit Student Insurance Portal.
Tuition Fees
Additional Details
Winter school fees are € 1,730 (registration, tuition, and all planned excursions)
External students have to pay the Austrian students' union fee of € 25.20
Living costs
Vienna
Austria
861 - 1331 EUR / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
A limited number of partial scholarships ranging from € 500 to € 1,500 are available for the participation in the univie: winter school.
The application deadline for scholarship applications is October 31, 2025.
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