On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Austria, we are pleased to present a retrospective of the history of this unique academic program which has supported bilateral educational exchange of some 5,400 students, teachers, scholars and professionals. The anniversary has offered the opportunity to present recollections of former Austrian and American alumni representing several generations whose Fulbright year abroad has had a significant impact on their professional career.

Other topics include the 15th Anniversary of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism, which has been instrumental in reaching out to many Austrian Holocaust survivors in the U.S.

I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to all the readers of Austrian Information. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the Director of the Austrian Embassy's Press and Information Service for the last four years, a period which has been marked by significant changes both in the U.S. and Europe. I would like to thank the entire team and all those, without whose help this publication would not have been possible, for their continued support and tireless assistance during that time.

Since 1948, Austrian Information has been published by the Austrian Press & Information Service, and we are proud to continue to provide Austrians and friends of Austria within the U.S. and North America with the latest news on Austria and  Austrian-American relations. For over two centuries, Austrians have made major contributions to culture, science and business, and we were pleased to feature many of them in this publication. Today's readers include many generations, and I am particularly grateful for their feedback and suggestions for the interesting stories we were able to bring you.

As for my family and myself, the years spent in Washington, D.C. have been fulfilling and rewarding, and I wish Alice Irvin, who will succeed me as Editor-in-Chief in August, as well as the team of the Press and Information Service all the best and continued success in the future.


Yours sincerely,

Wolfgang Renezeder
Editor-in-Chief

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Fulbright Program in Austria. No other academic or cultural exchange program has contributed so much to promoting mutual understanding between the peoples of Austria and the United States.

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In an interview with Austrian Information, Dr. Lonnie Johnson spoke about current developments in the field of Austrian-American educational exchange. 

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William B. Bader was one of the first Americans of his generation to profit from the Fulbright experience, and his subsequent career made him an exemplary representative of the Fulbright spirit. In 1953 Bader was among first Fulbright participants of a class sent to Germany.

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A grandson of mine has just returned from a trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, while my granddaughter recently enjoyed tramping through parts of Australia and New Zealand: Cosmopolitanism in the era of globalization. Sixty years earlier, the Statue of Liberty or even a showboat in St. Louis, “Mizzoura,” were more spectacular than Angkor Wat. America was “the” world hitherto undisclosed to anyone I knew. Studying at a U.S. university ignited minds and hearts.

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I have very fond memories of my Fulbright year from 1961-62. The Fulbright Fellowship sponsored my travels after having secured a full scholarship from Columbia University to study for a Master of Science degree in Architecture.

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Initially drawn to Internal Medicine, I owe my professional change of interest in the clinical and theoretical aspects of Pathology to my first-time visit to the U.S. from 1969 – 1971 as a NIH Fellow with the Institute of Pathology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.  The turning point was largely due to the significant role played by my instructor Professor Hans Popper (1903 – 1988), who at the time was Dean and Head of the Institute of Pathology and later President of the Mount Sinai Medical School.

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There are two grand American post-WW II initiatives which had a lasting, even formative, impact on my life: First, the Marshall Plan - whose program helped Austria to achieve peace and prosperity in the Cold War era - which morphed into the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where I have been serving as Austria's Permanent Representative since 2008. 

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I had taught an environmental seminar at the University of Redlands campus in Salzburg in June 2007.  Over some excellent beers at the Augustinerbräu, we discussed the fact that nothing was happening in Washington D.C. at the time (environmentally) and that our own Austrian-born governor, Gov. Schwarzenegger was taking a leadership role with respect to global warming legislation.

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In 2008, I had the pleasure of being the first Fulbright BOKU Distinguished Chair in Sustainability at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Sciences at the University of Agriculture in Vienna. This year I was invited to be a guest professor at the University of Agriculture and to give a similar course, although in a much shorter time (one month).

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I was in Austria for the academic year 2003-2004.  My research on the Habsburg Empire made Vienna a logical choice.  The archival materials in the Austrian State Archives and the published materials at the Austrian National Library are essential sources for historians interested in Central Europe.  Thanks to the Fulbright, I was able to complete my first book manuscript, which was published in 2005.  The Fulbright gave me the chance to begin professional friendships with my colleagues in Austria, as well as other fellows from East European countries. 

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This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism, established by the Austrian government in 1995 with the strong support of all political parties in Austria. As a gesture of reconciliation to Austria’s Holocaust survivors throughout the world, the Austrian National Fund has provided one-time payments to victims of the Holocaust. Since its founding the Fund has been instrumental in reaching out to many Austrian émigrés who have found a new home in the United States.

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In 2010, the Austrian National Fund will celebrate its 15th anniversary, under the inspired leadership of Hannah Lessing and with the support of the broad Austrian political leadership. It has been a record of great success, vision and leadership.    

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This year marks the 400th Anniversary of Santa Fe, established in 1610 as capital of “New Spain” under the rule of the Habsburg Emperor Philip III, grandson of the famous Austrian Emperor Charles V. During his reign the Habsburg Empire comprised the colonies of the Spanish Crown and territories which reached from Central Europe to the Americas and were described as the Empire upon which the sun never sets.

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Professor Bruce Pauley, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Central Florida, was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Letters and the Arts 1st Class. The award was presented by Austrian Ambassador to the United States Dr. Christian Prosl during a ceremony on April 6, 2010, at the residence of the Austrian Honorary Consul in Orlando, Florida, Toby Unwin.

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Native Austrian, long-time resident and prominent figure among circles of government leaders and foreign diplomats in Washington, D.C., Gertrude d’Amecourt, became 100 years old on May 24, 2010.

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Native of Vienna Kurt Elias, M.D., known for his conscientious and dedicated efforts toward personal care for his patients as a physician, combining elements of both the humanist and scientist, passed away in New York City on March 1, 2010 at the age of 91.

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