was founded on 20 March 1946. 

According to its statutes, the association's mission is "the scientific and non-profit promotion of Byzantine studies and research into the history and culture of Byzantium".

As the national committee, the ÖBG board represents Austrian Byzantine Studies at the international professional association Association Internationale des Études Byzantines.

The art historian Wladimir Sas-Zaloziecky was elected as the first chairman, who was succeeded by Otto Demus in 1949. From 1964 to 1996, the first holder of the Chair of Byzantine Studies at the University of Vienna, Herbert Hunger, served as president of the society. Johannes KODER headed the ÖBG from 1996 to 2014; Claudia RAPP has been President since 2014.

From 1951 to 1968, the society was the publisher of the specialised journal "Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinischen Gesellschaft", which has been published by the University of Vienna (Institute of Byzantine and Neo-Greek Studies) and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Department of Byzantine Studies) since 1969 until 2021 under the title "Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik" and now as "Journal of Byzantine Studies (JOeB)/Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik". 

Reports from Austrian Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies

Together with the Austrian Association of Modern Greek Studies (ÖGNS), the ÖBG publishes the annual Mitteilungen aus der Österreichischen Byzantinistik und Neogräzistik. In this digitally published brochure, members of the ÖBG and ÖGNS present their current research work and projects.

Publications (recently published, in print and in preparation), conferences, lectures and theses are announced. The publications document the status and perspectives of Byzantine and Modern Greek research in Austria.

Excursions

The ÖBG regularly organizes excursions to places of Byzantine interest in Austria. In recent years, the destinations have included the Gozzoburg Krems, Carnuntum, Ottenstein Castle, Schallaburg Castle and the Byzantine traces in Vienna.

Events

The ÖBG regularly (co-)organizes academic lectures and conferences at which academics from Austria and abroad present their research.

Every semester, the ÖBG hosts 3-4 evening lectures at the Institute of Byzantine and Neo-Greek Studies at the University of Vienna.

In 2026, the ÖBG will organize the 25th International Congress of Byzantine Studies under the title "Byzantium beyond Byzantium". This will be the second time (after 1981) that Vienna has hosted the largest international specialist congress, which takes place every five years at different locations and most recently attracted around 1,500 participants from all over the world.

Membership

All those interested in Byzantine history and culture are welcome as members of the ÖBG and are entitled to vote at the annual general meeting. Members receive a digital copy of the "Mitteilungen" in addition to the ÖBG's lecture invitations and can announce their research activities and projects in these.

Annual membership fee (as of 2023):

To join, please send an email to the secretary Krystina Kubina (krystina.kubina@oeaw.ac.at).

Membership becomes effective with the subsequent payment of the corresponding membership fee to the ÖBG account.

Österreichische Byzantinische Gesellschaft

BAWAG PSK

IBAN: AT 8860 0000 000 1900 446

BIC: BAWAATWW

We thank all those who support the work of the ÖBG with their contributions and donations!

The Board of the Austrian Byzantine Society, which is newly elected each year, is currently composed as follows:

Honorary members:

Helmut Buschhausen (+), Endre von Ivánka (+), Otto Mazal (+) 

Honorary Presidents:
Herbert HUNGER (+), Johannes KODER