Wiener Ball der Wissenschaften 2026

Vienna Ball of Sciences 2026
Skip to content
  • Let’s dance!
  • News
  • The Ball
    • Vienna Lecture on Science Communication 2026
    • The Ball Gown Swap 2026
    • The Honorary Committee
    • The Floor Plan
    • The Dresscode
    • The Dancing School
  • Partners
    • The Ball Hotel 2025
    • The Ball Restaurant
  • Ticket Shop
  • FAQ
  • Archive
  • Contact
    • Registration for our newsletter
  • Deutsch

Leonore Gewessler

22. January 2020Ball 2020, Generalkatharina kropshofer

Another premiere at this year’s Ball of Sciences: We are happy to announce that Leonore Gewessler will be our guest on Saturday! She is the new minister for climate, environment, energy, mobility, infastructure and technolog.

Photo: (c) Stephan Wyckoff

Post navigation

← How do you get scientists onto the dancefloor? Welcome Bologna! →

Recent Posts

  • Astrid Séville: The language of democracy
  • Anna Durnová: The ball stands for togetherness
  • Jonathan Fine: Turning scientific findings into an experience
  • Elka Xharo: Put role models in the spotlight!
  • The new ball poster

sciball

24.1.2026 / Rathaus Wien
Spaß mit Anstand – Tanz mit Haltung
Anna Durnová shows why research isn’t a place for Anna Durnová shows why research isn’t a place for ready-made answers; it opens up a space filled with questions, emotions, and shared moments of learning. Especially in the context of the climate crisis, we need knowledge that doesn’t just emerge within expert circles but is shared empathetically and in a democratic spirit, she states. In her studies, she explores how emotions shape our political decisions and how science can build bridges between facts and everyday life. This is exactly what our SciBall stands for: knowledge should bring people together, not shut them out. Anna Durnová is Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Vienna and a Faculty Fellow at the Yale University Center for Cultural Sociology. She completed her habilitation at Sciences Po Paris. She serves on the editorial boards of Policy & Politics and Critical Policy Studies. Durnová currently coordinates the Horizon Europe project CIDAPE and the ERC Advanced Grant LONERS.
As a Ball Ambassador, @jfine_kunst reminds us that As a Ball Ambassador, @jfine_kunst reminds us that science doesn’t belong behind closed doors, but wherever people come together. So, museums aren’t meant to be quiet treasure rooms. They’re places where science meets people face to face. Fine values the moment when knowledge comes alive: when an object tells its story, curiosity sparks, and a museum shows that research is for everyone. Jonathan Fine has led the @kunsthistorischesmuseumvienna since January 2025. Behind him hangs Giorgione’s The Three Philosophers, a Venetian Renaissance riddle later claimed by the Habsburgs.
For our ball ambassador Elka Xharo, science is eve For our ball ambassador Elka Xharo, science is everywhere, like in the phone we use every day and in the medicine that keeps us healthy. She believes science shouldn’t live in an ivory tower, but right in the middle of society. With her account @thesciencyfeminist , she wants to show that science can make sense and be accessible to everyone. No genius myth needed, just a bit of openness and interest. She also works to make women in science more visible and to shine a light on their achievements. Elka Xharo studied Medical Informatics and Biomedical Engineering at TU Wien, trained as a medical physicist, and has been teaching for several years as an Academic Expert at FHWien der WKW. (Link in bio!)
Our new poster design was created by the studio Ha Our new poster design was created by the studio Hazod Schlagintweit 🌟 Printed in red for the German version and in blue for the English one (shown outside or on our website!) It also demonstrates how complex topics from science and culture can be translated into a clear, contemporary visual language. Illustration, typography and concept interlock with precision, resulting in a kaleidoscope of forms. Thank you @hazod_schlagintweit Aaand…did you know that the kaleidoscope triggered a Europe-wide craze in the 19th century, complete with patent disputes and philosophical debate? It was not just a toy, but an early media phenomenon! Read more in the portrait by our author Flora Neubert. (Link in bio!) #SciBall26
What can we say? You’ve broken last year’s record What can we say? You’ve broken last year’s record yet again. This time, after just one week, we’re practically sold out. As a result, we have to suspend the sale of individual tickets (regular and student). A small number of tables (including entry tickets) can still be booked in our webshop for now. If pre-reserved ticket contingents from our partner organizations become available again by mid-December, we will reactivate the webshop. Sign up for our newsletter if you’d like to be notified when sales resume: www.wissenschaftsball.at/anmeldung-zum-newsletter/ or link in bio! #SciBall26
