Symposium “Strengthening Civil Justice” at Schloss Leopoldskron
To mark the 65th birthday and forthcoming retirement of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Marianne Roth, LL.M. (Harvard), the symposium “Strengthening Civil Justice” was held at Schloss Leopoldskron on 23 June 2026. The event also featured the ceremonial presentation of a two-volume Festschrift in her honor.
Schloss Leopoldskron, closely associated with Max Reinhardt, is a place synonymous with intellectual openness, cultural radiance and international exchange. It therefore provided a setting that was perfectly attuned to both the academic significance and the personal spirit of the occasion.
The keynote lectures by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Katharina Boele-Woelki, President of the Commission on European Family Law, and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell, President of the European Law Institute, offered the audience outstanding scholarly perspectives on international civil law and civil procedure. Univ.-Prof. Dr. DDr. h.c. Klaus Mainzer, President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, then delivered a rhetorically brilliant and deeply appreciative laudation in honor of Professor Roth.
130 invited guests attended the symposium, including numerous distinguished representatives of academia, university life, public affairs, the media and the arts, all of whom expressed their high regard for Marianne Roth and her scholarly work. Among those present were Provincial Councilor Mag. Daniela Gutschi, Rector Univ.-Prof. Dr. Bernhard Fügenschuh, Vice-Rector Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elias Felten and Dean Univ.-Prof. Dr. Martin Auer, as well as cardiac surgeon Univ.-Prof. Prof. Prof. h.c. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Felix Unger and Mag. Waltraud Langer, Director of ORF Salzburg.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of the Festschrift. The two volumes, comprising 108 international contributions and more than 1,500 printed pages, were edited by attorney-at-law Univ.-Prof. i.R. Dr. Hubertus Schumacher together with Dr. Elmar Buchstätter, LL.M. (London), who also organized the symposium, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gabriel Lentner. The Festschrift was published by Jan Sramek Verlag, Vienna. This impressive work pays tribute to Marianne Roth’s scholarly achievements, in particular her many influential contributions to Austrian, European and international civil law and civil procedure.
The ceremony and subsequent reception were accompanied by an excellent musical program performed by Hannes Preßl, Siegfried Weißenbacher, Hans Lindner and Markus Höller of the Ausseer Bradlmusi, as well as Gabriel Horn on jazz piano.
©Simon P. Haigermoser
