Stories | Metropole

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!”

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Janima Nam - January 25, 2021

International

Brexit and COVID – You Can’t Get There From Here

Since mid-December, Trade, Travel and Post between Austria and United Kingdom have all been disrupted.

Daniel Harper - January 22, 2021

International

The Coronavirus Revealed Central Europe’s Chaotic Governance

What remains of public trust in the state is vanishing as the pandemic roars back into Central Europe.

Martin Ehl - January 22, 2021

Print Editions

Facing Instability and Populist Agendas at Home, Southeastern Europeans Move West

Southeastern Europe is one of the world's fastest shrinking regions. What drives so many young and well-educated abroad?

Bogdan Brkić - January 21, 2021

Print Editions

The Science of Coffee Roasting

The world is waking up and (really) smelling the coffee – in all its glory, scope and complexity.

Janima Nam - January 20, 2021

Business & Career

Meet Lisa Biasillo, the New Director of the Vienna International School

How the new director of the Vienna International School left her small town for distant places and turned her passion for learning into a mission to educate for change.

Austin Childs - January 18, 2021

International

Missing in Action – The Real America

As a rogue US president is impeached (again), an Irish diplomat recalls its “grandeur and influence” in decades past.

Francis Martin O’Donnell - January 17, 2021

Cover Stories

The Lore and Legend Behind the Viennese Kaffeehaus

A myth, a tradition, but most of all a very real place that many in the Austrian capital cannot imagine life without.

Dardis McNamee - January 15, 2021

Business & Career

How Viennese Hotels Hold On During the Pandemic

After years of seemingly endless growth, the pandemic plunged the tourism sector into deep crisis. Vacillating between hope and despair, Vienna’s hoteliers summon resilience and creativity

Verena Mayer - January 13, 2021

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.”

Janima Nam - January 11, 2021

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.

Janima Nam - December 27, 2020

Print Editions

Behind the COVID Vaccine – The Austrian Key to the BioNTech Breakthrough

As the world awaits a vaccine, Polymun, a small high-tech company provides essential ingredients for the first candidate to reach the EU Market.

Mahnoor Jalal - December 16, 2020

Health

Axon Neuroscience to Launch the First Independent COVID-19 Vaccine

Independent biotech firm Axon Neuroscience – in neighboring Slovakia – is developing a vaccine for COVID-19 with a uniquely targeted approach.

Mahnoor Jalal - December 16, 2020

International

Pressures, Then Compromise Over the EU COVID Relief Fund

Populist leaders in Poland and Hungary delay the €1.8 Trillion seven year-budget proposal (2021-2027) over Rule of Law requirements.

Daniel Harper - December 10, 2020

General

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.”

Janima Nam - December 6, 2020

General

How to Find Your ‘Stammcafé’ in Vienna

In Vienna, you need to prove yourself worthy of your café of choice in what can be a lengthy application process.

Andreas Rainer - December 2, 2020

International

The Path to Ending Our Global Chaos Is Through the UN

A century after the founding of the League of Nations, international cooperation is still the answer to our “descent into cynicism, chaos and crisis”—in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Mona Ali Khalil - November 30, 2020

Fall 2020

Meet Mato Johannik, the Fashion Photographer Who Chose Vienna Over Hollywood

“I’ve consciously chosen to continue my career in Vienna. I could have stayed in Hollywood, but as Caesar once said: ‘I would rather be first in this little village than second in Rome.’”

Janima Nam - November 22, 2020

Business & Career

Inside FABB – the Impact Hub’s Fashion Accelerator for Better Business

Alexis Eremia and Karin Granner have marshaled the Impact Hubs in Vienna and Amsterdam to focus on local, sustainable fashion brands.

Vanessa Iula - November 5, 2020

City Life

How the Viennese Reacted to a Night of Terror – with Solidarity, Resilience and Wit

It was a night of grief and terror. But in their unique way, the Viennese showed heroism, resilience and wit.

Benjamin Wolf - November 3, 2020

Coronavirus

How Austrian Scientists Are Fighting COVID-19

As nations around the world follow every twist and turn of the developing science to combat the coronavirus, Austrian researchers and companies could play a key role.

Alexandra Abaza - November 2, 2020

Cover Stories

Death in Vienna

Some Viennese may play down any special relationship with death. But, then again, it’s probably better not to take any chances...

Dardis McNamee - November 1, 2020

Fall 2020

How Austrian Designer Carolin Holzhuber is Sculpting the Future of Footwear

The shoe designer is blending the line between fashion and art with sculptural footwear.

Philipp Rossmann - October 22, 2020

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.”

Janima Nam - October 18, 2020

Online

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.”

Janima Nam - October 13, 2020

Business & Career

Austrian Giants Like Swarovski and Wolford Promise Eco-Friendly Quality Over Fast Fashion

Superior craftsmanship and the willingness to pivot have ensured the longevity of Austrian fashion luxury brands like Swarovski and Wolford.

