Dear Readers,

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. A series of exhibitions and cultural events will highlight the historic events and developments that initiated the beginning of a new era in Europe.

A recent event hosted by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the University of Pittsburgh paid tribute to the close historical connection between Pittsburgh and Austria. Today the imprint of influence is evident with outstanding Austrian representatives in the field of culture and science.

Forty years ago Josef Puehringer founded his first engraving workshop in Chicago. Today, his crystal engraving company, The Crystal Cave, in Wilmette, Illinois, is considered one of the most modern and successful companies in the field.

In March, 2009, the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C. featured a documentary on Nora Pouillon, Austrian-born founder of the first organic restaurant in the United States, who has been a strong advocate of the organic food movement and sustainable living for the last thirty years.

Furthermore, we are happy to present an article on the Austrian atomic physicist, Achim Seifter, who was assigned to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the world’s leading research centers.

Other topics include cultural highlights in Austria and the U.S.

Yours sincerely,

Wolfgang Renezeder

Editor-in-Chief