Christiane Wendehorst

Christiane Wendehorst, professor of law at the University of Vienna, co-founder and currently Scientific Director of the European Law Institute, has broken several glass ceilings and fought for the acceptance of women who have to reconcile extensive family commitments with an international career. As President of the Humanities Division of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, she is currently responsible for improving the situation of women* in Austria’s largest non-university research institution.

When I joined a prestigious German law faculty almost 25 years ago as the first female full professor, it was considered a scandal. Younger colleagues often think I am making things up because they cannot believe what it was like for women back then. I don’t blame them – so much has changed since then, and we should be grateful for that. But we should not take anything for granted, and in many ways we are not there yet. This is why initiatives like Women in Law are so important!

photo © Studio Wilke