cercle-diplomatique-issue-02-2017

Summer 2017

Nr. 2 | Juni – August | June – August

International Affairs Global Business Exclusive Lifestyle

cercle-diplomatique.com

Niederösterreich

SPECIAL

16 Seiten

extra

BELGIEN IM HERZEN EUROPAS

BELGIUM IN THE

HEART OF EUROPE

EDITORIAL

Liebe Leserinnen, liebe Leser! | Dear Readers,

PHOTO: ROIS & STUBENRAUCH

Der 300. Geburtstag von Kaiserin Maria Theresia

wird heuer ausgiebig gefeiert, aber die

Reformerin betätigte sich auch als Stifterin:

So wurde die Theresianische Militärakademie 1752

in Wiener Neustadt gegründet. Heute ist sie die älteste

noch bestehende Militärakademie der Welt.

Die Stiftung Theresianische Akademie wurde 1746

in Wien in der Favorita, der ehemaligen Sommerresidenz

der Habsburger, als Ritterakademie am heutigen

Theresianum-Campus eingerichtet. Die Diplomatische

Akademie Wien ist seit 1754 die weltweit

älteste Institution ihrer Art. Mit dem internationalen

Amtssitz der UNO verkörpert Wien auch weiterhin

eine pulsierende Drehscheibe internationaler

Diplomatie.

Als Herausgeber dieses Magazins ist es uns ein

besonderes Anliegen, diplomatische Vertreter zu

Wort kommen zu lassen. Mit Stolz und Freude erfüllt

es uns, dass es uns mit unserem hervorragenden

Redaktions-Team immer wieder gelingt, exklusive

Interviews zu bekommen. Diese finden dann

gerne an den schönsten Locations Wiens statt, was

auch dank unserer Partner in der Top-Hotellerie

möglich gemacht wird. Die ganz persönlichen Eindrücke

und Ansichten der diversen Gespräche verarbeitet

dann Rainer Himmelfreundpointner als

Autor der Themen Politik und Wirtschaft, u.a. zu

lesen im Exklusiv-Interview mit UNODC-Direktor

S.E. Yury Fedotov, ab S. 54. Unsere Autorin Evelyn

Rois entlockt in exklusiven Interviews kulturellen

Botschaftern – wie Oksana Lyniv als neue Chefdirigentin

an der Oper Graz – aktuelle Details (S. 118).

Unsere Cover-Story dreht sich diesmal um Belgien,

das inmitten von Europa, weit mehr zu bieten

hat als Schokolade und das weltberühmte Manneken

Pis, zu lesen ab Seite 30. Unser Bundesland-

Special zeigt diesmal Niederösterreichs vielseitige

Facetten (ab S. 76). Und für eine sommerliche Auszeit

verraten wir Ihnen Tipps für lukullische Genüsse

am Wasser (S. 94).

Wir wünschen angenehme Lektüre und einen

wunderbaren Sommer!

This year marks the celebration of Empress

Maria Theresa‘s 300th birthday. The reformer,

however, was also a benefactress, which

led to the foundation of the Theresian Military Academy

in 1752 in Wiener Neustadt, the oldest remaining

military academy in the world. The foundation

Stiftung Theresianische Akademie was established

in 1746 in Vienna in the Favorita, the former summer

residence of the Habsburg family, as a knight

academy at today‘s Theresianum Campus. And the

Diplomatic Academy of Vienna has been the oldest

institution of its kind since 1754. With the international

headquarters of the UN, Vienna thus continues

to embody a pulsating hub for international diplomacy.

As the editors of this magazine, it is of particular

importance to us to give diplomatic representatives

a platform to express their views and thoughts. We

are filled with pride and joy as our excellent editorial

team manages to land the most exclusive interviews

time and again. These then often take place in

some of Vienna‘s most beautiful locations, which is

also made possible by the top hotels that we count

among our partners. The very personal impressions

and perspectives gained from the various talks are

then processed by Rainer Himmelfreundpointner as

our politics and economics author and can be read,

for example, in the exclusive interview with UN-

ODC Director H.E. Yury Fedotov, see page 54. Another

one of our authors, Evelyn Rois, gathers new

insights from her exclusive interviews with various

cultural ambassadors such as Oksana Lyniv, the new

chief conductor at the Graz Opera (p. 118).

Our cover story this time is all about Belgium

which, with its central location in Europe, has way

more to offer than chocolate and its world-renowned

Manneken Pis – read about it on page 30. Our

province special focuses on Lower Austria‘s immense

diversity (from p. 76). And if you are on the look

for a summertime getaway, we‘ve got a few tips for

delightful treats by the water in store for you (p. 94).

We hope you enjoy your reading and wish you a

fantastic summer!

Herzlichst, | Yours,

Andrea Fürnweger

Herausgeberin | Editor

Mag. Alexander Bursky

Herausgeber | Editor

CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE –

ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE

Nr. 311

Ausgabe | Issue 02/2017

June – August

CONTENTS

Cover story

BELGIUM

Seite | page 30

Nach den Terror-Anschlägen

in Brüssel 2016, bemüht sich

Belgien sehr, den jahrhundertealten

Zwist zwischen

seinen Haupt-Gebieten,

Flandern und Wallonien, zu

überwinden.

After the 2016 Brussels

terror attacks, Belgium is

working hard, to overcome

the centuries old struggle

between its main parts,

Flanders and Wallonia.

LE BULLETIN

Die neuen Botschafter | The new Ambassadors

Akkreditierungen durch Bundespräsident Alexander Van der Bellen. Accreditations by Federal

President Alexander Van der Bellen.

Offizielle Empfänge | Official Receptions

Die großen Empfänge der vergangenen Wochen. The great receptions of the last few weeks.

LE MONDE

Coverstory Belgien | Cover story Belgium

Im Herzen Europas. In the heart of Europe.

Gipfeltreffen der Botschafter | The Ambassadors‘ Summit

Palästina trifft Jordanien. Palestine meets Jordan.

Ukraine

Eine heiße Sache für Europa. The next hot thing for Europe.

Ukraine

Botschafter Olexander Scherba im Interview. Interview with Ambassador Olexander Scherba.

Interview

Executive Director Yury Fedotov, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Essay

Europas Zukunft – gibt es eine? The Future of Europe – is there any left?

News

Neuigkeiten aus aller Welt. Latest update from around the globe.

L‘AUTRICHE

Umwelttechnologie | Green Technology

Schnell wachsende Industrien aus Österreich. Fastest growing industries from Austria.

Zukunftslabor | Future Lab

Gerhard Wölfel über das Team von BMW Steyr. Gerhard Wölfel on BMW‘s team in Steyr.

Wirtschaftsnews | Business news

Neues aus Österreich. News from Austria.

NIEDERÖSTERREICH Special | LOWER AUSTRIA SPECIAL

Über Technologie, Internationalität und Kultur. On technology, internationality and culture.

118

120

124

130

134

138

140

144

146

148

152

168

Botschafter der Musik | Ambassadors of Music

Chefdirigentin Oksana Lyniv. Chief conductor Oksana Lyniv.

Kunst | Arts

Kulturelle Highlights im Sommer. Cultural highlights in summer.

Immobilien | Property

Wohnen am Wasser. Living by the water.

Lifestyle

In- & outdoor Trends für den Sommer. In- & outdoor trends for the summer season.

Ambassador‘s Drive

Tschechiens Botschafter auf CD-Testfahrt. The Czech Ambassador on a test drive.

Motor

Highlights vom Genfer Automobil-Salon. Geneva Motor Show Highlights.

Weekender

Romantisches Bled. Romantic Bled.

Upcoming

Wo es uns gefällt. Where we love to be.

Buchempfehlungen | Must read

Lesenswertes über Österreich. Book tips about Austria.

Mein Wien | My Vienna

Der Botschafter von Ungarn. The Ambassador of Hungary.

LES RENDEZVOUS

Veranstaltungen | Events

Exklusive Veranstaltungen im Fokus. Exclusive events in focus.

LE GUIDE

Adressen | Addresses

Nützliche Adressen für die internationale Gesellschaft.

Useful addresses for the international community.

100

102

104

106

110

114

SAVOIR VIVRE

Locations mit ganz speziellem Flair | Locations with special flair

Essen am Wasser. Fine dining by the water.

Connaisseur | Connoisseur

Essen und trinken mit Stil. Wine and dine in style.

Suite Dreams

Die Präsidentensuite im Hilton Vienna Plaza. The Presidential Suite at Hilton Vienna Plaza.

Hideaways

Tipps für Ihre wunderbare Sommer-Auszeit. Tips for your great summer timeout.

Reise | Travel

Top-Hotels und -Restaurants aus aller Welt. Top hotels and restaurants around the world.

Österreich im Ausland | Austria abroad

Kultur ist Politik. Culture is politics.

Klassik-Sommer Burgenland | Classical summer Burgenland

Pannonische Sommerklänge. Pannonian summer tunes.

169

Titelbild | Cover

Ein außergewöhnlicher Blick auf das Atomium in Belgiens Hauptstadt Brüssel. |

An extraordinary view on the Atomium in Belgium‘s capital Brussels.

Editorial

Inhalt | Contents

Impressum | Imprint

COVERPHOTO: VISITFLANDERS; NORMANN SZKOP, PHOTO: JEAN-PAUL REMY

Das Schloss Belœil steht in der Gemeinde Belœil in der Provinz

Hennegau, Belgien. | The Château de Belœil is situated in the municipality

of Belœil in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.

HUGO BOSS AG Phone +49 7123 940 www.hugoboss.com

BULLETIN

IN LE BULLETIN ERFAHREN

SIE, WER DIE NEU

AKKREDITIERTEN

BOTSCHAFTER IN

ÖSTERREICH SIND UND

WELCHE OFFIZIELLEN

EMPFÄNGE UND EVENTS

IN DEN VERGANGENEN

MONATEN STATTGEFUN-

DEN HABEN.

LE BULLETIN TELLS YOU WHO

THE NEWLY ACCREDITED

AMBASSADORS TO AUSTRIA

ARE AND WHICH OFFICIAL

RECEPTIONS AND EVENTS

TOOK PLACE IN THE PAST

FEW MONTHS.

Wien BOSS Store Kärntner Straße 20

LE BULLETIN CREDENTIALS

Neue Botschafter bei Bundespräsident Alexander Van der Bellen

Newly accredited Ambassadors met Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen

H. E. H. E. H. E.

Alena Kupchyna Ivan Sirakov Renu Pall

Ambassador of the Republic

of Belarus

Ambassador of the Republic

of Bulgaria

Ambassador of the

Republic of India

Credentials: March 2017 Credentials: March 2017 Credentials: March 2017

Thomas

Hanney

Ambassador of the

Republic of Ireland

H. E. H. E. H. E.

Sheikh Ali Bin

Jassim Al-Thani

Ambassador of the

Monarchy of Qatar

Bakyt

Dzhusupov

Ambassador of the

Kyrgyz Republic

Credentials: March 2017 Credentials: March 2017 Credentials: May 2017

Born on August 14, 1965 in Minsk

Has one son

Born on December 27, 1950 in Plovdiv

Married

Born in Dublin, Ireland

Married, three daughters

Born on January 1, 1969, Doha, Qatar

Married, four children

Born on January 1, 1981, Chui region

Married, two daughters and one son

Education

1991: Doctor of Law

Professional Career

2016: Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus

to the Republic of Austria and to the

Republic of Croatia

2012-2016: Deputy Minister of Foreign

Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

2006-2012: Ambassador Extraordinary

and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of

Belarus to the Republic of Hungary and to

the Republic of Slovenia

2004-2006: Director of Department for

Humanitarian Cooperation and Human

Rights, MFA

2002-2004: Director of Department for

Humanitarian, Ecological, Scientific and

Technical Cooperation, MFA

2001-2002: Consultant, Department of

International Organizations, MFA

1995-1998: Counsellor, Deputy Permanent

Representative, Permanent Mission of

Belarus to UN Office

1992-1995: Second Secretary, Head of

International Treaties Division, Deputy

Director, Legal Department, Ministry of

Foreign Affairs of Belarus (MFA)

1990-1992: Research Fellow, Institute of

Philosophy and Law, Belarusian Academy

of Sciences

Education

1976: Sofia University ”Kliment Ohridski“ -

Master‘s degree in German Philology

1987: PhD in Philosophy

1989-1991: Diplomatic Academy – Moscow,

specialised in International Relations

Professional Career

2016: Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria

to the Republic of Austria, Vienna

2013–2016: Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria

to the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana

2012–2013: Permanent Secretary of MFA

2011–2012: Director of Consular Relations

Directorate, Ambassador

2007–2011: Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Republic Bulgaria to

the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb

2005–2007: Director of Consular Relations

Directorate, Minister Plenipotentiary

2002–2005: Consulate General of Bulgaria

in Munich, Counselor, Chief Consul

2000–2002: Consular Relations

Directorate, State Expert

1998–2000: Consular Department, Senior

Expert

Education

1985: Bachelors (Honours) degree in

Political Science from Delhi University,

Masters in International Relations

Professional Career

2015-2017: Joint Secretary (Indian Ocean

Region) in the Ministry of External Affairs

in New Delhi

1988-2011: Joint Secretary (ASEAN

Multilateral) in the Ministry of External

Affairs, New Delhi

Counsellor (Political) at Embassy of India

at Paris, France; and Second Secretary

(Political & Information) at the Embassy of

India in Moscow, Russian Federation

Director for relations with United States

and Canada, Director in the Foreign

Secretary’s Office and Under Secretary &

Deputy Secretary for relations with US and

Canada in the Ministry of External Affairs

in New Delhi

1985-1988: Assistant Controller of

Accounts in the Ministry of Finance at New

Delhi

PHOTOS: RIGEAUD, CARINA KARLOVITS & DANIEL TRIPPOLT/HBF

Professional Career

2017: Ambassador and Permanent

Representative of Ireland, Vienna

2011-2016: Deputy Permanent

Representative of Ireland, Brussels

2013: Chairman of Committee of

Permanent Representatives

2010-2011: Ambassador of Ireland to the

Kingdom of Belgium and Ireland’s

representative to the Partnership for Peace

at NATO

2006-2010: Joint Secretary, North South

Ministerial Council, Armagh, Northern

Ireland

2004-2006: Counsellor, EU and

International Affairs Division, Department

of the Taoiseach

1999-2004: Counsellor, Irish Aid,

Department of Foreign Affairs Dublin

1995-1999: First Secretary, Permanent

Mission of Ireland to the UN at Geneva

1978-1995: Third Secretary, First Secretary,

Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin

Postings at Embassies in Stockholm,

Riyadh and Bonn

Education

2000: Master in International Service

American University, Washington DC, USA

Double Major in Political Sciences

University of Arizona, USA

1995: Bachelor of Science in Business

Administration with University of Arizona

Professional Career

2017: Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary to the Republic of

Austria, Permanent Representative to the

UN Office and International Organisations

2012-2017: Dean of the Arab Diplomatic

Corps, Arab League, Brussels, Belgium

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the

Kingdom of Belgium; Head of the Mission

of the State of Qatar to the European

Union; Non-resident Ambassador of the

State of Qatar to the Grand Duchy

of Luxembourg

2007-2012: Counsellor and Minister-

Counsellor, Minister of Foreign Affairs at

the American and European Affairs Department,

Doha, Qatar

1996-2006: Third, Second, First Secretary,

Embassy of the state of Qatar in

Washington D.C.

1996: Third Secretary, Ministry of Foreign

Affairs at the American and European

Affairs Department, Doha, Qatar

Education

1997-2002 Kyrgyz National University,

Faculty of International Relations

Professional Career

2017: Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic

to the Republic of Austria, Permanent

Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to

the International Organisations in Vienna

2014–2017: Deputy head, Foreign Policy

Department of the Office of the President

of the Kyrgyz Republic

2012-2014: Head, Analytical Division of the

Foreign Policy Department

2011–2012: Expert, Foreign Policy

Department

2011: Expert, Foreign Policy Department

2010-2011: Expert, Foreign Policy

Department of the Administration of the

President of the Kyrgyz Republic

2007–2010: Referent, Attaché, Third

Secretary, Eastern Countries Department

of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the

Kyrgyz Republic

2005–2007: Researcher, Institute for

Strategic Analysis and Prognosis, Kyrgyz

Republic

8 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE BULLETIN CREDENTIALS

Dong-ik Shin

Ambassador of the

Republic of Korea

H. E. H. E. H. E. H. E.

Gankhuurai

Battungalag

Ambassador of the

Republic of Mongolia

Nicole Jocelyn

Roberton

Ambassador of the

Monarchy of New Zealand

Songsak

Saicheua

Ambassador of the

Monarchy of Thailand

Credentials: March 2017 Credentials: May 2017 Credentials: May 2017 Credentials: May 2017

Born on March 27, 1958 in Seoul

Married, two daughters

Born on December 31, 1972, Undurkhaan

Born on November 29, 1971, Auckland

Married, one daughter and one son

Born on June 16, 1958

Married

Education

1981: B.A. in Political Science and

International Relations, Yonsei University,

Seoul, Korea

1983: M.A. in Politics, Yonsei University

1985: M.A. in International Relations,

University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA

Professional Career

2016: Ambassador and Permanent

Representative, Korean Embassy and

Permanent Mission to the United Nations

and International Organisations, Vienna;

President of the Institute of Foreign Affairs

and National Security, Korea National

Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), MOFA,

Seoul, Korea

2013: Deputy Minister for Multilateral and

Global Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Seoul, Korea

2011: Ambassador and Deputy Permanent

Representative, Korean Permanent Mission

to the United Nations, New York, NY, USA

2010: Advisor, United Nations Foundation

and UN Peacebuilding Support Office, NY

2008: Director-General for International

Organisations, MOFAT

2005: Minister-Counsellor, Korean

Permanent Mission to the United Nations,

New York, USA

Education

Moscow University of International

Relations, Russia; Victoria University,

Wellington, New Zealand; John F. Kennedy

School of Government, Harvard University

Professional Career

2017: Ambassador Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the

Republic of Austria, Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia,

Montenegro, Republic of Slovenia and

Permanent Representative to the United

Nations Office and other International

Organisations in Vienna

2015-2016: Director-General, Department

of Multilateral Cooperation, MFA, Mongolia

2012-2015: Deputy Permanent

Representative of Mongolia to the United

Nations, New York

2010-2012: Deputy Director-General,

De part ment of International Organisations

2005-2010: Second, First Secretary,

Counsellor, Department of Multilateral

Cooperation, MFA

2002-2005: Third Secretary, Permanent

Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations

1997-2002: Attaché, Third Secretary

Department of International Organisations

1997: Attaché, Consular Department, MFA

1996–1997: Attaché, Protocol Department

Professional Career

2017: Ambassador to Austria, Hungary,

Slovakia and Slovenia, Permanent

Representative to the International

Organisations New Zealand Embassy and

Permanent Mission, Vienna

2015– 2016: New Zealand Special

Representative for United Nations Security

Council Issues (Africa) New Zealand

Embassy, Addis Ababa

2012–2014: International Foreign Policy

Consultant

2009–2011: University of Limerick, Ireland

2002–2007: Head of Political Section

New Zealand Permanent Mission to the

UN, New York

1999-2002: Second Secretary (Trade and

Economic) New Zealand Embassy, Moscow

1998: Acting Deputy High Commissioner

New Zealand High Commission, Apia

1997: Pacific Division Ministry of Foreign

Affairs and Trade, Wellington

Education

Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

B.A. Economics; Vrije Universiteit, Brussels,

Belgium; M.A. Industrial Location and

Development; Thai Institute of Directors

Association Bangkok, Thailand,

Anti-Corruption for Executive Program

(ACEP); University of the Thai Chamber of

Commerce Bangkok, Thailand Top

Executive Program in Commerce and Trade

Professional Career

2017: Ambassador & Permanent

Representative Royal Thai Embassy &

Permanent Mission of Thailand, Vienna

2013–2017: Director-General Department

of American and South Pacific Affairs,

Bangkok, Thailand

2011–2013: Minister Royal Thai Embassy

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2010–2013: Deputy Director-General

Department of American and South Pacific

Affairs

2009–2010: Director Policy and Planning

Bureau, Bangkok, Thailand

2004–2008: Minister Counsellor Royal

Thai Embassy Washington DC, USA

2003–2004: Director ASEAN 3 Division,

Department of ASEAN Affairs Bangkok,

Thailand

THEFirst District,

ASNOONEKNOWSIT

ELEGANTAPARTMENTSINTHEHEARTOFVIENNA M –M

HISTORICBUILDING GREENCOURTYARDS UNDERGROUNDPARKING

CONCIERGESERVICE INDOORPOOL GYM&SPA

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AprojectofSORAVIAGROUPandWERTINVEST|EstateagentIVV--

10 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE BULLETIN REVIEW

Official receptions

Find more

photos online

cercle-diplomatique.com

March 2017

Presentation of the spring issue of ”Cercle Diplomatique“

at the Ritz-Carlton, Vienna

Many Ambassadors, officials and company representatives gave the editors, Andrea Fürnweger and Alexander Bursky,

the honour to welcome the first issue of 2017 with the cover story on Malta, enjoying delicious food and pleasant encounters.

The Ambassador of Malta, H.E. Keith Azzopardi (2nd l.) was

welcomed by Christian Zandonella (2nd r.), the new General

Manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Vienna and CD´s editors, Andrea

Fürnweger and Alexander Bursky.

PHOTOS: OURIEL MORGENSZTERN

Guests enjoyed a pleasant stay with great food and drinks

at the Presidential Suite of The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna –

a place, where many celebrities have already stayed over

night.

12 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE BULLETIN REVIEW

February 2017

Kosovo

The House of Austrian Industries at Vienna‘s Schwarzenbergplatz was the venue of the

Independence Day celebration.

February 2017

Kuwait

Independence Day and the 26th Anniversary of

Liberation were celebrated at Hotel Imperial Vienna.

H.E. Sadiq M. Marafi (left) with

the Austrian Minister of Justice,

Wolfgang Brandstetter.

Top: H.E. Sami Ukelli (very right)

and his wife, Brikena Keco Ukelli

(2nd right).

February 2017

Salzburg

Doyen Elections of the Consular Corps Salzburg

The newly elected doyen

is Karl Winding, for 20

years Honorary Consul of

Latvia (r.), pictured with

Salzburg‘s Governor

Wilfried Haslauer (l.),

Daiga Krieva and the

Latvian Ambassador in

Austria, H.E. Edgars Skuja.

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN, LAND SALZBURG

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN

TIMELESS

QUALITY

AND STYLE

SINCE 1836

www.jse.wien

1010 Vienna, Austria

Weihburggasse 27

14 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

STORES AUCTIONS HUNTING MANUFACTURE

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 15

LE BULLETIN REVIEW

February 2017

Russian Federation

The Day of the Homeland Defenders was honoured with two wreath-laying

ceremonies, followed by a reception at the Embassy.

March 2017

Lithuania

Independence Day was celebrated with a

reception at the Diplomatic Academy.

Left: H.E. Dmitry

Lyubinskiy (middle)

MOZART

WOCHE

2018

26. JÄNNER – 4. FEBRUAR

The Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania, H.E. Loreta

Zakarevičienė (pictured right) and Chargé d’Affaires Lina

Rukštelienė

March 2017

Bulgaria

On the occasion of National Day, a reception was held at the Embassy.

H.E. Ivan Sirakov (right) with H.E. Svetoslav Spassov (left).

16 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN

Tickets: T. 43 662 873154 www.mozarteum.at

MOZART „DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL“ KV 384

RenéJacobs, Andrea Moses, Jan Pappelbaum,

Adriana Braga Peretzki. Mit Robin Johannsen,

Sunhae Im, Sebastian Kohlhepp, Julian Prégardien,

David Steffens, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin,

Salzburger Bachchor Dirigenten Altinoglu, Gardiner,

Gergiev, Jacobs, Manning, Minasi, Poska, Schiff,

Schmid, Ticciati, Widmann Orchester Akademie

für Alte Musik Berlin, B’Rock Orchestra, Camerata

Salzburg, Cappella Andrea Barca, English Baroque

Soloists, Mozart Kinderorchester, Mozarteum -

orchester Salzburg, Sinfonieorchester der Universität

Mozarteum, Wiener Philharmoniker Sänger

Im, Johannsen, Kohlhepp, Mühlemann, Petersen,

Prégardien, Richter, Stagg, Steffens, Vermeulen,

Villazón Solisten Anderszewski, Armstrong,

Barenboim, Birsak, Capuçon, Fray, Gilmore, Karls,

Kircher, Levin, Lindsberger, Lio, Lucke, Mayer,

Neugebauer, Obregón, Radicke, Rinaldy, Schiff,

Schmid, Weithaas, Widmann Ensembles & Chöre

Hagen Quartett, Salzburger Bachchor, Schumann

Quartett u. a.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 17

LE BULLETIN REVIEW

March 2017

Ireland

Green was the colour of the day, when St. Patrick‘s Day was celebrated at

the residence.

March 2017

Pakistan

National Day was celebrated with a reception at the

InterContinental Vienna.

Left: H.E. Tom Hanney and his wife

Paula Fitzmaurice Hanney

H.E. Ayesha Riyaz (right)

INTERNATIONALE

APOTHEKE

INTERNATIONAL

PHARMACY

YOUR INTERNATIONAL

HEALTH EXPERT SINCE 1870

March 2017

Peace concert for Europe

On occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome,

a concert was held at the Embassy of Italy.

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN, BEIGESTELLT

March 2017

Bangladesh

On the occasion of National and Independence Day a reception

was held at the Park Hyatt Vienna.

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H.E. Giorgio Marripodi with the artist Ryoko Tajika Drei (middle)

who gave a piano concert.

Top, middle: H.E. Mohammed Abu Zafar (middle) with his wife

Salma and CD editor Alexander Bursky.

18 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

RELAX 2000

Natural sleep. Healthy life.

April 2017

The new Governor of Lower Austria

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, former Austrian Minister for Interior from 2011-2016, is since

19 April, 2017 officially the new Governor of Lower Austria.

April 2017

A Royal visit to Vienna

His Royal Highness, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall visited

Vienna in spring and had a dense programme in only two days.

After the farewell of Governor Erwin

Pröll (picture left, 2nd right) and the

election of Johanna Mikl-Leitner, a reception

was held in the evening to welcome

the new “Landeshauptfrau“.

The Prince and the Duchess met Federal

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Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE BULLETIN REVIEW

April 2017

Ukraine

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Austria 25 years

ago was honoured with a concert, followed by a reception at Palais Trautson.

