Honors

 

Ms. Ginsburg

Ina Ginsburg was recently awarded the "Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services Rendered to the Republic of Austria" by the Federal President of Austria. The Austrian Ambassador, Eva Nowotny, presented the award in a ceremony at her residence in Washington, D.C.

Born in Vienna, Austria, her parents encouraged her to pursue her natural talents and interests, including a flair for fashion and design, a love of music and the arts, and excellence in sports, particularly tennis, skiing, and fencing. Ms. Ginsburg was a member of the Austrian Junior Fencing Team. After her arrival in the United States, she became Washington editor of the magazine, Interview, founded and published by Andy Warhol. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Film Institute and founded the European Community Film Festival. She supports many charities and is deeply involved in the political and cultural life of Washington, D.C. She has worked with the Washington Opera and helped to create the Fine Arts Program of the Federal Reserve System.

Despite her great success and her distinguished professional accomplishments, Ina Ginsburg has always maintained a particularly close relationship to her native Austria. "Her position in Washington society and her outstanding contributions to its cultural life have made her a goodwill Ambassador for Austria and a source of indispensable support to the Austrian Embassy in Washington."



Mr. Posamentier

New York City is eight times the size of Vienna and equal in population to the country of Austria. It has established strong ties with Austria and a level of cooperation which has endured since the end of WW II. "Austrian cooperation with the Department of Education of New York is a ten-year success story," commented the Austrian Minister for Education, Science and Culture, Elisabeth Gehrer, on the 10th Anniversary of Austro-American Cooperation celebrated in Vienna, Austria on June 16, 2004. Since 1994, Austrian teachers have had the opportunity to work without a "green card" for five years in New York, teaching in their areas of specialization while perfecting their knowledge of English. "Some 200 Austrians have availed themselves of this opportunity," she said.

The occasion was celebrated in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna where the Minister presented the Austrian Grand Decoration of Honour for Science and the Arts,1st Class to Professor Alfred S. Posamentier, Dean of Education of New York City College. He initiated the program in 1990, while teaching as a Fulbright Professor at the University of Vienna. Expansion of the program is currently underway according to Minister Gehrer. Stipends are being made available to students at the Vienna University of Technology enabling them to participate in student research conferences in New York. Students will be able to establish contacts and networks and exchange research results. With this program, cooperation between Austria and the U.S. has also been strengthened in the areas of science through the financing of a "Junior Visiting Professor." The program promotes the development and mutual planning of research projects, cooperation in the Professional Teacher Development Program and the establishment of new contacts with Austrian universities and scientific institutes.

Mr. Schwarzenegger

Designed by Hannes Margreiter, the Schwarzenegger stamp is part of a collectors’ series called, "Austrians living abroad" and was printed in 600,000 copies. Mr. Schwarzenegger shares the honour with such important personalities as the late Federal President of Austria, Thomas Klestil, Foreign Minster Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Hollywood director Billy Wilder and the artist Ernst Fuchs.

His responsibilities as governor haven’t stopped Schwarzenegger from being involved in the "Special Olympics," an organization which is dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities.