The first official marker was laid down in the public space of Vienna in September 2014 when the area outside the Museum Quarter at the beginning of Mariahilfer Strasse was named Platz der Menschenrechte (Square of Human Rights). With the renaming of this central and highly frequented urban site, it was possible to symbolically inscribe the universal human rights in the public sphere of the city. In 2016, the Neubau District Administration and KÖR launched an initiative for an artwork that would visually translate and communicate the human rights.

Following an artistic design competition, the jury decided to choose the project submitted by Françoise Schein as winner for the following reasons: the jurors were appreciative of the complex idea of translating human rights into a work that has not only artistic quality but also offers an opportunity for participation and communication to serve not only the district but the education of another generation of urban citizens. It was also pointed out that the piece establishes a relationship with other human-rights cities.

The project is scheduled for implementation in July 2018.