Byzantium Conference in Vienna: Researchers Discuss Role of Eastern Roman Empire in Present and Future

The conference explicitly understands Byzantium as a bridge between antiquity and modernity. In several panels, parallels are drawn between late antique administrative structures and contemporary questions of digitalization, for instance in the documentation of large volumes of data.

Climate, AI, and Administration

Another focus lies on the question of how Byzantine cities dealt with resource scarcity. Using Constantinople as an example, participants are discussing which strategies contributed to supplying a major city – a point of comparison for today's debates on climate adaptation.

The conference is part of a broader discussion about the contemporary relevance of old empires. While the Ottomans and Russia maintain their own historiographical traditions in scholarship, the organizers see Byzantium as a common reference point for the Mediterranean region and Southeast Europe.

The geopolitical situation is also addressed: researchers from the USA and Europe compare how the Byzantine Empire secured its external borders and what lessons can be drawn from this for multilateral orders today.

Early-Career Researchers and International Participation

Young scholars are given the opportunity to present their own work at the conference. Several panels are explicitly dedicated to early-career researchers in order to promote exchange between established academics and students.

Organizers point to growing international participation. The number of contributions from universities in the USA has increased in recent years, while European research networks continue to carry the bulk of the conference.

Public Evening Events

Alongside specialist lectures, public evening events are taking place at Viennese cultural institutions. The aim is to bring Byzantium closer to a broader audience and to make an era often perceived as marginal more visible.

After several days, the conference will conclude with a summary that, according to the organizers, is also set to include recommendations for politics and education. This is intended to strengthen the transfer between scholarship and society.