SOCIETY 368 / 2015
Nr. 368 I Nr. 2 - 2015
Nr. 368 I Nr. 2 - 2015
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FOTOS: <strong>SOCIETY</strong>/POBASCHNIG<br />
Highlights of WA<br />
Welcome to Austria offers its members an amazing<br />
list of programmes and events familiarizing foreign<br />
diplomats with the Austrian way of life.<br />
The Board of “Welcome to<br />
Austria”<br />
The Congress of Vienna and the Ringstraße<br />
were and still are leading subjects<br />
of this year’s Welcome to Austria’s<br />
programs. Art, architecture, society,<br />
lectures, music and leisurely issues are<br />
circling around these two themes. 150 years of the<br />
Ringstraße, Vienna’s main boulevard around the<br />
Imperial City Center and 200 years of The Congress<br />
of Vienna, when modern diplomacy was born, both<br />
provide plenty ways to present Austrian culture<br />
and civilization to foreign diplomats.<br />
Down town most of events and appointments<br />
take place, when Austrian guides, Viennese private<br />
or public invitations and hidden treasures give an<br />
insight into a leading culture in the heart of Europe.<br />
Central Europe – that’s geographically where<br />
Vienna is located and everybody can feel it at any<br />
moment spent in town.<br />
Welcome to Austria continues to give its members<br />
an intimate feeling for the place they live in<br />
for only some years. A personal insight not easily<br />
acquainted as well as personal attention to newcomers<br />
of the diplomatic corps with their families<br />
touch members from all over the world. Cultural<br />
events and Austrian civilization open up, explained<br />
and familiarized for those who just arrived. And<br />
new members are welcome at any time!<br />
Be it one of the numerous visits to Palais, museums<br />
or exhibitions on The Ringstraße or be it the<br />
private access to the International singing competition<br />
„Belvedere“ of Hans Gabor in the Vienna<br />
Staatsoper, be it the excursion to treasures of Wiener<br />
Neustadt and an Austrian producer of special<br />
helicopters, the Adamas String Quartett’s extraordinary<br />
performance or an introduction to the Second<br />
District about who, why, where and when was<br />
and is living there – a great number of very special<br />
programs were offered.<br />
What tourists do not see is happily attended<br />
month per month by spouses and diplomats foreign<br />
to Vienna who would last-not-least enjoy also<br />
culinary secrets in nearly every context. Who would<br />
not appreciate chocolate pralines of Altmann &<br />
Kühne directly produced before his/her eyes? Great<br />
interest was shown by active diplomats and their<br />
spouses for either Vienna’s urbanistic projects<br />
presented in the Planungswerkstatt as well as for<br />
antique European furniture in the Hofmobiliendepot.<br />
With Welcome to Austria the First Biennale of<br />
Vienna was discovered in preview with its director<br />
Christoph Thun-Hohenstein (MAK) as his mother is<br />
a coordinator of Welcome to Austria.<br />
Families of foreign diplomats, spouses and soon<br />
also children give constantly feedback on the club’s<br />
programs. This leads to a natural dialogue resulting<br />
in new events and get-togethers exchanging experiences<br />
and impressions on Austrian civilization<br />
directly where they can be experienced. Welcome<br />
to Austria is an eye opener for Austrian culture.<br />
Since recently we are updating our photo gallery<br />
on the renewed website.<br />
•<br />
DIPLOMATIE<br />
WELCOME TO AUSTRIA<br />
General Assembly<br />
WELCOME<br />
TO AUSTRIA<br />
WA “Welcome to Austria”<br />
was founded in 1997 by Dr.<br />
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who<br />
was then State Secretary for<br />
Foreign Affairs,<br />
with the overriding<br />
objective<br />
of introducing<br />
foreign diplomats<br />
and international<br />
civil servants assigned<br />
to Vienna<br />
and their spouses<br />
to the Austrian<br />
way of life. The<br />
aims of WA are to<br />
promote the awareness and<br />
understanding of Austria’s<br />
rich heritage of culture and<br />
history past and present. WA<br />
would welcome newly accredited<br />
diplomats and their<br />
spouses to join the club.<br />
•<br />
WA invites you to join:<br />
n You will meet many<br />
interesting Austrians in a<br />
relaxed atmosphere and<br />
make new friends.<br />
n You will be offered a<br />
wide choice of excellent<br />
programmes and learn<br />
a great deal about your<br />
host country.<br />
n You will be invited to private<br />
homes and through<br />
WA events you will enjoy<br />
many things which you<br />
would not have access to<br />
outside our Association.<br />
•<br />
THE BOARD OF<br />
“WELCOME TO AUSTRIA”<br />
• Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner<br />
– Founding President<br />
• Foreign Minister<br />
Sebastian Kurz – President<br />
• Gabrielle Schallenberg –<br />
Honorary Vice President<br />
• Ambassador Dr. Angelika<br />
Saupe – 1 st Vice President<br />
• Mag. Agnes Stillfried – 2 nd<br />
Vice President<br />
• Robert Thum – Treasurer<br />
• Mag. Gertrud<br />
Tauchhammer – Public<br />
Affairs, “Schriftführerin”<br />
• Dr. Elisabeth Wolff – Music<br />
• Dr. Heidelore<br />
Almoslechner – German<br />
• Anne Thun-Hohenstein –<br />
History, Art<br />
• Dr. Stefanie Winkelbauer –<br />
Applied Arts, Cuisine<br />
• Mag. Adelaida Calligaris –<br />
Liaison Officer<br />
• Ellen Spallinger – Liaison<br />
Officer<br />
•<br />
OFFICE HOURS<br />
Mon-Tue: 2 – 5 p.m.<br />
Wed-Thu-Fri: 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.<br />
Elisabeth Jungreithmair,<br />
Secretary<br />
Hofburg, Stallburg, Reitschulgasse<br />
2, 1010 Vienna<br />
Phone: +43-(0)1-535 88 36<br />
Fax: +43-(0)1-535 88 37<br />
office@welcome-to-austria.org<br />
www.welcome-to-austria.org<br />
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