80 years of involvement, student representation, participation, political commitment, service work, defiance, silence, demonstrations, legal upheavals, societal changes, celebrations, disputes, plenary sessions, crisis, and so much more…
HTU Wien, the statutory representation of all TU students, celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2025!
The History
80 years full of self-governance, dedication to students, offered consultation hours, and negotiations with the rectorate and ministry. However, all of this was not a given for a long time. Only after liberation from National Socialism, in September 1945, was HTU established as a public corporation by decree of the provisional state government. Only then could legally enshrined structures emerge that have shaped its path to this day. But much has happened since then.
On this occasion, a deeper look at the history of HTU will be taken: critically, yet always focusing on the major and minor achievements that have been fought for on behalf of students over the past decades. Thus, the idea of an exhibition was born, which, in the tradition of HTU, is designed by students for students themselves and can be seen at four TU locations.
In the summer semester of 2025, two courses were organized in cooperation between the TU Archive, the Drawing and Visual Languages Research Area, and HTU. Students examined original documents, sifted through photos and posters, or researched archival sources; others built displays, designed posters, or conducted interviews. The result is now a traveling exhibition that guides visitors through the different eras of HTU.
The Exhibition
The traveling exhibition kicks off with the vernissage on November 4, 2025, in the Prechtlsaal: the exhibition will be ceremoniously opened with drinks and snacks. Afterwards, it will remain at Campus Karlsplatz for one week.
Subsequently, the exhibition will tour other TU Wien locations: it can be seen in Gußhaus, Freihaus, and Getreidemarkt. The grand finale will be the finissage on January 29, 2026, at the TU Ball in the Hofburg.
Across 18 posters, the exhibition guides you through the history of HTU: What was the situation for students like before 1945, and what happened in the first elections? How has HTU evolved through laws and election results, and how is it structured today? Alongside the chronological stages, you will repeatedly have the opportunity to delve into special aspects of representation work. Individual posters highlight the various focus topics of HTU over the years; some were sporadic, others were continuously addressed. Be there for the founding of the Austrian Film Museum, the major student protests in 1987, or the first courtyard festival! Experience the gradual embedding of socio-political topics such as feminism or queer activism into the formal structures of the departments and learn more about the support services over time.
In addition to the posters, we invite you to linger: In several interviews, former HTU chairpersons provide not only substantive insights but also a funny anecdote or two.
Further Information and Content
- Here you will find the exhibition stations and more detailed information about the exhibition concept
- Do you want to learn more about the history of HTU? Here you will find texts, posters, and interviews
- This was our 80-year HTU ceremony on November 4, 2025, in the Prechtlsaal
- Here you will find more details about the two courses in the summer semester of 2025
