Spring 2014

Top photo: ©Tirol Werbung/Aichner Bernhard

Dear Readers,

In this issue of Austrian Information we take a closer look at one of Austria’s nine states:The Tyrol. Located in the midst of the spectacularlar Alps, the Tyrol serves as an international hub for business, research, culture and innovation. (Full disclosure: I am a proud Tyrolean myself). We will give our readers a comprehensive overview of the Tyrol: its history, its customs and traditions, and we will show how the specific symbiosis of tradition and modernity accounts for the state’s successes and achievements today. Being one of the most prosperous regions in the European Union, the Tyrol provides for an excellent business and research environment attracting entrepreneurs and scientists from all over the world including the United States.

We are very honored to feature an exclusive interview with the Governor of the Tyrol, Günther Platter, who provides our readers with a unique insight into the state. Furthermore, we will also feature an interview with the Austrian Honorary Consul for the Carolinas, Roland JP Zimmer, CEO of Zimmer America Corporation, as well as a conversation with Bernhard Mairinger, founder of the very popular Austrian restaurant BierBeisl in Los Angeles.

Sadly, Mr. Charles Krewson III, honorary editor for Austrian Information, passed away in October 2013 and was laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery with military honors in January of this year. Charles dedicated his time, experience, and exceptional writing skills to our publication for many years. We are truly thankful for his service and we will miss him dearly.

On a final note, I would also like to use this opportunity to bid a heartfelt goodbye to all the readers of Austrian Information. As I prepare for my return to Vienna, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your loyalty and dedication to this publication. It was an honor and privilege to serve as the Director of the Austrian Press and Information Service and I will cherish all the wonderful memories and experiences made during my three and a half years here in Washington D.C. I would also like to thank my team for their excellent work and I wish them and my successor all the best and continued success in the future. 

Yours sincerely, 

Alice Irvin
Editor-in-Chief
Director, Austrian Press & Information Service

P.S. For our U.S. subscribers, we have enclosed with this issue of Austrian Information a copy of Austria’s travel magazine Arrive, published by the Austrian Tourist Office, North America & Australia.