Our first Ball Ambassador of the season is Christi Our first Ball Ambassador of the season is Christine Marizzi! The geneticist, who now works in both Vienna and the Bronx, first discovered her passion as a „country kid in Carinthia“: „For me, it was the perfect foundation for finding science everywhere. When I wasn’t playing outside in the fields or tending to my garden, I was creating a herbarium or drawing plants and trees.“ Marizzi is convinced: „Science is everywhere — science is for everyone!“ #SciBall #SciBall26 #Ballbotschaft
The star at #SciBall25 was without doubt the axolo The star at #SciBall25 was without doubt the axolotol posing as backdrop for numerous portraits and selfies. The keeper and researcher of this Mexican salamander with its fascinating abilities is Elly Tanaka, the scientific director at IMBA (@oeaw.at). Yesterday evening, Elly was presented with the @fwf_at Wittgenstein Award, Austria’s most prestigious science prize for her groundbreaking research on the regeneration of complex bodily structures. Congratulations, Elly!
The highlights of the Science Ball 2025: Insights The highlights of the Science Ball 2025: Insights into the ball proceedings such as the midnight quadrille and the ball message from Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, as well as excerpts from performances by Katia Ledoux and Donna Savage. Plus interviews with Mayor Michael Ludwig, Science Councillor Veronica Kaup-Hasler, transformation researcher Maja Göpel, molecular biologist Elly Tanaka, upcycle designer Saki, quantum physicists Philipp Haslinger and Markus Aspelmeyer (both from quantA), ball organizer Oliver Lehmann, and many visibly impressed guests. Check out the longer version on YouTube. (Link in bio!) #SciBall25
For the midnight interlude of the 10th-anniversary For the midnight interlude of the 10th-anniversary of the SciBall, Katia Ledoux graced the stage this year. The mezzo-soprano, born in Paris and raised in Vienna, began her musical journey as a violinist but discovered her true voice at an early age. First as a member of the Schubert Sängerknaben under the guidance of music educator and singer Gerald Trabesinger, and later at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna under Bernhard Adler, a revered vocal pedagogue whose students regularly appear on the world’s grand opera and concert stages. In 2016, she continued her training in Graz with accompanist Joseph Breinl and Ulf Bästlein. Under the tutelage of Bästlein, an internationally celebrated baritone, she was able to further refine her technique and fully unleash the rich spectrum of her mezzo-soprano voice. Today, Ledoux stands among the internationally recognized voices of her generation. With regular engagements at leading opera houses and renowned festivals, she combines technical precision with intense interpretative artistry. More on www.wissenschaftsball.at/ballmagazin-2025/, pp. 61-62 (Link in bio!) Photos: Wolf-Dieter Grabner, Franz Reiterer & Ludwig Schedl #SciBall25 #KatiaLedoux
How do you make quantum entanglement audible? A gr How do you make quantum entanglement audible? A group of young physicists and artists from Vienna set out to find an answer. Their project, Sounds of Entanglement, is a show where entangled photons take the role of the conductor – blurring the lines between science and art, precision and intuition, the visible and the unseen. A deep dive into this mesmerizing fusion of physics and music by Sebastian Lang can be found in the Ball Magazine (pp. 14-18). (Link in bio!) At the heart of this project is quantA, @quantumscience.at , Austria’s excellence cluster in quantum research – uniting top physicists from leading institutions across the country. With the support of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), quantA pushes the boundaries of quantum science, taking on questions that regular programs and funding alone could never answer. Their work spans everything from quantum simulators to groundbreaking studies on non-equilibrium physics and emergent many-body phenomena. Unlike other research networks, quantA dares to go beyond the expected – bridging theory and experiment, science and society. Outreach and knowledge transfer are just as vital as fundamental research, which is why projects like Sounds of Entanglement exist: to bring the magic of quantum physics to the world. Learn more: http://www.quantumscience.at/ Photos: Franz Reiterer & Manuel Prett Text: Sebastian Lang #SciBall25 #quantA #SoundsOfEntanglement
Our guests of honor traditionally gather for a rec Our guests of honor traditionally gather for a reception at the town hall shortly before the official start of the ball. On this occasion, photos are also taken (by Ludwig Schedl), which we later send to them as a memento and a small token of appreciation. All photos: www.wissenschaftsball.at/red-carpet-2025/ (Link in Bio!) Slides: Institute of Technology (ISTA), Michael Häupl (WWTF) and Barbara Hörnlein, Wolfgang Pauli Institute (WPI), Caroline Schober (U Graz) und Michaela Fritz (MedUni Wien), Malarina, Maja Göpel (U Lüneburg), Ingeborg Zerbes (U Wien), Elly Tanaka (IMBA), Sophie Juliana Veigl (U Wien)
