Consul General
- Photo: Jeanette Hoffmann
Dear Austrians living in New York,
The year 2010 in the jurisdiction of the Austrian Consulate General, the northeast coast of the US and Bermudas, left many memories and a great impression to me.
Just some examples:
• Federal President Heinz Fischer’s most interesting speech „Austria in a changing Europe (1955 – 2010)“ in Harvard, in which he gave an overview on Austria’s role in a uniting Europe in a globalizing world. http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Multimedia-Center/All-Videos/A-public-address-by-Heinz-Fischer,-President-of-Austria
• Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger as Rabbi Arthur Schneier’s guest in the Park East Synagogue with a touching speech, which didn’t miss to mention Austria’s darkest moments in history, but also emphasized Austria’s meanwhile well known profile as an international platform for peace and dialogue.
• A concert with Timna Brauer and Elias Meiri in remembrance of the victims of the pogroms of November 1938, the so called “Reichskristallnacht”, in the Park East Synagogue to which Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the Israeli Consul General Ido Aharoni and I invited;
•Receptions in honor of Federal Ministers Rudolf Hundstorfer, Claudia Schmied and Norbert Darabos as well as the State Minister for Economic Affairs and Tourism of Lower Austria, Petra Bohuslav and the mayor of the city of Graz, Siegfried Nagl at my residence and other high ranking visits in New York;
•Interesting Round-Table talks with guests from Austria, who engaged in very thoughtful discussions with Austrians living in the US and international guests; Minister for Women and Civil Service, Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek on the topic of gender policy in Austria and Europe, the Governor of the Austrian National Bank, Ewald Nowotny on the international financial crisis from a European perspective, Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger on the priorities of Austrian foreign policy and Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg on „The Jewish Community in Vienna – From Dark to Light“, the president of the Forum Alpbach, Erhard Busek on science policy today as well as the famous nuclear physicist Anton Zeilinger on „Quantum Science in Austria“ and last but not least the scientist of the year 2009, Professor Rudolf Grimm on „Ultracool Austria“.
•A wonderful Viennese Opera Ball New York at the legendary Hotel Waldorf Astoria in the presence of the Vice-mayor of the City of Vienna, Renate Brauner as guest of honor, where 600 guests dancing to the sounds of Waltz cheered Austria and its capital; the Harvard Ball at which the City Councillor for Culture of the City of Vienna, Andreas Mailath-Pokorny participated.
I really was impressed by the strong talent of so many Austrians living within the jurisdiction of the Austrian Consulate General New York. They all are special envoys of a modern and innovative Austria. By demonstrating their excellence in many different fields such as medicine, cancer research, commerce and finances, art and culture as well as gastronomy and fashion they show the position Austria has been able to reach in the last decades.
I would also like to thank the Honorary Consuls of my jurisdiction, Grand Rabbi Yitzhak Aharon Korff in Boston, Edgar Braun in Pittsburgh and Oskar P. Lewnowski in Bermudas, who - as in the past - have achieved a lot for Austria in the year 2010, anew. My gratitude also extends to the Presidents of the Austrian Associations in New York and Boston, Juliana Belcsak and Traude Schieber-Acker.
My team and I - together with all of you - will do everything to stress even more this image of a modern and successful Austria in a changing Europe.
At the same time we will intensify the dialogue between Austria and New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, other cities and regions, but also the Ivy-League-Universities Harvard, Yale, Columbia University and Princeton.
I wish you all a joyous, healthy and successful year 2011.
Peter Brezovszky
Consul General of the Republic of Austria in New York
