A special event will take place weekly at the Natural History Museum Vienna (NHM Vienna) starting at the end of 2025. Each Wednesday, experts from various disciplines will offer insights into current scientific research. The lectures are freely accessible to visitors. This new offering makes it possible to participate in lectures on scientific and culturally significant topics without any barriers.
The event at the NHM Vienna will shed light on exciting topics from science, research, and cultural history. Among the upcoming programs are "The evolution of human birth," "Humans and nature in the Ice Age," and "Endangered giants – evolution, biology, and protection of rhinos." Researchers will provide informed insights into their daily work during their lectures, making the world of science accessible to a wide audience.
Participation in the Wednesday evening lectures is possible with a free ticket, which is available in the NHM Vienna webshop. The ticket entitles you to free admission to the Natural History Museum Vienna and to attend the lecture on the respective lecture day from 18:00. Due to the limited number of 150 places, early booking is recommended.
The Wednesday evening lectures have been a firmly established format in the NHM Vienna's educational program for many decades and are very popular. This event, made possible by a non-named supporter, will continue until the end of 2025. The NHM Vienna hopes for an extension beyond this date if successful.
Endangered Giants – Evolution, Biology and Protection of Rhinos
We particularly recommend the event on rhinos to those interested in questions of nature and species protection.
Rhinos are a very old species of mammal. Their current habitat is the continents of Africa and Asia, with the main distribution area being in South Africa. They were also once widespread in North America and Eurasia. What has worked well for over 50 million years – the preservation of a secure population – is now highly threatened.
Worldwide, there are now less than 30,000 rhinos, with the five species of rhino being differently threatened. While the white rhino, with around 20,000 living specimens, enjoys a relatively secure population, the situation is not so good for the black rhino (5,000 animals) and the Sumatran rhino (2,900), although the populations have significantly recovered in recent years due to protection measures. The situation with the Sumatran rhino is very precarious, with only one to two hundred individuals living today. The Javan rhino, with only around 60 animals, is the most threatened subspecies.