10 years of Ball Messages: Part 1 Since the very 10 years of Ball Messages: Part 1 Since the very beginning, our Ball Ambassadors have embodied the core values of the ball and the spirit of science in Vienna: excellence, diversity, and internationality. These 18 messages are just a glimpse of around 130 shared over the past ten years. You can also find them in our ball magazine on pages 41-42 and 57-59. (Link in bio!) #SciBall25 #Ballbotschaft
„The times are challenging. But it becomes easier „The times are challenging. But it becomes easier when you find like-minded people, organize in groups, build networks, strengthen relationships, and form friendships. Where, if not at the Science Ball? When, if not tonight?“ More photos from this night by Franz Reiterer, Ludwig Schedl, Manuel Prett, and Christian Haas: www.wissenschaftsball.at/ballfotos-2025/ (Link in Bio!) #SciBall25 #BallFotos
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen played Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen played a key role in the founding of the Vienna Ball of Sciences. In 2014, as the university commissioner of the City of Vienna, he supported the establishment of the event alongside Mayor Michael Häupl and City Councilor for Science Andreas Maillath-Pokorny. Just a year later, the first ball took place at Vienna’s historic town hall. The motto, unchanged from the very beginning, remains: „Fun with decency – Dance with dignity.“ This year, as the ball celebrated its 10th anniversary, Van der Bellen took the stage, addressing the audience with a heartfelt speech. A decade on, the event continues to honor knowledge, elegance, and the joy of coming together. #SciBall25 #Ballbotschaft #VanDerBellen
Am Freitag, dem 24. Januar 2025, nur einen Abend v Am Freitag, dem 24. Januar 2025, nur einen Abend vor dem großen Ball, wurde der Festsaal der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW) zum Schauplatz eines ebenso scharfsinnigen wie inspirierenden Austauschs. Maja Göpel hielt die Vienna Lecture on Science Communication und sprach über die Rolle der Wissenschaft im öffentlichen Diskurs. Nach einer Begrüßung durch Univ.-Prof. Matthias Karmasin, der in Vertretung des ÖAW-Präsidenten Heinz Fassmann sprach, übernahm Göpel das Wort – präzise, engagiert und auf den Punkt. Besonders ihr Appell für ein dringend notwendiges stärkeres wissenschaftliches Engagement in gesellschaftlichen Fragen sorgte für tosenden Applaus und traf den Nerv des Publikums: Es wurde nicht nur zugehört, sondern auch intensiv nachgedacht. Dies zeigte sich in der anschließenden lebhaften Diskussion unter der Moderation von Ballorganisator Oliver Lehmann, bei der Gäste Fragen an Göpel stellen und sich miteinander austauschen konnten. Zum Ausklang des Abends hatten die Gäste bei einem Empfang die Gelegenheit dann ganz persönliche Gespräche mit Göpel zu führen und sich ihr neuestes Buch Werte (Brandstätter Verlag, 2025) signieren zu lassen. Eine Übersicht über Göpels Medienauftritte während ihres Wien-Besuchs gibt es auf unserer Website. (Link in Bio!) #SciBall25 #ViennaLectureOnScienceCommunication #MajaGöpel
Thorsten Schumm is an experimental physicist resea Thorsten Schumm is an experimental physicist researching a new definition of time with the „nuclear clock.“ Together with his team, he has achieved a breakthrough: for the first time, they successfully used a laser to specifically excite the nucleus of the thorium-229 isotope. It is foreseeable that nuclear clocks will replace the currently used atomic clocks. However, Schumm envisions even more: the new quantum physics involving atomic nuclei could also enable revolutionary data storage or high-energy lasers. From theory to breakthrough it takes time. Fifteen years of hard work went into this success. Such achievements were only possible thanks to strong partners like TU Wien and funding programs such as the FWF and ERC, Schumm says. What drives Schumm the most is freedom and time to pursue his ideas. In a world that seeks simple solutions, Schumm embraces complexity. He believes that for real solutions, science must be visible, engage with society, and seek dialogue with policymakers – especially in challenging times. Thorsten Schumm, a native Berliner, earned his doctorate under Nobel Prize winner Alain Aspect and is now one of Austria’s leading experimental physicists. He has served as a department head and dean, a member of the directorate of the Junge Kurie of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), and the board of the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (WPI). His research has earned him numerous awards, including the START Prize and two ERC grants. #SciBall25 #Ballbotschaft #ThorstenSchumm