Jusztina Barna - October 11, 2020

Online

Let the People Vote!

In Austria, every 5th person over 16 cannot vote, in Vienna, every 3rd. For democracy to flourish, we need to make these voices heard.

Benjamin Wolf - October 6, 2020

Online

Coming Clean on Electric Cars

Electricity spells kosher for many an eco-warrior, with battery-powered cars seen as the answer to vehicle-generated pollution. An analysis by carmaker Volvo suggests it is not so simple.

Simon Ballam - October 5, 2020

City Life

Hut ab! Vienna Leads the Return of the Hat

Out of style for decades, the hat is making a gradual comeback, aided by local manufacturers who kept the custom alive.

Amina Frassl - October 4, 2020

International

Telex.hu – A Defiant Hungarian News Site

Resisting government efforts to suppress independent media, seasoned journalists at the new crowd-funded website have sworn to “keep a check on power.”

Jusztina Barna - October 3, 2020

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.”

Janima Nam - October 1, 2020

Art

Is Vienna a Fashion Capital? Not Yet.

Once a burgeoning capital of fashion, Vienna lost its design industry with the Jews who supported it and has struggled in the decades since. But the next chapter may be different.

Philipp Rossmann - September 29, 2020

City Life

Will Vienna’s Clubs Survive the Coronavirus Lockdown?

COVID-19 has brought Vienna’s nightlife to a screeching halt, with clubs unsure of when they can reopen - and how to survive until then.

Florian Bayer - September 22, 2020

Fall 2020

How To … Make Your Own Clothes

Vienna is full of sewing shops and DIY stores. We checked out some of them – and ended up printing 100 T-shirts.

Caitlin Elston-Weidinger - September 13, 2020

Opinion

I’m Viennese and I can’t vote here

Our publisher and CEO has been living in Vienna for 24 years but she can’t vote in the city she calls home. Time to change that.

Margaret Childs - September 7, 2020

Online

Frederick Baker, in Memoriam

The Austro-British filmmaker stretched the boundaries of documentary and film technique, exploring interactive storytelling and the application of virtual reality to the experience of art.

Dardis McNamee - September 4, 2020

People

Sisters and Business Partners

At the Viennese label Kids of the Diaspora, founders Leni Charles and Cherrellone do everything together – even motherhood – creating a space where everyone belongs.

Philipp Rossmann - August 27, 2020

Cover Stories

Families – Dreaming of Life After Corona

So there she was, on a Tuesday morning of what we now call the Corona Era, gazing at the walls of the little “water closet” decorated in Viennese style.

Naomi Hunt - August 23, 2020

City Life

Having a Tough Time With German? You’re Not Alone

Although few argue with the importance of mastering German, the system needs to change – children of immigrants in Austria rarely receive the support they need.

Jusztina Barna - August 21, 2020

Business & Career

Post-COVID Work Will Be Flexible, Agile & Adaptive

The coronavirus lockdown has taught us a lot and may herald a new era of organizational flexibility, agility and adaptability.

Ranya Nehmeh - August 20, 2020

Business & Career

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.

Janima Nam - August 19, 2020

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.

Janima Nam - August 18, 2020

City Life

How Red Vienna Revolutionized Urban Living

Red Vienna revolutionized urban living for the working class. Here’s how they did it.

Kaja Seruga - August 17, 2020

International

In This Land of Immigrants, Tales of International Families

Having relatives all around the planet makes for exciting family stories, but keeping in touch with your loved ones is also a constant challenge.

Benjamin Wolf - August 14, 2020

Op-Ed

Who Protects Women from Domestic Violence?

Under COVID-19 lockdown, domestic violence has predictably gone up. Intervention helps.

Dardis McNamee - August 12, 2020

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.

Janima Nam - August 11, 2020

Online

Why the EU Recovery Fund Is a Big Deal – for Europe & for the Climate

The recent budget-corona negotiations could lead to the creation of a fiscal union and a greater emphasis on sustainability.

Kurt Bayer - August 4, 2020

Online

Max Schrems Challenges Facebook and Wins. Again.

European court ruling strikes down the transatlantic data transfer mechanism in a case initiated by the young Austrian data privacy advocate.

Sophie Spiegelberger - August 2, 2020

Explore Vienna

Swimming Across Town | The Danube Canal (Re)opens to the Public

A cooperation between the Kunsthaus and the urban design project Schimmverein Donaukanal hopes to persuade the public of the pleasures on their doorstep.

Dardis McNamee - July 18, 2020

December/January 2018/2019

A War Childhood Museum for Bosnia

“I often spoke to my friends about our wartime memories. I felt that it was something people had an urge to talk about.” 25 years after the massacre of Srebrenica, remembering is more important than ever.

