In April of 2011, the 7th International Hilde Zadek Singing Competition was held in Vienna in cooperation with the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. A total of 77 participants from 27 different nations had signed up for the competition.
The Jewish Maccabi Games are one the largest sports events of the world. In July they will be held for the first time in Vienna – and in the German-speaking area. More than 2,000 participants from about 40 nations – among them 185 Austrians – will compete for medals in 19 disciplines from 5 to 13 July 2011. The event will be formally opened by Federal President Heinz Fischer.
DiePresse.com
May 6, 2011
The following is an excerpt of an article published in the Austrian magazine die Presse:
Philip escaped the Nazis by fleeing to Palestine, Helene was working at a hunting lodge owned by Goering. However, that could not save her from being deported to Auschwitz, nor did he manage to escape the war. After the end of the war, Philip and Helene met in a bar in Brussels – and the love story of two Austrian Jews took its course.
Profil.at
May 7th, 2011
Original article: http://www.profil.at/articles/1118/560/296136/gescheitert-wiederaufbau
Last Saturday, the editor-in-chief of the Austrian news magazine profil, Christian Rainer, held a commemorative address on the anniversary of the liberation of the Ebensee concentration camp, which took place on May 6, 1945. The following is a translation of the original speech:
April 11, 2011
Profil
The arguments presented by the Jewish Museum’s management, saying that there was no way of dissembling the holograms without destroying them in the act, were false. This will be demonstrated by the glasser company Fischer & Stiassny later this week on the basis of a model, which was manufactured specifically for this purpose.
The company Fischer & Stiassny had manufactured and assembled the holograms in 1995, the destruction of which in January of 2011 sparked international indignation. Heinz Haring, the company owner and glass expert, announced that he would demonstrate on the basis of a specially manufactured imitation of the artefacts that the holograms could in fact have been properly dissembled. His company had offered to do this prior to the incident. However, a different glasser company got the job and destroyed all of the 21 holograms when trying to dissemble them.
Original article: http://www.profil.at/articles/1115/560/293834/juedisches-museum
As part of its new permanent exhibition, the Museum Judenplatz is proud to present an animated virtual tour of Jewish life in the 14th century that answers many questions, ranging from the development of Jewish communities to the everyday routines of Jews in the Middle Ages. The virtual tour allows us to walk through a 14th century reconstruction of the city and showcases the Jewish festivals and customs of the time, making for a lively depiction of life in this medieval Jewish community.
This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism, which has been instrumental in reaching out to many Austrian Holocaust survivors in the U.S. The Embassy of Austria in Washington D.C. hosted a commemorative event. On this occasion, an anniversary publication was presented. We are also pleased to feature an interview with U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ambassador Douglas Davidson on the occasion of his visit to Vienna.
Moreover, we have included a number of articles on recent art restitution cases, such as the famous Schiele painting, “Portrait of Wally,” which was part of the holdings of the private Leopold Foundation.
Other topics concern recent cultural events and several high-level visits of Austrian politicians to Israel, including that of the Austrian Prime Minister and members of the Austrian government.
I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to all the readers of Jewish News from Austria. During the last four years, I was pleased to provide you with a broad range of articles on topics of interest occurring within the Jewish community in Austria, including social and cultural news, including news on restitution cases which were published in Austrian media sources. I would like to thank the entire team of the Press and Information Service for their continued support and tireless assistance during that time. I would also like to express my thanks to the readers of this online newsletter for their feedback. I'd like to wish my successor Alice Irvin, who will arrive in August, as well as the team of the Press and Information Service, all the best and continued success in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Wolfgang Renezeder
Director of the Press & Information Service
Embassy of Austria
Illustrierte Neue Welt (May/June 2010)
Ambassador Douglas Davidson was appointed U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues in April, 2010.
Austrian Press Agency (05/14/2010)
Commemoration at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
In 2010, the Austrian National Fund will celebrate its 15th anniversary, under the inspired leadership of Hannah Lessing and with the support of the broad Austrian political leadership. It has been a record of great success, vision and leadership.
Salzburg Global Seminar (www.salzburglgobal.org)
At an international conference hosted by the Salzburg Global Seminar in Salzburg, Austria, from June 28 – July 3, 2010, made possible by a generous grant of 75,000 euros from the Austrian Future Fund, educators, NGOs, policy makers and other experts working in the fields of both Holocaust studies and genocide prevention gathered to consider the root cause of modern genocide and explore ways in which Holocaust education programs can be developed to effectively combat contemporary expressions of racism, anti-Semitism and ethnic conflict in different regions of the world.
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation Website http://raoulwallenberg.net/
The creator of the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, Baruch Tenembaum, has proposed to the heads of state of Mexico and Austria that both countries erect commemorative monuments to pay tribute to Gilberto Bosques Saldivar, the Mexican diplomat who helped a great number of people persecuted by the Nazis during WWII.
Federal Chancellery (03/15/2010)
Austria will contribute 6 million Euros to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to ensure the preservation of the former concentration camp as a memorial. This was the official message conveyed by Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger to his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw on March 3, 2010. "This is a duty arising from our history," underlined Spindelegger at a joint press conference.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial (02/24/2010) (http://en.auschwitz.org.pl)
Austria has joined the countries declaring financial support for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation with a contribution of €6 million. The purpose of the Foundation, called into being last year by Professor Władysław Bartoszewski, is to set up a perpetual fund to generate income that will be assigned to the long-term conservation program at the Auschwitz Memorial.
Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (05/04/2010)
Austrian Foreign Minister on Memorial Day against Violence and Racism
The year 1492 was a fateful one for Spain. It was the year in which the Reconquista finally ended eight hundred years of Arab Muslim rule, the Jews were expelled from the country and Christopher Columbus set off on a journey that was to lead to the discovery of the New World.
Austrian Federal Chancellery (05/10/2010)
Sixty-five years ago on May 5, 1945, the National Socialist concentration camp of Mauthausen, was liberated by U.S. troops. Since 1989, May 5 has been observed as Remembrance Day Against Violence and Racisim.
Austrian Press Agency (05/11/2010)
“The first step for young people to create together the power to forge a link between possibility and reality - the pronunciation of our names is no barrier for friendships.”
Austrian Press Agency (APA) (04/27/10)
Exhibition depicts a transformation in relations and ongoing conflict
The Vienna Review (04/01/2010)
At the “Dance of Lights Against Rosenkranz,” thousands demonstrated against a far-right candidate for president
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