The Second International Congress of Historical Botanical Gardens will be held in Vienna, 29. – 31. July 2024.

The organizing institutions Austrian Federal Gardens in cooperation with the International Association of Botanic gardens (IABG), the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna and the Natural History Museum Vienna, together with Norbert Totschnig, the Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management, are looking forward to an interesting continuation of the “First International Congress of Historical Botanical Gardens” held 2021 in Lisbon.

The initial impulse to communicating the issues and importance of botanic gardens to a broader public, highlighting their history and importance, and building a common network will be continued. The second meeting will expand the focus to include conservation and preservation of plants and gardens. How can we protect historical botanical gardens and their heritage from the major threats of our time, such as lack of resources, climate change, war, and conflicts of all kinds? What can we learn from the often turbulent past?

The three organizing institutions were founded by the Habsburg emperors for scientific and representative reasons. For more than 450 years, these institutions have collected, cultivated, studied and exhibited plants in Vienna. This long and continuous tradition makes Vienna one of the most important locations for current and historic plant research and conservation. Building on this tradition and moving forth together, we look forward to welcoming you to Vienna for the Second International Congress of Historical Botanical Gardens!