Mirza Ajnadžić - July 11, 2020

City Life

Vienna’s Ultimate Swimming Pool Guide

It will be a summer like no other. This year due to Corona, many Viennese will opt to spend a good part of their holiday in the city. Lucky for us, there are few better places for relaxing in the shade and swimming in pools or rivers than Vienna.

Benjamin Wolf - July 10, 2020

Online

Liberal Freedom and Its Flip Side

The renewed struggle against discrimination is really two struggles: one about rights, the other about opinion.

Isolde Charim - July 9, 2020

People

Meet Anna Spindler, Preschool Teacher in Vienna

“Understanding each child is like a puzzle that I piece together.”

Janima Nam - July 8, 2020

Online

Traditional Brand Icons and the New Sensitivities of Race

The worldwide Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has now spilled over onto the supermarket shelves. A look at Austria’s own racially problematic icons.

Simon Ballam - July 6, 2020

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.”

Janima Nam - July 3, 2020

Science & Technology

How Freud, Adler & Moreno Pioneered Modern Family Therapy in Vienna

Alfred Adler and Jacob L. Moreno developed the theoretical foundations for family therapy in Vienna, building on the work of Sigmund Freud.

Margarita Randl - June 24, 2020

People

Ruth Wodak on How the Far-Right Deceives the Public and Undermines Democracy

How the far-right deceives the public and undermines democracy. A conversation with linguist Ruth Wodak.

Dardis McNamee - May 25, 2020

Science & Technology

IST Research in Klosterneuburg – Ranked 3rd in the World – Joins Forces with Startups to Make Ideas ...

Inventing something new is one thing. Turning it into a product is quite another. Here's how founders and researchers take ideas to market

Jusztina Barna - May 21, 2020

Business & Career

How Circle17 Aims for Impact with Businesses Following the SDGs

Can startups help reach the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals? In Vienna, Circle17 started an Impacthon to find out.

Richard Asher - May 10, 2020

Special Report

A New Way to Do Good Promises to Provide the Data to Make the Biggest Impact – Effective Altruism

There is a new way to do good that promises to provide the tools to have the most impact – Effective Altruism.

Yaël Ossowski - May 1, 2020

Empire to Republic

Austria, the Making of a Republic

On April 27, 1945, the Austrian Proclamation of Independence was signed and promulgated in the liberated city of Vienna. Today, Austrians celebrate 75 years of their Republic, a free, democratic and open country in the middle of Europe.

Dardis McNamee - April 27, 2020

How To

“Where There’s a Will…”

Getting our affairs in order in time of a crisis can be a huge relief for all parties, while protecting those you love.

Benjamin Wolf - April 21, 2020

Coronavirus

An Easter Sunday in the Prater

This spring is different. A report from a Styrian in Vienna, as we all stay together apart.

Benjamin Wolf - April 13, 2020

Business & Career

How to Shape Your CV to Land Your Next Dream Job in Vienna

Although the current situation is everything but easy on the labor market, things will certainly change again. Prepare now with the tips of our expert in recruiting.

Metropole - April 9, 2020

Cover Stories

How Vienna Became the Petri Dish for Geniuses Like Schrödinger, Gödel & Freud

From saving mothers to preventing blood clots and unraveling the secrets of our physical universe, Vienna’s scientists have advanced humanity through the ages.

Lanay Griessner - April 7, 2020

Coronavirus

Coronavirus | An Opportunity for Global Governance Reform

How to make the April 5 International Day of Conscience really mean something.

Francis Martin O’Donnell - April 4, 2020

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.”

Janima Nam - April 3, 2020

Science & Technology

Inside the U.S. Pentagon’s Funding for Foundational Research in Austria – and the Fight to End It

The U.S. Pentagon funds critical studies in medicine and quantum physics in Austria. Does this threaten the country’s neutrality or academic freedom?

Metropole - March 29, 2020

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.”

Janima Nam - March 26, 2020

Science & Technology

Women in the Natural Sciences, from Lise Meitner to Today

Amid Austria’s glowing record of scientific enterprise, women’s involvement in the natural sciences has grown, albeit far too slowly. That may be changing.

Mahnoor Jalal - March 22, 2020

City Life

In the 250th Year of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Birth, Here’s How to Find Him

For the 250th anniversary of the great composer’s birth, Vienna has pulled out all the stops; join us in tracing his footsteps.

Dardis McNamee - March 18, 2020

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.”

Janima Nam - March 17, 2020

How To

How to Raise Your Kid to be a Scientist in Vienna

STEM-tastic opportunities await Vienna’s children, even before their first science class at school.

Michael Bernstein - March 15, 2020

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!”

Janima Nam - March 11, 2020

General

Pro & Con | Winter 2019

The Still of the Night by Dardis McNamee Some come to Vienna wishing it were Rome or Madrid, bistro nights in Trestevere, or partying on t...