April 2017

Armenia

25 years of diplomatic relations between

Armenia and Austria were celebrated musically.

FINE ANTIQUES

WATCHES

JEWELLERY

PRECIOUS METALS

Top: H.E. Olexander Scherba enjoyed with his wife

Yaroslava and many guests the performances of the

Philharmonic Orchestra from Luhansk/Ukraine under

the Austrian conductor Kurt Schmid.

Top: H.E. Arman

Kirakossian and

Susanna Nazaryan

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April 2017

Uzbekistan

A reception was held at the Vienna Marriott Hotel to honour the establishment

of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Austria 25 years ago.

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LE BULLETIN REVIEW

April 2017

South Africa

On the occasion of National Day a reception was held at the Vienna Marriott Hotel.

May 2017

Poland

National day was celebrated with a reception

at the Embassy.

Top: H.E. Artur Lorkowski

(right) and H.E. Adam

Bugajski (2nd left).

Top: H.E. Tebogo Seokolo and his wife

Moipone enjoyed the festivities with

music, dancing and food at the ballroom.

CMY

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24 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE BULLETIN REVIEW

May 2017

Israel

To commemorate Independence Day, a reception was held at the atelier house of the

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

May 2017

Russian Federation

The end of the Second World War 72 years ago was honoured with

a wreath-laying ceremony, followed by a reception at the Embassy.

Top: H.E. Talya Lador-Fresher

The bottom left: Health Minister

Pamela Rendi-Wagner

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN

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LE MONDE BELGIUM

IN THE HEART

OF EUROPE

Distinct contrasts, unexpected riches, local rivalry – welcome to the Kingdom of Belgium,

which is sharing deep historic ties and astonishing similarities with Austria. After the 2016

Brussels terror attacks, Belgium is working hard, to overcome the centuries old struggle

between its main parts, Flanders and Wallonia, which threatens to hold the country in custody.

BELG IUM

Text: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

The famous Atomium, originally

constructed for the Expo 1958,

today is the undisputed

landmark of the unofficial capital

of the European Union. It

actually depicts the formation of

the nine iron atoms, magnified.

PHOTOS: VISITFLANDERS.COM, DJ SHARKO

30 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2 /2017

LE MONDE BELGIUM

One of the famous chocolate

shops (right) and a modern

installation in the center, both in

Brussels (below).

BRUSSELS. The heart of the European Union, the place of unity in Belgium.

The gothic Town Hall, located

on the famous Grand Place,

right in the center, is the major

meeting point of the city of

Brussels.

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There is a world record held by the Kingdom of

Belgium, but for most of the Belgians this is

not their favourite smalltalk topic. Its story

goes back to the second last Parliamentary elections

in Belgium, on June 13th, 2010. During the legislative

period before, the country already had seen nearly

four years of political crisis. One government after

the other had offered its resignation to the then King

Albert, some only after a few months in office.

But the elections of 2010 – in which the nationalist

New Flemish Alliance became the largest party in

Flanders, and the Socialist Party PS the largest in

Wallonia – resulted in total gridlock. All negotiations

for a new government lead to no results. Not a

single consensus could be achieved, and the country

was run by a caretaker government until December

2011, when a new government was sworn in. Already

by March 30th, 2011, this set a new world record

for the elapsed time without an official government,

previously held by war-torn Iraq.

”Well“, says Willem Van de Voorde, Ambassador

of the Kingdom of Belgium to Austria in an eye-opening

interview with “Cercle Diplomatique“, ”we have

a tradition of long government formations and that

was probably a record.“

Visitors travelling the country in the months before

the 2010 elections, must have experienced

two Belgiums. The one Belgium, beloved by millions

of tourists who enjoy driving from prosperous village

to prosperous village, where the houses are solid without

being grand, tidy but somehow higgledy-piggledy,

ordinary, with a touch of the surreal. ”The people

on the streets are neither aggressively neat, like the

Dutch, nor self-consciously elegant, like the French“,

a report of the British ”Guardian” reads. ”They are something

in between. They are triumphantly and typically

Belgian.“

The other Belgium showed a picture of a divided

nation. In the French-speaking villages, every second

house had a red, yellow and black tricolour flag,

draped at a window or flying from its roof. And the

householders were making a self-conscious political

statement: ”We are Belgians and we want to remain

Belgians.“ But as soon as one entered an officially

Dutch-speaking village, the Belgian tricolours almost

vanished and no such proclamation was to be heard.

All road signs there are in Dutch (or in English), what

was an “Avenue“ in the last village, becomes a “laan“

in the next, “rue“ becomes “straat“, and a “deviation“

A fisheye‘s view on the European

Parliament building in Brussels

(above). The St. Michael and

Gudula Cathedral (right) is named

after the patron saints of

Belgium.

Building complex at the National

Corporation KazMunaiGas

Round Square.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE BELGIUM

The Bourla Restaurant & Brasserie (top left),

the spectacular reef aquarium at the

Antwerp Zoo (top center) and the

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of

Our Lady), home to several triptychs by

Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens.

ANTWERP. The capital of Flanders, famous for its huge port and diamond district.

FACTS &

FIGURES

The Port House. This

construction, made of glass

and steel, and designed by

star architect Zaha Hadid, is

one of the new landmarks of

Antwerp.

becomes a “wegomlegging“. Messages were in Dutch

only, the language of Flanders, the bigger northern

half of the country. Visitors were told, sometimes unquestioned,

the size of Flanders in square kilometres

and its population density, but there was no mention

of Belgium. That did not exist. This was a country

called Flanders. That does not exist either, but for

many of the politicians in this divided society, it was

only a matter of time. ”Long live free Flanders, may

Belgium die“ – so was the battle cry in the northern

province of Belgium, just a month before the elections.

Even today, Belgium seems to be full of deviations

and wegomleggings. Ask an average person on the

street, what‘s typical for this country, you may hear, of

course, Brussels, the unofficial capital of the European

Union with its landmark, the “Atomium“, and

about the endless quarrels between Flanders and

Wallonia. Ambassador Van de Voorde is trying to put

this into perspective: ”If you have different languages

cultures on your territory, that generates a certain

complexity of life. How to share influence and power,

how to develop a vision of how to organise society?

BRUGES. Where the heart of Emperor Maximilian I of Austria is enshrined.

Belgium is not the only example for this. Given the

complexity and the challenges of that situation, I

think, we have managed pretty well up to until now.“

Stephaan Missinne, the President of the Austrian-Belgian

Society (see box page 37) even regards Belgium

as a “test laboratory“ of living together in a unified Europe.

As anywhere, the social tension – with separate

educations, separate languages and even separate

governments – between Flanders, Belgium’s northern

part, and Wallonia, its southern part, are deeply rooted

in history. Much like with the Catalan independence

movement in Spain, language is at the core of it all.

Belgium‘s division rests mainly upon the fact, that its

Walloon inhabitants mostly speak dialects of French

and its Flemish inhabitants mostly speak Dutch or a

slight variation, also called Flemish. The language gap

can actually be traced back all the way to Roman

times, when a battle for influence raged between the

Franks (Germans) and the Romans over Gaul (the

area Belgium was originally part of). For a long time,

the two groups pushed up against each other at a line

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The Museum aan de Strom.

Literally, the museum by the

river, certainly is one of the

main attractions of the

docks in Antwerp.

formed naturally by connected forests, a line that

roughly corresponds to the modern border between

Flanders and Wallonia.

When the tiny country of Belgium claimed its independence

in 1830, after being occupied by about

every large empire under the sun, including the

Austrian Habsburgs, a Flemish movement was already

on its way in trying to reverse the “enfrenchement“

of the upper classes or beau monde of Belgian society,

which had taken hold during the French rule in the

18 th and 19 th centuries. Soon, the Dutch-speaking part

of the population began fighting tooth and nail for

equal status for their language, which was recognised

as a state language alongside French, two years before

the start of the 20 th century. Subsequently, Flanders

outpaced Wallonia, which formerly had been the industrial

heartland of Belgium, in economic growth

and since the 1960s, official internal borders are dividing

Belgium into four parts: Flanders, accounting for

half of the population of some 11 million inhabitants,

the roughly equally large Wallonia with a third of the

population, the legally bilingual capital of Brussels,

and the small region of East Cantons where German is

spoken.

Actually Brussels, a city of about two millions,

home to the EU and the NATO, with tens of thousands

of affluent foreign professionals and a large immigrant

community, mainly with Turkish background

and from Africa, is trying to make up the balance. But

still, there are no national political parties, no national

newspaper, no national TV channel, no common

school curriculum or higher education. There is,

however, the national debt, running at around 80 percent

of GDP. So, like a couple trapped in a loveless

marriage, eyeing divorce, but unable to agree on the

mortgage liabilities, the Flemish and the Walloons, to

outside observers, seem to be stuck together because

of the cost of splitting up.

Broadly speaking, the Walloons vote for the left,

the Flemish for the right. Flanders is rich and prospering,

contributes about 60 percent of Belgium‘s GDP

of about 420 billion Euro (2016, nominal) and and its

cities such as Antwerp – home to Europe‘s third-biggest

port – are the beating heart of the country‘s economy.

On the other hand, Wallonia – which was

among the first regions in northern Europe to industrialise

in the 19 th century, with industries such as

glass making and coal mining – is nearly depressed,

with twice the unemployment rate (more than 10

percent) of the north, especially in the region‘s faded

BELGIUM

Official Name:

Kingdom of Belgium

Capital: Brussels

Languages: Dutch, French,

German

Area: 30,528 sqkm 2

Population: 11,250,585

(2016 census)

Parts of Country:

Brussels (bilingual)

East Cantons (German

speaking)

Flanders (Dutch speaking)

Wallonia (French speaking)

Currency: Euro (EUR)

GDP: 470.179 billion $

(nominal 2016)

GDP per capita: 41,491 $

(nominal 2016)

Government: Federal

parliamentary constitutional

monarchy

- Monarch: Philippe

- Prime Minister:

Charles Michel

Formation:

4 October 1830:

Independence from the

Netherlands declared.

19 April 1839: Independence

from the Netherlands

recognised.

1 January 1958: Founding

Member of the European

Union (formerly EEC).

The famous fountain figure

Manneken Pis in Brussels.

From left to right: The statue of Jan van Eyck

at the Jan van Eyckplein; the Bonifaciusbrug,

the city‘s smallest bridge; Cuberdons, the

local sweets of Bruges, attracting children; a

look at the historic center by night and

aprons with parts, made of lace.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE BELGIUM

GHENT. The city that knows how to celebrate.

WALLONIA. The southern part of Belgium.

A panorama view over Dinant,

the Walloon city, famous for

its cathedral and as the

birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the

inventor of the saxophone

(very left). A unique look at

the Gare TGV de Liège-Guillemins,

celebrated Catalan Architects

Santiago Calatrava.

Clockwise, from top left: The

Gravensteen Castle; the

Graslei, one of the most

scenic places in Ghent‘s old

city centre, with its guildhalls

on the waterfront of the river

Leie, and masked dancers of

the Ghent Festival (Gentse

Feesten), which is held every

year and attended by about

1–1.5 million visitors.

industrial cities like Liège and Charleroi.

However, Belgium as a whole, has managed to

overcome the financial crisis quite well despite the

unsolved differences between Flanders and Wallonia.

According to the recent EU country report 2016, it

has settled at a economic growth rate of around 1.3

percent in the last three years, and the forecast for

2017 lies at 1.7 percent.

”Companies start reaping the benefits of improved

competitiveness, and employment growth provides

broader support to household spendings“, the report

states. Also ”Belgian companies are deeply integrated

in the global economy, trading actively in intermediate

goods. Intermediates account for two thirds of

domestically produced value added, among the

highest in the EU.“

Furthermore, as Michael Berger, the Austrian

trade commissioner in Brussels for the last years,

points out, ”The negative effects of the terror attacks

in 2016, have nearly completely been compensated by

higher consumer spendings, increased public investments

mainly in security measures and a very dynamic

export demand“.

As a result of this positive economic performance,

Belgium even has advanced one rank in the statistics

of Austria‘s most important trade partners to number

16, beating countries like Japan, Turkey or Norway.

Imports from Austria account for some 1.6 billion

Euro and exports to Austria are well over 1.9 billion

Euro. Also, some 100 Austrian companies are heavily

engaged in Belgium with production sites or

distribution subsidiaries and Austrian direct investment

in 2016 – which has increased by impressive

22.6 percent to around two billion Euro in 2016, trade

commissioner Berger reports. ”And there are many

new opportunities for Austrian companies doing

PHOTOS: VISITFLANDERS.COM, MILO PROFI, JEAN-PAUL REMY, BEIGESTELLT

business in Belgium“, Ambassador Van de Voorde

points out. ”We still invest a lot in our port infrastructure.

I always use to say: What Austria spends

for its tunnels through the Alps, we spend in docks

infrastructure.“

Having arrived at this aspect during the CD-interview

(see page 38), Baron Van de Voorde –who

served as the Secretary to H.M., the Queen Paola, at

the Royal Palace in Brussels between 1994 and 2000

– jumps up and embarks for a tour through his just

newly renovated Embassy building in Vienna‘s Schönburgstraße.

This impressive Palais has originally been

constructed in 1880 by Rosa Fürstin Hohenlohe-Bartenstein.

It came under possession of Rudolf Freiherr

von Drasche-Wartinberg in 1919. Since 1922, it is serving

as the home of the Embassy of the Kingdom of

Belgium, which bought it in 1934. During November

2015 and April 2017, the Embassy, housing some 24

employees, has undergone a complete renovation

which swallowed nearly six million Euro. ”There is no

single square meter unused“, the Ambassador laughs.

With its numerous paintings and works of art,

making it a real treasure house in the heart of the 4th

district, the Embassy seems to be the perfect corresponding

site of the multiple cooperations, Belgium

has reached with Vienna‘s Kunsthistorisches Museum

– the Museum of History of Art – which is full of

works dating back to Belgium origin, like the world‘s

biggest collection of Brueghel paintings. Since the

reopening of the Kunstkammer in 2013, also a permanent

“Flämischer Saal“ is showing one new Flemish

masterpiece each year.

And for the outstanding upcoming mega-show

”Peter Paul Rubens – Kraft der Verwandlung“ (17

October, 2017 to 21 January, 2018) as well as for the

big Brueghel exhibition (2 October, 2018 to 13 January,

2019) the Embassy is heavily involved in background

work and contributing to the deep and historic

ties between Austria and Belgium.

It is worth to visit one of the exhibitions, for getting

a better picture of what the two countries have

in common. Everybody will see it at once, Ambassador

Van de Voorde says: ”Because there is a kind of

unspoken understanding between Austrians and

Belgians.“

25 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP

”What

started as a

tiny gentle

flower, is now

a strong tree“

– with these

words, Stefaan Missinne sums

up the first quarter of a

century of the Austrian-

Belgian Society (Website:

oebg.at), which he is presiding.

The official celebration of its

25 th anniversary will take place

at the former Schloss Coburg

in Ebenthal on 3 June, 2017 –

a location with strong ties to

the Belgian Royal family. ”With

our more than 250 events“,

Missinne proudly reports, ”and

close relations to the Embassy

of Belgium, our Society also

serves as a helpful platform for

Belgian companies in Austria.“

2018 –

Rubens-Jahr

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LE MONDE BELGIUM | INTERVIEW

H.E. Baron Willem Van de Voorde

“The opposition of our different regions, Wallonia and Flanders, is exaggerated.“

In a completely refurbished salon in his newly renovated Embassy-Palais, the Ambassador of the

Kingdom of Belgium to Austria talks about the striking similarities between these two countries and

explains, why the different cultures of Wallonia and Flanders generate a certain complexity of life.

Interview: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

H.E. WILLEM VAN DE VOORDE

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

CD: Ambassador Van de Voorde, starting with the

Habsburg Emperor Maximilian in the late 15th

century, whose heart is enshrined in Bruges, there

are endless ties between Belgium and Austria.

Can you give us a short roundup?

Willem Van de Voorde: Indeed, the marriage

of Maximilian to Mary of Burgun, back

in 1477 in Gent, is a wonderful story of how a

boy from here, Austria, and a girl from the

north found each other. In that time, the relations

between Austria and our region have

been created. It was a fantastic match between

two cultural circles. It brought a kind of Central

European leadership, that of Habsburg,

which was in fact a kind of knighthood, in

contact with a tradition which pays a lot of attention

to a high quality of life. Still today we

say ”You live like a Burgundian“ – which means

living with a love for good food, for the

arts, for nice houses and for a high quality of

our environment. Something, both of our

countries, still share today.

Actually in the 18 th century, with the peace treaty

of Utrecht, the territories of today‘s Belgium

came under the reign of Austria ...

...and you can still see the traces of that time

in the Albertina in Vienna which was the

residence from where our country was

governed from for nearly 90 years until the

French troops chased the Austrians away.

Let‘s look at the similarities, Belgium and Austria

are sharing today. Both countries have roughly

the same amount of population and size of GDP, a

social market economy and strong export industry

or a federal structure of state. How would you

refer to these similarities?

Also our location is interesting. Belgium is

on a crossroad between the Germanic and

the Romanic Europe. It is a passage place.

You go to Great Britain, you go to the north

of Europe or further south. You can see that

on the motorways, where sometimes people

just rush through our country. Austria has

something a little bit similar. It is on the

border of the Germanic and the Slavic

cultures. And it is also a very strategic passage

place between the northern part of Europe

and the southern Mediterranean. That

gives you a sense of exchange, of communication,

of exposure to a lot of different influences.

And we also have strong neighbours.

Belgium is located between France, Germany,

the United Kingdom and the Netherlands,

lives with their languages, cultures

and our main groups of population – the

Flemings and the Walloons – have strong

cousins just across the border. And Austria

has got the strong other German speaking

neighbour, Germany. This sometimes gives

you a certain way of looking at things. People

are looking for an original point of view

and trying to show how different they are

from their neighbours and how specific they

are in their culture or their language.

In Austria, we sometimes say that it is the

common language we share with Germany which

sets us apart. Is that so in Belgium, as well?

Oh, yes, we have the same phaenomena.

Even as we have the standard languages like

French or “Niederländisch“, many continue

to speak their own dialects and are very

proud of that. That is maybe one of the

underlying reasons for the kind of unspoken

understanding between Austrians and

Belgians. They go on really well with each

other and that‘s why some 500,000 tourists

from Belgium are visiting Austria each year.

Which are the recent milestones in the bilateral

relationship between Belgium and Austria?

Definitely the year of 1995, when Austria

became a member of the EU, has been a major

date. For the first time since centuries, we

came again together in a sort of supra-state

structure, the EU. That created, apart from

the facts that also before we had a very good

relationship and many cultural ties, a close

dialogue again. In 1995, we have found each

other again in the European family. Since

then, our relations have intensified manifold

on all levels and also the interest for each

other‘s societies has increased.

In which respect?

What struck me, after I arrived in Austria as

Ambassador back in September 2014, is the

keen interest both countries share in certain

matters, for which we sometimes struggle to

find the right solutions in our own societies.

For instance how to deal with the asylum

crisis and the integration of foreign

immigrants. We have the same pressure of

an aging society and the challenges this puts

on our economies and public finances. How

do we confront the terrorist threat and are

there certain clever approaches for exchange

of data from which we can learn from?

More recently, one maybe surprising similarity

was the rejection of CETA by both countries –

although they are heavily dependent on trade and

exports. How would you row that in?

Maybe part of the explanation is, that both

of our countries have a strong social market

economy. And many people had the fear

that certain deeply infringed patterns of

dealing with labour and capital would be

endangered. This is a very strong feeling, but

the overall answer is still lacking.

Since most of the CETA-opposition in Belgium

came from the Walloon region – some say, this

was more of a sign of the old internal political

struggle between Wallonia and Flanders. Is that

correct?

Well, it could be. In Belgium not all of the

people were opposing. But a certain part of

the country, the Walloon region in the south,

has been largely against CETA. The Flemish

government was rather unhappy about that

because they are the strongest exporters of the

country. But according to our constitution,

this question lies in the competence of the

regions. It brought the federal government

into a complicated situation and internal policies,

like so often, played a role in foreign policy

in this question. In the end, the federal level

did what it had to do: it coordinated the positions

and found a solution which allowed Belgium

to agree. This said, the elements raised

by the Walloon region were important elements

which had nevertheless been raised in

many EU Member states.

Can you please explain these strong differences

between Wallonia, which is populated by some

3.5 million people, and Flanders, which has about

Since September 2014, Baron Van de

Voorde serves as Ambassador of

Belgium to Austria. Prior to that, he held

high positions in the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, in the Belgian Embassies in Berlin

and Tokyo and as Secretary to H.M., the

Queen Paola.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE BELGIUM | INTERVIEW

Ambassador Willem

Van de Voorde and his

wife, Kristin Van de

Voorde-Heidbüchel, in a

newly refurbished salon

at the Belgium Embassy.

Belgium – an excellent test

market for Europe

LE MONDE EXPERT´S VIEW

Peter Fuchs, Commercial Counsellor for the Benelux countries

6 million inhabitants. Many even think, this makes

the country unruleable.

There are a couple of countries – and you

don‘t have to go very far, only to Spain or

Switzerland or Canada for example – which

happen to have on their territories different

languages cultures. That generates a certain

complexity of life. How to share influence

and power, how to develop a vision of how to

organise society? Given the complexity and

the challenges of that situation, I think, we

have managed pretty well up to until now. If

you compare that with another interesting

but complicated country, which is also under

my jurisdiction – this is Bosnia and Herzegovina

– there you can see, what a civil war

brought about only some 20 years ago. Look,

how difficult it is for this country, with its

groups who clearly identify themselves differently

from others, to come to peaceful solutions

for living together and sharing a common

destiny. Over the last decades, we

developed a couple of legal or constitutional

techniques for this in Belgium, and they help

us quite well to live together in peace.

For example?

We have internal treaties, which are signed

between the federal government and the

regional governments, for expressing a certain

position, Belgium takes in the European

Union. So even when the representatives

of the Walloon or the Flanders region

are taking part in European negotiations,

“Belgium is not the only country

with regions of opposing language

cultures. We have developed a

couple of techniques to deal with it.“

they express a Belgian point of view, which

has been reached by a rather complex process

of discussion. This procedure has been

established 20 years ago, actually one year

after the regions received their constitutional

right to conduct their own external policy,

in some areas in 1993. This practice of

internal treaties functions rather well and

has become entirely part of our daily diplomatic

life. But it is true, that there was a kind

of temporary breakdown for the CETA agreement.

But it did not work after the 2010 parliamentary

elections, when it took Belgium nearly one and a

half years to agree on a new government.

Well, that‘s a point, although the composition

of a government includes many other questions,

too. We have a tradition of long

government formations and that was

probably a record. I will not name other

countries, but some are not doing much better

either. Our last government formation

went much quicker.

After last year‘s terror attacks in Brussels, some

critic have been remarking that the competition

between the regions might have undermined or

complicated the investigation after the attack

because of competing police forces or a lack of

exchange of data. Is there any truth in this?

I have also heard of that sometimes, but I

must definitely say: this is wrong. Why? We

have at the federal level a magistrate, which

is tasked with the coordination of all the investigations

regarding terrorism. It is specifically

done at the federal level, because this

magistrate must have access to all leaders of

power and be able to coordinate all the different

complex investigations. Even if the police

forces are, like in many countries, deeply

rooted in local structures, there is a unitary

line of command. So, the opposition between

different power level in the regions is

exaggerated. This is certainly not the case in

the fight against terror. Maybe in other cases

of administration – when it comes to building

permits for an airport, for example.

When one region has different interest than

the other – we have these regional oppositions,

but this is not the case in the justice or

internal security sectors – so it does not

hamper investigations against terror, for instance.

After the attacks some have expected an

economic decrease because of the shock. But

instead, Belgium‘s GDP even has shown a strong

growth rate last year, mainly because of heavy

investments in security.

Also the arrival of the migrant wave, like in

Austria, has increased the GDP. But we

have seen a small decrease of Austrian

exports to Belgium in 2016. Then again –

our volume of trade is not bad ...

...it is even one of the best in the latest Austrian

trade statistics, ranking Belgium as number 16 of

our most important trade partners with an overall

trade volume of more than 3.5 billion Euros.

Yes, and it has been on this level for years

constantly, even if it does not develop spectacularly.

And there are many new opportunities

for Austrian companies, doing business

in Belgium. We still invest a lot in our

port infrastructure. I always say: What Austria

spends for its tunnels through the

mountains, we spend in docks infrastructure.

And this, after all, is also important for

a highly industrialised country like Austria.

It may look far away, but Belgium‘s ports can

play an important role for the Austrian industry.

In terms of international trade, our

ports, actually, are not so far away.

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

PHOTO: FRANK HELMRICH

Peter Fuchs

is currently Austria’s

Commercial Counsellor

for the Benelux

countries, working

from The Hague. Prior

to coming to the

Netherlands in 2014,

he held posts in

Brussels for 11 years,

Vienna, Paris, Osaka,

Singapore, Karachi and

Frankfurt am Main.

The country is perfectly located and offers an excellent infrastructure.

Alittle bit more than a month ago, eight

innovative Austrian companies participated

for the first time in the Austrian

Showcase ”Bio goes Belgium“. They learned that

11.3 million consumers with high purchasing

power live in this densely populated country,

which is divided into three regions (Flanders,

Wallonia and Brussels-Capital) with three official

languages (Dutch, French and German) in

the heart of Europe. If you wish to sell your products

to Belgian consumers and to avoid being

fined by Belgian inspectors for wrong product labeling, forget

about English and use Dutch and French.

Ideally located between the United Kingdom, Germany, the

Netherlands and France, the Port of Antwerp is the second busiest

port in Europe, contributing to the excellent infrastructure and

logistics that Belgium has to offer. Counting on the interconnected

transport network between road, train, sea, waterways or air,

numerous distribution centers are located in Belgium. It also has

outstanding research institutes and the quality of universityindustry

collaboration is ranked 6th worldwide. Spin-offs and

incubators are set up nationwide, boosted by the network of

internationally renowned university research centers. As a center

of excellence, Belgium really delivers in crucial domains such as

life sciences, nanotechnology, biotechnology and renewable

energy. Contributing to Belgium‘s economic success is a highly

qualified, multilingual and flexible workforce in addition to

financial incentives and tax incentives, affordable property prices,

legendary hospitality and excellent health care.

In 2017 and 2018 the Belgian economy will grow by 1.4%.

