Today almost 170 member groups belong to the World Federation of Austrians Abroad, which serves as an umbrella organization for all associations and societies of Austrians living abroad. We are happy to present a retrospective on the history of this organization and its recent initiatives to meet the needs of Austrians throughout the world, as well as on the founding of the Austrian-American Council of the U.S., created as a larger umbrella organization to carry out fundraising and charity activities in North America. One of the largest groups of emigrants in the U.S. and Canada came from Burgenland, who have been able to maintain their unique cultural heritage and close ties to Austria, as explained in an article on the Burgenland Association.

Furthermore, we are pleased to bring an article on cartoonist and artist Peter Steiner, whose latest collection of portraits was recently presented at the Austrian Embassy. Included in our current issue is also an updated list of Austrian summer schools offering a broad range of academic programs throughout the country.

Yours sincerely,

Wolfgang Renezeder

Editor-in-Chief

CenterAustria at the University of New Orleans is celebrating twenty-five years of promoting student exchange between Austrian universities and the University of New Orleans. Established in 1982, the program has sent well over 1,000 students from throughout Austria, immersing themselves in studies of American history, politics, society and economics at the University of New Orleans, and enjoying New Orleans cultural highlights like Mardi Gras, swamp tours and gospel masses.

In 2009 the music world around the globe will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the passing of Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), one of the most prominent composers of the classical period. Born in Rohrau (Lower Austria), Haydn became Kapellmeister to the Esterházy family, residing from 1766 to 1790 in Eisenstadt (in present-day Burgenland). He won renown as Europe’s most famous composer during his later years. He was a universal musical genius having composed operas, 107 symphonies, 69 string quartets, 128 baryton trios and 14 masses and is often referred to as the “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet.” As birth place and home of Joseph Haydn, Austria will host several series of exquisite concerts, exhibitions and other cultural highlights featuring renowned conductors Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christophe Rousset, Adam Fischer, Sir Colin Davis, and others, performing with outstanding orchestras. Major events will take place in Eisenstadt and Vienna.

By Cecelia Porter

A notable highlight of the numerous cultural events dedicated to Joseph Haydn’s Anniversary at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. was the concert by flutist Ulrike Anton and pianist Russell Ryan, which took place on February 5, 2009. Austrian Information is happy to bring an enthusiastic review of this memorable evening by The Washington Post’s classical music critic, Cecelia Porter.

The World Federation of Austrians Abroad and the Austrian Foreign Ministry in Vienna have recently introduced a number of initiatives in order to meet the needs of Austrians abroad. More than 450,000 Austrians are registered with the Austrian Embassies and Consulates worldwide. Most of them live in Germany (230,000), Switzerland (40,000) and the United States (30,300), with significant numbers in South Africa, Australia, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Austrian expatriates are distinguished representatives of their country and have contributed significantly to the positive image and fine reputation Austria enjoys. In view of their significant contribution to Austria’s image, they are often referred to as the “tenth Austrian State.” This was the subject of an exhibition two years ago in the Austrian Parliament. Today almost 170 member groups belong to the World Federation of Austrians Abroad, which serves as an umbrella organization for all associations and societies of Austrians abroad. It fosters and strengthens a sense of community and friendship among Austrians worldwide. It also provides a platform for networking and a forum for all organizations around the globe which serve Austria’s expatriates.

When Prof. Fritz Molden, President of the Auslandoesterreicherwerk from 1970-2005, produced a documentary about ‘Austrians Abroad’ (“Auf Rot-Weiss-Roten Spuren”), he conceived the idea of creating the ‘Austrian-American Regional Councils’ (AAC). Originally six such councils were established in the United States for the purpose of exploring common interests and encouraging a strong networking base for the many diverse Austrian clubs formed by immigrants throughout the USA to maintain and nurture their cultural heritage.

Austrian Summer Schools 2009

For those interested in pursuing summer studies in Austria, whether it be learning German or attending academic lectures on Europe viewed through different fields such as Law, Politics, History, Economics, Art, Music, etc., Austrian summer schools offer a diverse program for every need.

For many here in the U.S. the name Peter Steiner evokes images of the legendary cartoons that have appeared in The New Yorker and other publications. Some have become icons which have often been reproduced on tea cups and greeting cards. That Peter Steiner is a highly versatile artist is revealed in a recent exhibition of his portrait collection which can be seen at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

On January 27, 2009 the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Austrian Cultural Forum Washington and the Office of Science and Technology at the Embassy of Austria co-hosted a screening of “In Search of Memory,” a 95-minute documentary film by producer/director Petra Seeger on the life of Columbia University neuroscientist Eric Kandel, which was shown on tour throughout the U.S. Dr. Kandel won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2000 for his research on how our brains create memories.

Elfi Dassanowsky’s co-founding of the Belvedere Film Studio in 1946 in Vienna, continuing as a production today, her cultural diplomacy as a star musical performer and pedagogue during the post-War era, her Hollywood years, and the recognition of her multifaceted career with honors from Austria, France, the U.S. and UNESCO, made her a unique role model for women in the arts.

The first phase of the concept is complete. While the seed money prizes for filmmakers is something for the future, as of February, the Elfi von Dassanowsky Fund (www.elfivondassanowsky.org) grants charitable contributions to non-profit organization in the U.S. and particularly in Austria/Central Europe to support the arts, education and women’s issues through advisory recommendations.

An ardent opponent of Nazism, Hofmann fled his native Vienna for Rome after German troops occupied Austria in 1938. He was eventually drafted into the German army and posted to Rome, where he became the personal interpreter for two successive Nazi commanders, Gen. Rainer Stahel and Gen. Kurt Maetzer.

After befriending members of Rome’s anti-Fascist Resistance, Hofmann passed on news to the anti-Nazi underground, including the deportation of Jews from Rome in October 1943 and on the mass murder of 335 Italians at the Ardeatine Caves in 1944.

Hofmann eventually deserted the German army, and after the war was a prosecution witness in the war crimes trial of those generals involved in the mass killing at the Ardeatine Caves.Years after, Hofmann joined the New York Times bureau in Rome, reporting nearly half-a-century on Africa, the Middle East, Brazil and the United Nations as well as the Vatican.

Retiring as a reporter in 1990, he wrote more than a dozen books, mainly on Rome, the Vatican and Italy.