For the first time, two Austrian and two American journalists were awarded the opportunity to spend six weeks during February-March in each other’s countries and gather experience on media reporting as part of a U.S.-Austrian Journalism Exchange Fellowship. The newly created program offers both print and broadcast journalists the chance to share professional journalistic expertise with their colleagues from across the Atlantic while working as foreign correspondents for their hometown news organizations. Such exchanges are thought to help overcome stereotypes and political misperceptions as well as promote U.S.-Austrian and transatlantic understanding by fostering a spirit of community among an ever-stronger network of journalists from both sides.

When looking at the Southwestern part of the United States and Mexico there are some remaining vestiges of the Spanish Habsburg Empire of the 16th century and the Emperors Charles V and Philip II. Known then as the Viceroyalty of New Spain, it was a part of the Empire where “the sun never sets.” Later, when Mexico had become independent, another member of the Habsburg dynasty made his mark on the history of the country. The younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef, Ferdinand Maximilian, ruled as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico from 1864 - 1867 during the “Second Mexican Empire,” a time of rapid political change in Europe and the Americas.

During the late 1950s, when Sepp Kober came to the United States, skiing was not well established in the United States. At that time there were no ski resorts in West Virginia or North Carolina. This former Austrian national team skier introduced skiing in the Southeast by founding the first ski resort and ski school at The Homestead, in Hot Springs, Virginia. Recently he was presented with Tyrol’s Adler Award in Silver by Austria’s Ambassador to the U.S. Eva Nowotny. At a reception in Hot Springs he was honored for his pioneer work in particular for having brought many Austrian ski instructors to this country.

Dr. Michael Haltzel was awarded the Austrian Decoration of Honor in in Silver. The decoration was presented by Ambassador Eva Nowotny on March 29 at the Austrian Residence. His Austrian ancestry goes back four generations to great-grandfather, who emigrated to the United States in the 1860's during the Habsburg Monarchy.

A notable highlight of the Embassy’s numerous cultural events was the concert by Tibor Kovac of the Vienna Philharmonic and pianist Lambert Orkis, organized by the Austrian-American Society in cooperation with the Austrian Embassy’s Cultural Forum which took place on March 5 in the Embassy. Austrian Information is happy to bring an enthusiastic review by The Washington Post’s classical music critic, Cecelia Porter, of this memorable evening.