With just 7.4% unemployment it is at the lowest level since 35

years. Investments will increase by 2.3% this year and by 2.7% in

2018. Consumer prices rose by 1.8% in 2016 and are predicted to

rise by 2% in 2017 and by 1.8% in 2018. According to the WTO,

Belgium is the 10th largest exporting country in the world with

exports of EUR 359.5 billion, some 84% of its GDP. Antwerp is

the diamond capital of the world with 80% of the market in

rough diamonds and 50% in polished diamonds. Last year, Belgium

was Austria‘s 16th most important economic partner with

excellent opportunities for the future. Sectors with high potential

will be: transport & logistics; medical care & health; environment

& renewable energy; mobility and automation.

40 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

The Sustainable Development Goals

are our common objective,

Belgium is fully engaged.

LE MONDE PALESTINE MEETS JORDAN

The Ambassadors‘ Summit #4

“We want Europe not only to be a payer. We want Europe to be a player.“

In Cercle Diplomatique‘s fourth Ambassadors‘ Summit, H.E. Hussam A.G. Al Husseini, the Ambassador

of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and H.E. Salah Abdel Shafi, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine,

take a deep dive into the historic roots and many facets of the war in Syria, discuss the dangers of collapsing

states in the Middle East and try to outline a blueprint for the near future of the region.

Interview: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

CD: Ambassador Hussam A.G. Al Husseini,

Ambassador Salah Abdel Shafi, can the new

secure de-escalation zones in Syria, proposed and

partly implemented by Russia just recently, really

be seen as one major step towards a peaceful

future in the country, maybe the whole region?

Salah Abdel shafi: It is still too early

to say, if this is going to be a game changer

or not. But it is a very important step towards

solving the humanitarian situation.

Because what is happening in Syria, is a humanitarian

disaster. That‘s why it is extremely

important to lessen the burden on civilians.

What is needed in Syria, are

gradual confidence building measures between

the regional and international players.

There can be no military solution for

the Syrian crisis. There can only be a political

solution. The Syrian people should decide

about the fate of their country.

Hussam A.G. Husseini: I totally agree

that there can only be a political solution.

Military solutions in our area have so far

H. E. HUSSAM A.G. AL HUSSEINI

The Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of

Jordan took his post in Austria in September

2013. Before that, he has been serving as

Jordan’s Representative at the Co-Presidency

of the Union for the Mediterranean and as a

high ranking diplomat in Brussels, Switzerland

and South Africa.

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

PHOTOS: XYXXYXYXY

H. E. SALAH ABDEL SHAFI

The Ambassador of the State of Palestine

took his post in Austria in 2013. Shafi,

who studied in Germany, also serves as

Ambassador to Slovenia and the UN

organisations in Vienna. Prior to that, he

was Palestine‘s Ambassador in Stockholm

and Berlin.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE PALESTINE MEETS JORDAN

The Ambassadors‘ Summit took place at ”The

Private Dining Room“ of „The Bank“ at Vienna‘s

Park Hyatt Hotel. The discussion between H.E.

Salah Abdel Shafi, the Ambassador of the State of

Palestine, and H.E. Hussam A.G. Al Husseini, the

Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,

was conducted by CD‘s author Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

(from left to right).

not ask for more boots on the ground from

Europe. We are not asking for a military

intervention from Europe. We are asking

for more soft power, and that is economic

power. Look at migration today. The vast

majority of refugees today are not anymore

Syrians and Iraqis, they are Black Africans

escaping poverty. All strategic thinking

tells us, that this emigration out of poverty

will increase. So the challenge of the future

is social-economic stability. Europe should

wisely use resources, so that people could

live in dignity, have jobs and build a future

in their own countries. Let Europe invest

the money it is intending to spend for fences

and border controls against refugees,

into economic development in Africa and

the Middle East. This would make much

more sense.

Husseini: Of the total needs of the Syrian

refugees in Jordan, my country is hardly

receiving one third in terms of international

support. Only one third. And half of

this one third is through loans. We have to

borrow money to finance our efforts, to

support the refugees and to facilitate life of

the Syrians in Jordan, most recently a 300

million dollar loan was made from the

World Bank to this effect. And even though

Jordan is one of the poorest countries in

the region, with nearly no natural water resources,

we decided to give the Syrian refugees

access to our labour market, because

you just cannot let these people stay jobless

and hopeless. And still, in the international

community, there is a lack of engagement

to really look into the roots of the overall

crisis of the region.

proven to be a total failure. Look at what a

military solution brought to Iraq, Libya

and Yemen. In Iraq, it has now been 15 years

of chaos and destruction. The seizure of

Mossul from IS is only a recent example of

how much destruction the military solutions

have brought and nobody is learning

from history. Everybody is jumping into

the forefront with a military solution as

way to fix the problem. But you cannot call

that a solution.

But in regard to the IS or Daesh, can there be an

alternative to a military solution?

Husseini: A solution in Syria should be

depending on the Syrians themselves, so

that the Syrians are in charge of their own

fate. I believe, that the only base which

could provide a sustainable solution, is the

agreement of the Geneva peace talks. An

implementation of this agreement should

really be the priority now.

Abdel Shafi: If we look at the reality in

Syria as it is today, we definitely cannot

speak anymore of a central state exercising

sovereignty and control over its territory.

There is the government, there are

oppositon groups, there is the IS. The

question is: Will this become a permanent

situation? Or will the Syrian people engage

in a process that will reverse this sad reality

so that there is one central authority that is

elected and accepted by them. This is the

real challenge, not only to the Syrians, but

to the international community and the

whole Middle East as well. What we have to

answer is: How can we reverse the strand of

collapsing national states going back to a

central state that is legitimised by the people?

So, general elections in Syria with the participation

of whom? Including Assad?

Abdel Shafi: Of course, that should be

part of the political process. There have

been demands that Assad should not be

part of a political solution. With the Russian

intervention the equation is changing.

The only way is to let the people decide

what the fate of their state should be. And

this is something that cannot be decided on

the ground by military force. There is no

other way than a political solution. By delaying

it, you are only increasing the suffering

of civilians. Europe should have a vested

interest in the stability of our region,

because Middle Eastern problems are becoming

internal European problems. Look

at the threat of terror and migration.

What would you recommend Europe?

Abdel Shafi: Europe should finally realise

that the solution of the refugee crisis is

not by erecting fences, it is not by tightened

border controls. No. It is by contributing to

a political solution to the problems of the

Middle East. What is needed in our region

is stability. If there is stability, the economy

would thrive and people would not want to

leave their country. This is a major responsibility

of Europe, given the geographic

proximity. We are neighbours, we are next

door. If my neighbour feels safe, I feel safe.

If my neighbour feels threatened, I will also

be threatened as well.

Husseini: Coming back to Syria, I agree

that the crisis is not solved in the best

interest of the Syrian people. The implications

will be a catastrophe not only for the

region, but the whole world, including Europe.

The raise of terrorist groups was be-

PHOTOS:

XYXXYXYXY

RALPH MANFREDA

cause of the lack of a political solution in

Syria. Daesh was never here three, four years

ago.

Abdel Shafi: Even if the members of

the European Union have different foreign

policies, there are some areas of consensus.

For example, there is an existing consensus

about solving the conflict between Israel

and Palestine, according to the Two-States

solution. This is a common European position

– a State of Palestine next to the State

of Israel. But when it comes to this conflict,

Europe has always taken a backseat, politically

speaking. But we want Europe not

only to be an economic payer. We want Europe

to be a political player as well. Europe

is a major trading and direct investment

partner of the Middle East, so it should

have a big interest to get more involved politically.

Europe should do more in the

Middle East.

Once again: How exactly?

Abdel Shafi: Each government has so

many, many instruments at its disposal to

influence the course of events in the region.

First diplomacy, second economy. We do

Let us take Jordan for example. Jordan is lacking

oil and water but nevertheless has taken millions

of refugees. Is Europe engaged enough in your

country, Ambassador Husseini?

Husseini: Jordan is one of the countries

suffering most from the many crises in the

Middle East, beginning with the Palestinian-Israelian

or the Lebanon conflict. We

have, at one stage, received close to one million

refugees from Iraq and still currently

have some 500,000 Iraqis. We have around

1.4 million Syrians and some 80,000 people

from Yemen plus 35,000 from Libya and it

goes on. It is not the responsibility of Jordan

to host all of these people. We are doing this

on behalf of the international community.

But we are at the end of our capacities. Look

at the debate in Europe, of how many refugees

they received in this or that country. It

is nothing compared to Jordan, and yet they

are building fences and closing their borders

against certain numbers of refugees

whom we in Jordan have received in a

couple of days. Just because we are in the

middle of this human crisis, does not mean

that we have to bear it all. We did not create

this problem.

In terms of money, how does international

support look like?

What do you mean?

Husseini: They are – take the Palestine

problem for example – a prolonged crisis

with a solution that is overdue for a long

time now. It became a slogan for the radical

groups. This lack of solutions for the misery

of the Palestine people, for example, is a

ticket for recruiting among extremist

groups.

Abdel Shafi: It all is a question of a political

alternative for the people. The Americans

went to Iraq with the slogan of regime

change. Then they went back home

and left a mess. When the communist states

collapsed, the Nato and the EU offered

an alternative instead and started integrating

these countries. Why did Europe manage

to quickly stabilise the situation after

the Balkan War? Because it had offered an

alternative and packages of economic and

financial help. What happens in the Middle

East is quite the opposite. A regime change

without an alternative. For example, you

get rid of Gaddafi, and what is left is only

chaos and anarchy. These are the root

causes of the crisis. It is a man made human

catastrophe. Europe should realise the link

between terrorism and migration with the

social-economic problems of the Middle

East and not only think of border control.

44 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE PALESTINE MEETS JORDAN

FACTS &

FIGURES

Jordan, burdened

by refugees

Jordan, one of the top ten

driest states, is hosting

some 1.4 million refugees

from Syria. Only 20 percent

are living in refugee camps

like Za‘atari and most of

them have access to labor

markets. It also received

millions of refugees from

Palestine and Iraq.

As a result, Jordan’s

infrastructure, like

provision of water

supplies, sanitation

facilities, housing or

energy, is heavily under

pressure.

“Europe and the Middle East are

neighbours. If my neighbour feels

safe, I feel safe. If my neighbour is

threatened, so am I.“

“What are the recruits of Daesh

going to do, after Daesh is defeated?

They only know how to kill.

There has to be a rehabilitation

programme focused on education

and job creation.“

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Palestine, the

crisis hotspot

The State of Palestine

declared independence in

1988 and claims the West

Bank (bordering Israel and

Jordan) and Gaza Strip

(bordering Israel and Egypt)

with East Jerusalem as the

designated capital. Since

most of these areas have

been occupied by Israel

since 1967, during and after

the Six-Day War, there is no

sign of end to that ongoing

conflict, even more after

US-President Donald Trump

has recently questioned a

widely accepted Two

State- solution.

So what would be needed in the near future of the

Middle East?

Abdel Shafi: I assure you, if the Syrian

people would be living in dignity in their own

country, they definitely would not become

terrorists and they would want to emigrate to

Europe. These people are not coming because

they are bored, but because their life in their

own countries is not bearable anymore. Even

if you destroy Daesh or ISIS, without addressing

the deeper roots why it was created in the

first place, there will be a new Daesh. So you

have to defeat them first and then offer the

young people an alternative.

Husseini: If you destroy Daesh, their

recruits will go back to the people. Then

how are you going to deal with them? The

first thing we need, is a strong institution

that will be able to deal with these people

after the dismantling of Daesh. And history

has proven that nothing other than a national

institution, a local authority, can deal

with this. We have to empower such an institution

for the future to rehabilitate these

people, through education for example.

Half of the Syrian people under Daesh have

been prevented from education. Second,

what are the people going to do after Deash

is defeated? They only know how to kill and

how to fight. So there has to be focus on

education and job creation in order not to

have them going back to another Daesh. A

rehabilitation programme is needed now

and has to be planned immediately. Otherwise,

we will have to deal with the impact

of the lost generation.

Abdel Shafi: If you want a blueprint or

roadmap for solving the problems of the

Middle East, you have to engage on multiple

tracks. The first thing is to end the Israeli-Palestine

conflict with the Two-State solution.

Second, in Syria you have to end the hostilities

immediately, start a ceasefire and prepare

general elections, maybe with an interim

government until they take place. Parallel to

this, there has to be an economic aid package

for the huge investments into the destroyed

infrastructure and to create jobs for hundreds

of thousands of people. And Europe has to

engage heavily in this reconstruction. This is

much less expensive than providing tanks

and weapons and the only way to win back

this lost generation. The same can be applied

to any other country in the Middle East. So

let us hope, the agreement on the secure zone

is working. This might be a major test.

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

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46 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE UKRAINE

Ukraine – the next hot thing for Europe

Left: Impressions from the

Yalta shores.

Right: An Ukrainian beauty

in the country‘s traditional

costume.

FACTS &

FIGURES

Despite the conflict in the Donbass region and the loss of Crimea peninsula, the

Ukraine remains one of the most promising countries in Eastern Europe.

Text: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

PHOTOS: FOTOLIA

If there was no war in the Ukraine, what an outstanding

country this is. Once in history, its influence

and powers were dwarfing that of the

Russian Empire. Now, its 42 million people, alas burdened

by the Soviet legacy, after the “Orange Revolution“

in 2004 and the “Euromaidan“ in 2014, are reaching

out for a new, self-determined, dignified life,

destined to turn their motherland into the future of

Eastern Europe.

Some fall in love with Ukraine‘s patchwork of traditions.

Others go for its eclectic cityscapes and farflung

horizons. There are those, who will never forget

the star-dusted, blacker-than-black nights in the

spa-town of Myrhorod or the “Nutcracker“ at the

opera house in snow-bound Kiev. And anyone having

visited the empty churches on a rainy autumn

day in Lviv, or having crossed the steppe towards the

magical Slavic hinterland, while reading a bit of Nikolai

Gogol or the Ukraine-born Austrian writer Joseph

Roth, will probably return time and time again.

Most of all, visitors are left with an overwhelming

impression of the sheer vastness of the largest country

which is entirely within Europe, which packs a lot

of diversity into its borders. You can be clambering

around the Carpathians in search of Hutsul festivities,

sipping Eastern Europe‘s best coffee in sophisticated

Lviv and partying on the beach in Odessa, all in

a few days. Ukrainians are also a diverse crowd; from

the wired sophisticates of Kiev’s business quarters to

the Gogolesque farmers in Poltava, from the Zaporizhzhya

steelmaker to the Hungarian-speaking bus

drivers of Uzhhorod, few countries boast such a

mixed population.

The complete variety of the Ukraine just recently

has been laid out to a multi-million audience during

the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev last May. ”The

ESC was an exiting possibility to show Ukraine in

the best of lights“, says Olexander Scherba, the Ambassador

of the Ukraine to Austria in an interview

with “Cercle Diplomatique“, following the celebrations

of the 25 th anniversary of the Ukrainian-Austrian

diplomatic relations (also see page 50). ”We wanted

to have this ‚Wow‘-effect that most of the tourists

have, when they come to Kiev and see a vibrant modern

European city.“

The ESC might indeed have ”changed the tone“, as

Scherba hopes, pointing to the fact that the conflict

in Eastern Ukraine in the regions of Luhansk and

Donetsk only effects six percent of the country‘s territory.

And that it not only has to offer an impressive

cultural heritage – which, by the way, is deeply rooted

in a period, when the Western Ukraine has been

part of the Austrian monarchy with cities like Lviv

(Lemberg) or Chernivtsi (Czernowitz), known as

“Little Vienna“ – but a lot of promising economic

opportunities as well.

After years of contraction and thanks to the Association

Agreement with the EU, which went into action

on 1 January, 2016, Ukraine‘s GDP is on the rise

again and could grow at a rate of 2.4 percent over 100

billion dollar in 2017, analysts predict. As a sign of

recovery and a stronger purchasing power of the population,

Austrian exports to the Ukraine have increased

for nearly 20 percent in 2016, placing the

Ukraine at rank 33 among Austria‘s trade partners.

”The best business opportunities for Austrian companies

definitely can be found in the agricultural sector

and in the food industries“, explains Michael Angerer,

Austria‘s trade commissioner in Kiev. „But

there are still some factors of uncertainty.“ Meaning

the turbulent and sometimes aggressive situation of

the Ukraine‘s internal politics, which even has featured

members of parliament fist-fighting each other.

And the country is also facing a difficult demographic

development, with a tendency to lower birth

rates and many young emigrants leaving the country,

thus posing a future threat of a diminishing labor

force. On the other hand, Ambassador Scherba

points to the fact that the Ukraine has one of Europe‘s

best educated population and especially in the IT

sector, the Ukrainians are enjoying a reputation of

computer wizards.

To put it into a nutshell: the Ukraine seems to be

up. Frequent visitors to the country, who maybe, after

having slurped borshch, invited by a complete

stranger, have known this for long and are returning

with cheers about one of Europe‘s most open and

hospitable nations. Ambassador Scherba is confident

that politicians and business people all over the continent,

will soon discover the many facets of his

country as well. ”The Ukraine will be the next hot

thing for Europe“, he says. If there was no war.

Ukraine

Official name:

Ukraine – Ukrajina

Capital and largest city:

Kiev

Official language:

Ukrainian

Ethnic groups:

77.8% Ukrainians

17.3% Russians

4.9% others

Government:

Unitary semi-presidential

republic

• President:

Petro Poroshenko

• Prime Minister:

Volodymyr Groysman

• Chairman of Parliament:

Andriy Parubiy

Area: 603,500 km 2

Population: 42,550,000

GDP: 88.3 billion $ (2016,

nominal)

GDP per capita: 8,291 $

(2016, nominal)

Formation:

• 882: Kievan Rus‘

• 1199: Kingdom of

Galicia–Volhynia

• 17 August 1649:

Zaporizhian Host

• 7 November 1917:

Independence from

Russian Republic;

Ukrainian People‘s

Republic

• 1 November 1918: West

Ukrainian People‘s

Republic

• 10 March 1919:

Ukrainian SSR

• 8 October 1938:

Carpatho-Ukraine

• 15 November 1939:

Soviet annexation

of Western Ukraine

• 30 June 1941:

Declaration of

Ukrainian Independence

• 24 August 1991:

Independence from

the Soviet Union

A view of the breath-taking

Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the Kiev

Monastery of the Caves.

Left: The modern South

Bridge over the Dniepr River.

Right: The Golden Domes

of Saint Andrew‘s Church

– one of the many famous

landmarks in Ukraine‘s

capital Kiev.

48 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE UKRAINE | INTERVIEW

H.E. Olexander Scherba

“Europe should listen very carefully to the tones that come from Russia.“

The Ambassador of the Ukraine offers a fresh view of why Crimea might be reunified with the Ukraine again,

how the conflict in Eastern Ukraine could be ended soon and why the Ukraine is the next hot thing for Europe.

Interview: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

H.E. OLEXANDER SCHERBA

PHOTO: RALPH MANFREDA

CD: Your Excellency Ambassador Scherba,

congratulations for the succesful European Song

Contest, recently hosted by your country. How

would you estimate the importance of a major

international event like the ESC for your country?

Olexander Scherba: First of all, it is very

important for us how this all began – with

an impressive victory of our Ukrainian singer

Jamala in Stockholm. A victory in a

face-off with the Russian contestant, during

a war with Russia, with a song referring

to the fate of Crimean Tatars under

Stalin – it was a victory that we needed,

perhaps the most among other nations. It

felt good and meant a lot. I have to admit:

after the announcement of the result, I was

cheering up so loudly, I might have woken

up my neighbours. The same was happening

all over Ukraine. This was a moment

of joy and happiness in a rather dark and

unhappy time. But with this win, came a

new honour and responsibility: to host the

next Song Contest. We took it up right

away, as an exiting possibility to show Ukraine

in a better light, than it happens in

the everyday press. Which is far from building

any kind of “Potemkin villages“. You

might have heard the positive words from

people visiting Kiev over the years. Many

tourists coming to Kiev, describe their feeling

as “stunning“. After reading all the negative

press, after all the bad headlines,

they immerse in a positive, friendly and

beautiful city. We wanted more people to

experience it, to show what a vibrant, modern

European city Kiev is. I hope we

reached this ”Wow!“-effect this May.

Does the ESC have any further implications, apart

from presenting your country as a touristic

destination?

Of course. The Contest is a change of

pace, a change of tone, switching from the

negative headlines to a deeply joyous event.

We do expect more tourists, but first of all,

we do expect the world to realise, the war is

only effecting six percent of Ukrainian territory.

Other than that, it is a peaceful

country that has plenty to offer to the rest

of the world – business-wise, tourism-wise

and culture-wise. And the last but not least:

we took the motto “Celebrate Diversity!“

seriously. Ukraine is a very diverse nation,

which still has to come to terms with things

like homophobia, xenophobia, nationalism.

The Contest helped to raise the flag

and to remind Ukrainians, what a positive

thing diversity is. It also reminded us, that

a truly European state – and we want to become

one – isn‘t possible without a deep

respect to all minorities.

Maybe the ESC might even strengthen the

pressure on Russia, to pull back from the Crimea,

which is has annexed in March 2014. Do you have

any signs, that there might be a reunification of

Ukraine and the Crimea?

I am absolutely confident about that.

You just need to consider the facts. A territory

like Crimea is like a human being. You

have to get your supplies and water from

somewhere. You can probably get some

over the so-called Kerch bridge that the occupants

are building (although many don‘t

think it would hold). But what about the

water? How would you get the irrigation

water over a bridge? Without Ukraine‘s water,

Crimea turns into a desert. So, it‘s probably

about time that decision-makers in

Moscow, instead of indulging their imperial

instincts, once in a while think about

what is legal and what is right for Crimea.

One thing is clear to me: the annexation is

illegal and wrong for it.

So the next negotiations would be about that

water?

I don‘t know, what the negotiations will

be. But there can be only one premise of

negotiations: restoring international law.

Which says: Crimea is Ukraine. On the top

of that, the simple truth is: no one was standing

in anyone‘s way in Crimea before

Putin‘s “green little men“ popped up. No

human rights violations, no ethnic purges.

The annexation was an unnecessary, dumb

tour de force that damaged everyone‘s interest

– including Russia‘s. To fundamentally

destroy the relationship with Ukraine, to

deal a heavy blow to Europe‘s security, to

become a global problem – and for what?

Just to tickle the imperial ego of some? That

was a dumb and unnecessary move that the

whole Europe, the whole world pays for.

Is there any feeling in the Ukraine that your

country is in danger of – at the most extreme – a

Russian occupation?

Oh, let‘s try to stay on a more positive

side (smiles). But you are right in one

thing: we, in the Ukraine, and all other European

countries, are at a point where we

should listen very carefully to the tones and

moves that come from Russia and Moscow.

And they aren‘t very encouraging. Yet, the

chance for peace and law isn‘t completely

ruined yet. All it takes, is some change of

attitude on Russia‘s side.

Before we get the curve to the many more

promising aspects, can you please give us an

overlook about the current situation of the

conflict in the region of Lugansk and Donetsk,

where a peaceful solution does not seem in sight.

Is there any chance, to implement the Minsk

Agreement soon?

The Minsk Agreement can be implemented

very fast if Moscow makes the decision

to steer clear of Ukrainian territory.

Once its soldiers (“on vacation“ or not) are

withdrawn – the war is over. Thousands armed

Russian citizens in the Eastern Ukraine

must go. The Ukrainian border must be

under Ukrainian control. Once that happens,

there is no obstacle for peace. But I

have a feeling that official Moscow is still

waiting for something.

What for?

It seems at times, they are looking forward

to the moment when the United Europe

falls apart, when the anti-EU moods

and political forces take over. They call it

”the coming conservative revolution“. I also

hope, that after the presidential elections in

Austria and France, after the recent local

elections in Germany, they will finally realise:

Europe isn‘t about to collapse, Europeans

will hold to all the positive things

that the United Europe brought in the last

Born in Kiev , Mr. Scherba serves as the Ambassador

of the Ukraine to Austria since December 2014. He

started his diplomatic career in 1994, with posts in

Germany (1996-2000) and in the USA (2000-2008).

After a period of being adviser to Arsenij Jazenjuk, the

former Prime Minister of the Ukraine, he acted as

Special Envoy for Ukrainian diplomacy.

50 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE UKRAINE | INTERVIEW

Olexander Scherba, the Ambassador of

the Ukraine, during the interview with

Cercle Diplomatique, at the beautiful

Embassy in Vienna‘s 18 th district.

half a century. And one more thing: if Russians

look forward to a new division on the

continent and in the world – I think they

are in for a bitter disappointment. It won‘t

happen. And at any case, Ukraine surely

won‘t put up with being a Russian zone of

influence again.

How would you judge the recent death of the

OSCE observer there?

This is a terrible tragedy which is the responsibility

of the occupants and their proxies

who control the place, where the incident

occurred. To my knowledge, the

explosion happened in the afternoon,

when the monitors where heading back after

completing their mission on that day.

Which means: the explosive wasn‘t there in

the morning, but someone put it on their

way in the afternoon. What would be the

motive of that, other than scaring them off

and keeping this part of Ukraine under a

100 percent Russian control, as it is the case

now? Still, I do hope that it won‘t weaken

the determination of the OSCE SMM monitors

to help bringing peace back to Ukraine.

We want peace – and, by all accounts, it

won‘t come without international help and

pressure on those who came to our land

and created these so-called “people‘s republics“.

Because of Austria‘s Presidency of the OSCE, does

this incident have any implications for the

bilateral relations between Austria and the

Ukraine?

On the contrary. We very much appreciate

what Austria does in the OSCE. Austria

took the right tone from the very beginning:

put the ordeal of civilians above other

aspects of the war – and try to help. This

applies for political decisions, just as much

as for rendering humanitarian help and

upholding the sanctions on Russia.

So how would you paint the current bilateral

relations between the Ukraine and Austria, which

actually date back deep to the monarchy?

Those memories are alive and rather

warm. Western Ukrainians call Austria

“babtsja Avstrija“ – “Grandma Austria“.

You still can find portraits of Emperor

Franz Josef I in some homes, and a Maria

Theresa monument stands in Uzhgorod.

However, even more than “the Grandma

Austria“ we like today‘s vibrant, modern,

young and future-oriented Austria. You

might be a small European country, but

you are a giant among our partners. The

most obvious example: Raiffeisenbank International

has become one of the biggest

foreign banks and one of the biggest investors

in the country. In the insurance industry,

we have a very healthy competition

between Uniqa and the Vienna Insurance

Group which lead the market. Fischer

Sports is for years very successful, produ-

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

cing sport equipment in Ukraine‘s west. I

can go on and on with these positive examples.