Laura Koesten asks questions that often hum quietl Laura Koesten asks questions that often hum quietly in the background but shape our view of data: What exactly are data? How do we understand them, and how do they influence our perception of the world? Her research focuses on the emerging field of Human Data Interaction, closely tied to the development of Artificial Intelligence. She explores how people interact with, perceive, and understand data. For Koesten, data are not just numbers and tables but „interfaces“. They are windows into complex systems like climate change or public health. Yet, every window has a frame that determines what we see and what remains hidden. Her goal is to make these stories clearer and accessible to everyone. Through her ‚Talking Charts‘ project, funded by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF), she ensures that data visualizations „speak“ in a way that everyone can understand. Koesten’s work envisions data as dynamic, transparent, and inclusive processes, where the decisions behind every dataset become visible. As the 2024 recipient of the Hedy Lamarr Prize, she is a PostDoc at the University of Vienna and an affiliated researcher at King’s College London, contributing to the development of digital humanism in the age of technology. #SciBall25 #Ballbotschaft #LauraKoesten
„To convey knowledge means passing on fascination „To convey knowledge means passing on fascination and curiosity: across generations and borders.” - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Markus Aspelmeyer Quantum mechanics and relativity – two rivals in physics. One describes a smooth, predictable world, the other a realm of jumps, probabilities, and uncertainties. Both are right. Neither yields. Between them stands Markus Aspelmeyer, striving to reconcile their differences or at least bring them together in an experiment. For him, physics should be coherent – which it currently isn’t. Aspelmeyer sees science as craft, curiosity, and detective work. Fundamental research, is like renovating an old house: somewhere behind the wallpaper lies the truth. His diverse team – spanning 17 nations and ages from teenagers to great-grandparents – fosters constant innovation at quantA (@quantumscience.at ) the leading Austrian quantum research network. Together, they tackle questions few dare to ask: What is the quantum nature of space, time, and gravity? Can new paradigms in quantum information emerge? And then there’s the Vienna Ball of Sciences, where Aspelmeyer insists, „Science and dance are no contradiction.” Perhaps even quantum mechanics and relativity could waltz into harmony. Aspelmeyer’s career spans philosophy and physics in Munich, a doctorate on ferroelectric films, work with Anton Zeilinger, and now professorship in quantum information. His experiments are as ambitious as they are tangible: weighing tiny masses, cooling nanoparticles to near-absolute stillness. If anyone can mediate the duel between quantum mechanics and gravity, it’s him. And if not, he’ll keep for sure dancing or searching, until physics finds a new rhythm. #SciBall25 #Ballbotschaft #MarkusAspelmeyer
The organizing committee believes science communic The organizing committee believes science communication deserves a bigger stage. Always, not just at the ball. That’s why we created the Vienna Lecture on Science Communication together with @oeaw.at , the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖWA). This year’s speaker: Maja Göpel, Germany’s star in science communication and transformation research. On January 24, 2025, she’ll take the stage at the Academy’s grand hall to explain why clear, accessible science is essential in times of crisis. Admission is free, but don’t forget to register: www.wissenschaftsball.at/vienna-lecture-25/. (Link in bio!) Science communication is the ace up our sleeve against anti-science sentiment. But why bother? Because good science communication isn’t just slick marketing – it builds trust. Without credible science, democratic progress doesn’t stand a chance. Göpel fits nowhere but everywhere: she researches and teaches as a political economist, transformation expert, and sustainability scientist, working at the intersection of science, politics, and society. She is a bestselling author, speaker, professor in Lüneburg, member of the Club of Rome, and co-founder of Scientists4Future, and former member of the German government’s Bioeconomy Council. In 2022, she earned the Science Communication Medal from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences. Photo: Anja Weber
Wang to be bright-eyed and feeling good the mornin Wang to be bright-eyed and feeling good the morning after the ball? Then wash your Face with the @herka_frottier ‘s zero-waste washcloth. It’s a SciBall 2025 gift for our guests. HERKA Frottier is a family-run company from Austria’s Waldviertel has been making towels, bath textiles, and cozy loungewear for nearly 98 years. And: They’re all about sustainability. Leftover yarn from their larger productions is turned into colorful, one-of-a-kind washcloths. So it’s zero waste and 100% unique. These special editions were made just for the ball. Take a look: www.herka-frottier.at (Link in bio!)
Follow on Instagram
  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen

Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung

Displaying this page requires cookies. Accept Learn more
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT