Janima Nam
Janima Nam is a freelance journalist, translator, and editor living in Vienna. She has a BFA in film from New York University and a Masters degree (MA) from the London Consortium in Interdisciplinary Studies.
General
Friederike Mayröcker – Elegy to an Elegy
Austrian literary legend Friederike Mayröcker railed against the limits of order and convention, grappling with grief and longevity until the bittersweet end.
General
Meet Linguist Ruth Wodak, author of Politics of Fear
“It’s very important to live in the space you are writing about and not just sit in the ivory tower of academia.”
Diplomacy
The Art of Interpretation
Invisible, unseen, discreet: Professional interpreters bridge gaps and facilitate communication, and in Vienna, their work is often at the heart of the matter.
General
Meet Precious Nnebedum, a Multitalented Spoken Word Artist
“In my poems I’m always telling stories, because so many of them were passed on to me
by my family.”
General
Meet Alexandra Obernberger, Speech Therapist in Vienna
“Language development is dependent on interaction, you say something and your counterpart reacts. A smartphone couldn’t care less whether you react to it or not.”
General
Meet Werner Richter, a Literary Translator in Vienna
“When I finally experience in person a sensation that I’ve translated – like the sound of the wind in a canyon – I get this feeling of déjà vu, or maybe déjà ‘traduit.’”
People
Meet Thomas Stelzer, Dean of the International Anti-Corruption Agency
“Corruption has been with us as long as mankind, but there’s been progress: If you can’t expect to get away with something, you might think twice about committing it.”
People
Meet Florian Skrabal, Editor-in-Chief of Investigative Media Outlet Dossier
“Politicians think we don’t like Vienna. In fact, the opposite is true: We’re critical because we love this city that much."
Features
Meet Bettina Knötzl, the President of Transparency International Austria
“I’ve got what you might call ‘helper syndrome.’ Being a lawyer is not just a profession for me – it’s a calling.”
People
Meet Susanne Reindl-Krauskopf, a Criminal Law Professor in Vienna
“Corruption will never be 100% eradicated. But it’s important to set parameters and structures that show people that in the end, corruption doesn’t pay.”
Culture
Funding Austrian Culture
Austria is a cultural powerhouse and more than willing to invest public funds in the arts. But where does all the money go?
Culture
An Insight into ‘Bambi’ Author Felix Salten and the Discovery of Viennese Modernism
Best known as the author of a children’s classic and (possibly) a pornographic novel, Felix Salten has never been given his due in his hometown – until now, that is
People
Meet Photographer Sepp Dreissinger – the Coffeehouse Is His Studio
"When I don't feel at home, I go to the coffeehouse"
Food & Drink
Wilde Ehe Offers an Eclectic Dining Experience in Vienna’s 18th District
Wilde Ehe marries chill savoir-faire with thoughtful quality – just don’t ask about the name.
People
Meet Michael Parzefall, Roasting Enthusiast and Owner of Rauwolf Coffee
“Vienna has a great coffeehouse culture, but sadly – or in my case, fortunately – a bad coffee culture when it comes to quality.”
City Life
The Ongoing Battle to Uphold Coffeehouse Cultural Heritage in Vienna
Vienna’s coffeehouses are a cherished pillar of the city’s cultural life – but that may not be enough to keep them alive.
People
Meet Johanna Weichselberger, Founder of the Vienna School of Coffee
“I’m not sure I know what fourth wave coffee culture is – but I know I’m the tsunami!”
Print Editions
The Science of Coffee Roasting
The world is waking up and (really) smelling the coffee – in all its glory, scope and complexity.
People
Meet Christina Meinl, the Great-Granddaughter of Austria’s Coffee Roasting Pioneer
“I wish global politics were more like the global coffee community: We have no borders and
we work together to make coffee better.”
Fall 2020
Meet Praline Le Moult, a Parisian Fashion Designer Who Launched Her Brand in Vienna
“Beauty, like a butterfly, is fleeting. Like a spectacular sunset, it’s there for a moment – and then it’s gone.”
People
Meet Mary Larunsi, an Austrian Fashion Model With Nigerian Roots
“What you see in the pictures is
not necessarily the reality. I don’t
get flown anywhere in a private jet
with a glass of champagne in my
hand. In the end, it’s hard work.”
Fall 2020
Meet Simon Winkelmüller, a Fashion Stylist With Something to Say
“I would never write some kind
of trend column stating what’s ‘in’
or ‘out.’ For me, that’s somehow
so 2000.”
Business
From Jewelers to Wineries, Family Businesses Often Thrive in Vienna
Businesses that span generations are known for consistency, stability and tradition. Keeping these values alive is a continuous labor of love.
People
Meet Hedwig Wölfl, Director the Child Protection Agency “Die Möwe”
Families come in many shapes and sizes, but they share challenges. These Viennese are here to guide and inspire.
Books
The Viennese Ida Pfeiffer Circumnavigated the Globe Alone Twice
Wife, mother, traveler – humble but headstrong Ida Pfeiffer took the world by storm by circumnavigating the globe her way.
People
Meet Walter Hermann, Family Psychotherapist in Vienna
Families come in many shapes and sizes, but they share challenges. These Viennese are here to guide and inspire.
People
Meet Anna Spindler, Preschool Teacher in Vienna
“Understanding each child is
like a puzzle that I piece
together.”
People
Meet Nabila Irshaid, Artist & Single Mother of Five
“Being a single mom is intimidating; there are no safety nets. You could even say it’s existentially life-threatening.”
Books
Finding Purpose with Robert Musil
Robert Musil’s epic Austrian classic gets cut down to size to explore love and identity across the boundaries of self.
People
Meet Elisabeth Mertl, the Viennese Chemist Who Saved Mice From Animal Experiments
“I like wearing the white coat. I always pictured them on mad scientists in laboratories – that’s what I wanted to do.”
People
Meet Nuno Maulide, Star Chemist & Learned Concert Pianist With a Mission
“I tell my students, ‘I can get your foot in the door, but then you have to open it.’ I’m the kind of person who once I get my foot in, I will bang that door down.”
People
Meet Jenny Reddish, Storyteller of Our Age
“You could attach significance to any moment in history. Right now people are saying ‘Things are really changing’ – it’s about a search for meaning.”
People
Meet Herbert Störi, Vienna’s Master of the Supercomputer
“A [spending] limit for supercomputers? Well, it was unthinkable to fly to the moon before they managed to – but it wasn’t cheap!”
Books
Book Review | A Call to Ears
In his first foray into cultural criticism, musician Dave Randall
calls upon his readers to think outside the jukebox.
People
Profiles | Antonia Matschnig
Matschnig’s approach to DJing has been called everything from “experimental,” “post-club,” “hybrid,” to “deconstructed.”
People
Profiles | Matthias Naske
Matthias Naske has been director of the Vienna Konzerthaus since 2013 where he works on bringing music to a broader audience.
People
Profiles | Wolfgang Muthspiel
He’s made over 30 albums and tours all over the world. Yet, although he’s grateful for this substantial career, he’s never had the feeling that he’s “made it.”
Special Report
How Vienna Got Housing Right
Vienna's population is growing fast, but the city's commitment to social housing means people in all parts of society can still afford to live here.
People
Profiles | Wolfgang Zerobin
“All components of public service – water, sewage, trash, energy – must remain in communal hands. Our public utilities belong 100% to the city. This is – and must – be important.”
People
Profiles | Stefanie Lamp
“It’s really necessary to bring all the people together and talk as often as possible. Of course, you can’t make everyone happy because people want different things – but you can try.”
People
Profiles | Martin Giesswein
Twice a year, Martin Giesswein goes on a “digital detox,” foregoing the internet and all devices for a couple of weeks. Not an easy task.
People
Profiles | Daniel Pratl
“When people look at traffic lights, they see only red, yellow, and green. They have no idea about what lies beyond those colors."
Features
Profile | Izabela Horodecki
"Obviously, I don’t gamble – apart from the occasional lottery ticket. It’s like a tax on hope.”
For most people, winning big on a night out at the...
Features
Profile | Dieter Strehl
“People think that soon, everything will be digitalized. That was, is, and will never be true. Analog isn’t going anywhere.”
Despite the rise of digi...
People
Profile | Karl Schlag
Economics Professor, University of Vienna
In an unpredictable world, you need strategies that do not rely on being able to predict others. In this ...
Features
Profile | Tanja Reither
"Girls are under ten times more pressure than guys. Sometimes I feel like we’re just reduced to our looks and not really seen for our g...
Features
Our Daily Bread
In Vienna, quality baked glossare more accessible than ever before. The challenge for bakers is to keep standards high, while still growing ...
People
Profile | Natalia Corrales-Diez
Founder, Fund of Excellence, Erste Group
“Human capital is the oil of the 21st century. Ten years ago, it was all about big data. Now it’s about ...
People
Profile | Herbert Schweiger
Director, Die Wiener Volkshochschulen
“When the world is spinning faster than you are, you need help to keep moving forward – so ...
People
Profile | Angela Köppl
Environmental Economist, Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO)
“Even though we were among the first movers towards susta...
People
Profile | David Jandl
Forest Ranger
“We’re very proud of the fact that the very concept of ‘sustainability’ originated from forestry.”
If a tree falls...
Cafés and Restaurants
Yori | Korean Debuts & Homecomings
In Yori authentic Korean cuisine takes the stage in Vienna as a veteran proudly looks on.
One of my earliest memories as a child is making specia...
December/January 2018/2019
Profile | Friedrich Schipper
“In war, culture is anything but irrelevant. Destroying someone’s cultural identity is just as painful as any physical wound.”
Friedrich Schipper o...
December/January 2018/2019
Anna Karnitscher | Profiles
“Coffee culture is booming. Which also means that these days, we even have to compete with the fancy espresso machines people have at home.”
Café W...
December/January 2018/2019
Profile | Danielle Spera
“If we read people’s memoirs of the buildings important Jews lived in, a lot of them do not exist anymore. We are trying to tell the stories of what h...
December/January 2018/2019
Profile | Sabine Haag
“Both the museum and UNESCO are peace missions: to stimulate discussion and bring people together towards a better understanding of the human conditio...
November 2018
Profile | Adele Neuhauser
“Wiener Schmäh is a very creative and poetic language. But it’s also something that you must experience intuitively – through all of your senses.”
Wh...
Books
Culture Books | November
To Vienna, with Love
In Kevin Wignall’s new thriller, Vienna takes the spotlight and steals the show
With a name like To Die in Vienna, Kevin ...
Features
Profile | Hannes Duscher & Roland Gratzer
“Wiener Schmäh is saying Schlagerl (mini-stroke) instead of Schlaganfall (stroke). It’s a way of being obsessed with death without ever talking about ...
Features
Profiles | Gebrüder Moped
“Wiener Schmäh is maudlin, weepy, self-pitying, but also nostalgic, wistful, gemütlich and comforting.”
If you really want to know what Wiener Schm...
General
Profiles | Karin Fleck
Founder, Vienna Textile Lab
“If synthetic dyes originate from crude oil, does it make sense to be using them for a 5-euro T-shirt you throw out aft...
General
Profiles | Toni Steinmetz
Regional Secretary, PRO-GE Vienna
“Some say, ‘Live and let live.’ I can only live well if I can allow others to live well and be able to look after...
General
Profiles | Helene Wagner
Deputy Head of Special Exhibitions, Vienna Technical Museum
“Our goal isn’t to say to our visitors, ‘OK, here’s the future, take it or leave it.’ W...
General
Profiles | Thomas Gratzer
Executive Director, Production & Technology for
Manner Schnitten
“Vertical production is an essential component of urban production. Our factory...
September 2018
Altlerchenfeld | Laying Low, Living Large
If Goldilocks had to choose a neighborhood in Vienna, it might be Altlerchenfeld.
Laidback yet central, this neighborhood strikes the perfect balanc...
People
How the Hundertwasser House Was Built | An Interview with Elfriede Forte
“He put so much love and dedication into this project. It’s no longer comprehensible what he accomplished here.”
Whether it’s looking over the gree...
People
“Architecture is always all around us.” | A Chat with Angelika Fitz
“If you don’t want to look at art, you can choose not to hang any on your wall. Architecture is always all around us. You can’t just tune it out.”
...
People
“I Was Here” | An Interview with Anne Catherine Fleith
“When I go back to my buildings and see how people interact with it – that’s the best present I could ask for.”
In 2002, blue stickers began to a...
People
An Interview with Architecture Professor Baerbel Mueller
“Some of the most famous architects in the world – Zaha Hadid, Kazuyo Sejima – are non-Western, non-European women. That says a lot about how ‘emancip...
July/August 2018
Blind Faith | Following a Guide Dog on Duty in Vienna
People think that our dogs just follow orders. But really, it’s a cooperation – we tell them what we need, and they see how they can implement it.”
...
July/August 2018
Natal Attraction | How the Schönbrunn Zoo Gets Its Beloved Elephants
"While I was schlepping a barrow of elephant dung, a passing visitor said, ‘These zoo people always look so damn happy!’ It’s true – I love my job.”...
General
Do You Speak Kätzisch? | Chatting with a Cat Coach
It is said, a cat has nine lives. But Shawnee, a 10-year-old Maine Coon living in Floridsdorf, seems pretty happy with just the one. His home is Zen...
July/August 2018
The Dark Horse of the Spanish Riding School | An Interview with Rider Marcus Novotny
“The relationship with the horse is often even better than the one with a spouse. We have to both work together and have fun together.”
The packe...
General
This Cruise Captain Has Traversed the Danube Over 500 Times
An interview with Jan de Bruijn, Captain, AMA Waterways
“When I was first sailing on the Danube, the rules were not necessarily followed. Maybe it ...
June 2018
The Vienna Fisheries Committee Director on Protecting the Danube
An interview with Manuel Hinterhofer, Director, Wiener Fischereiausschuss
“In the old days, the fishermen were the experts, spending a lot of tim...
