The Vienna Circle exhibition opens in Belgrade


On 15 September 2022, the University of Vienna’s travelling exhibition about the Vienna Circle opened at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Belgrade.

The Vienna Circle was one of the most influential groups in 20th-century philosophy and has had a significant impact on many modern sciences, including information technology and engineering. The exhibition aims to show both the impressive intellectual achievements of the Vienna Circle and the complicated and gloomy historical context, which led to the dissolution of the Circle in the late 1930s. Underpinning the exhibition in Belgrade were not one, but two Circles.

The University of Vienna and the University of Belgrade have forged closer ties through their membership of the Circle U. European University Alliance, which laid the foundation for their cooperation on this exhibition.

The exhibition opening

Representatives from Circle U. universities, academics, students and distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the opening of the exhibition on 15 September. The two curators, Professor Karl Sigmund and Professor Friedrich Stadler, introduced the exhibition, before Vice-Rector Jean-Robert Tyran from Vienna explained its origins and welcomed the strengthened cooperation between the universities of Vienna and Belgrade. Dr. Adrien Feix, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Belgrade, then highlighted the exhibition as an illustration of the value of cultural and academic cooperation between Vienna and Belgrade. Rector Vladan Đokić and Vice-Rector Branislav Boričić, hosts of the exhibition from the University of Belgrade, warmly welcomed the attendees to Belgrade and officially opened the exhibition.

This opening programme was followed by an academic conference on the afternoon of 15 September, including Karl Sigmund’s presentation of a “Close-up on Kurt Gödel” and Friedrich Stadler’s lecture on “The Vienna Circle of Logical Empiricism – a Pluralistic Profile with Philosophical Diversity”.

The University of Vienna warmly thanks the University of Belgrade for hosting the exhibition and is grateful to the Austrian Embassy and Cultural Forum in Belgrade for their generous support.

About the Vienna Circle exhibition

The Vienna Circle exhibition was originally created in 2015 for the 650th anniversary of the University of Vienna by Professor Karl Sigmund and Professor Friedrich Stadler. The exhibition has been adapted to its new location in cooperation with Belgrade architect Emina Bibić. In 2023, the exhibition will be travelling on to two other Circle U. universities: the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Université Paris Cité.

The Vienna Circle exhibition is on display until 14 October 2022 at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Belgrade, 6 Kamenička Street, Belgrade. Visitors are welcome from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm.