The Auditorium Maximum, opened on December 14, 1936, is the largest lecture hall in the main building of the University of Vienna.
During the inter-war period, the increasing number of students and the lectures to a large audience in the massively attended subjects of psychology, German and Romance studies increased the need for a suitable sized auditorium. Particularly the lectures by Josef Nadler, professor of German language and literature, enjoyed great popularity among the students.
When the Austro-Fascist regime introduced ideological lectures for all students, the long sought after establishment of the large auditorium for 1,020 students was realised by roofing an inner courtyard.
After major renovation in 2006, the AudiMax is still the venue for big events. At the same time, because of its symbolic significance as the largest auditorium in the main building, it repeatedly was and is the center of student protests.
