On Sunday, October 26, the Embassy participated in the 2014 Global Village fair organized by AIESEC DC, in partnership with GWU Program Board, the GW Office for Study Abroad and Student Exchange, and the Student Association at The George Washington University (SA), at George Washington University. Various student organizations, embassies and cultural organizations in the D.C. area participated in the event designed to inform visitors about the respective countries and cultural practices. Besides the vast selection of international snacks and drinks, various performance groups entertained the students and guests on campus.
Lecture | Austrian Scientist of the Year, Verena Winiwarter
On October 27, Austrian Scientist of the Year Verena Winiwarter spoke at the Embassy of Austria in Washington D.C. Her evening talk, hosted by Embassy's Office of Science and Technology Austria, focused on how, in environmental history, human intervention with nature often results in unintentional impacts on the environment, economy, and social conditions. To avoid repeating mistakes of the past, environmental historians tell stories of both success and failure and how they contribute to sustainable futures. Such stories include the regulation of the Danube River, and the management of forests in pre-modern Salzburg. To Verena Winiwarter, neither are stories of collapse. Five hundred years of regulating the Danube in Vienna leaves Austria with a profoundly transformed river, and irreversible consequences. As many plans did not turn out as intended, looking at environmental history leaves historians with valuable lessons from the past.
ASciNA Chapter Updates
On October 11, 2014, Austrian Scientists and Scholars in Northern America (ASciNA) and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) presented the 2014 ASciNA Awards to Sonja Schmid, Mariella Gruber-Filbin and Simon Gröblacher. These prizes – €10.000 for the "Young Principal Investigator" and €7.500 for the "Young Scientists"– were awarded to scientists for outstanding publications within the last 12 months at North American research facilities in the two categories of "Young Principal Investigator" and "Young Scientist." This year, awards went to three scientists who have worked for many years in North America and have had work presented in numerous publications.
Café Vienne
Austrian Artist Isa Rosenberger's exhibition "Café Vienne" will be presented at Skirball Cultural Center (2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049) from October 23, 2014 - March 1, 2015.
Café Vienne is a site-specific exhibition developed for the Skirball by Austrian artist Isa Rosenberger (born 1969). Within this immersive installation, which pays tribute to the important cultural role of Viennese coffee houses, Rosenberger honors little-known Jewish writer Gina Kaus (1893–1985).
Exhibition | Yearning: Sehnsucht
When: October 22 - November 14, 2014
Where: Embassy of Austria, Washington, D.C.
On October 22, 2014, the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. hosted the opening of the exhibition "Yearning: Sehnsucht" by artist Oskar Stocker. Around 150 guests had the opportunity to get a first glimpse at the exclusive portraits and to speak to the artist himself. After a short performance by singer Andrea Huber, an exquisite selection of wines from Styria as well as delicious cake was served. For those who could not join the opening, the exhibition will still be on display in the atrium of the Embassy until November 14, 2014. Core of the exhibition are portraits of Styrian expats, who emigrated from Styria to various parts of the world and are now "Yearning" for their home country.
The exhibition will be open to visitors Mon-Thu between 9:30AM-11AM and 2PM-4PM as well as on Friday from 9:30AM until 11AM.
Austrian National Day Reception
On October 23, 2014, Austrian Ambassador Hans Peter Manz welcomed more than 600 guests at the Embassy on the occasion of Austrian National Day. At the celebration, expats and friends of Austria had the opportunity to mix and mingle while sampling authentic Austrian food and drinks. A special highlight of the event this year was the rendition of both the Austrian and the U.S. anthems by singers of the American Institute for Musical Studies.
Every year, one of Austria’s nine regions is being highlighted during the celebration. This year the focus was on the state of Styria, which was represented by a delegation from Styria including the vice president of the state assembly of Styria, Ursula Lackner, and the city councilor of Graz, Gerhard Rüsch.
During the evening, Austrian wine specialist Harald Surpan presented a fine selection of Styrian whites and reds while pastry chef Erich Handl spoiled the guests with his special Steiermarktorte.