On 16 March 2026, the Austrian League for Human Rights celebrated its 100th anniversary with a ceremony in the Grand Ballroom of the University of Vienna. Representatives from academia, civil society, and politics came together to look back on a century of human rights work and to discuss current challenges.

In his welcome address, Michael Lysander Fremuth, Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR), highlighted the close connection between the University of Vienna and the League—driven by a shared commitment to serve human rights through their work, as well as by the relevance and excellence of their activities.

At the same time, he countered the notion of an “ivory tower” detached from society: science always has an impact on society, and researchers assume responsibility beyond the academic sphere—in diverse ways, with tangible effects on public debates and societal developments.

Reflecting on the League’s work, Fremuth praised its role as a critical observer of the human rights situation, as a coordinator of civil society contributions to international processes, and as a platform for exchange and advocacy. Human rights, he emphasized, rely not only on their inherent force of conviction but also on open, sometimes controversial, discourse.

This openness to debate is also evident in the close cooperation between the League and LBI-GMR, for example through the Human Rights Talks, which address current issues and bring together multiple perspectives.

Against the backdrop of global developments, Fremuth further highlighted the increasing pressures on democratic systems—a trend that underscores the importance of science, civil society, and public dialogue.

The rest of the program combined historical and contemporary perspectives: contributions on the League’s history, current assessments of the human rights situation, and outlooks on future challenges shaped the evening. In times of growing societal polarization, the importance of independent institutions and committed civil society became particularly evident.

The program included welcome addresses and speeches by Sebastian Schütze, Rector of the University of Vienna, Thomas Hellmuth, Head of the Institute for History at the University of Vienna, Barbara Helige, President of the Austrian League for Human Rights, Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of the Republic of Austria, Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Elisabeth Holzleithner, Head of the Institute for Legal Philosophy and Legal Gender Studies.

In her keynote, Elisabeth Holzleithner explored different dimensions of human rights: from the current political and ideological challenges they face, to their grounding in an ethos of equal, solidaristic freedom, their legal consolidation at global, national, and local levels, and the central role of civil society in embedding them in society.

The event was moderated by journalist Corinna Milborn, with musical accompaniment by Court Brass.

The celebration was part of the archival, research, and outreach project “100 Years of the Austrian League for Human Rights” (Project Director: Christopher Treiblmayr; Project Coordinators: Angelika Watzl and Barbara Helige; for more information, visit: https://liga.or.at/forschungen-zu-den-menschenrechtsligen/).