Yet, Ukraine has much more to offer.

The agriculture sector, which is booming.

Look at the IT-Sector, with Ukraine

increasingly dominating the outsourcing

market in Europe. On the one hand, we

have one of the highest proportions of the

people with a university degree to the overall

population. On the other hand, the labour

costs are rather low. The latter point is

unfortunate for us, but a timely point for

investors to enter the market.

Coming to the European perspective, which would

be the next milestone after the Association

Agreement went into action in 2016?

We are extremely appreciative about the

upcoming visa-free regime. As a point of

appreciation and recognition of our effort

on the European way, this step is of utmost

importance – most of all psychologically.

Europe stands for freedom. And this newly

acquired freedom of movement for our citizens

means, that we are on the right way

and that European decision-makers do appreciate

our immensely difficult transformation.

And as to the economic advantages

of the Deep and Comprehensive Free

Trade Area with the EU – it bears fruit. The

European Union is already our economic

partner number 1. We are very much aware

that we live in a new economic reality. After

Russia decided not to be our friend anymore,

we have to be looking out for other markets.

In Europe, Asia, Africa. Clearly, the

EU market is extremely competitive. But

not impossible to compete. Europe is our

inspiration and our future. And we think it

is obvious that Ukraine, as a new developing

market, will be instrumental for

Europe‘s economic future as well. Mark my

words: Ukraine will be “the next hot thing“

for investors and for Europe as a whole.

“Austria might be a small European

country. But it is a giant among the

Ukrainian economic partners.“

LE MONDE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME | INTERVIEW

H.E. Yury Fedotov

“Today, criminals are clever and highly adaptive. We underestimate them at our peril.“

FACTS &

FIGURES

In an eye-opening interview, Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, offers a deep look into how the

UNODC is fighting the world‘s multi-trillion-dollar crime business.

Interview: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

H.E. YURY FEDOTOV

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

CD: Director Fedotov, how do we have to picture

organised crime today?

Yury Fedotov: The old image of the

mobsters who sat at a kitchen table planning

their latest criminal act has changed.

Today, they are just as likely to sit around a

boardroom table, alongside bankers, accountants

and lawyers, authorising the global

movement of hundreds of millions of

dollars. Trans-border criminals are clever,

sophisticated and highly adaptive. We underestimate

them at our peril. Modern criminal

networks are capable of swiftly changing

routes, locations and personnel.

In regard to the upcoming 20th anniversary of

UNODC, which balance would you draw regarding

the goal of your agency?

Making the world safer from drugs, organised

crime, corruption and terrorism is

a tremendous responsibility, especially due

to the rapid evolution of these threats. It is

not easy to achieve all these objectives and

build a system of priority because all challenges

must be handled to improve the life

of people everywhere. We are trying to do

our best with limited resources. UNODC‘s

goal is threefold: bring together government

and other partners, to discuss trends

in transnational organised crime; agree solutions

based on our extensive capacities in

research and analysis; and deliver these solutions

at the grassroots level through our

global field network and in close cooperation

with civil society. I am justifiably proud

of UNODC‘s successes in helping to make

the world safer – and which will be celebrated

at our 20 th Anniversary in September.

Can you give us some examples?

UNODC has assisted millions of prisoners,

thanks to the adoption at the UN

General Assembly of the revised “UN Standard

Minimum Rules for the Treatment of

Prisoners“. It is one of the most significant

developments in modern international law

and a blueprint for 21 st century prison management.

As a tribute to Nelson Mandela,

the standards are called the “Mandela Rules“.

Our mandate on terrorism prevention,

coupled with our lengthy experience on justice

and the rule of law, ensures, that we are

leading the way on tackling radicalisation of

prisoners and violent extremism. This is a

necessity. The case of Anis Amri, shot dead

before Christmas by Italian police after killing

12 people in a terrorist attack in Berlin,

was, like many others, radicalised in prison.

And what are the main achievements of UNODC‘s

fight against illicit drugs?

In the area of illicit drugs, our work in

Colombia, but also in Peru and elsewhere,

has lifted tens of thousands of farming families

out of the clutches of the criminal groups

by encouraging the cultivation and production

of licit crops such as coffee and cocoa.

This is helping people not just to escape

crime, but also to ensure that livelihoods are

sustained and development strengthened.

And together with the World Customs Organisation,

UNODC manages the Global

Container Control Programme (GCCP). In

its first ten years of existence, Port Control

Units established under the programme

have been instrumental in seizing more

than 100 tons of cocaine, nearly three tons of

heroin and 60 tons of cannabis, as well as

over 1,200 tons of precursor chemicals.

UNODC has also made advances in the

area of human trafficking. We manage the

UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of

Trafficking in Persons which has supported

thousands of human trafficking survivors

all over the world. And our Maritime

Crime Programme has built prisons in the

region for Somali pirates and helped to

train coastguard. So far, 1,300 Somali people

have been processed through the courts

of 21 states. UNODC helped in the freeing

of 150 hostages, including last year‘s release

of 26 crew members from the FV Naham 3.

Despite of this impressive work worldwide, crime

in economic terms is estimated to have grown to

some 2.1 trillion US-Dollar cash flows each year.

What would you regard as the main reasons for

this growth?

I think, there are several narratives at

play. There is the story of how crime grew

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE

ON DRUGS AND CRIME

The UNODC was established in 1997 in Vienna

by combining the UN International Drug Control

Programme and the Crime Prevention and

Criminal Justice Division – two commissions

which still provide the governing guidelines of

the agency. It has an estimated biannual budget

of some 760 million US-dollar, which for 90 %

is funded by voluntary contributions, mainly

from governments, and a stuff of some 2,000

people worldwide. Mr. Yury Fedotov, the

Executive Director of UNODC since 2010, is

head of some 70 offices worldwide, including

21 field offices and two liaison offices in Brussels

and New York.

The main goal of UNODC is to better equip

governments to handle drug-, crime-,

terrorism-, and corruption-related issues, to

maximise knowledge on these issues among

governmental institutions and agencies, and

also to maximise awareness of said matters in

public opinion, globally, nationally and at

community level.

To achieve this, UNODC operates in 4 divisions.

There are the field offices network to directly

fight crime and illicits drugs. The Division for

Policy and Public Affairs runs drug laboratories,

provides training to local law enforcement

authorities and is engaged in research and

analysis. The Division for Treaty Affairs is

packed with lawyers and liaison officers in

charge of government relations. And finally

there is a division mainly dealing with

organisation, management and finance.

According to David Dadge, the voice of UNODC,

there is one main narrative of the agency; ”The

growth of crime goes hand in hand with the

growth of UNODC.“

A UNODC security officer at its

Vienna headquarter where it has

been located for 20 years.

Born in Saratov, Russia, Mr. Fedotov is one of the

highest ranking diplomats of the Russian Federation.

He was appointed to Executive Director of the United

Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and

Director-General of the United Nations Office in

Vienna (UNOV) on 9 July 2010.

54 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

“Crime is a transnational business

worth USD 2.1 trillion, so powerful,

that no single state can deal with it.“

LE MONDE UNODC | INTERVIEW

into a transnational business worth USD

2.1 trillion. The growing perception among

member states that trans-border crime is

so large, so powerful, no single state can

deal with its deadly impact. And there is

the overlapping story of how crime came to

be recognised as an obstacle to sustainable

development. Weave into these storylines

illicit drugs, the rise of violent extremism,

spreading terrorism, the phenomenon of

foreign-terrorist-fighters, maritime crime

and stubborn piracy off the Horn of Africa,

as well as endemic corruption, and you

have a powerful story of how drugs and

crime moved centre stage to become a major

global trend. Tragically, this is before

you even include paralysing cybercrime,

dire human trafficking and the tide of misery

caused by migrant smuggling. Today,

drugs and crime are a chronicle of our modern

world and the global thief of development

and human opportunity stealing

wealth and hopes from families and communities.

Crime aggravates inequality and

violence, particularly in vulnerable countries

seeking to escape bloody conflicts. It is

for all these reasons that UNODC‘s role

has expanded as countries have come to recognise

the importance of partnership, cooperation

and coordination in their efforts

against the criminals and the terrorists.

Where do you draw the line between what is not

yet a crime and what is one? For example, when

certain forms of financial transactions might be

legal in some jurisdictions but would be

considered as money laundering in others?

Concepts of crime are not static or set in

stone. They evolve just as societies develop.

Certain activities, once considered as normal

and acceptable, become unacceptable

and are established as criminal offences.

Taking or offering bribes is now criminalised

in many countries as a form of corruption,

but it is only a few decades ago –

prior to the adoption of the UN Convention

against Corruption – that these were considered

as a normal business practise. The

acceptance of violence against children or

violence against women was likewise much

higher in the recent past. Now, these forms

of violence have become a priority for criminal

justice systems with the adoption by

the Crime Commission – and then the General

Assembly – of standards outlining

strategies to prevent and combat them. I

view this movement positively. You mentioned

money laundering. The UN Conventions

against Corruption and Transnational

Organised Crime clearly oblige

Member States to criminalise it. There are

also FATF Standards that oblige any State

that wishes to be a part of the global financial

system, to criminalise money laundering.

There are no “legal forms“ of money

laundering. The real problem is not in a legal

definition, but the practical application

of anti-money laundering legislation.

What does that mean in practise?

Banks must know their clients, they

need to report suspicious transactions to

the Financial Intelligence Units. UNODC

assists countries in conducting so called

“mystery shopper“ exercises. This is, where

an anti-money laundering officer goes to

the banks and pretends to be a person asking

for very suspicious transactions.

Banks should suspect money laundering

“20 percent of drug users buy their drugs on the

Internet. And they do not pay with credit cards –

they use cryptocurrency. A teenager with a computer

can run a drug business worth millions.“

UNODC‘s Executive

Director Yury Fedotov also

holds the rank of

Under-Secretary-General

of the United Nations.

Prior to this, he served as

Ambassador Extraordinary

and Plenipotentiary of the

Russian Federation to the

Court of St. James‘s in

London for five years.

Before that, from 2002 to

2005, he was the Deputy

Minister of Foreign Affairs

of the Russian Federation

for International

Organisations.

“Concepts of crime are not static or set in stone. They evolve as societies develop.“

and alert government agency. Thirteen

banks in the jurisdiction either politely declined

the request or reported the suspicious

behaviour. But one bank said: ”Oh,

you need some professional services. We

can advise you how to do the things properly

so that you will not be detected“. Such

behaviour is deeply worrying, especially

when criminals control financial institutions

and facilitate money laundering. UN-

ODC, through its Global Anti-Money

Laundering Programme, is helping countries

to address these problems.

How do you support them?

UNODC helps governments to train

their financial investigators, and it brings

results. After several years of trainings, last

year, the South African countries seized

USD 23 million of crime proceeds. The

only “gray“ area, where money laundering

is not adequately criminalised, concerns

cryptocurrencies. The Bitcoin market is

growing and now has a capitalisation of

some USD 30 billion. But there is no uniform

legal definition of cryptocurrencies: is

it a monetary instrument, currency, commodity

or an entirely different animal altogether?

Is it, for instance, taxable? Can it be

FOTOS: PHOTO: XYXXYXYXY

RALPH MANFREDA

a tool for the purposes of money laundering?

These questions remain open. I would

even say, that many law enforcement agencies

have limited knowledge on bitcoin

operations and how to conduct investigations.

But criminals know it well. The recent

World Drug Report 2016 shows, that

over 20 per cent of drug users buy their

drugs on the Internet. And they do not pay

with credit cards – they use cryptocurrency.

A teenager with a computer can run a

drug business worth millions by receiving

orders on the Dark Web, obtaining payment

in bitcoins, and sending the illicit

drugs by mail.

How is UNODC addressing terrorism and violent

or criminal extremism?

These are two of the world‘s greatest

challenges. Both threaten international

peace and security and are connected to information

technologies, including the Internet,

to spread violent and extremist

ideologies. It is also closely related to the

movement of foreign terrorist fighters across

borders. The speed of these changes is

evidenced by the rise of ISIL. This group

has been joined by large numbers of foreign

terrorist fighters with significant numbers

from Europe, South Asia and South-

East Asia. Some are returning from conflict,

and they have the ability and intention to

conduct further terrorist attacks. UNODC

helps through its Global Programme on

Strengthening the Legal Regime Against

Foreign Terrorist Fighters in the Middle

East, North African and Balkan Regions.

Our portfolio on countering terrorist financing

in relation to FTFs is also growing

and UNODC has a new project, supporting

States to specifically target ISIL-related

funding. There is a direct connection between

conflict and human trafficking. One

of our most important messages is, that

conflict makes people, especially women

and children, vulnerable and fragile. Armed

groups view civilians as a potential

source of funding. ISIL has apparently sold

women and girls or coerced them into

marriage with fighters. The Nigerian group

Growing ideas for the

Europe of tomorrow.

Alpbach Political Symposium

August 26 to 29, 2017, Tyrol/Austria

Every summer the Alpine village of Alpbach

turns into Europe’s summer capital of discourse.

future together with renowned speakers from

across the world!

DEBATES ON:

Brexit, climate change, innovation in government, drug policy,

the Dublin dilemma, Europe‘s next narrative, fundamental digital

rights, the future of the Arctic, genome editing, geoengineering,

green innovation, military cooperation, populism & democracy,

security 4.0, trade policy and the law, …

SELECTED SPEAKERS:

Farah Abdi (SOM), Eyal Benvenisti (IL), Chantal Bilodeau (CAN),

Sven Biscop (BL), Cathryn Clüver (US), Rowan Conway (UK),

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd (UK), Ruth Dreifuss (CH), Alexey

Gromyko (RU), Peter Grünenfelder (CH), Ulrike Guérot (D),

Wolfgang Ischinger (D), John Keane (AU), Ivan Krastev (BGR),

Pascal Lamy (FR), Mariana Mazzucato (US), Wolfgang Merkel (D),

Robby Mook (US), Eleonore Pauwels (US), Jeffrey Sachs (US),

Ina Spinnangr (NOR), Jan Zielonka (PL) and many more.

PROGRAMME:

3-day conference with plenaries, breakout sessions,

fireside talks, professional programmes,

mountain hikes and breakfast clubs.

Date: August 26 to 29, 2017

Venue: Congress Centre Alpbach, Tyrol, Austria

Participation fee: 800 EUR

56 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

www.alpbach.org

LE MONDE UNODC | INTERVIEW

Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,

took his precious time to sit down for an

in-depth-interview with Cercle Diplomatique‘s

author Rainer Himmelfreundpointner.

“Is the world sufficiently prepared

and equipped against cybercrime?

No. Cybercrime continues to grow

borderless at an alarming rate.“

Boko Haram has been involved in enslaving

women and girls through trafficking

in person. All of this creates a grim cycle of

terror and tragedy. Conflict creates instability,

forcing millions of women, children

and men to flee. And defenceless people

vulnerable to exploitation by migrant

smugglers and human traffickers. Profits

are then funnelled back for the commission

of further crimes and terrorism.

UNODC‘s work, along with its partners,

including Interpol and Europol, but also

many others, is about breaking into this

cycle, helping victims, while bringing the

criminals and terrorists to justice.

In the light of the recent global cyber-attack and

the immense growth of cybercrime, is the world

sufficiently prepared and equipped against it?

What would be the UNODC’s to-do-list?

Organised criminals and terrorists seek

to exploit every available opportunity to

further their objectives. Cybercrime, in

particular, continues to grow at an alarming

rate and, even more so than other

crimes, is borderless. In 2016, as an example,

689 million people in 21 countries experienced

cybercrime. We see cybercriminals

on one continent, launching attacks on

websites on another. Children are sexually

exploited online irrespective of their geographic

proximity to the offender, and

businesses are defrauded globally through

phishing scams. Is the world sufficiently

prepared and equipped against these threats?

No. But at UNODC, we are playing

our part in responding to cybercrime and,

crucially, preventing it. In El Salvador, for

example, UNODC has built and mentored

the National Cybercrime Unit within the

National Civil Police. We also train prosecutors

and judges. Working across Government,

we have explained and sensitised key

policy-makers to the threat ensuring a nuanced

and threat-based response.

Around the world, we are actively working

to build capability to detect, investigate

and disrupt cybercrime. In Tunisia we‘re

delivering a cross-government programme

to counter cybercrime – the first of its kind

in the country. In Eastern Africa, we‘re

about to provide new, specialist, countercybercrime

support to local agencies, and,

in South East Asia, we are using our specialist

in-house counter-cybercrime mentor

to ensure that our local partners make the

best choices when investigating complex

cybercrime. In 2016 alone, our Global Programme

on Cybercrime, whilst relatively

modest in size, trained investigators, prosecutors

and judges from over 50 countries.

Our work is having a direct, positive

impact on the cyber landscape in regions

that are highly vulnerable.

But at the end of the day the user has to care for

PHOTO: RALPH MANFREDA

his cyber security. How does UNODC reach them?

At a policy level, UNODC Vienna has

continued since 2011 to host an Intergovernmental

Expert Group on Cybercrime:

a forum, where experts from around

the world can meet to initiate often-challenging

discussions on cybercrime and

current developments, including international

cooperation and best practices to

counter cybercrime. The “human element“

is often described as “the weakest link“ in

defending cybercrime. People can, and

should, however, be our strongest link.

With education from an early age, and ongoing

mentoring, support and sensitisation,

people can make cyberspace a hostile

environment for those who wish to exploit

it. Cybercrime is, as I said, truly borderless

– all countries are harmed by it and cybercriminals

intentionally exploit investigative,

legislative and policy gaps. At UNODC,

we‘re playing our part in countering this

rapidly evolving threat and we encourage

everyone to play their part in this effort.

Together, we are making communities safer,

promoting prosperity and, ultimately,

saving lives.

Last but not least: Has Vienna proven to be the

right place for UNODC?

I do not believe there is a better place in

the world for UNODC to have its headquarters.

Not geographically, and certainly

not diplomatically. Austria is a champion

of multilateral diplomacy, and a leading

supporter of both the wider United Nations

and UNODC. We have benefited tremendously

from the Austrian government‘s support,

its wisdom and its willingness to encourage

our broad mandate. In terms of

how cooperation works, shared responsibility

is the driving force. Still, it can always

be enhanced and made more effective and

efficient. Information sharing, joint operations

and mutual legal assistance are all pivotal.

These cannot be achieved without

countries ratifying and fully implementing

the drug, crime and corruption conventions,

as well as the international terrorism

instruments. Austria is often at the forefront

of these activities. Cooperation is also

essential in stopping opium, moving from

Afghanistan to Western Europe using the

Balkan route, or being trafficked down to

Australia and the Pacific using the Southern

route. Elsewhere, cooperation and

coordination is vital regarding the smuggling

of migrants and human trafficking

from North Africa, across the Mediterranean,

to southern Europe, or to confront

wildlife crime that sees animal parts trafficked

from Africa to Asia. Being in Vienna,

at the heart of Europe, we are close to so

many of these routes, and perfectly situated

to take on these multiple and interconnected

challenges.

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LE MONDE ESSAY

The Future of Europe –

is there any left?

CERCLE

DIPLOMATIQUE

selected by

ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE INTERNATIONAL

can also be found in these exclusive hotels:

Ulrike Guérot

is a political scientist and

founder and Director of the

European Democracy Labs

at the European School of

Governance in Berlin.

In April 2016, the Danube

University Krems appointed

her as Professor for

European Policy and the

Study of Democracy and

also as head of this

department.

The EU: Squeezed between external threats and domestic populism

What Europe, what future? Barely something has

been as uncertain as Europe‘s future these days, more

precisely: the future of the EU. Yesterday‘s most impressive

peace project seems gone: it is squeezed between

external threats, stemming from Putin, an ever

more authoritarian Turkey or the IS. In addition, Europe

now needs to confront all these changes in the

international security architecture without its former

leader, the US, which has left classical features of Western

foreign policy and, with President Trump, has

become unpleasantly unreliable und no longer trustworthy.

Notwithstanding, the EU is also under domestic

stress, stemming from the biggest social crisis as a

consequence of a drastic mismanagement of the Euro

crisis on the one hand, and the tech revolution of the

robotics, liquidating classical employment en masse,

on the other. Both threats together should bring about

the emancipation of the EU, should bring the European

countries closer together, in the aim to secure

Europe’s position in the world. Yet, the opposite is

happening. The EU seems helpless, nearly inexistent

in these entire crises. Following the Pew Review of

2016, only 47% of people still have trust in the EU and

its institutions. The EU seemed already overwhelmed

with the refugee crisis; and whether there will be another

showdown with the Greek debt crisis in the summer,

spilling over onto Italy remains to be seen. It

could be the end of the EU, shortly after the 60 anniversary

has been celebrated with pomp in Rome last

March.

Europe is under deep strain of right-wing populism

and nationalism, now eroding the democracies of

many of its member states. On top, Brexit will most

likely not be a success, as Theresa May keeps repeating,

but more a move eyes wide shut into disaster. The

country that wanted to secure its nation against the

European continent has gotten the quite opposite: the

nearly-implosion of this nation, now being divided

into the Youth and the City of London, the industrial

regions of Northern England or Scotland and North-

Ireland.

Nationalism and populism are not only on the rise:

they have already conquered substantial parts of Europe.

In Hungary, newspapers and universities are

closed, there as well as in Poland, independent justice

is threatened. This has triggered protest in the streets,

but civil society, as active as it is in Hungary, Poland or

Romania, unfortunately can‘t change things.

Sure, Norbert Hofer has been avoided in Austria,

Geert Wilders and his PVV didn’t succeed becoming

strongest party in the Netherland, and Marine Le Pen

will probably not become next President of France,

but Europe is deeply entrenched with populist movement

and parties that make politics dysfunctional on

both national and European level.

Five Scenarios which won’t help

Early March, President Juncker has announced

Five Scenarios on the Future of the EU, 29 colourful

pages. They were announced as the basis for a deep

and sound discussion about the future of the EU after

Brexit. Yet, not even a month later, the proposals have

vanished of the public sphere. There is not much, not

to say any official discussion about them. Admittedly,

the five scenarios are not sexy by any standard. One

could even question whether all the five could be

called scenarios.

The first is to keep everything as it is: is this a plausible

“scenario“, when everything is breaking down?

The second is to go back to a single market. But what

about the single currency then, which was made to

ease out a single market? The third scenario is “differentiated

integration“ but which can already happen

under existing treaties, yet never used. And if so: are

we really to save the EU with differentiated integration

in the field of electro mobility? Is this the way to secure

our children’s future on the European continent?

One would guess that not.

So, the only debatable scenarios are scenarios four

and five: the EU should do fewer things together

(four), but then better, or should do all things together

(scenario five), but then also “right“. The question is

thus what “right“ means. Hasn‘t the EU done things

“right“ so far? The suggestion is that it has not, as the

EU has never answered to the question of sovereignty

– who governs – properly. But is seems as if it is about

time for the EU to sort out of its ambivalence: either

Europe decides, but then the member states of the EU

are no longer sovereign in the classical sense. Or there

is no Europe. The question of legitimacy in the European

policy space must be revisited with urge!

PHOTO: ULLSTEIN_BILD-MÜLLER-STAUFFENBERG

Everything must change so that everything remains as it is in

Europe

If we want to maintain democracy and peace, freedom

and rule of law in Europe, nearly everything must

change in the EU. For long, political science has

thought that the way democracy functions in national

democracies cannot be applied to the EU. That‘s why

the EU was given its specific institutional trilogy made

out of Commission, European Parliament and the

Council, called sui generis. Time has come to call this

system into question. Europe, especially the Eurozone,

needs a profoundly redesigned basis of legitimacy. In

short: as everywhere, the European people must be the

sovereign of the political system, there must be division

of power and European citizens must be equal in front

of the law. The EU offers none of this. The principle of

political equality is yet the condition sine qua non for

all democracies, starting with voting equality (”one person,

one vote“), passing by tax equality and ending with

equal access to social rights. If there is still the aim to

engage in a political project on the European continent

– which might be out into question – then there is no

other way than striving, over time, for political equality

of all European citizens in a newly defined European

citizenship. Beyond Junckers‘ mere scenarios, this

should be penned down and put into action.

Since a couple of month, there is #pulseofeurope, a

civil society movement, demonstrating all Sundays for

Europe. Thousands of people are in the streets in many

towns across Europe, because the sentiment is growing

in the public that there is a lot to lose, if Europe fails and

does not remedy itself. The moment is thus appropriate,

public support is there, in order to engage into a paradigm

change about the EU, which would place the

people in the middle of the project!

Der neue Bürgerkrieg

(The New Civil War)

Europe is in deep crisis. Ulrike Guérot

calls for a radical new beginning:

Finally, after a common market and a

common currency, a common

European democracy has to follow -

the only way to preserve the

cosmopolitan Europa which the

majority of Europeans still desires.

Hardcover ISBN: 978 354 907 4916

ePub ISBN: 978 384 371 6307

published in May 2017, Ullstein

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ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE INTERNATIONAL

60 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LE MONDE NEWS

Latest update from around the globe

Text: Daniela Pötzl

PHOTOS: PHILIPP NADERER, OFID, AUSTRIAN AIRLINES

Life Science

Prime location

Vienna

Around 480 organisations are

active in the life science sector

in Vienna, approximately 10

billion euro in turnover is

generated per year. The Vienna

Biocenter in Neu Marx will soon

also be the home to various

new start-ups. In total, there

are 72 flexible laboratory

spaces and 32 office spaces

available across an area of

1,100 m2. As the European

Medicines Agency (EMA) will

have to leave its seat in London

due to Brexit, Vienna has now

positioned itself as a candidate

for the organisation’s subsequent

base.

viennabiocenter.org

ema.europa.eu

Airline

Internet on board

Austrian Airlines launches Internet on board in real time operation. All 31 Airbus aircraft of the fleet have been

technically upgraded. Accordingly, passengers will also be able to use the Internet on short-haul and medium-haul

flights as they fly above the clouds, and choose between the rates: FlyNet Message for three euros, FlyNet Surf for

seven euros and FlyNet Stream for 12 euros for each leg of the journey. The digital entertainment programme for

mobile devices will also start this summer.

austrian.com

European Forum Alpbach

Between two poles

European Union

Years of recovery

In its Spring Economic

Forecast published in May,

the European Commission

expects euro area GDP

growth of 1.7% in 2017 and

1.8% in 2018.The European

economy has entered its fifth

year of recovery, which is now

reaching all EU Member

States. This is expected to

continue at a largely steady

pace this year and next.

europa.eu

Award

Lifetime achievement

Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, Director-General of the OPEC Fund for International

Development (OFID), was awarded the 2017 Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah

International Energy Award for Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of

the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at the

Sheraton Hotel, Doha in May. Mr Al-Herbish dedicated the award foremost to

his family, without whose constant support, he said, he would not be

receiving the honour and he further dedicated the award to the staff of OFID.

ofid.org

From August 16 to September 1, 2017,

hundreds of people from the worlds of

science, politics, business, culture and civil

society will gather at the European Forum

Alpbach in Tyrol to debate ”Conflict and

Cooperation“. This international

symposium will focus on approaches for

strengthening democracy and science, the

rise of artificial intelligence and social and

ecological innovations. Its international

guests include Michael Ignatieff, Rector of

the Central European University of

Budapest, which is threatened with

closure, Marcia McNutt, President of the

US National Academy of Sciences, and

Baron Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Chief

Justice of England and Wales, whose

ruling brought Brexit before the British

Parliament.

alpbach.org

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und Kulinarik auf höchstem Niveau – seit genau 125 Jahren

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für sehr persönlichen Service und den Charme Wiens.

