For the first time, two Austrian and two American journalists were awarded the opportunity to spend six weeks during February-March in each other’s countries and gather experience on media reporting as part of a U.S.-Austrian Journalism Exchange Fellowship. The newly created program offers both print and broadcast journalists the chance to share professional journalistic expertise with their colleagues from across the Atlantic while working as foreign correspondents for their hometown news organizations. Such exchanges are thought to help overcome stereotypes and political misperceptions as well as promote U.S.-Austrian and transatlantic understanding by fostering a spirit of community among an ever-stronger network of journalists from both sides.]]>Maximilian I of Mexicohttp://www.austrianinformation.org/march-april-2007/2007/4/23/maximilian-i-of-mexico.htmlAdministrator2007-04-23T14:45:03Z By Peter Pabisch

When looking at the Southwestern part of the United States and Mexico there are some remaining vestiges of the Spanish Habsburg Empire of the 16th century and the Emperors Charles V and Philip II. Known then as the Viceroyalty of New Spain, it was a part of the Empire where “the sun never sets.” Later, when Mexico had become independent, another member of the Habsburg dynasty made his mark on the history of the country. The younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef, Ferdinand Maximilian, ruled as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico from 1864 - 1867 during the “Second Mexican Empire,” a time of rapid political change in Europe and the Americas.]]>On the Contribution of Austrians to Skiing in the U.S.http://www.austrianinformation.org/march-april-2007/2007/4/23/on-the-contribution-of-austrians-to-skiing-in-the-us.htmlAdministrator2007-04-23T14:43:34Z

During the late 1950s, when Sepp Kober came to the United States, skiing was not well established in the United States. At that time there were no ski resorts in West Virginia or North Carolina. This former Austrian national team skier introduced skiing in the Southeast by founding the first ski resort and ski school at The Homestead, in Hot Springs, Virginia. Recently he was presented with Tyrol’s Adler Award in Silver by Austria’s Ambassador to the U.S. Eva Nowotny. At a reception in Hot Springs he was honored for his pioneer work in particular for having brought many Austrian ski instructors to this country.]]>Austrian Awardshttp://www.austrianinformation.org/march-april-2007/2007/4/23/austrian-awards.htmlAdministrator2007-04-23T14:42:00Z

Dr. Michael Haltzel was awarded the Austrian Decoration of Honor in in Silver. The decoration was presented by Ambassador Eva Nowotny on March 29 at the Austrian Residence. His Austrian ancestry goes back four generations to great-grandfather, who emigrated to the United States in the 1860's during the Habsburg Monarchy.]]>Violinist Tibor Kovac and Pianist Lambert Orkishttp://www.austrianinformation.org/march-april-2007/2007/4/23/violinist-tibor-kovac-and-pianist-lambert-orkis.htmlAdministrator2007-04-23T14:40:50Z

A notable highlight of the Embassy’s numerous cultural events was the concert by Tibor Kovac of the Vienna Philharmonic and pianist Lambert Orkis, organized by the Austrian-American Society in cooperation with the Austrian Embassy’s Cultural Forum which took place on March 5 in the Embassy. Austrian Information is happy to bring an enthusiastic review by The Washington Post’s classical music critic, Cecelia Porter, of this memorable evening.]]>Paul Watzlawick (1921-2007)http://www.austrianinformation.org/march-april-2007/2007/4/23/paul-watzlawick-1921-2007.htmlAdministrator2007-04-23T14:39:47ZAustrian-born psychologist and philosopher Paul Watzlawick died at age 85 in his home in Palo Alto.

Watzlawick, who was born on July 25, 1921 in Villach, southern Austria, did major theoretical research in the fields of communications theory and radical constructivism. He also conducted research in the fields of psychotherapy and family therapy.

Watzlawick’s research dealt with highly complex and abstract phenomena, for example, the rules governing communication. The five basic axioms of communication defined by Watzlawick are regarded as groundbreaking in communication theory. He postulated that it was impossible for a person not to communicate.

Watzlawick, who studied in Venice and Zurich, came to the U.S. in 1960 after teaching at the University of El Salvador. From 1967 onwards he taught psychology at Stanford University and at the Mental Research Institute.

He was author of 18 books (in 85 language editions) and more than 150 book articles and book chapters. Some of his more important publications include Invented Reality: How Do We Know What We Know? (Contributions to Constructivism); Pragmatics of Human Communication; The Situation is Hopeless, but not Serious; Ultra-Solutions: How to Fail Most Successfully; How Real is Real?