General
An Interview with Danube Ferry Owner Johannes Klos
An interview with Johannes Klos, owner of Danube Roll Ferry
“The ferry is something special. It’s something you don’t see or experience every day.”...
June 2018
Meet the Man in Charge of the Dammed Danube
An interview with Heinz-Peter Allmer, Head of Verbund Hydro Power, Lower Danube
“Hydropower makes it possible to provide electric current from th...
Food & Drink
5 Austrian Gins You Should Try This Spring
Gin is in, more than ever. As Vienna kicked off its first annual Vienna Gin Festival on May 3 & 4, a worldwide trend celebrated its arrival. With ...
May 2018
Profile | Dolly Blach, Agrarmarkt Austria, on Being a Global Leader in Organic Food Standards
"We lead the world in organic standards because we're a small country. The agricultural infrastructure is still on a small scale, so farmers can still...
People
Profile | Gerhard Zoubek, Founder of Adamah Biohof, on the Challenges of Organic Farming
"Our children might graduate from school with the knowledge of how to fly to the moon, but they don't have a clue about how important food production ...
May 2018
Profile | Tian’s Paul Ivić on the Healing Properties of Vegetarian Food
"Food is about a lot more than just what you get on your plate."
Consider the celery root, and how it grows. And the mushroom, the Brussels sprout, t...
People
Profile | The Kesselbrüder’s Wien Gin Embodies the Spirit of Vienna
“If time is supposedly money, try buying some more of it once your time's up. Quality of life is about enjoying it right here and right now.
Gin ...
People
Johanna Wiesholzer | Head of Operations, Incident Management, Wiener Linien
Whether we’re getting around by car, bike, metro or just heading across the street, it takes a whole city to keep us mobile.
“We accommodate 2.6 ...
People
Roland Romano | Spokesman, Radlobby
Whether we’re getting around by car, bike, metro or just heading across the street, it takes a whole city to keep us mobile.
"The main reason peo...
People
Burhan Aygün | Uber driver, Airport Shuttle Service Owner
Whether we’re getting around by car, bike, metro or just heading across the street, it takes a whole city to keep us mobile.
“Everybody’s heard o...
People
Franz-Joseph Huainigg | Journalist, Author, Parliamentarian
Whether we’re getting around by car, bike, metro or just heading across the street, it takes a whole city to keep us mobile.
“Going to a regular ...
People
Profile | Lisl Ponger, Artist
Art can be a solitary craft, but for inspiring masterpieces to reach us, they need to go through many hands.
“Living abroad changed everything for ...
People
Profile | Ernst Hilger, Gallerist
Art can be a solitary craft, but for inspiring masterpieces to reach us, they need to go through many hands.
“If you want to have one word for the ...
People
Profile | Jasper Sharp, Adjunct Curator at Kunsthistorisches Museum
Art can be a solitary craft, but for inspiring masterpieces to reach us, they need to go through many hands.
“A museum director I invited here rais...
People
Alexis Wintoniak | Deputy General Secretary of the Administrative Branch of the Austrian Parliament
They have made democracy their business, whether as a software developer, university professor, museum director or in the parliamentary administration...
People
Monika Sommer | Director of Haus der Geschichte Österreich
They have made democracy their business, whether as a software developer, university professor, museum director or in the parliamentary administration...
People
Birgit Sauer | Professor of Political Science at the University of Vienna
They have made democracy their business, whether as a software developer, university professor, museum director or in the parliamentary administration...
People
Alexey Grubauer | Chief Information Officer at Jumio Software Development
They have made democracy their business, whether as a software developer, university professor, museum director or in the parliamentary admini...
People
Profile I Children’s Book Author Thomas Brezina
We talked to four guardians of our collective consciousness in the world of photography, hospitality, urban history and children’s books...
People
Profile | Wien Museum Director Matti Bunzl
We talked to four guardians of our collective consciousness in the world of photography, hospitality, urban history and children’s books...
December/January 2017/2018
Profile | Gerstner Director Oliver Braun
We talked to four guardians of our collective consciousness in the world of photography, hospitality, urban history and children’s books...
People
Profile I Founder of Supersense Florian Kaps
We talked to four guardians of our collective consciousness in the world of photography, hospitality, urban history and children’s books...
People
Profile | Route 28 Founder Katharina Moser
Growing up with a diverse cultural background can be a challenge, but also a gift. These four people have made diversity their ally
If we want th...
People
Profile | Wiener Tschuschenkapelle Musician Slavko Ninić
Growing up with a diverse cultural background can be a challenge, but also a gift. These four people have made diversity their ally
You'...
People
Profile | Managing Editor at das Biber Jelena Pantić
“I'm blue-eyed, fair-haired, and speak perfect German. It's only when I tell people my name that there's a certain reaction."
Vienna-born J...
