http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/cc87895faa6e7d46 https://verfassungsblog.de/compulsion-to-freedom/ Compulsion to Freedom - The Austrian Headscarf Ban and the Political Elephant in the Room Bußjäger, Peter eng 2025-12-19 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Kopftuch Religionsfreiheit Religionsfreiheit freedom of religion headscarf ban religious freedom Kopftuch Religionsfreiheit Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 On 11 December 2025, the Austrian National Council adopted a headscarf ban for students under 14 in the name of protecting children’s freedom of development and fulfillment. A first attempt of banning headscarves in 2019 was overturned by the Constitutional Court. The legislator has to a large extent taken the requirements of the Constitutional Court into account. However, two crucial aspects have been overlooked: the resulting stigmatisation and the underlying patriarchal structures.