Living history, stylish living in the heart of Vienna, and supreme

cuisine – the Hotel Bristol Vienna, a Luxury Collection Hotel,

has been a synonym for finest personal service and

Viennese charm for exactly 125 years.

EXPLORE THE DESTINATION AT THE LUXURYCOLLECTION.COM/BRISTOL

62 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

#bristolvienna

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

L'AUTRICHE

DER NAME IST

PROGRAMM. IN

L’AUTRICHE DREHT SICH

ALLES UM DEN STANDORT

ÖSTERREICH, SEINE

WIRTSCHAFT UND SEINE

BEDEUTUNG AUF DEM

INTERNATIONALEN

PARKETT.

THE NAME SAYS IT ALL.

IN L’AUTRICHE THE FOCUS IS

ON AUSTRIA, ITS ECONOMY

AND ITS ROLE ON THE

INTERNATIONAL STAGE.

NEU

APRIL

Los Angeles

PERFEKTE WELLE

Mit myAustrian fliege ich mit herzlichem Service nonstop ins spektakuläre Los Angeles.

Dort finde ich zwischen Wellen und Strand meinen persönlichen American Dream.

the charming way to fly

L’AUTRICHE GREEN TECHNOLOGY

Wer Green Tech sagt, muss Österreich sagen

Green Tech is just another word for Austria

Andritz. Letzte

Qualitätskontrolle für

hochmoderne

Kraftwerksturbinen.

Andritz. Last quality check for a

high tech power plant turbine.

Umwelttechnologie aus Österreich

genießt einen weltweiten Spitzenruf

und zählt zu den am schnellsten

wachsenden Industrien des Landes.

Green Tech made in Austria enjoys a

remarkable reputation worldwide and

is one of the fastest growing industries

of the country.

Text: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner

66 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Umwelttechnologie

in Österreich.

Green Tech in

Austria.

Trotz Krise, ist der Sektor in den

vergangenen Jahren immens

gewachsen. Die internationale

Nachfrage ist enorm.

The sector is growing despite

of the crisis and international

demand is extremely high.

Best Water Technology: Das

Unternehmen, das Wasser in das

reinste Vergnügen verwandelt.

Best Water Technology. An

Austrian company, turning even

waste water into a fountain of joy.

PHOTOS: FOTOLIA, BEIGESTELLT

Haben Sie schon mal von der Firma Brantner

gehört? Grundsolider Familienbetrieb aus

Krems in Niederösterreich, 1936 gegründet,

etwa 2.500 Mitarbeiter, knapp 240 Millionen Euro

Umsatz – sozusagen ein Juwel des österreichischen

Mittelstands. Doch außerhalb ihrer Branche ist die

Firma kaum bekannt. Vielleicht auch deswegen, weil

sich Brantner um den Mist der Menschen kümmert,

und darüber sprechen die Leute nicht so gerne. Aber

für Experten sind die 14 Deponien und neun Sortier-

und Kompostieranlangen, die das Unternehmen

in Österreich betreibt, wie Pilgerstätten für moderne

Abfallentsorgung. Infrastruktur-Manager aus

vielen Großstädten der Welt stehen für die Brantner-

Technologie Schlange, und in fast allen Metropolen

der osteuropäischen Länder sowie der Türkei, sorgt

die Gruppe ebenfalls längst dafür, dass der Müll dort

nicht auf der Straße liegen bleibt.

Brantner ist einer der vielen „Hidden Champions“

einer Industrie, die eine der Kernkompetenzen der

österreichischen Wirtschaft mehr und mehr in die

Welt trägt – Umwelttechnologie oder Green Tech

made in Austria. Wenn es eine große Konstante in

den vielen Gesprächen, die „Cercle Diplomatique“

mit hochrangigen Vertretern der diplomatischen

Gemeinde in Österreich führt, gibt, dann ist es das

immense Interesse an dieser Vorzeigebranche. „Tatsächlich

ist die Nachfrage nach österreichischer Umwelttechnologie

und diesem Know-How – von

erneuerbaren Energietechniken wie Solar- oder

Wasserkraft bis hin zur gesamten Abfall- und

Abwasserwirtschaft – extrem groß“, bestätigt der

zuständige Minister Andrä Rupprechter. „Heimische

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

L’AUTRICHE GREEN TECHNOLOGY

Milliarden Euro.

Marktvolumen der Umweltindustrie in Österreich. Ziel 2020:

über 40 Milliarden.

36Overall revenues of Green Tech companies in billion Euro.

185.000

Beschäftigte im Umweltsektor.

Die Zahl der Green Jobs hat sich in Österreich seit

Mitte der 90er Jahre verfünffacht.

The number of ”green jobs“ in Austria.

1 Voith: Kaplan-Turbine im

Wasserkraftwerk in

Wanapum, USA.

Kaplan turbine at Wanapum

hydro power plant, USA.

2 Voith: Doppelendfähre mit

Schneider-Windkraft-

Propeller am Bosporus.

Double-ended propellerferry

at the Bosporus.

3 Voith: Wasserkraftwerk

Kartell in St. Anton.

Kartell small hydro power

plant in St. Anton, Austria.

4 Siemens:

Wasseraufbereitungsanlage

Guaraú, São Paulo.

Waste water facility.

5 Windpark-Installations-

Hubschiff, made in Austria.

Windpark Installation Vessel.

6 Altpapier-Recyling als

Green-Tech-Schwerpunkt.

Recovered paper is recycled

into new raw material.

PHOTO: SABESP, BEIGESTELLT

Umwelttechnologie-Unternehmen sind auch sehr

stark exportorientiert und führen bis zu 90 Prozent

ihrer Produkte und Dienstleistungen aus.“

Laut Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitut umfasst die

österreichische Umwelttechnikindustrie rund 400

hochspezialisierte Betriebe, die mit etwas über

31.000 Beschäftigten knapp zehn Milliarden Euro

Umsatz erwirtschaften (2016). Davon stammen zirka

sieben Milliarden Euro aus dem Export, und dieser

Sektor wächst jedes Jahr um nahezu zehn Prozent.

Zu den Top-10-Unternehmen zählen recht

bekannte Firmen wie Best Water Technology (BWT)

oder Saubermacher, aber auch weithin unbekannte

wie Loacker Recycling, oder eben Brantner. Und natürlich

haben auch etliche österreichische oder hier

produzierende Großunternehmen von Andritz über

Siemens bis Voith Green-Tech-Produkte und Entwicklungen

inzwischen zu einem zentralen Pfeiler

ihrer Geschäftstätigkeit gemacht.

Darüber hinaus hat sich das Leitprinzip des

Umweltschutzes sowohl bei Konsumenten als auch

bei Herstellern und Dienstleistern inzwischen derart

tief eingegraben, sodass ressourceneffizientes und

kreislauforientiertes Wirtschaften heute zum

Schlüsselfaktor und Zukunftsmodell geworden ist.

Kurzum: Wer hierzulande auf Green Tech pfeift, ist

megaout – bei den Kunden und im Business. Daher

wird dieser Begriff in Österreich deutlich breiter

gefasst, sei es nun in den Geschäftstätigkeiten oder

auch am Arbeitsmarkt.

Anders gesagt: Durch umweltorientierte

Produktion und Dienstleistungen bringen es

heimische Unternehmen auf einen Umsatz von rund

36,5 Milliarden Euro oder deutlich über zehn

Prozent des BIP. In diesem Green Business sind

Green Energy – Österreich ist Weltmeister

Renewable Energy – Champion Austria

Österreich

Schweden

Portugal

Spanien

Italien

Deutschland

Frankreich

Großbritannien

Dank des Wasserreichtums, ist Österreich globale Nummer

eins in nachhaltiger Stromproduktion (in Prozent, 2012).

Thanks to its natural water resources, Austria is the leading

sustainable electricity producer. QUELLE: ÖSTERREICHS ENERGIE, EUROSTAT

mehr als 185.000 Menschen beschäftigt, damit hat

sich die Anzahl der heimischen Green Jobs in nur 20

Jahren in etwa verfünffacht. Außerdem sichert der

Umweltsektor laut Wifo indirekt rund 60.000 weitere

Arbeitsplätze sowie dadurch induzierte Umsätze in

der Höhe von etwa 8,4 Milliarden Euro in anderen

Branchen.

Letztere Zahlen beziehen sich auf das Jahr 2014,

doch neuere, allerdings noch nicht abgeschlossene

Untersuchungen deuten darauf hin, dass sich das

Öko-Geschäft trotz der Wirtschaftsflaute in den

vergangenen Jahren prächtig entwickelt hat und

weiter wächst. „Unser Ziel ist es“, sagt Minister

Rupprechter, „bis 2020 bei der Beschäftigung die

200.000er-Grenze zu überschreiten und einen

Umsatz von mindestens 40 Milliarden Euro zu

erreichen.“ Allein sein „Lebensministerium“ hat

daher etwa im Jahr 2015 knapp 2.200 Projekte zur

Vermeidung von klimarelevanten Gasen und

Verbesserung der betrieblichen Energieeffizienz mit

knapp 70 Millionen Euro gefördert, insgesamt sind

aus dieser öffentlichen Hand in den vergangenen 20

Jahren etwa 7,3 Milliarden Euro Fördergelder in

knapp 150.000 Umweltprojekte und -entwicklungen

geflossen.

Nicht zuletzt deswegen, gilt Österreich als Umweltmusterland

mit hochentwickelter Industrie im

Bereich Umwelttechnik und erneuerbare Energie.

Darauf spezialisierte Unternehmen sind weltweit

Frontrunner im Wasser- und Abfallmanagement

und Pioniere bei Technologien für die Erzeugung

von Bioenergie sowie in zukunftsorientierten

Bereichen wie nachhaltiges Bauen, ultraleichte

Fahrzeuge oder vernetzte Smart Cities. Und die enge

Verzahnung von Forschung und Wirtschaft in

regionalen Clustern und Kompetenzzentren versteht

sich von selbst.

Fazit: Österreich liegt wegen dieser starken

Konzentration auf Umwelttechnologie bei „grünen“

Patenten weit über dem OECD-Durchschnitt und ist

in allen internationalen Umwelt-Rankings unter den

Top 10 platziert. Im Nachhaltigkeitsranking der Zürcher

Kantonalbank belegt das Land beispielsweise

Platz 7 und der Environmental Performance Index

2014 Yale & Columbia University reiht Österreich

auf Platz 8 von 178 Ländern. Auch wenn es ein

bisschen wie ein leerer Slogan klingt: Wer Green

Tech sagt, muss Österreich sagen.

Vorzeige-Sektor

Wasserwirtschaft

Best practice: water

Gerade wenn es um Wasserund

Abwassertechnologien geht,

sind Österreichs Green

Tech-Unternehmen laut einer

Studie der ETH Zürich

Weltspitze. Das liegt natürlich

auch am immensen natürlichen

Vorkommen der Ressource

Wasser in Österreich, wodurch

das Land weltweit auf Platz eins

bei der Stromerzeugung aus

nachhaltigen Energiequellen

liegt. Dennoch ist es

bemerkenswert, dass Österreich

etwa im „Global Cleantech

innovation Index 2014“ bei der

Anzahl der Patente sogar

Deutschland auf die Plätze

verweisen konnte. Allein der

Bereich Abwasserbehandlung

bringt es auf fast drei Milliarden

Euro Umsatz und ist einer der

wichtigsten Exportträger des

Landes.

When it comes to water and

waste water management,

Austria‘s green tech companies,

according to a recent study of

the ETH Zurich, rank amongst

the best worldwide. This

expertise is mainly due to the

natural richness of water Austria

enjoys and because of which, it

is the global number one

country in sustainable energy

production. But nevertheless, it

seems remarkable that Austria

even managed to overtake

Germany in the ”Global

Cleantech Innovation Index

2014“ in the segment of patents.

Just the sector of waste water

management also acounts for

some 3 billion Euro in sales and

is one of Austria‘s most

important export pillars.

68 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

L’AUTRICHE GREEN TECHNOLOGY

7,2

Milliarden Euro

Die Summe der Umwelttechnologie-

Fördergelder in den vergangenen 20 Jahren.

Billion Euro of public Green Tech investments.

Seestadt Aspern – das

Smart-City-Vorzeigeprojekt

der Stadt Wien für 20.000

Bewohner.

The newly erected

”Seestadt Aspern” is one of

the most prestigious smart

city-projects of Vienna

where some 20,000 people

shall find their new homes.

Ever heard of the Brantner Group? Founded in

1936, this solid family company in Krems in

Lower Austria is running a 240-million-Eurobusiness

with some 2,500 employees, but hardly

anyone knows it. That‘s also because they take care of

people‘s waste, something they hardly talk about. But

for international experts in waste management,

Brantner‘s 14 dumpsites and 9 composting plants in

Austria are sort of a pilgrimage destination.

Brantner is part of Austria‘s “hidden champions“

which make up a core industry of the country‘s economy

– environmental technology or Green Tech. If

there is a fixed constant, characterising the many

talks “Cercle Diplomatique“ conducts with highranking

diplomats from all over the world, it is the

immense interest they share in this Austrian showcase-industry.

”International demand for Austrian

know how in Green Tech – from renewable energy

technology like solar oder wind power to waste and

waste water management – is indeed extremely

high“, Andrä Rupprechter, the minister in charge of

this sector, says. ”Also, Austrian Green Tech companies

are heavily active in international markets, some

of them are even exporting up to 90 percent of their

products and services.“

According to the Austrian Institue for Economic

Research (Wifo), the Austrian Green Tech industry

consists of some 400 highly specialised companies

which are employing some 31,000 workers and

technical experts and sharing revenues of some 10

billiion Euro (2016), of which 7 billion Euro are generated

in exports. There are some well known companies

like Best Water Technology or Saubermacher,

featuring the top-10-list, but most of them like

Brantner or Loacker Recycling prefer to act behind

the curtains. Additionally, many big Austrian companies

like Andritz, Siemens or Voith have turned

Green Tech products and services into a central pillar

of their businesses.

It is fair to say, that protection of environment has

become a guiding principle in Austria, not only for

consumers, but for the production and services sector

as well. Whoever does not take care of it, may be

out of business very soon. So, environmental orientated

productions and services all over Austria‘s economy

account for some 36.5 billion Euro in sales, or

well above 10 percent of its GDP, and are providing

some 185,000 green jobs – which is five times the figure

of 20 years ago. Plus, according to a recent study

of Wifo, the green sector also is securing some 60,000

additional jobs in other industries, thus inducing

further revenues of some 8.4 billion Euro. Most of

these figures date back to 2014, and new research

indicates solid growth rates despite the recent

economic stillstand. ”Until the year 2020“,

Rupprechter says, „we want to break the 200,000

jobs-barrier and Green Tech revenues shall settle

over 40 billion Euro.“

To achieve these goals, Rupprechter‘s ministry in

2015 alone, has subsidized nearly 2,200 projects aiming

at the reduction of climate-relevant gases or

the increase of energy efficiency with some 70 million

Euro. All in all, Austrian environmental technologies

have been supported by the taxpayer with some

7.3 billion Euro over the last 20 years.

As a result of this massive public investment, Austrian

Green Tech companies enjoy an excellent reputation

worldwide. Both companies and research organisations

can boast a high level of specialised

know-how in sustainable construction, waste management,

innovative energy solutions and resource

efficiency. Furthermore, the number of environmental

patents which have been granted in Austria, is particularly

high compared to OECD-average. And

thanks to this green expertise, Austria is ranked as a

top-10-country in most of the international sustainability

indices like the one of the Kantonalbank Zürich

(Nr. 7) or the Environmental Performance Index of

Yale University (Nr. 8). That is why Green Tech is just

another word for Austria.

PHOTO: SCHREINERKASTLER.AT

B U I L D I N G / L I V I N G / I N V E S T /

Life close to the Water!

Drygalskiweg 11 | 1210 V i e n n a

9 Appartements and

1 Penthouse

from 64 till 160 m 2 .

Hart + Hart Bauträger GmbH

Wa g ra m e r Straße 22, 1220 V i e n n a , Ph +43 1 2 0 93777-0, office@hart-hart.at

www.hart-hart.at

70 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

L’AUTRICHE FUTURE LAB

Gerhard Wölfel

„Die Menschen machen den Unterschied.“

“It is the people who make the difference.”

Mehr als 30 Jahre Erfolg

More than 30 years of success

Der Geschäftsführer des BMW Group Werk Steyr über jene Maßnahmen, die den besten Arbeitgeber

Österreichs ausmachen. The Managing Director of the BMW Group plant in Steyr about the measures

he took to make him Austria´s best employer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gerhard Wölfel studierte

Kunststofftechnik/Chemotechnologie

an der FH Würzburg und trat

1982 in die BMW AG im Werk

Dingolfing in der Qualitätssicherung

ein. Seit 2009 ist er

Geschäftsführer der BMW

Motoren GmbH in Steyr (OÖ).

Gerhard Wölfel studied plastic

technology/chemotechnology at

the Würzburg University of

Applied Sciences and joined the

BMW plant´s quality assurance at

Dingolfing in 1982. He has been

the Managing Director of BMW

Motoren GmbH in Steyr (Upper

Austria) since 2009.

Das Wirtschaftsmagazin „Trend“ ermittelte

gemeinsam mit Statista,

Xing und kununu die besten Arbeitgeber

Österreichs aus 70.000 Bewertungen

zu mehr als 1.000 heimischen Unternehmen.

Diese Auszeichnung für unser

Motorenwerk – gepaart mit der Tatsache,

dass wir im Jahr 2016 das beste Ergebnis

aller Zeiten erreicht haben - ist für mich

ein Beweis, dass es für Produkte in Premiumqualität

vor allem erstklassige Mitarbeiter

braucht.

Jedes zweite, neue Fahrzeug der BMW

Group weltweit hat mittlerweile einen Motor

aus Steyr. Bei uns produzieren rund

4.500 Mitarbeiter bis zu 6.000 Diesel- und

Benzinmotoren am Tag. Damit das funktioniert,

braucht es nicht nur ein Produktionssystem

am Puls der Zeit, sondern auch

und vor allem Mitarbeiter, die motiviert,

gesund und fit sind.

Wir haben dazu ein Gesundheitsmanagement

entwickelt, das auf zwei Säulen

basiert:

Zum einen auf der Optimierung des Arbeitsumfelds:

Das umfasst sämtliche ergonomische

Aspekte aber auch Themen wie

Lärm oder Licht. In vielen Bereichen der

Motorenmontage wurde der gesamte Deckenbereich

schallisoliert. Das unterstützt

die Mitarbeiter bei der Konzentration, reduziert

den Lärm und Stresspegel und fördert

damit die Qualität der Arbeit. Die

Mitarbeiter können durch den Einsatz von

Hängebahnen individuell die Arbeitshöhe

einstellen und im Sitzen oder im Stehen arbeiten.

Zusätzlich wechseln die Kolleginnen

und Kollegen regelmäßig den Arbeitsplatz,

um einseitige Belastungen zu

vermeiden.

Zur Gesundheitsprävention gehören

auch innovative Arbeitszeitmodelle und

gute Vereinbarkeit von Familie, Freizeit

und Beruf. Wir bieten flexible Arbeitszeiten

inklusive der Möglichkeit zur Mobilarbeit

und eine Kinderferienbetreuung. Wir

versuchen, dies auch soweit möglich in den

produzierenden Bereich auszudehnen. So

haben wir gerade ein Schichtmodell getestet,

das sich durch sehr kurze Schichtblöcke

auszeichnet. Diese werden von den

Mitarbeitern als weniger belastend empfunden.

Der zweite Schwerpunkt liegt auf der

Förderung des Gesundheitsbewusstseins.

Unser Angebot umfasst unterschiedlichste

PHOTOS: BMW MOTOREN GMBH STEYR, WERKSKOMMUNIKATION

Schulungen für die jeweiligen Zielgruppen:

von sportlich bis untrainiert, von der Produktion

bis zur Verwaltung, vom Lehrling

bis zum langjährigen Mitarbeiter. Daneben

haben wir ein betriebseigenes Fitnessstudio,

wo wir neben Gerätetraining auch viele

Kurse wie Pilates, Rückenfit oder Zumba

anbieten. Als einziges Unternehmen in Österreich

bieten wir seit kurzem auch eine

Boulderwand für unsere Mitarbeiter, die

unter anderem für therapeutisches Klettern

genutzt wird.

Unser Ziel ist es, mit unserem Gesundheitsmanagement

und vielen weiteren Initiativen

heute jene Maßnahmen zu treffen,

die uns helfen, morgen und in Zukunft gesund

und fit zu sein. Dabei ist uns die Meinung

unserer Mitarbeiter – die wir regelmäßig

einholen – sehr wichtig.

Der Erfolg gibt uns recht: Das zeigt

nicht nur die kürzlich erhaltene Auszeichnung.

Die Arbeitszufriedenheit bei uns im

Werk ist sehr hoch. Es ist sehr schön zu sehen,

mit welcher Leidenschaft und mit welchem

Stolz unsere Mitarbeiter hinter unserem

Unternehmen stehen.

Together with Statista, Xing and

kununu, the business journal

„Trend“ determined the best employers

in Austria from 70,000 ratings on

more than 1,000 domestic companies. This

award for our company – coupled with the

fact that we have achieved the best results

ever since 2016 ¬– is proof for me that producing

premium-quality products needs

first-class employees.

Currently every second new vehicle

made by the BMW Group around the

world has a motor made in Steyr. About

4,500 employees produce up to 6,000 diesel

and petrol engines per day. In order to

achieve this, you not only need a cutting

edge production system but also, above all,

employees who are motivated, healthy and

fi t .

For this reason, we have developed a

health management system based on two

pillars:

The first one focuses on the optimisation

of the work environment: this covers all

ergonomic aspects but also topics such as

noise or light. The entire ceiling area has

been sound-proofed in many areas of the

engine assembly. This helps the employees

to concentrate, reduces the noise and stress

levels and thus promotes the quality of

their performance. The employees can individually

adjust the work height by using

lifting rails enabling them to choose if they

want to work while sitting or standing. In

addition, the colleagues regularly exchange

their workplaces to avoid unilateral strain.

Health care prevention also includes innovative

work time models and a good balance

between family, leisure and work. We

offer flexible hours including the possibility

of mobile work and childcare during holidays.

We try to extend this as far as possible

into the production area. We just recently

tested a shift work model which features

very short shifts. These are perceived as less

strenuous by the employees.

The second one focuses on the promotion

of health consciousness. We offer a wide

range of training for each of the target

groups: from athletic to untrained, from

production to administration, from apprentices

to long-term employees. In addition,

we have a company-owned fitness studio.

Besides the basic equipment training,

we offer many courses such as Pilates, back

fitness or Zumba. We are the only company

in Austria to offer our employees a boulder

wall which is also sometimes used for therapeutic

climbing.

Our goal is that with our health management

and many other initiatives we

take the necessary measures today that will

help us to be healthy and fit tomorrow and

in the future. The opinion of our employees

– which we regularly seek – is very important

to us.

Success proves us right: this is not only

shown by the recent award. Work satisfaction

at our plant is very high. It is very pleasing

to see the kind of passion and pride

our employees back our company with.

Das BMW Werk Steyr ist das weltweit größte

Motorenwerk und Dieselmotoren-Entwicklungszentrum

des Konzerns. Hier werden 3-, 4- und

6-Zylinder Benzin- sowie Dieselmotoren gebaut,

welche in den internationalen Fahrzeugwerken

der BMW Group in BMW und MINI Automobile

verbaut werden. Das BMW Group Werk Steyr

zählt mit seiner über 30-jährigen Erfolgsgeschichte

zu den größten und wichtigsten

Industriebetrieben Österreichs.

The BMW plant in Steyr is the world‘s largest

engine and diesel engine development centre.

Here, 3-, 4- and 6-cylinder petrol and diesel

engines are built, which are then installed into

BMW and MINI vehicles in the international

BMW Group‘s assembly plants. With more than

30 years of success, the BMW Group plant in

Steyr is one of the largest and most important

industrial companies in Austria.

bmw-werk-steyr.at

72 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

L‘AUTRICHE BUSINESS

Neues aus Österreich

News from Austria

Text: Daniela Pötzl

PHOTOS: LUKAS BECK, WIEN TOURISMUS/ PETER RIGAUD, NLK FILZWIESER, AMUSE BOUCHE

AUSTRIA, LAND TIROL/ LAIR

Kongresse | Congresses

Wiens Top-Platzierung | Vienna’s top ranking

In der im Mai von der International Congress and Convention Association

(ICCA) publizierten Zählung der weltweit abgehaltenen internationalen

Kongresse 2016, nimmt Wien den 2. Platz ein. Mit 186 einschlägigen

Veranstaltungen wurde die Stadt nach Paris (196) und vor Barcelona (181)

gereiht. In der Länder-Statistik erreichte Österreich mit 268 Veranstaltungen

den 12. Platz. Auf Platz 1 liegen die USA, gefolgt von Deutschland und

Großbritannien.

In the census of the globally held international congresses in 2016,

conducted in May by the International Congress and Convention

Association (ICCA), the city of Vienna managed to take the 2nd place.

With 186 pertinent events, the city was listed after Paris (196) and before

Barcelona (181). In the country statistic, Austria reached 12th place with

268 events. First place was taken by the USA, followed by Germany and

the United Kingdom.

wien.info

Amuse Bouche

Engagierte Lehrlingsinitiative | Committed apprentice initiative

Das Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Wirtschaft (BMWFW) ehrte

anlässlich des zehnjährigen Jubiläums von Amuse Bouche die Gesamt-Koordinatorinnen

Piroska Payer und Barbara Payer im Rahmen einer Festveranstaltung. Geehrt wurden auch

zahlreiche namhafte Unterstützer, u.a. aus Österreichs Top-Hotellerie, sowie das Magazin

Cercle Diplomatique (im Bild CD-Herausgeberin Andrea Fürnweger, 3. v. l.).

The Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economics (BMWFW) has honoured the

project coordinators Piroska Payer and Barbara Payer on the occasion of the initiative’s

10-year-anniversary in the form of a festive event. Many notable supporters, such as

various members of Austria’s first-class hotels as well as the magazine Cercle Diplomatique

(picture: CD publisher Andrea Fürnweger, 3rd from left) were also honoured.

amuse-bouche.at

Wiener Sängerknaben | Vienna Boys’ Choir

Neues UNESCO-Kulturerbe |

New UNESCO World Heritage

Auszeichnung | Accolade

Zwischen Thailand und Tirol

| Between Thailand and Tyrol

Mit einer hohen Landesauszeichnung

wurde kürzlich in Innsbruck die thailändische

Prinzessin Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

ausgezeichnet. Mit dem „Großer Tiroler

Adler“- Orden werden Personen geehrt,

die von besonderer politischer,

wirtschaftlicher oder kultureller

Bedeutung für Tirol sind. Die Prinzessin

setzt sich seit 35 Jahren als Brückenbauerin

zwischen Thailand und Tirol ein.

The Thai princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

was recently awarded a high national

accolade in Innsbruck. The order of the

“Great Tyrolian Eagle“ is awarded to

individuals who are of special political,

economic or cultural significance to Tyrol.

The princess has built bridges between

Thailand and Tyrol for the last 35 years.

tirol.gv.at

74 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Historisch | Historic

Dienstauto als Museumsstück | Official car

as museum piece

Anlässlich des Jahrestages zur Unterzeichnung des Österreichischen

Staatsvertrages am 15. Mai 1955 nahm Landeshauptfrau Johanna

Mikl-Leitner ein ganz besonderes Objekt in Empfang. Der

Dienstwagen des ehemaligen Außenministers und Landeshauptmanns

von Niederösterreich Leopold Figl wird ab 10. September 2017

im Haus der Geschichte im Museum Niederösterreich zu sehen sein.

To mark the occasion of the anniversary of the signing of the

Austrian State Treaty on 15 May 1955, provincial governor

Johanna Mikl-Leitner had the opportunity to receive a truly

special object. From 10 September 2017, the official car of the

former foreign minister and provincial governor of Lower

Austria, Neopold Figl, will be presented in the House of History

in the Museum Niederösterreich. museumnoe.at

Die Wurzeln der Wiener Sängerknaben reichen über

500 Jahre zurück. Zunächst musizierten die Knaben

am Hof des Kaisers zu kirchlichen Anlässen. Konzerte

und Tourneen in alle Welt gehören zum Alltag des

Traditionschors. Der Schulcampus wurde mittlerweile

erweitert und bietet auch eine Volksschule und ein

Oberstufengymnasium. Dadurch ist die Ausbildung

auch Mädchen zugänglich. Derzeit gibt es ungefähr

100 aktive Sängerknaben, die in vier Chöre aufgeteilt

sind. Jährlich gibt es über 300 Konzerte. Kürzlich

haben die Wiener Sängerknaben eine hohe

Auszeichnung bekommen: Sie sind nun Teil der

UNESCO-Liste des Immateriellen Kulturerbes in

Österreich.

The roots of the Vienna Boys’ Choir go back 500

years. Initially, the boys were called in to perform

music at the Emperor’s court for ecclesiastical

purposes only. Today, concerts and tours throughout

the world are part of the choir’s everyday affairs.

Meanwhile, the school campus has been expanded

and now also provides a primary school as well as an

upper level secondary school. Education has thus also

been made accessible to girls. Currently, there are

around 100 active choir boys, divided into four choirs.

More than 300 concerts are held annually. Recently,

the Vienna Boys’ Choir has received a high accolade

— they have been added to the UNESCO list of

Austria’s immaterial cultural heritage.

wienersaengerknaben.at

NIEDERÖSTERREICH

Special

Grußworte

Greetings

Bilder: Kästenbauer/Ettl

Physik trifft Medizin: Teilchenbeschleuniger bei MedAustron |

Physics meets medicine: particle accelerator at MedAustron

Winzige Teilchen zur Krebsbehandlung

Tiny Particles for Cancer Treatment

MedAustron in Wiener Neustadt (NÖ) ist eines der modernsten Zentren für Ionentherapie und Forschung. Patientinnen und Patienten

profitieren dort von einer innovativen Form der Strahlentherapie. | MedAustron in Wiener Neustadt is one of the most cutting-edge

centres for ion beam therapy and research. Patients benefit from an innovative form of radiation therapy.

Bei der Ionentherapie erfolgt die Bestrahlung

mittels geladener Teilchen. Diese Therapiemethode

verdanken wir der Teilchenphysik: die besonderen

Eigenschaften dieser Teilchen ermöglichen

es, die Strahlendosis präzise im Tumor zu

platzieren und dadurch das umliegende Gewebe

besser zu schonen. Das macht diese Methode optimal

zur Behandlung von Tumoren in der Nähe

von strahlungsempfindlichen Organen. Außerdem

können die Nebenwirkungen und Langzeitschäden

der Strahlentherapie reduziert werden.

Komplexe Technik

Um diese Form der Bestrahlung zu ermöglichen,

ist ein komplexer Teilchenbeschleuniger nötig,

der bei MedAustron in enger Zusammenarbeit

mit dem Europäischen Kernforschungszentrum

CERN entwickelt wurde. Ein sogenanntes Synchrotron

beschleunigt die geladenen Teilchen

auf bis zu zwei Drittel der Lichtgeschwindigkeit,

Sorgfältige Planung ist nötig.| Thorough planning is necessary.

bevor diese in die Bestrahlungsräume und dort

millimetergenau auf den Tumor gelenkt werden.

Therapie und Forschung

Mit der Ionentherapie steht den Medizinern eine zusätzliche

Option in der Krebstherapie zur Verfügung,

die neue Perspektiven für bisher schwer behandelbare

Tumore eröffnet. Seit Ende 2016 werden bei

MedAustron Patientinnen und Patienten mit dieser

innovativen Therapie behandelt. Das Zentrum wird

nun sukzessive ausgebaut und wird im Vollbetrieb

etwa 1.000 Patienten jährlich behandeln können. Neben

der Therapie wird die österreichweit einzigartige

Anlage auch für Forschung genutzt, um im Interesse

der Patienten die Therapie stetig weiterzuentwickeln.

◆

Ion beam therapy uses charged particles for irradiation.

This form of treatment is based on particle

physics: the special physical properties of ions allow

to focus the maximum radiation dose exactly

to the area of the tumor while mostly sparing the

healthy tissue. Thus, this form of therapy is optimal

for treating tumors close to radiation sensitive

organs. Side effects and long-term effects can be

significantly reduced.

Complex Technology

To facilitate such a kind of irradiation, a complex

particle accelerator is necessary – the one at Med-

Austron was developed in close cooperation with

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear

Research. A so-called synchrotron accelerates the

Einzigartig in Österreich: Ionentherapie bei MedAustron |

Unique in Austria: ion beam therapy at MedAustron.

charged particles up to two thirds of the speed of

light before they are directed in the treatment

rooms, where they emit their radiation directly to

the tumor volume down to the millimeter.

Therapy and Research

Ion beam therapy offers an additional option for

cancer therapy and provides new prospects for

tumors that have been difficult to treat so far. Patients

are treated with this innovative method at

MedAustron since late 2016. The center will now

be expanded step by step, offering a capacity of up

to 1,000 patients per year in full operation. Additionally,

MedAustron offers the possibility to conduct

translational research in order to continously

improve the treatment method.

Vorzüge und Stärken Niederösterreichs präsentieren

Presenting the strengths and advantages of Lower Austria

Das Magazin „Cercle Diplomatique“

ist seit 1971

das führende Magazin

Österreichs für das diplomatische

Corps, für internationale Organisationen,

für Wirtschaft, Kultur

und Tourismus. Schon allein aus

diesem Grund freut es mich sehr,

dass in dieser Ausgabe unser Bundesland

Niederösterreich eine bedeutende

Rolle spielt und der Berichterstattung

über unser Land

sehr viel Platz eingeräumt wird.

Es freut mich aber auch deshalb

sehr, weil damit unsere Vorzüge

und Stärken, wie etwa unsere

dynamische Wirtschaft, unsere

innovative Wissenschaftslandschaft

oder auch unsere international

anerkannte Kulturszenerie,

weit über die Grenzen unseres

Landes hinausgetragen werden.

Als Landeshauptfrau von Niederösterreich

bedanke ich mich

dafür sehr herzlich bei allen Verantwortungsträgern

des Magazins

und wünsche allen Leserinnen

und Lesern eine spannende und

aufschlussreiche Lektüre!

The magazine ”Cercle Diplomatique“

has been

Austria‘s leading magazine

on the economy, culture and tourism

for the Diplomatic Corps and

various international organisations.

For this reason alone, I am

delighted that Lower Austria plays

a special role in this edition and

that plenty of space has been dedicated

to our wonderful province.

I am particularly excited about

this because our strengths and advantages,

such as our dynamic

economy, our innovative scientific

landscape and our internationally

recognised cultural scene will be

disseminated far beyond the borders

of our province.

As Governor of Lower Austria,

I would like to thank all those bearing

responsibility in the production

of the magazine and wish all

readers an exciting and enlightening

read!

Ihre | Yours sincerely,

Johanna Mikl-Leitner

JOHANNA MIKL-LEITNER

Landeshauptfrau von

Niederösterreich

Governor of Lower

Austria

Die studierte Wirtschaftspädagogin

war von 2011

bis 2016 Innenministerin.

Seit dem 19. April 2017 ist

sie die neue amtierende

Landeshauptfrau von

Niederösterreich.

Mikl-Leitner studied

Business Education and

was Interior Minister

between 2011 and 2016.

Since 19 April 2017, she is

the new incumbent

Governor of Lower Austria.

www.medaustron.at

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 77

LOWER AUSTRIA TECHNOLOGY

Volle Kraft voraus!

Full speed ahead!

Text: Daniela Pötzl

Wäre Niederösterreich ein Raumschiff, würde es sich wohl gerade mit der TV-bekannten Warpgeschwindigkeit

fortbewegen. Denn die neue Landeshauptfrau Johanna Mikl-Leitner will, neben technologischen

Vorzeigeprojekten, Österreichs größtes Bundesland nun auch zum schnellsten machen.

If Lower Austria were a spaceship, it would undoubtedly be travelling via warp speed as made famous on

TV. After all, Lower Austria‘s new governor, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, now intends to turn Austria‘s largest

province into the fastest as well, and additionally seeks to impress with several technology-related

flagship projects.

Um eine leistungsfähige Infrastruktur für alle

zu erlangen, wurde daher die erst für Ende

2018 geplante Evaluierung der Breitbandoffensive

bereits auf diesen Sommer vorgezogen. Der

„Masterplan Digitalisierung“ mit 92 konkreten Maßnahmen

zielt in Niederösterreich auf alle Bereiche ab:

von der Arbeitnehmer-Förderung über Schulen bis

hin zur Landwirtschaft. Auch im Bereich der Verwaltung

soll die Digitalisierung eine große Rolle spielen.

Zur optimalen Koordinierung aller Maßnahmen im

Land wird auch eine neue Stabstelle für Technologie

und Digitalisierung eingerichtet werden. Bis Ende

2017 wird das „Haus der Digitalisierung“ entwickelt,

die Umsetzung ist für das Jahr 2018 vorgesehen. Insgesamt

werden rund 60 Millionen Euro für die landesweite

Digitalisierungsoffensive bereitgestellt.

Neues Forschungszentrum

Technopole werden in Niederösterreich Standorte

genannt, an denen Forschungsinstitute, Ausbildungseinrichtungen

und Unternehmen eine Einheit

bilden, um international anerkannte Spitzenforschung

zu betreiben. Nun kommt ein neuer hinzu:

In den kommenden Monaten errichtet ecoplus, die

Wirtschaftsagentur des Landes Niederösterreich, auf

rund 9.400 m2 das Technologie- und Forschungszentrum

Seibersdorf. „Insgesamt wurden über 100

Millionen Euro in die Technologie- und Forschungszentren

Krems, Wiener Neustadt, Tulln und Wieselburg

investiert. Nun kommen weitere rund 32 Millionen

Euro hinzu, die dem Forschungs- und

Wirtschaftsstandort Niederösterreich zugutekommen“,

so ecoplus-Geschäftsführer Helmut Miernicki.

Davon entfallen 17 Millionen Euro auf Seibersdorf

und 15 Millionen Euro auf das geplante Technologiezentrum

‚IST Austria PARK‘ in Klosterneuburg,

dessen Baustart noch heuer erfolgen wird.

Noch in der Testphase und

zum Abheben noch nicht

bereit.

Still in the test phase, yet not

ready for take-off.

Schnelles Internet

für alle.

Fast internet for all.

PHOTOS: FOTOLIA, FH WIENER NEUSTADT

Satellit greift nach den Sternen

Die Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt mit den

Studienrichtungen Technik, Wirtschaft, Gesundheit,

Sport und Sicherheit zählt zu den Top-Fachhochschulen

des Landes. Nach Jahren intensiver Forschungs-

und Entwicklungsarbeit wird in der Fachrichtung

Technik nun ein langjähriges Projekt diesen

Sommer in den Orbit befördert. Der Nanosatellit

Pegasus wurde im Rahmen des europäischen Projekts

QB50 mit viel Herzblut von Mitarbeitern und

Studierenden des Master-Studiengangs „Aerospace

Engineering“ in Zusammenarbeit mit der FOTEC,

78 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Die Breitband-Initiative,

geplant für 2018, wurde

in Niederösterreich auf

den heurigen Sommer

vorverlegt. In Lower Austria,

the broadband initiative was

moved forward from 2018 to

this summer.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LOWER AUSTRIA TECHNOLOGY

Hoch hinaus: Der QB50 ist

eine Weltpremiere und soll

nähere Informationen über

die Thermosphäre bringen.

Flying high: The QB50 is a

world premiere and is

supposed to bring additional

information of the

thermosphere.

Seibersdorf on an area of approximately 9,400 m 2 .

”Altogether, more than 100 million euro have been

invested into the technology and research centres in

Krems, Wiener Neustadt, Tulln and Wieselburg.

Now, around 32 million additional euro will be added,

which will benefit the research and business region

of Lower Austria,“ says ecoplus director Helmut

Miernicki. From this investment, 17 million euro

will be delegated to Seibersdorf and the other 15 million

will be going to the planned technology centre

“IST Austria PARK“ in Klosterneuburg, whose construction

will commence this year.

A satellite reaches for the stars

The University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt

is superbe and offers a number of fields of study,

including technology, economics, health, sports

and security. After years of intensive research and

development works, the field of technology will see

one of its long-term projects promoted into orbit this

summer. The nanosatellite “Pegasus“ was developed

with heart and soul as part of the European project

QB50 by the employees and students of the “Aerospace

Engineering“ master‘s degree in collaboration

with FOTEC, the research company of the FH Wiener

Neustadt, as well as the partners TU Wien Space

Team and Space Tech Group.

QB50 is a world premiere. After all, the project

marks the first attempt to find out additional information

about the least researched layer of the earth‘s

atmosphere, the so-called thermosphere, through a

network of 36 small satellites. Very little is known

about the layer at present. What is known, however,

is that it protects us from energy-dense, harmful radiation.

Very few research missions have gone to

those kind of heights so far, as the friction of the residual

atmosphere would cause the satellites to crash

after just a few months.

Thus, the University of Applied Sciences Wiener

Neustadt will have the opportunity to present itself as

an innovative and practice-oriented university, elevating

Lower Austria to the next level as an attractive

location for modern technology, research and education.

Or even to another galaxy, who knows?

dem Forschungsunternehmen der FH Wiener Neustadt

sowie den Partnern TU Wien Space Team und

Space Tech Group entwickelt.

QB50 ist eine Weltpremiere. Denn bei diesem

Projekt handelt es sich um den ersten Versuch, durch

ein Netzwerk von insgesamt 36 Kleinsatelliten nähere

Informationen über die am wenigsten erforschte

Schicht der Erdatmosphäre, die so genannte Thermosphäre,

zu erhalten. Über sie ist derzeit nur wenig

bekannt. Jedenfalls schützt sie aber vor energiereicher,

also gesundheitsschädlicher Strahlung. Nur

wenige Forschungsmissionen wurden bis jetzt in

dieser Höhe geflogen, da die Reibung der Restatmosphäre

die Satelliten bereits nach wenigen Monaten

zum Absturz bringen würde.

Damit zeigt sich die FH Wiener Neustadt als innovative

wie auch praxisorientierte Hochschule und

hebt Niederösterreich als attraktiven und modernen

Technologie-, Forschungs- und Bildungsstandort

auf das nächst höhere Level. Oder in die nächste Galaxie,

wer weiß?

In order to obtain a powerful infrastructure, the

evaluation of the broadband initiative, initially

intended for the end of 2018, was pushed forward

to this summer. The “Digitisation Masterplan“, with

its 92 concrete measures, is directed at countless sectors,

including the promotion of the workforce,

schools as well as agriculture. Digitisation is also intended

to play a key role in the area of administration.

For the optimal coordination of all plans and measures

in the province, a new centre for technology and

digitisation is going to be established. By the end of

2017, development of the “House of Digitisation“ will

be completed, whereas implementation is scheduled

for 2018. Altogether, around 60 million euro will be

spent on the province-wide digitisation initiative.

New research centre

“Technopoles“ are places in Lower Austria where

research institutes, training facilities and enterprises

form a unit in order to engage in internationally recognised

research endeavours. And now, there is a

new addition: in the coming months, ecoplus, the

business agency of the province of Lower Austria,

will implement the technology and research centre

PHOTOS: WELLER, FH WIENER NEUSTADT

PHOTO: THULE G. JUG

Eine Plattform für Betriebsansiedlungen in Niederösterreich.

A platform for business settlement in Lower Austria.

ecoplus, die Wirtschaftsagentur des Landes Niederösterreich,

hat für Betriebe, die einen Standort in Niederösterreich

suchen oder Fragen zu Finanzierungs- und Fördermöglichkeiten

haben, ein neues Unterstützungsangebot. Auf der

Web-Plattform www.standort-noe.at können sich Unternehmen

schnell und einfach einen Überblick über freie Standorte

in Niederösterreich verschaffen und sich so mit konkreten Anfragen

an das Team des ecoplus Investorenservice wenden. Das

spart wertvolle Zeit. Weitere Pluspunkte: Permanente Wartung,

die aktuelle Daten sicherstellt, kostenlose Nutzung und

einfache Bedienung.

ecoplus, the Business Agency of Lower Austria, has a new

service for businesses looking for a location in Lower

Austria or with questions on grant and financing opportunities.

At www.standort-noe.at companies can quickly and easily

get an overview of available locations in Lower Austria and

contact the ecoplus investor service team with specific enquiries.

In this way, valuable time is saved. Further benefits: the

website is constantly maintained, so information is always up

to date, and it is free and simple to use. Please note that the

website is available in German only at the moment.

INFO:

noe.gv.at

ecoplus.at

fhwn.ac.at

INFO:

standort-noe.at

80 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LOWER AUSTRIA INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SUCCESS

Von Niederösterreich in die Welt hinaus

From Lower Austria into the world

Text: Daniela Pötzl

Sonnentor ist mit einem Marktanteil

von 50% in Österreich führend.

Sonnentor is the market leader in

Austria with a market share of 50%.

Die geographische Nähe zur Bundeshauptstadt Wien beflügelt die Wirtschaftskraft Niederösterreichs.

Zahlreiche Unternehmen spielen hier weltweit in der Top-Liga mit – oftmals mit Alleinstellungsmerkmalen,

gepaart mit Innovationsfreude und Mut. Wir stellen Ihnen einige Champions vor.

The geographic closeness to the capital of Vienna spurs Lower Austria‘s economic growth. Countless of

enterprises here participate in the world‘s top league – often with unique selling points, coupled with an

innovative spirit and plenty of courage. Here are just a few of our champions.

82 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Kein Solarium.

No solarium.

Auch wenn es auf den ersten

Blick so aussehen mag – aber

das hier sind hochklassige

Scheinwerfer für die Automobil-Industrie,

gefertigt

von der Firma ZKW.

Even though it may look like

one – these are top-notch

lighting systems for the automotive

industry, made by ZKW.

PHOTOS: ZKW GROUP, SONNENTOR, MARZEK ETIKETTEN & PACKAGING

Wer bei Sonnentor in Sprögnitz Im Waldviertel

anruft, wird gleich, wenn er auf die

Vermittlung warten muss, mit dem ruhestiftenden

Satz und Firmenmotto „Da wächst die

Freude“ begrüßt. Grund zum Frohlocken hat der innovative

Firmenbesitzer Johannes Gutmann schon

lange. Gerne gibt er öffentlich zu, von vielen einst als

Spinner abgetan worden zu sein. Als er in den späten

1980er-Jahren als Einmann-Unternehmen mit seinen

Kräutern von Bauernmarkt zu Bauernmarkt zog, wurde

er bald zum „bunten Hund“. Neben den erstklassigen

Bio-Produkten, verhalfen ihm seine Markenzeichen

– eine jahrzehntealte Lederhose und seine runde

rote Brille – zum Durchbruch.

Bio-Spezialist als Marktführer

Seit rund 30 Jahren beruht Gutmanns Geschäftsidee

auf dem Bekenntnis zum nachhaltigen Wirtschaften.

Als Logo nahm er eine lachende Sonne mit

24 Strahlen, angelehnt an das alte Symbol freier und

unabhängiger Waldviertler Bauern am Torbogen, in

einer kargen Gegend. Bis heute setzt er auf die Unterstützung

kleinster landwirtschaftlicher Strukturen,

deren hochwertige Bio-Produkte überregional

und international vermarktet werden. Eine Winwin-Situation

für alle. Die Wertschöpfung verbleibt

zu einem hohen Anteil bei den rund 300 Bio-Bauern.

Sonnentor ist in Österreich mit einem Marktanteil

von 50 Prozent im Fachhandel führend und auch

mit eigenen Franchising-Shops vertreten. In

Deutschland gehört der Bio-Spezialist mit 25 Prozent

Marktanteil zu den Top 3. Schon lange sind mit

Tee, Kaffee, Kakao und feinen Naschereien nicht nur

Kräuter und Gewürze, sondern auch andere Köstlichkeiten

im Angebot – momentan um die 900 Produkte.

Rund 66% der Produkte werden exportiert,

neben Deutschland und Frankreich auch in die

Schweiz.

Leicht & leise

Schon von Diamond Aircraft gehört? Das Unternehmen

mit Sitz in Wiener Neustadt und Produktionsstätten

in Kanada und China, hat sich auf die

Produktion ein- und zweimotoriger Leichtflugzeuge

spezialisiert. Ein großer Teil der Flugzeuge sind Spezialversionen,

die bei der Grenzüberwachung oder

für den Umweltschutz zur Beobachtung zum Einsatz

kommen. Wie etwa das Spezialflugzeug DA42 MPP

(Multi Purpose Platform), das weltweit verwendet

wird. Die besonders leisen Flugzeuge sind mit mo-

dernster Film- und Radartechnik ausgerüstet. Die

Besonderheit: Angetrieben von sparsamen Dieselmotoren,

kann die MPP bis zu 12 Stunden, ohne aufzutanken,

in der Luft bleiben. Neben dem Motor ist

die Verwendung von faserverstärktem Kunststoff

zum Flugzeugbau ein weiteres Asset. Dieser

Werkstoff besitzt gegenüber klassischen Flugzeugbaustoffen

wie Holz und Metall die Vorteile besserer

Oberflächengüte und höherer Festigkeit bei gleichzeitig

geringem Gewicht.

Moderner Kampf gegen Krebs

Die Ionentherapie ist eine besondere Form

der Strahlentherapie, die gegen Krebs eingesetzt

wird. Das Therapiezentrum MedAustron in Wiener

Neustadt ist seit Ende letzten Jahres in Betrieb: Im

Herbst nahmen die Wissenschafter ihre Tätigkeit

auf, im Dezember fand die erste Patientenbehandlung

statt. Die Bestrahlung erfolgt dabei mittels geladener

Teilchen – mit Protonen oder Kohlenstoffionen.

Das österreichische Ionentherapiezentrum ist übrigens

eine der modernsten Anlagen seiner Art weltweit.

Auf das Know-how, das die MedAustron-Experten

beim Aufbau des Zentrums gesammelt haben,

vertraut man nun im Iran: ein Zentrum nach Vorbild

der heimischen Anlage wird nun nahe Teheran errichtet.

Der Unterschied zur herkömmlichen Radiotherapie

besteht darin, dass sich der Ionenstrahl durch

Anpassung der Energie exakt in seiner Reichweite

steuern lässt. Die Strahlendosis wird dabei auf den

Tumor fokussiert. Dies schont nicht nur das umliegende

gesunde Gewebe, sondern minimiert auch

Nebenwirkungen. Die Ionentherapie wird vor allem

zur Bekämpfung von Tumoren in der Nähe besonders

empfindlicher Organe wie zum Beispiel Gehirn,

Rückenmark, Sehnerven, Lunge und Leber angewendet.

Die Behandlung dauert einige Wochen und

wird ambulant durchgeführt.

Heuer werden bei MedAustron etwa 150 Patienten

mit Protonen behandelt werden. Schon bald werden

darunter auch Kinder sein, für die diese Form

der Therapie aufgrund des vulnerablen Gewebes im

Wachstum besonders vielversprechend ist. Parallel

wird ab 2018 auch die Therapie mit Kohlenstoffionen

in Wiener Neustadt verfügbar sein. Im Vollbetrieb

ab 2020 werden rund 1.000 Patienten jährlich

bei MedAustron so noch mehr Hoffnung im Kampf

gegen den Krebs finden.

Oben: Perfektes Kunstwerk –

ein Weinetikett von Marzek.

Top: Perfect masterpiece – a wine

label made by Marzek.

Darunter: Sonnentor-Gründer

Johannes Gutmann mit Oma

Zach, authentische Bäuerin aus

der Region Waldviertel.

Below: Sonnentor founder

Johannes Gutmann with

Grandma Zach, authentic and

regional peasant woman from

the Waldviertel region.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LOWER AUSTRIA INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SUCCESS

International erfolgreich in Niederösterreich | Internationally

successful in Lower Austria

Das Weingut Domäne Wachau fertigt

Weine, die sich einer hohen

Exportrate erfreuen.

