Dear Readers,
This issue of Austrian Information not only introduces you to Austria’s health care system in more detail but focuses on what is and can be done to improve the quality of life for citizens around the globe.
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The European Union Youth Orchestra
True to the motto “27 countries – one language (music)” the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) toured the United States. Fifteen talented young American musicians joined the 140 European members for concerts in Chapel Hill, NC, Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, MA and Bloomington, IN.
Houston, Texas
Gerald Seidl serves as Austria’s Honorary Consul in Houston, Texas. Second in our new series Meet the Consul, we asked Mr. Seidl a few questions about his work and life in the great state of Texas.
The Modern Austrian Literature and Culture Association, or MALCA, as it was known in abbreviated parlance, has voted to become the Austrian Studies Association upon its Annual Conference in April 2012.
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The Austrian Cultural Forum in Washington, D.C. held its annual, exclusive event, Art meets Fashion. More than 400 people - from music lovers to art admirers and fashionistas - enjoyed an unforgettable evening in support of a worthy cause.
The 15th Street/Eisenhower Plaza entrance to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The museum is currently the workplace of Mr. Andreas Flaig, a 2011-2012 Gedenkdiener.
In his speech during the general meeting of the Austrian Friends of Yad Vashem in the plenary hall of the Austrian National Council in 2012, Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger emphasized once more Austria’s responsibility in dealing with its past: “To ensure that the Holocaust and the lessons it teaches us, and above all the memory of Jewish victims, remain rooted in our conscience, we must share the historic knowledge of this, but we also need to create and preserve the right set of values based on it. In this context I consider it to be particularly important to establish a connection between the teachings of the Holocaust and our society today.”
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Our correspondent Markus Reiterer continues his series on those special Austrian places with a story to tell.
It happened as dark times had just grown darker. The young Austrian Republic had emerged from the ashes and the rubble of the once mighty empire – collapsed in the killing fields of the First World War (1914 – 1918) – and it had developed a conviction that – small, truncated and seemingly insignificant as it was – it would never be able to survive.
The Fourth George C. Marshall Visit to Austria Program on Smart Cities and Urban Technologies
Sharing the EU’s goal of 80 percent carbon emission reduction by 2050, Austria has invested a lot of time, energy and other resources in projects promoting innovative urban development and new technologies to further the usage of renewable energy sources. Smart Cities are designed to improve the general quality of life and offer intelligent solutions to increase the economic viability of conurbations in industrial countries.
The U.S. Supreme Court has announced its decision. The individual mandate foreseen in the Affordable Health Care Act has been upheld. On the path to universal health insurance coverage, the U.S. has taken another small step forward.
When thinking of a typical Viennese ball, one imagines ladies in extravagant gowns, the waltzes of Johann Strauss and an atmosphere of elegance. In most cases, this would probably be right with the exception of one special annual event in Vienna: The Life Ball.
The Importance of Renewable Energies to Achieve Energy Independence
by Hans Kordik
The call for energy independence has been on the political agenda across the globe for many decades. While most countries share a growing energy demand, their reasons for looking to reduce energy dependency as well as their chosen strategies vary significantly.