On The Ecological Class Struggle
With Special Attention to the Role and Responsibility of Architecture in our New Climatic Regime
A Public Lecture by Nikolaj Schultz.
Moderation: Susann Ahn, Ariane Sept & Rudolf Scheuvens.
14.04.2026 | 17:00–19:00 Prechtlsaal (Karlsplatz 13, Stiege, 1 EG) TU Wien
Nikolaj Schultz (DK), sociologist, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Theory and Ecological Thought at Aarhus School of Architecture, is one of his generation’s leading figures in the social sciences. His work explores the intersection of sociology, existentialism, politics, and the climate crisis. Schultz was a close collaborator of the late French philosopher Bruno Latour (1947–2022), with whom he co-authored "On the Emergence of an Ecological Class: A Memo" (2022), translated into 16 languages. The book calls for the creation of a political class focused on safeguarding planetary habitability.
Schultz’s latest solo work "Land Sickness" (2023), a hybrid auto-ethnographic essay, delves into the existential and sociological questions posed by the Anthropocene, translated into 9 languages. Schultz innovative approach has resonated with both academics and artists, marking him as a significant emerging voice in ecological, sociological, and artistical discourse. He is acclaimed by leading intellectuals such as Dipesh Chakrabarty, Clive Hamilton and Slavoj Žizek, and his ideas have inspired artist George Rouy, art critic and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and the band Fontaines D.C. In a recent profile on Schultz work, Die Zeit recognized him as “The New Star of Sociology”.