The Domäne Wachau winery crafts

wines with a high export rate.

BERNDORF BAND

Hochqualitative Stahlbänder und Stahlbandanlagen.

High-quality steel strips and steel

strappings.

berndorf-band.at

MARZEK Etiketten & Packaging

Der Spezialist für (lasergestanzte) Etiketten und

Faltschachteln. The specialist for (laser-stamped)

labels and folding boxes.

marzek.at

Von oben: Hervorragende

Beispiele für internationalen

Erfolg – die Firmen MedAustron,

Diamond Aircraft und

Styx Naturcosmetic.

From top: Excellent examples

for being internationally

succesful: the companies

MedAustron, Diamond Aircraft

and Styx Naturcosmetic.

84 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

If you call the company Sonnentor in Sprögnitz in

the Waldviertel region on the phone, you will

first be welcomed with the soothing company

slogan “Da wächst die Freude“ (happiness grows

here) while you wait to be connected. And the innovative

company owner Johannes Gutmann does indeed

have several good reasons to be happy. He

doesn‘t mind publicly admitting that he was denounced

as crazy at first. After going from farmer‘s

market to farmer‘s market as a one-man-business

with his herbs in the 1980s, he soon became well

known for several reasons. Next to the top-notch organic

products, his trademark look – decades-old

leather trousers and his round red glasses – helped

him facilitate his breakthrough.

Organic expert and market leader

For around 30 years now, Gutmann‘s core business

concept has been founded on sustainable business

practices. For his logo, he selected a laughing

sun with 24 rays, based on the old symbol of the free

and independent Waldviertel farmers. To this day, he

counts on the support of a small agricultural network

whose organic products are marketed both at

home and abroad. A win-win situation for everyone

involved. A big chunk of the generated revenue remains

with the around 300 organic farmers. Sonnentor

is the market leader in Austria with a share of

50% and also operates its own franchising stores. In

Germany, the organic specialist is in the top 3 with a

market share of 25%. Additionally to their herbs and

spices, the company has added further delicacies to

their offer, such as tea, coffee and cocoa – currently

around 900 products. Around 66% of the products

are exported, besides Germany also to France and

Switzerland.

Light & quiet

Ever heard of Diamond Aircraft? The company is

based in Wiener Neustadt, has production facilities

in Canada and China and specialises in the production

of single- and twin-engine light aircrafts. A significant

part of the planes is made up of custom

builds that are used for observation in border control

or environmental protection. This includes the special

aircraft DA42 MPP (Multi Purpose Platform)

which is used around the world. These particularly

quiet aircrafts are equipped with the latest filming

and radar technologies. What‘s even more special

about them: powered by thrift diesel engines, the

MPP can stay up in the air for 12 hours without having

to refuel. Next to the engine, the use of fibrereinforced

synthetic material for the construction of

the aircraft is an additional asset. This material has a

number of advantages over the classic aircraft components

of wood and metal, such as a better surface

finish and higher resistance, with a simultaneously

lower weight.

The modern fight against cancer

Ion therapy is a special form of radiation therapy

that is used against cancer. The therapy centre MedAustron

in Wiener Neustadt has been operational

since the end of last year – in autumn, the scientists

assumed their positions, in December the first patient

therapy took place. The radiation was conducted

with charged particles – with either protons or carbon

ions.

The Austrian ion therapy centre is, incidentally,

one of the most state-of-the-art facilities of this type

INFO:

sonnentor.com

diamond-air.at

medaustron.at

PHOTOS: DOMÄNE WACHAU, MEDAUSTRON, DIAMOND AIRCRAFT, STYX NATURCOSMETIC

in the world. The know-how that the MedAustron

experts have accumulated during the development is

also trusted in Iran where a centre based on the Austrian

facility is going to be built near Teheran.

The difference between ion therapy and regular

radiation therapy is that the ion beam can be controlled

precisely by amending its energy. The radiation

dose can thus be focused on the tumour. This not

only protects the surrounding tissue, but also minimises

potential side effects. Ion therapy is especially

used to combat tumours near sensitive organs, such

as the brain, spine marrow, visual nerves, lung and

liver. Treatment lasts several weeks and is conducted

ambulatory.

This year, 150 patients will be treated with protons

at MedAustron. Very soon, this will include

children, for whom this type of therapy is particularly

promising due to their more vulnerable tissue. At

the same time, the therapy with carbon ions will become

available in Wiener Neustadt starting in 2018.

Launching into full capacity in 2020, around 1,000

patients a year will receive additional hope in their

struggle against cancer thanks to MedAustron.

Lebendige Begegnungen

auf der Schallaburg

DOMÄNE WACHAU

Qualitätsweine mit hoher Exportrate.

Quality wines with a high export rate.

domaene-wachau.at

ERBER GROUP

Biotech-Vorreiter bei innovativen Futtermitteladditiven,

Entgiftung von Mykotoxinen (Schimmelpilze)

sowie biotechnologischem Pflanzenschutz.

Biotech pioneer with innovative fodder additives,

detoxification of mycotoxins (mould) as well as

biotechnological plant protection.

erber-group.net

F/LIST

Begann als Tischlerei, stattet heute Business-Jets

und Luxusjachten aus (z.B. mit Echtsteinboden und

integrierter Heizung). Began as a carpentry, today

fits business jets and luxury yachts (for example,

genuine stone flooring with integrated heating).

f-list.at

IFE

Elektrisch angetriebene Einstiegssysteme für

Schienenfahrzeuge. Electrically powered

entrance systems for rail vehicles.

ife-doors.at

NOVOMATIC

Einer der größten Gaming-Technologiekonzerne

weltweit als Betreiber, Systemgeber und

Software-Entwickler. One of the biggest gaming

technology corporations in the world, acting as

operator, system provider and software developer.

novomatic.com

SCHIEBEL

Entwicklung & Fertigung von hochmodernen

Minenerkennungsgeräten und dem unbemannten

Camcopter (mit Kamera). Development & manufacturing

of state-of-the-art mine recognition

devices and unmanned Camcopter (with camera).

schiebel.net

STYX NATURCOSMETIC

Naturkosmetik aus dem Pielachtal. Natural

cosmetics from the Pielachtal valley.

styx.at

ZKW GROUP

Kompetenzzentrum für hochklassige

Beleuchtungssysteme für die Automobilindustrie.

Competence centre for top-notch lighting

systems for the automotive industry.

zkw-group.com

Die Schallaburg widmet sich in jährlich wechselnden

Ausstellungen aktuellen Fragen unserer Zeit.

Das Zusammenspiel von gegenwartsorientierten

Ausstellungen, historischem Ambiente und

weitläufigem Schlossgarten macht die Schallaburg

zum Lieblingsplatz, der in Erinnerung bleibt!

Ausstellungen am Puls der Zeit

Dieses Jahr beleuchten zwei Ausstellungen mit

einem neugierigen Blick aktuelle Themen unserer

Gesellschaft: Begegnung und Dialog, Freiheit und

Bildung rücken in den Mittelpunkt. Die Ausstellung

„ISLAM“ und die Sonderausstellung „Freyheit durch

Bildung. 500 Jahre Reformation“ schaffen Räume für

lebendigen Austausch!

TIPP:

Am besten lassen sich die Ausstellungen auf einem

geführten Rundgang erleben!

Mehr dazu auf www.schallaburg.at

Schallaburg: 18. März – 5. November 2017

Ausstellungen „Islam“ und „Freyheit durch Bildung.

500 Jahre Reformation“

Mo-Fr: 9.00-17.00 Uhr, Sa, So u. Feiertag: 9.00-18.00 Uhr

Anreise: Vom Bahnhof Melk mit dem Bus WL1 (www.

oebb.at) oder A1 – Abfahrt Melk.

Entgeltliche Einschaltung • Fotos: Daniela Matejschek, Klaus Pichler

LOWER AUSTRIA CULTURE

Viel Raum für Kunst

Plenty of room for art

Text: Rois & Stubenrauch

Ein Museumsneubau für die Landesgalerie und das neue Haus der Geschichte – Niederösterreichs

Museumslandschaft wächst und erlebt gerade einen spannenden Relaunch.

A new museum for the Landesgalerie and the new House of History — Lower Austria‘s museum

landscape is growing and currently going through an exciting renaissance.

Kunst im öffentlichen

Raum

Public art

PHOTOS: OLGA WUKOUNIG; MUSEUM NIEDERÖSTERREICH; KLAUS ENGELMAYER

Niederösterreich hat viel vor was Kunst und

Kultur anbelangt! Ein ambitionierter Museumsneubau

für die Niederösterreichische

Landesgalerie wird bald die Kunstmeile Krems bereichern

und auch in St. Pölten öffnet mit dem Haus der

Geschichte im September ein neues Museum seine

Pforten. Nicht nur die Politik des Bundeslandes befindet

sich also in einem großen Umbruch – auch die

Kunst, stets eine gewichtige Agenda in Niederösterreich,

erlebt gerade einige tiefgreifende Neuerungen.

Markanter Kunstkubus

Noch klafft neben dem Karikaturmuseum auf der

Kremser Kunstmeile eine riesige Baugrube, aus der

die neue Landesgalerie Niederösterreich inzwischen

schon langsam in die Höhe zu wachsen beginnt.

Vom zukünftigen Bau ist im derzeitigen Bauabschnitt

natürlich noch wenig zu erahnen, auf den

Renderings aber fügt sich der markante Baukörper

des renommierten Vorarlberger Architekturbüros

marte.marte bereits kongenial in die Kunstmeile

Krems ein: Große Arkadenbögen öffnen den monolithischen

Museumsbau zum Vorplatz hin. Eine

großzügige Dachterrasse mit Skulpturengarten und

einem fantastischen Ausblick über die Donau krönt

das Gebäude. Das Richtfest ist noch für diesen Sommer

geplant. Im Sommer 2018 wird dann die glanzvolle

Eröffnung gefeiert. Zu sehen sein werden, neben

Wechselausstellungen, Teile der rund 60.000

Werke umfassenden Landessammlungen Niederösterreich,

ergänzt durch die Sammlungen Zambo und

Ploil – mit Meisterwerken wie Egon Schieles „Selbstbildnis

mit Pfauenweste“.

Während derzeit auf der Baustelle mit Hochbetrieb

gearbeitet wird, startet auf der gegenüberliegenden

Straßenseite die Kunsthalle Krems nach einem

Jahr Auszeit mit der Ausstellung „Abstract Painting

Now!“ in ihre dritte Dekade. In den ersten 20 Jahren

ihres Bestehens hat sich das bisherige Flaggschiff der

Kunstmeile Krems mit hochkarätigen Ausstellungen

von Yoko Ono bis Pipilotti Rist international einen

hervorragenden Ruf erarbeitet. Der Ausstellungsraum

Forum Frohner und das Karikaturmuseum

komplettieren die Kunstmeile, die zusammen mit der

neuen Landesgalerie Niederösterreich bald mehr als

7.000 m² Ausstellungsfläche bespielen wird.

Hotspots Krems und St.Pölten

Mit dem Umzug der Kunstsammlung von St.Pölten

in die neue Landesgalerie nach Krems ist auch

der Museumsstandort im Regierungsviertel St. Pölten

mit dem charakteristischen Museumsgebäude

von Hans Hollein einer Neuorientierung unterzogen

worden: Den Platz der Kunst nimmt jetzt das neu

geschaffene Haus der Geschichte ein. Entlang der

wechselvollen Historie Niederösterreichs, als Land

im Zentrum Europas, werden aktuelle Themen wie

Migration oder Nationenbildung abgehandelt. Mit

der groß angelegten Ausstellung „Die umkämpfte

Republik. Österreich 1918-1938“ feiert das neue Museum

am 9. September 2017 seine Eröffnung.

Kunst auf der grünen Wiese

Die Kulturagenda wird in Niederösterreich schon

lange äußerst innovativ gehandhabt. So sprengt etwa

„Kunst im Öffentlichen Raum Niederösterreich“ seit

21 Jahren den geschützten musealen Rahmen und

realisiert, quer über das ganze Land verstreut, künstlerische

Interventionen, Skulpturen und Installationen

im Stadtraum, in Dorfzentren und auf der grünen

Wiese. Etwa der gerade eröffnete

„Horizontalturm“ von Ingo Vetter und Magdalena

Frey, eine 24 Meter lange, begehbare Röhre in einem

Rapsfeld bei Lanzendorf. Ebenso spannend ist

„Counterpoints. Kunst im Park 2017“ mit temporären

künstlerischen Eingriffen im Schlosspark Grafenegg

diesen Sommer, wo u.a. Simon Faithfulls

“Earth-Spin no.1: Grafenegg”, eine überdimensionale,

aus der Wiese gestochene Zahl, welche für die

Erdgeschwindigkeit am Breitengrad Grafeneggs

steht, zu bestaunen ist.

Im kürzlich präsentierten Strategiepapier der

Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung zur Kunst

steht zu lesen: „Entscheidend für Innovation und

Fortschritt sind die Freiräume, in denen Kunst und

Kultur (…) zur Entfaltung gelangen. Daher ist es unsere

politische Verpflichtung, als Land Niederösterreich

den Nährboden aufzubereiten, auf dem Kunst

und Kultur aufblühen und gedeihen können.“ Große

Worte, denen das Land Niederösterreich tatsächlich

auch große Taten folgen lässt.

Lower Austria has much to offer when it comes

to art and culture! An ambitious new museum

building for Lower Austria‘s Landesgalerie will

soon be enriching the art quarter of Krems and St.

Pölten will also be opening a new museum called the

House of History. In other words, it‘s not just politics

that‘s going through a major change at the moment

HAUS DER GESCHICHTE.

Im September 2017 wird der neue Teil

des Museum Niederösterreich in

St. Pölten eröffnet.

HOUSE OF HISTORY.

The new part of the Museum Niederösterreich

in St. Pölten will be opened this

September.

Gelatin, Nase / Nose,

Rossatz 2014.

86 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LOWER AUSTRIA CULTURE

NEUE LANDESGALERIE.

Markanter Museumsneubau für die

Kunstmeile Krems.

Striking new museum building as addition

to the Kunstmeile Krems.

Kunst Niederösterreich | Highlights Sommer 2017

KUNSTHALLE KREMS.

„Abstract Painting Now!“,

Herbert Brandl, Ohne Titel,

2007.

KUNST IM PARK 2017, GRAFENEGG.

„Earth Spin no. 1“ von Simon Faithfull im Schlosspark.

“Earth Spin no. 1“ by Simon Faithfull at Grafenegg‘s park.

– art, always on the agenda and of the utmost importance

in Lower Austria, is currently undergoing a

profound renaissance.

Distinctive art programme

A massive construction pit still dominates the

scene next to the Karikaturmuseum in the art quarter

in Krems, from which the new Lower Austrian

Landesgalerie is slowly beginning to emerge. There

are, of course, not too many signs of the upcoming

building that can be detected from the current building

phase, but based on computer renderings, the

distinctive building project by the renowned architectural

office marte.marte from Vorarlberg will

fit perfectly into the local art quarter. Big arcade arches

at the opening of the monolithic museum invite

into the forecourt, a generous roof terrace with a

sculpture garden and a fantastic view of the Danube

river crowns the rest of the building. The Richtfest

festival is still planned for this summer, then, in summer

2018, the exquisite opening ceremony will be

held. Next to temporary exhibitions, there will be

part of the 60,000 pieces from the Lower Austrian art

collection, complemented by the Zambo and Ploil

collections — including masterpieces such as Egon

Schiele‘s “Self-Portrait with Peacock Waistcoat“.

KARIKATURMUSEUM KREMS.

„Simplicissimus. Eduard Thöny“, Gegensätze/Antagonisms,

1922.

Whilst the construction site is seeing intensive activity,

the Kunsthalle Krems, right across the street, is

launching its third decade of operations with the exhibit

“Abstract Painting Now!“ after a year off. In the

first 20 years of its existence, the flagship of the art

quarter in Krems has amassed an excellent international

reputation with top-notch exhibits by artists

like Yoko Ono and Pipilotti Rist. The exhibition hall

“Forum Frohner“ and the Karikaturmuseum complement

the art quarter which, together with the new

Lower Austrian Landesgalerie, will soon cover more

than 7,000 m² of exhibition space.

Hotspots Krems and St. Pölten

With the relocation of the St. Pölten art collection

to the new Landesgalerie in Krems, the museum premises

in the government district of St. Pölten, with

its characteristic museum building designed by Hans

Hollein, have also undergone a change – the Platz

der Kunst will now be occupied by the newly created

House of History. Along Lower Austria‘s diverse history,

as a province in the centre of Europe, contemporary

topics such as migration as well as nationbuilding

will be explored. With the generously sized

exhibitions “The contested Republic. Austria 1918-

1938“, the museum will celebrate its opening on 9

September 2017.

Art on the green meadows

Lower Austria‘s cultural agenda has been handled

rather innovatively for quite some time now. “Art in

Lower Austria’s Public Spaces“, for example, has been

breaking out of museum walls for 21 years now,

spreading across the entire country and uniting arti-

PHOTOS: MARTE.MARTE; PRIVATSAMMLUNG/WALTER SCHACHINGER; SIMON FAITHFULL; PRIVATSAMMLUNG; NACHLASS WERNER HOFMANN/AUKTIONSHAUS IM KINSKY/PRIVATBESITZ

stic interventions, sculptures and installations in city

centres, village squares and on green meadows. The

recently opened “Horizontal Tower“ by Ingo Vetter

and Magdalena Frey, for example, is a 24-metrelong,

walkable tube within a rapeseed field near Lanzendorf.

Similarly exciting is “Counterpoints. Art in

the Park 2017“ with temporary artistic endeavours in

Grafenegg‘s Schlosspark this summer, where, among

others, Simon Faithfull‘s “Earth-Spin no.1: Grafenegg“,

an over-dimensional number carved into the

grass representing the Earth‘s speed at Grafenegg‘s

latitude, can be admired.

In the recently presented strategic paper of the

Lower Austrian Provincial Government on art, it

says: ”A crucial factor for innovation and progress

are the open spaces in which art and culture (…) can

express themselves. Therefore, it is our political duty,

as the province of Lower Austria, to prepare the breeding

ground from which art and culture can blossom

and thrive.“ Big words, which the province of Lower

Austria has, undoubtedly, followed up to with big

acts.

Abstract Painting Now!

Gerhard Richter, Katharina

Grosse, Sean Scully …

02.07–05.11.2017

Tobias Pils

Untitled

02.07–05.11.2017

Sébastien de Ganay

Transposition and

Reproduction

02.07–15.10.2017

Dominikanerkirche

www.kunsthalle.at

Forum Frohner. Konrad Klaphek, Portait

Werner Hofmann, um 1980

Kunsthalle Krems

„Abstract Painting Now!“, 2.7.-5.11.2017.

kunsthalle.at

Karikaturmuseum

„Eduard Thöny“, bis 10. 09. 2017

karikaturmuseum.at

Forum Frohner

„Hommage an Werner Hofmann: Biennale des

Jeunes de Paris 1967“, bis 1.10.2017

forum-frohner.at

Landesgalerie Niederösterreich

Geplante Eröffnung des neuen Museums:

Sommer 2018.

Planned opening of the new museum:

summer 2018.

landesgalerie-noe.at

Haus der Geschichte

„Die umkämpfte Republik. Österreich 1918-1938“,

10.9.2017-24.3.2019.

museumnoe.at

Schlosspark Grafenegg

„Counterpoints. Kunst im Park 2017“, bis

Oktober 2017.

“Counterpoints. Art in the Park 2017“, until

October 2017.

publicart.at

Reopening 01.07.2017

Bernard Frize, Balaire (Detail), 2015, Galerie nächst St. Stephan © Bildrecht, Wien, 2017, Foto: Markus Wörgötter

88 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

LOWER AUSTRIA STATE EXHIBITION

Aus dem Dornröschenschlaf erwacht

Awakening from the slumber

Diplomaten und Feldherren der Habsburger waren einstige Besitzer von

Schloss Pöggstall im südlichen Waldviertel. Heute kann man dort, im neu

renovierten Anwesen, die Landesausstellung besuchen.

Once upon a time, Habsburg diplomats and generals were the rightful owners

of Pöggstall Castle in the southern region of Waldviertel. Today, anyone can

visit the newly renovated estate and see its Lower Austria State Exhibition.

Text: Daniela Pötzl

PHOTOS: KATRIN FROSCHAUER, KLAUS PICHLER (2), MARTINA SIEBENHANDL

Das Schloss Pöggstall im südlichen Waldviertel

stammt aus dem 13. Jahrhundert. Kasper von

Rogendorf, Rat und Kämmerer Kaiser Friedrichs

III., erwarb das Anwesen 1478 und begann den

großen Umbau der mittelalterlichen Burg zum Schloss.

Von 1795 bis 1919 im Besitz der Habsburger, ist seit

1986 die Marktgemeinde Pöggstall „Schlossherr“. Diese

holte das architektonische Juwel mit gotischen Elementen

und Teilen aus der Renaissance nicht zuletzt

mit der umfassenden und behutsamen Renovierung

um neun Millionen Euro aus dem Dornröschenschlaf.

Denn in einem Schloss-Teil dreht sich dort noch bis

12. November 2017 in der Landesausstellung Niederösterreich

2017 alles um die Geschichte der Rechtsprechung.

Unter dem Titel „Alles was Recht ist“ werden

neben der historischen Entwicklung von Rechtsordnung

und Justizeinrichtungen auch die Themen Strafe

und ihre unterschiedlichsten Formen sowie die Geschichte

der Menschen- und Grundrechte in den Mittelpunkt

gerückt.

Das Waldviertel ist übrigens reich an historischen

Ruinen, Burgen und Schlössern. Ein weiteres sehenswertes

niederösterreichisches Schloss ist die Schallaburg,

in der, nahe bei Melk, zurzeit eine Ausstellung

dem Islam gewidmet ist. In deren Fokus stehen bis 5.

November 2017 muslimische Kulturen in Österreich.

Pöggstall Castle, in the southern region of Waldviertel,

was constructed in the 13th century. Kasper

von Rogendorf, counsel and treasurer of

Emperor Frederick III, acquired the estate in 1478 and

began the enormous construction endeavour of turning

the medieval fort into a castle. Whereas it was owned

by the Habsburg dynasty between 1795 and 1919,

the community of Pöggstall has been the “lord of the

castle“ since 1986. The architectural jewel, with its various

gothic elements as well as several Renaissance details,

was finally awakened from its slumber with a careful

renovation costing around 9 million euro.

After all, part of the castle hosts the Lower Austria

State Exhibition 2017 until 12 November 2017, where

everything regarding the history of jurisprudence is

highlighted. Under the title “Alles was Recht ist“

(‘Bound by Law’), topics such as the historical development

of jurisprudence and various judicial institutions,

as well as punishment in its many forms and the history

of human and fundamental rights will be explored in

depth.

The region of Waldviertel is, incidentally, rich in historic

ruins, forts and castles. Another castle in Lower

Austria worth a visit is Schallaburg Castle near Melk,

where an exhibition dedicated to the religion of Islam is

currently held. The exhibition‘s focus is on Muslim cultures

in Austria and runs until 5 November 2017.

Auf der Schallaburg ist

derzeit eine Ausstellung

dem Islam und muslimischen

Kulturen in Österreich

gewidmet.

At Schallaburg, a current

exhibition is dedicated to the

Islam and Muslim cultures in

Austria.

INFO:

noe-landesausstellung.at

schallaburg.at

Schloss Pöggstall.

Das märchenhafte und neu

renovierte Schloss ist der

Ort der Landesaussstellung

„Alles was Recht ist“.

The fairytale-like and newly

renovated castle is the venue

of the Lower Austria State

Exhibition “Bound by Law“.

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90 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

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A project of:

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SAVOIR VIVRE FINE DINING BY THE WATER

Das süße Nichtstun zelebrieren

Celebrating the art of doing sweet nothing

Text: Daniela Pötzl

Österreichs Badeseen und Gewässer sind Orte, an denen man die Leichtigkeit des Sommers so gut verspüren

kann. Wir zeigen Ihnen, wo man nach einem erfrischenden Bad kulinarisch besonders verwöhnt wird.

Austria‘s swimming lakes and various waters are places where the lightness of the summer can be especially

enjoyed. Here‘s where to go if you want to spoil your taste buds after a refreshing swim in the lake.

PHOTOS: HERBERT LEHMANN; JÖRG LEHMANN, RESTAURANT SAAG

WIEN / VIENNA

Gerade rechtzeitig zur Sommersaison eröffnet: Das Strandcafé an

der Alten Donau wartet mit Köstlichkeiten vom Holzkohlegrill auf.

Opened just in time for the summer season: The Strandcafé at the Old

Danube awaits with delicacies straight from the charcoal grill.

KÄRNTEN / CARINTHIA

Kärntens Top-Küchenchef Hubert Wallner (links) hat nun mit

Martin Kern einen Top-Sommelier im Restaurant an der Seite. Im

Bild oben: Gedämpfte Taubenbrust mit Kräuterseitling-Pak-Choi.

With Martin Kern, Carinthia’s top chef Hubert Wallner (left) has a

top sommelier by his side for his restaurant. Pictured above:

Steamed pigeon breast with king oyster mushrooms and bok choy.

94 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE FINE DINING BY THE WATER

Saiblingsfest

A feast for the char

OBERÖSTERREICH / UPPER AUSTRIA

Im Seehotel Das Traunsee zelebriert Lukas Nagl intensive

Geschmackserlebnisse bei seiner Fischküche. Im Bild oben:

Reinanke am Salzstein.

In the lake hotel Das Traunsee, Lukas Nagl celebrates

intense taste experiences through his fish cuisine. Pictured:

Whitefish with salt stone.

Neuen sommerlichen Glanz gibt es diesen

Sommer in Wien: Nach einem umfangreichen

Umbau werden im legendären Strandcafé

an der Alten Donau (eröffnet 1921) wieder die

Grillfeuer entfacht. Dann brutzeln auf dem – mit

sieben Metern Länge – größten Indoor-Holzkohlegrill

Österreichs die legendären Ripperl, Bratwürste

und Steckerlfische. Nicht fehlen dürfen heimische

Schmankerl (u.a. Tafelspitz), die im Gastgarten und

auf dem Holzfloß serviert werden. Dazu gibt es Original

Budweiser Budvar vom Fass. Auch wenn im

Strandcafé der traditionellen Wiener (Fleisch)Küche

gehuldigt wird, so müssen Liebhaber der fleischlosen

Küche dennoch nicht mit leerem Magen nach

Hause gehen. Auf der Karte finden sich u.a. vegetarisch

gefüllte Paprika mit Paradeissauce und Salzkartoffeln

– auch für Veganer geeignet.