Dardis McNamee - January 13, 2020

City Life

The Sounds from Afar and Around

You’ve probably been to “Tschuschistan” and you didn’t even know it. There is no border and you don’t need a passport. But if you’ve eve...

Jelena Kopanja - December 22, 2019

Opinion

Should the Viennese Really Take that Much Pride in Being Unfriendly?

No one can say Vienna is a sore loser. After Austrian media picked up the Expat Insider study’s City Index ranking Vienna the second least friendly city for expats, the “news” spread like wildfire.

Margaret Childs - December 18, 2019

Science & Technology

The Tools of Today`s Music

Austria’s music tech entrepreneurs are pushing Vienna into new areas of innovation .

Bridget Carter - December 13, 2019

Science & Technology

Take Two Quavers…

… and call me in the morning. Can neuroscience prove that music soothes some of our biggest ailments?

Andrew Standen-Raz - December 13, 2019

Business & Career

From Timber to Timbre

In a fast-paced, digital world, Vienna’s master instrument makers seem to live a time apart.

Naomi Hunt - December 13, 2019

People

Profiles | Antonia Matschnig

Matschnig’s approach to DJing has been called everything from “experimental,” “post-club,” “hybrid,” to “deconstructed.”

Janima Nam - December 12, 2019

Cover Stories

The City and Land of Music

Vienna made music ... and music made Vienna. As told by “Metropole” writers – a libretto for life in the Austrian capital. With an overture by our Editor in Chief Dardis McNamee.

Metropole - December 11, 2019

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.

Janima Nam - December 10, 2019

Empire to Republic

Bosnia and Herzegovina | A Country in Search of Itself

Bosnia and Herzegovina was severely tested in the 20th century and is still finding its way back to prosperity and internal stability.

Nedad Memić - December 10, 2019

International

The Long Road Home

A century after the end of the Habsburg Empire, and 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Vienna has finally resumed its role as the hub of Central and Eastern Europe

Richard Grieveson - December 5, 2019

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.”

Janima Nam - December 4, 2019

Special Report

Home Is Where the Housing Is

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.

Janima Nam - November 24, 2019

Fall 2019

Michael Ignatieff | Academic Freedom Fighter

The Central European University finds a safe-haven in Vienna. Amid the optimism of the move its rector warns of the dangers of complacency

Dardis McNamee - November 16, 2019

Cover Stories

The Secrets of a City That Works

Vienna continues to grow, blending into the new millennium while keeping its Old World charm. The how and the why.

Ramya Iyer - October 31, 2019

Opinion

Maria Theresia Is to Blame

In September, over 220,000 Viennese students went back to school. Some go willingly, some have to be dragged, but Austrian parents have a stock response to unwilling schoolgoers: Blame Maria Theresa

Benjamin Wolf - October 1, 2019

Science & Technology

Social Networks or Social Nightmares? | Panel Discussion With Roger McNamee

On Friday, 27 September 2019, Roger McNamee, Evgeny Morozov, Max Schrems and Shalini Randeria will be talking about Facebook and how it's changing our societies on the panel "Social Networks or Social Nightmares?" at the Vienna Humanities Festival.

Roger McNamee - September 27, 2019

How To

How To… Become an Art Collector

The scene may feel like an impenetrable world from the outside. In truth, it’s within any art lover’s reach. The trick is knowing where to look – and how.

Aline Lara Rezende - September 26, 2019

Op-Ed

Democracy’s Second Wind in CEE

METROPOLE and GLOBSEC will be cooperating on a range of activities, initiatives and events in the upcoming months to promote democracy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Dardis McNamee - September 15, 2019

City Life

City Life: Solutions for the Age of Adaptation

At a Vienna Design Week-sponsored event earlier this year, panelists discussed “the direction in which toilet trends will flush us and how w...

Andrew Standen-Raz - September 13, 2019

Fall 2019

How to…Serve (Up) a City

Imagine you are planning a dinner party in your home, your city. A mix of people coming together to spend time with each other. Your job, as...

Veronika Hribernik - September 13, 2019

Fall 2019

Someone’s Gotta Do It

Bins full of sorted junk, sewage, waste - and all that trash...For all cities, garbage is a fact of life that must be managed - but for Vienna, waste ...

Emre Günes - September 11, 2019

Business & Career

What Makes a City “Smart”?

Digital, green, innovative – what's the real deal behind the buzzwords?

Jacob Lassar - September 10, 2019

Opinion

Opinion | Brigitte Bierlein – Cleaning up After the Men

Come the hour, come the woman. Leading the interim government was going to be a tough gig, but she was ready.

Dardis McNamee - September 5, 2019

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.”

Janima Nam - September 4, 2019

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.”

Janima Nam - September 4, 2019