Fries of Hope: Wie mit Liebe, Engagement und einer Tonne Pommes frites Flüchtlingen geholfen wird

Please click here for the English version.

Fries of Hope ist eine einzigartige Aktion, um Flüchtlingen auf der Durchreise durch Österreich zu helfen: Am Hauptbahnhof Wien frittieren freiwillige Helfer_innen tagtäglich mehrere Kilo köstliche Pommes und verschenken sie an Flüchtlinge, um ihnen den Aufenthalt am kalten Bahnsteig und die bange Zeit des Wartens auf eine Weitereise nach Deutschland zu erleichtern. Manchmal braucht es in Krisenzeiten eben nicht mehr als Liebe, Toleranz, und eine Handvoll fettig dampfender Erdäpfelstreifen. 

Fabian Braesemann (links) und Fabian Stephany (rechts) mit zwei freiwilligen Helferinnen vor dem Wiener Hauptbahnhof.

Fries of Hope: Putting a smile on your face, one fry at a time

Für die deutsche Version bitte hier klicken.

Fries of Hope is a unique initiative to help refugees passing through Vienna’s central traffic hub, the Hauptbahnhof, on their way to asylum in Germany: Volunteers are giving away hot and delicious French fries to refugees and helpers, thereby proving that all we need in this moment of crisis is love, tolerance, and deep-fried potato strips.

Fabian Braesemann (left) and Fabian Stephany (right) with two volunteers at the Viennese Hauptbahnhof.

September Favorites

As days get shorter and the weather gets colder, September is the ideal month to brush up on your knowledge of art history and return to your favorite museums after a long summer break. In Vienna, many new and exciting exhibitions are set to open in the course of the fall, including the Albertina's Edvard Munch (Sept. 25 - Jan. 24) and World of Romanticism (Nov. 13 - Feb. 21), the Belvedere's Rembrandt - Tizian - Bellotto  (June 11 - Nov. 8), the Leopold Museum's A Rush of Color (Oct. 9 - Jan. 11), and the MUMOK's Prosperous Poison: On the Feminist Appropriation of the Austrian Unconscious (Sept. 10 - April 24). 

Your city's art offer is more restricted? It's already too cold to venture outside for a quick stroll to the next museum? Luckily, you do not even have to leave your house (or your couch, for that matter) to enjoy the fine arts. Here's a list of entertaining, thought-provoking, funny, and worthwhile virtual offers to satisfy your artistic cravings. 

Vitamin B, Freudian Musings, and the Loneliness of PhD Life: What it also feels like for a grad student in Austria

The University of Warwick recently asked me to contribute to their student-run blog PhD life, a platform for grad students to discuss all the aspects that pursuing a doctorate involves, from “reaching out” to “moving on”. Make sure to check it out for its great tips and resources on publishing in journals, managing your viva, or organizing field trips!

Eager to be part of such a laudable initiative, I composed a nice little blog post about grad student life at the University of Vienna, my alma mater, with a focus on the various possibilities of financing a PhD in Austria. 

Graduation day. Universities with impressive ceremonial halls like the Uni of Vienna are at a clear advantage.