Grand Decoration in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria awarded to Claudia Rapp
On 22 June 2026, the Department of Byzantine Studies at the University of Vienna held an academic ceremony at the Austrian Academy of Sciences to honour Claudia Rapp's scholarly achievements on the occasion of her 65th birthday.
Maria-Lucia Goiana, Krystina Kubina, Christodoulos Papavarnavas and Giulia Rossetto, members of both her home institutions, the University of Vienna and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, presented her with the Festschrift Cosmopolitan Byzantium: People, Ideas, and Interactions (Millennium Studies 121), Berlin: De Gruyter 2026.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Grand Decoration in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria to Claudia Rapp by ÖAW President Heinz Faßmann.
Introduction to Hittite 1: Grammar
This course introduces the grammar of the Hittite language. The course is conducted in lecture format with assignments of grammatical exercises based on short text passages. The students will also be introduced to the Hittite cuneiform syllabary and the main research tools of Hittitology.
Introduction to Hittite 2: Reading
Building on the course Introduction to Hittite I, this course introduces the students to their first extended readings in Hittite. Students will read assigned passages from the Annals of Muršili II in both transliteration and cuneiform handcopy. Emphasis will be placed on mastering the grammar presented in the first course. Goals of this course include gaining greater proficiency in Hittite through reading authentic texts in the original language. Texts will cover a wide range of topics and genres, dating from different periods, e.g. hagiographies, chronicles, and poetry, along with (potentially) magical and scientific texts.
