Dear Readers,

I would never have thought that I would write you this letter one day! Haven’t I just arrived in the U.S. some days ago? Well, no, it has been two and a half years, but time has passed by so fast thanks to a flurry of activities at the embassy, a lot of travels (not enough!), and many visitors from Austria, among them most notably Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger.

Over 50 so-called Velomobiles (recumbent human powered vehicles) have recently crossed the continent from Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C. on a tour called Roll Over America (ROAM). The tour was designed to showcase the benefits and practicalities of human-powered vehicles, while the riders shared the experience of the grand tour across the continent.

The annual Austrian Science Talk (AST) took place on September 10, 2011, at the New York Academy of Sciences. The conference provided about 130 participants with an opportunity to learn about recent R&D policy developments and new career as well as funding opportunities. It also facilitated the establishment of research collaborations between North America and Austria.

The new Honorary Consul of the Republic of Austria for North and South Carolina was sworn in by the Austrian Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Christian Prosl. The businessman Roland Zimmer has spent most of his life promoting the relationship between Austria and South Carolina. On September 15, 2011, Zimmer was sworn in as Austria’s new Honorary Consul for North and South Carolina during a ceremony at the Piedmont Club in Spartanburg, SC.

The objective of the I-CITE Study Tour, which took place from August 21-26, 2011, in Bavaria, (Germany) and Upper Austria, was the promotion of renewable energy from biomass. On their 5-day trip, 20 American and European scholars and representatives of agriculture and forestry seized the opportunity to discuss the potential for innovative policies, long-term goals, and political leadership in the renewable energy sector.

Ambassador Christian Prosl and Mrs. Patricia Prosl-Hurni, in cooperation with the American-Austrian Cultural Society, opened the doors of their residence for a delightful and special evening filled with chamber music by Earl Williams (cello) and Raymond Wertheim (piano) and an exhibition of artworks by award-winning Austrian-American painter Ingrid Dohm.

The Austrian-American Educational Commission announced that it has received a $120,000 award from the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation to fund an exchange program for visiting professors of Austrian-American studies. The program will offer Austrian professors the opportunity to teach at an institution in the United States for one semester, and vice versa.

The director of the Austrian Integration Fund, Dr. Alexander Janda, and the Fund’s Team Leader for Knowledge Management, Lisa Fellhofer, visited Washington, D.C. from September 13-16, 2011, to discuss the experiences and challenges of immigration, integration, and diversity, both in the United States and Austria.

The protection of human rights is a key component of Austrian foreign policy and Austria has been an emphatic and avowed proponent of the universality of human rights. The Austrian government has long held that human dignity and rights are anchored in all states and cultures, and that every person in the world is entitled to their inalienable rights and freedoms.

by Christian Prosl
Translated from the German original by Julia Analena Hollmann

For many years now, my Saturdays have belonged to my wife. However, every now and then I do catch myself rebelling against that precept, if only in my mind. I have the presumption to, even though I know perfectly well that I will never be able to get away with my revolutionary ideas anyway.

by Cecelia Porter

Terrific concert dedicated to composer Franz Liszt on two Brodmann concert grands by Eduard and Johannes Kutrowatz.

There were no empty seats in the Atrium of the Austrian Embassy when the virtuoso piano duo Johannes and Eduard Kutrowatz presented a concert on 30 September (2011).

The city of Vienna had the honor of hosting the 13th European Maccabi Games from 5 to 13 July, 2011. One of the five biggest international sporting events worldwide, the Maccabi Games consist of a series of regional sports competitions. Organized by the Maccabi World Union (MWU), they are the largest international Jewish sporting event.

The Austrian Chef Josef Schaunig attended the vocational school in Villach (Carinthia) in the 1960s, together with Wolfgang Puck. Since then he has traveled the world in his capacity as master chef, and is currently the Director of Food Operations for the cruise ship Ryndam of the Holland-America Line with its capable captain, the Dutchman Vincent Smit.

Allah in the Alps - a visit to Puergg 

by Markus Reiterer

This story starts a long time ago. That is: some 1,000 years ago. At a time following the turn of the first millennium. Y1K – so to say. About the time, when New Mexico's Chaco culture experienced its climax and started its inexplicable descent.

It all depends on how you approach a place. You can rush it or you can take it slow, watch the beauty that surrounds you and take a deep breath. Perhaps you can pause for a second before you arrive – just have a look around you and enjoy the anticipation. Then you will take the final steps to your destination and – finally arrive, knowing that the time you will spend there will be your reward.