Mega-Projekt am Neusiedlersee

Ein absolutes Mega-Projekt wurde in den vergangenen

Monaten im Burgenland in Weiden am Neusiedler

See verwirklicht. Beinahe wäre es nicht zustande

gekommen. Anfangs war der Widerstand der

örtlichen Bevölkerung recht groß. Mit „Das Fritz“

verwirklicht Neusiedls Top-Gastronom Fritz Tösch

den Traum der grandiosen Location auf 1.400 m 2 direkt

am See, mit Schilffassade und einer kolportierten

Bausumme von sechs Millionen Euro. Unterstützt

wird er von seinen Töchtern Judith und Vera.

Seine beiden Lokale, das Landgasthaus Nyikospark

und die Pizzeria Da Capo wird er in Zukunft zusammenlegen.

Das See-Lokal soll dann ganzjährig geöffnet

sein.

Neu am Herd

Im Seehotel Grundlsee im steirischen Salzkammergut

schwingt nun der Niederösterreicher Matthias

Schütz den Kochlöffel, der unter anderem Küchenchef

im Hotel Wiesergut in Hinterglemm und

im Fontana Restaurant in Oberwaltersdorf war. Sein

Stil ist sehr von Thorsten Probosts Kräuterküche

vom Burg Vital Resort beeinflusst – mehr als zwei

Jahre kochte Matthias Schütz an der Seite des „Koch

des Jahres 2008“. Bei seinem eigenen Küchen-Stil

nehmen Regionalität, Nachhaltigkeit und Saisonalität

einen großen Stellenwert ein. Natürlich dürfen

auch Süßwasserfische auf seiner Karte nicht fehlen

– den traditionellen Ausseer Saibling zelebriert er

gerne und zwar vor allem sanft gegart. Die Gerichte

genießen Gäste im Restaurant Seeplatz’l, auf der See-

PHOTOS: TRAUNSEEHOTELS.AT; RESTAURANT MANGOLD, JÖRG LEHMANN, BEIGESTELLT

VORARLBERG

Im Restaurant Mangold in Lochau, unweit des Bodensees, lässt es sich herrlich verweilen.

Verwöhnt wird man z.B. mit Seesaibling mit Entenleber (im Bild).

In the restaurant Mangold in Lochau, not far from Bodensee lake, you can spend a truly splendid

time. The team will spoil you with lake char with duck liver (pictured), among other treats.

terrasse, im Seepavillion oder bei einer Ausfahrt mit

einer der traditionellen Plätt’n am Grundlsee.

Vom Bodensee an den Wörthersee

Laut Falstaff-Restaurant Guide ist Hubert Wallners

See Restaurant Saag einmal mehr das beste Restaurant

Kärntens. Nun hat er hochkarätigen Zuwachs

im Team: Sommelier Martin Kern wechselte

vom Appenzellerland hoch über dem Bodensee an

das Ufer am Wörthersee. Kern agierte zuvor als Sommelier

im Palais Coburg und Sofitel in Wien, wechselte

danach an den Vierwaldstätter See in die

Schweiz, ins Schloss Fuschl im Salzburger Land,

abermals ins Palais Coburg und zuletzt ins Schweizer

Gourmetrestaurant Incantare (u. a. 1 Michelin-

Stern) im Gasthaus zur Fernsicht.

Der Saibling fühlt sich in jenen tiefen Seen des Ausseerlandes

und des Salzkammergutes besonders wohl, die von

Gletscherwasser gespeist werden. Vom 23. bis 25. Juni 2017

feiert eine Reihe von Ausseerland-Gastronomen den Beginn

der Wildfang-Saison mit einem köstlichen Fest, bei dem sich

alles um diese Fisch-Spezialität der Region dreht.

The char is at home in the deep lakes of the Aussee and the

Salzkammergut regions that are filled with glacial water.

Between 23 and 25 June 2017, a number of gastronomers

from the Aussee region celebrate the beginning of the

fishing season with a delicious festival where everything

will revolve around the region’s fish specialities.

salzkammergut.at

CAFÉ AM HOF outside terrace - Enjoy the summer.

96 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Café Am Hof

Am Hof 2 - 1010 Wien

Tel. +43 1 22740 1236

www.cafe-amhof.vienna.com

cafeamhof.vienna@hyatt.com

Café Am Hof: Open daily

Schanigarten: Open daily from 8am to 11pm

Every year from April until October, the Boutique coffeehouse opens its charming outdoor

terrace - a great location in which to see and be seen. Start your day with a balanced, lovingly

compiled breakfast or choose individually from the A la carte menu. Get spoiled with light

menus and refresh on hot summer days with one of our homemade lemonades. Savor the

balmy summer evenings and enjoy a delicious cocktail from the outside pop-up bar. Discover

a place that encourages visitors to linger, a place of relaxation and refreshment – the perfect

place for enjoying the summer.

SAVOIR VIVRE FINE

DINING BY THE WATER

INFO

TIROL / TYROL

Der bis zu 133 m tiefe Achensee, nahe Jenbach,

ist der größte See Tirols. The Achensee, close to

Jenbach, is the biggest lake in Tyrol and is down to

133 metres deep.

Geheimtipps für See-Fans | Insider tips for lake aficionados

Adressen

Addresses

Wien. Vienna.

strandcafe-wien.at

kaisermuehle.at

ufertaverne.at

gasthausbirner.at

kleeamhanslteich.at

mottoamfluss.at

strandbarherrmann.at

Niederösterreich.

Lower Austria.

seewirtshaus.at

Steiermark. Styria.

seehotelgrundlsee.at

schlosshotel-seewirt.at

Kärnten. Carinthia.

saag-ja.at

forellemueller.at

Oberösterreich.

Upper Austria.

dastraunsee.at

Salzburg.

salzburgerhof.at

schlossfuschl.com

derseehof.at

Tirol. Tyrol.

kulinarikhotel-alpin.at

parkhotel-tristachersee.at

Vorarlberg.

restaurant-mangold.at

montafonerhof.com

pleifersengel.at

Weissensee.

SALZBURG

Lukas Schmiderer vom Salzburgerhof am Zeller See ist

»Pâtissier des Jahres 2017«. Er kreiert fantastische Desserts

und nicht zuletzt handgeschöpfte Pralinen.

Lukas Schmiderer from Salzburgerhof at lake Zell is the

“Pâtissier of the Year 2017”. He specialises in creating fantastic

desserts, and, last but not least, handmade pralines.

STEIERMARK / STYRIA

Die Gerichte aus der Küche von Mathias Schütz kann man im

Restaurant Seeplatz’l, auf der Seeterrasse, im Seepavillon

oder bei einer Ausfahrt mit einer der traditionellen Plätt’n am

Grundlsee genießen.

The dishes from Mathias Schütz’s kitchen can be enjoyed in the

restaurant Seeplatz’l on the lake terrace, in the lake pavillion or

on a ride on the Grundlsee lake with a traditional Plätt’n boat.

There is a new seasonal delight to be discovered

in Vienna this summer — after an extensive

reconstruction period, the legendary

Strandcafé at the Old Danube (opened in 1921) will

see its barbeque fires rekindled once again. That means

that it’s time for the legendary ‘Ripperl’ ribs,

Bratwurst and Steckerlfisch dishes to sizzle on

Austria’s largest indoor charcoal grill with its 7 metres

in length. Of course, a number of local delicacies

will be available as well (such as the famed Tafelspitz),

which will be served in the outdoor area and

on a wooden raft. Original Budweiser Budvar on

draught will please beer aficionados. And even

though the Strandcafé is a temple for traditional Viennese

(meat) cuisine, lovers of meatless dishes won’t

be going home with empty stomachs. Vegetarian dishes

such as filled bell peppers with tomato sauce

and salted potatoes, also suitable for vegans, can also

be found on the menu.

Mega project at Lake Neusiedl

In the last few months, a large project was realised

in Burgenland in Weiden at Lake Neusiedl. The project

almost failed to materialise, as the pushback

from the local community was relatively strong.

With “Das Fritz“, Neusiedl‘s top chef Fritz Tösch finally

gets to realise his dream of a grandiose location

across an area of 1,400 m 2 right by the lake, with a

reed façade and an estimated construction sum of six

million euro. He was supported in his endeavour by

his daughters Judith and Vera. His two eateries, the

country inn Nyikospark and the pizzeria Da Capo

will be merged in the future. The lake restaurant will

then be opened throughout the year.

New at the stove

In the Seehotel Grundlsee in the Styrian Salzkammergut

region, the kitchen is now run by the Lower

Austrian chef Matthias Schütz, who was already the

head chef at the Wiesergut hotel in Hinterglemm as

well as in the Fontana restaurant in Oberwaltersdorf.

His style is very much influenced by Thorsten

Probost‘s herbal cuisine from the Burg Vital Resort.

In his own approach to cooking, local produce, sus-

PHOTOS: PAUL DAHAN, DOMINIK WARTBICHLER, JÖRG LEHMANN; HARALD EISENBERGER; TVB WEISSENSEE, TVB ACHENSEE, BEIGESTELLT

tainability and seasonal cooking are of particular importance.

And fresh water fish is, of course, an intrinsic

part of his menu — he is very fond of the

Aussee char, especially when gently simmered.

Guests at the Seeplatz‘l restaurant can enjoy the dishes

on the lake terrace, in the lake pavillion or during

a ride on the Grundlsee lake with a traditional

Plätt‘n boat.

From Bodensee to Wörthersee

According to the Falstaff Restaurant Guide, Hubert

Wallner‘s lake restaurant Saag is the best eatery

in Carinthia. Now, some top-notch additions are joining

his team — sommelier Martin Kern has traded

the Appenzell region high above Bodensee lake for

the shore of Wörthersee lake. Kern had previously

acted as a sommelier at Palais Coburg and at the Sofitel

in Vienna, then switched to the Vierwaldstätter

lake in Switzerland, to Fuschl Palace in Salzburger-

Land, again to Palais Coburg and then to the Swiss

gourmet restaurant Incantare (1 Michelin star,

among other awards) in Gasthaus zur Fernsicht.

Your personal contact

STEIERMARK/ STYRIA

Stubenbergsee

Der drei Kilometer lange Rundweg ist eine ideale Lauf -und Skatestrecke am See. For jogging

and skating, the circular path of 3 km is waiting for you. apfelland.info

KÄRNTEN / CARINTHIA

Pressegger See

Die “Badewanne des Gailtals“ ist sein Spitzname, mit bis zu 28 Grad warmem (Trink)wasser.

His nickname is „Gailtal‘s bathtube“, with temperatures up to 28 degrees of the (drinking)

water. nassfeld.at

OBERÖSTERREICH / UPPER AUSTRIA

Traunsee

Er gilt als Mekka für Segler. The Traunsee is a mekka for sailers. traunsee.at

SALZBURG

Wolfgangsee

Bei meist über 24° Wassertemperatur lädt der Wolfgangsee zum Baden ein. With temperatures

mostly above 24° C, the Wolfgangsee invites to a swim. wolfgangsee.at

VORARLBERG

Bodensee

Das Bregenzer Strandbad ist die größte Strandbad-Anlage am gesamten Bodensee. The lido in

Bregenz is the biggest outdoor pool of its kind at the Bodensee. bodensee-vorarlberg.com

Rooms & Suites

SUBTLE. NOBLE. VIENNESE.

98 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Florian Ollmann

Assistant Director of Sales

+43 (1) 236 1000 8031

florian.ollmann@kempinski.com

Schottenring 24 | 1010 Vienna

www.kempinski.com/vienna

Classic design meets Viennese elements. 98 double

rooms, ranging from 344 to 570 square feet in size,

54 suites ranging from 538 to 732 square feet, the largest

presidential suite in town and two elegant penthouse

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the perfect atmosphere at Palais Hansen Kempinski.

Special Embassy rates available.

SAVOIR VIVRE CONNOISSEUR

Essen und trinken mit Stil

Wine and dine in style

Die süßeste Versuchung | Sweetest temptation

Sonja und Julia Wojta haben als innovatives Mutter-Tochter-Gespann

bereits erfolgreich gezeigt, wie fulminant Süßspeisen schmecken

können. Fünf Jahre nach dem Start der Julie Cake Pop Bakery legen die

beiden nun noch eins drauf und erfreuen an ihrem fixen Standort im

achten Bezirk mit Pâtisserie und Frühstück at its best.

The innovative mother-daughter team Sonja and Julia Wojta have

already successfully shown how delicious sweet desserts and

pastries can taste. Five years after the launch of the Julie Cake Pop

Bakery the two now take it one step further. They are delighted with

their permanent location in the eighth district offering patisserie

and breakfast at its best.

cremedelacreme.at

Text: Daniela Pötzl

Amador am Grill

Amador at the grill

Der mit seinem „Amador’s

Wirtshaus und Greisslerei“ in

Wien beheimatete spanische

Sternekoch Juan Amador,

übernahm nun auch die

kulinarische Regie im

Restaurant „Kitch Grill & Bar by

Juan Amador“ in der

Innenstadt. Die Küchenlinie:

Fleisch- und Fischgerichte vom

800° High End-Grill sowie

einem Holzkohlegrill, mit Steaks

vom österreichischen Bio-Rind

bis zum japanischen Kobe-Beef.

Mit kleiner und feiner Bar sowie

Tanzfläche und DJs, die am

Wochenende Tanzfreudige

mobilisieren wollen.

Spanish star cook Juan

Amador, known for the

well-established “Amador‘s

Wirtshaus und Greisslerei“ in

Vienna, now also took over the

culinary lead in the restaurant

“Kitch Grill & Bar by Juan

Amador“ in the city centre.

On the menu, you will find

meat and fish dishes from the

800° high-end grill as well as

a charcoal grill, steaks from

Austrian organic beef and

Japanese Kobe beef. A small

and elegant bar as well as

dance floor is the realm of the

DJs who aim to mobilise

people to dance the night

away during the weekend.

kitch.at

PHOTOS: BUREAU RABENSTEINER, GÖLLES, FUNCO/KURT MICHAEL WESTERMANN, RAFAELA PRÖLL, LUKAS ILGNER,

BEIGESTELLT

Multifunktional

Multifunctional

Dieser Grill sollte in keinem wohlbestückten Haushalt fehlen. Mit dem Funco Gerät kann man nicht nur sitzend oder

stehend grillen, sondern mit speziellem Zubehör auch gleich Getränke kühlen. Ein Hoch auf den Sommer!

This grill is a must for each well-stocked household. With a Funco you will be able to grill while seating or standing

as well as cool your drinks with special additional equipment in hot times. A cheer for the summer!

funco.at

Nicht nur für Gegner | Not only for the opposition

Essig- und Schnapslegende Alois Gölles und Sohn David sagten Ja zur Loslösung vom traditionellen

britischen Single Malt. Und schufen aus Mais, Roggen, Gerste, Weizen und Dinkel von hauseigenen

Feldern den Brexit Whiskey. Sorgsam vergoren und behutsam destilliert, wird er danach über Jahre in

Eichenfässern gelagert.

Alois Gölles and son David said yes to shifting away from the traditional British single malt. Made

from corn, rye, barley, wheat and spelt grown on their own fields they produced the Brexit Whiskey.

Carefully fermented and skilfully distilled, it is then stored for years in oak barrels.

goelles.at

TOP 5 OPENINGS

Neu in Wien | New in Vienna

600 Weine glasweise

/ 600 wines by the glass

just-taste.com

Peter Zinter am Herd

/ Peter Zinter at the stove

heunisch.at

Hort guten Kaffees

/ Good coffee stronghold

jhornig.com

Currywurst & Schaumwein

/ Currywurst & sparkling wine

zurflottencharlotte.at

2 Sommeliers, 1 Koch

/ 2 sommeliers, 1 chef

mast.wine

100 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE SUITE DREAMS

Suite Dreams

Hilton Vienna Plaza, Presidential Suite

Interview: Rois & Stubenrauch

Wien als Drehscheibe internationaler Diplomatie, UNO-Standort und Schauplatz gewichtiger Konferenzen

verfügt über eine beeindruckende Dichte an Hotels, die den Ansprüchen höchster Würdenträger

und Staatsgäste gerecht werden. Cercle Diplomatique hat Hotelmanager Matthias Welzel um ein paar Worte

zur Presidential Suite des 2014 rundum erneuerten Hilton Vienna Plaza gebeten.

Vienna, as a hub for international diplomacy, UN location and the setting for key conferences, possesses

an impressive array of hotels which are guaranteed to fulfil the demands of the highest of dignitaries and

state guests alike. Cercle Diplomatique has asked Hotel Manager Matthias Welzel to talk a little about the

Presidential Suite of the Hilton Vienna Plaza, which was completely revamped in 2014.

PHOTOS: BERND DUCKE, JONATHAN COSH OF VISUAL EYE (5)

Das Hilton Vienna Plaza wurde 2014 im Stil des Art Déco

grundlegend erneuert – auf welche Weise erleben die Gäste

der Presidential Suite diesen Spirit der 1920er-Jahre?

Nicht nur die Einrichtung des renommierten Londoner Designstudios

Robert Angell wurde von den goldenen 1920er-Jahren

inspiriert, auch die kleinen Extras lassen die Epoche des Art Déco

aufblühen. Auf Wunsch richtet das Plaza Team etwa eine offene

Minibar ein, wie man es noch aus Filmen der 1920er Jahren kennt.

Erlebbar wird das Flair der 1920er-Jahre auch in der persönlichen

und authentischen Betreuung durch unsere „Plaza-Hosts“, welche

die besondere Stimmung der Zeit verinnerlicht haben und als

direkte Ansprechpartnerinnen und Ansprechpartner unserer

Gäste, von der Begrüßung bis zur Verabschiedung, jeden Wunsch

erfüllen.

Welche luxuriösen Features stehen den Gästen der Suite

zur Verfügung?

In der 154 m2 großen Presidential Suite erleben die Gäste Platz,

Stil und modernen Luxus durch separate Wohn-, Ankleide-,

Ess- und Arbeitsbereiche. Eine exklusive Küche ermöglicht die

Zubereitung spezieller Mahlzeiten. Am großen Esstisch finden bis

zu acht Personen Platz. Der passende Wein zum Dinner kann aus

der eigenen, begehbaren Weinbar gewählt werden und danach

genießt man den fantastischen Ausblick auf die berühmte

Ringstraße und den Stephansdom von der eigenen privaten

Dachterrasse aus.

Was unterscheidet das markante Gebäude des Hilton

Vienna Plaza von den historischen Ringstraßenbauten?

Als letzter kriegsbedingter Neubau an der Ringstraße wurde das

Plaza im Oktober 1988 feierlich eröffnet. Das Haus fügt sich

harmonisch ins Ensemble der Wiener Ringstraße ein: Das goldene

Messinggeländer um den oberen Gebäudeteil und das Blattgold

der Figuren auf den Metallreliefs sind Anspielungen auf die

gegenüberliegende Börse. Man wagte aber den Sprung weg von

der sonst üblichen Einrichtung zu einer sehr individuellen

Ausstattung im Stil der Klassischen Moderne, die sowohl bei

Wienern als auch internationalen Gästen großen Anklang findet.

Welche prominenten Gäste durften Sie bereits in der Suite

empfangen?

Ohne Namen zu nennen, haben wir in der Presidential Suite und

den Royal Suiten Stars und Sternchen aus Wirtschaft, Politik und

dem Showbusiness empfangen dürfen. Als große Ehre und

Anerkennung empfand ich das Privileg, Royalty in der Suite

empfangen zu dürfen.

In 2014, the Hilton Vienna Plaza was completely redesigned

in Art Déco style — in what ways do the guests of the

Presidential Suite get to experience the spirit of the 1920s?

The interior design by the renowned London design studio Robert

Angel was not the only thing that was inspired by the 1920s, but it’s

also the little things that really lead to the blossoming of the Art Déco

era. On request, the Plaza team will be happy to set up the kind of open

mini bar that you can frequently see in films from the 1920s. You can

also experience the flair of the 1920s through the personal and

authentic assistance by our “Plaza Hosts“, who have internalised the

special sentiment of the period and are happy to fulfil our guests’ each

and every wish, from the welcoming to the farewell, acting as direct

points of contact with the hotel.

What kind of luxurious features are available to guests?

In the 154-m2-sized Presidential Suite, guests will experience space,

style and modern luxury via separate living, dressing, eating and

working areas. An exclusive kitchen allows for the preparation of

special dishes and up to eight people can be seated at the generous

eating table. The perfect wine for the perfect dinner can be selected

via the exclusive, walkable wine display, and afterward you can enjoy

the fantastic view of the famous Ringstrasse and St. Stephen‘s

Cathedral from your very own private roof terrace.

What differentiates the distinct building of the Hilton Vienna

Plaza from the historic Ringstrasse buildings?

As the last war-related reconstruction on the Ringstrasse, the

Plaza was festively inaugurated in October 1988. The building fits

harmoniously into the ensemble of the Viennese Ringstrasse — the

golden brass rails around the upper part of the building and the

gold leaf of the figures on the metal relief are allusions to the stock

exchange just across the street. However, there was also a jump

from the usual design elements to very individualised furnishing in

a classically modern style, which appeals to both the Viennese as

well as international guests alike.

Which famous guests have you already received in the suite?

Without naming names, we‘ve welcomed stars from business,

politics and the entertainment industry to the Presidential Suite

and the Royal Suites. I felt particularly honoured by the privilege of

welcoming royalty to the Suite.

Hotelmanager Matthias

Welzel über die Presidential

Suite des Hilton Vienna

Plaza

Hotel Manager Matthias

Welzel on the Presidential

Suite of the Hilton Vienna

Plaza

INFO:

HILTON VIENNA PLAZA

Schottenring 11

1010 Wien

Tel.: +43 1 313900

hiltonhotels.de/oesterreich/

SAVOIR VIVRE HIDEAWAYS

Wunderbare Fluchten

Great Escapes

Zeit für eine sommerliche Auszeit? Wir haben vier Empfehlungen für Sie! |Time for a summer break? We’ve got four recommendations for you!

Romantik Hotel Schloss Pichlarn

MEHR ENTSPANNUNG

MORE RELAXATION

Ansicht eines Doppelzimmers (oben) und der außergewöhnliche

18-Loch-Golfplatz gleich beim Hotel (r.).

View of a double room (top) and the exceptional golf court

with 18 holes next to the hotel (r.).

104 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Die Gastgeber sind Hoteldirektor

Engelbert Lainer-Wartenberg und

Resident Manager Ines Wohlmuther-

Maier (oben); links der Außenpool

mit imposanter Bergkulisse.

General Manager Engelbert

Lainer-Wartenberg and Resident

Manager Ines Wohlmuther-Maier are

the hosts (top);

the outdoor pool with impressing

mountain setting (left).

PHOTOS: RICHARD SCHABETSBERGER, ANDREAS WALCHER; GREGOR HOFBAUER; PHILIPP KREIDL, UWE TOELLE

Auf einer Anhöhe im steirischen Ennstal steht das 1.000

Jahre alte Schloss Pichlarn vor der Kulisse des

mächtigen Berg Grimming und empfängt seine Gäste als ihr

Kraftplatz für Gesundheit, Golf und Genuss. Die 96 Zimmer

und Suiten, mit für das Schloss eigens entworfenen Möbeln

und Stoffen, garantieren ein unvergleichliches Wohlfühlerlebnis

und verfügen über einen traumhaften Ausblick auf die

umliegende Landschaft.

Zum Ruhe und Kraft tanken bietet das Schloss einen 4.500

m2 Wellnessbereich und SPA mit einem Außenpool, einem

Innenpool, drei Whirlpools und sechs Saunen, einem

Ayurvedabereich sowie einem ausgewählten Angebot an

Massagen und Beautybehandlungen.

Golfer haben den Abschlag auf dem hoteleigenen

18-Loch-Golfplatz direkt vor der Hoteltüre. Das Schloss

Resort bietet je zwei Innen- und Außentennisplätze sowie

einen Beachvolleyballplatz.

Die Hauben gekrönte Kulinarik genießen Gäste in den vier

Restaurants des Schlosses. Exquisite Weine werden mit

dem Sommelier in der Weinlounge verkostet. Whiskey und

Zigarre genießen Gäste im Roten Salon, erfrischende

Cocktails in der Schloss Bar.

High up in the Styrian Ennstal valley, you will find the

1000-year-old Pichlarn Castle right in front of the

impressive scenery of the mighty Grimming mountain,

receiving visitors with its special energy and providing

health, golfing and indulgence. The 96 rooms and suites,

with furniture and fabrics specially designed for the castle,

promise unforgettable moments of wellbeing and delight

with dreamy views across the surrounding landscape.

For relaxing and rejuvenating, the castle provides a 4,500

m2 wellness area with a spa and an outdoor pool, an indoor

pool, three whirlpools and six saunas, an Ayurveda area as

well as selected offers for massages and beauty treatments.

Golf enthusiasts will get to test their skills at the in-house

18-hole golf course right in front of the hotel. Furthermore,

the castle resort provides two indoor and outdoor tennis

courts as well as a beach volleyball court.

The castle’s award-winning cuisine delight guests in the

four restaurants. Exquisite wines can be sampled with the

sommelier in the wine longue. Whiskey and cigars are

enjoyed in the Red Saloon, whereas refreshing cocktails are

provided in the Castle Bar.

INFO:

Romantik Hotel Schloss Pichlarn

Zur Linde 1

8943 Aigen im Ennstal

Tel.: +43/(0) 3682/24 440-0

schlosspichlarn.at

Ruby Lissi Hotel Vienna

Holzböden, Kirschholzvertäfelungen sowie edle Stoffe und

tolle Betten warten in der Neueröffnung im ehemaligen

Kloster, nahe Schwedenplatz und Stephansdom. Mit coolem

E-Gitarren-Verleih und einer Bar, die für Hotelgäste rund um

die Uhr zur Verfügung steht.

Wooden floors, cherry wood panels, exquisite fabrics and

amazing beds await you in the newly opened hotel in the

former monastery near Schwedenplatz square and St.

Stephen’s Cathedral. It includes a neat electric guitar rental

service and a bar open to hotel guests 24 hours a day.

ruby-hotels.com

Schüttkasten

Die bekannte Wachauer Hoteliersfamilie Pichler ist neuer

Gastgeber in diesem nostalgischen Ambiente im

niederösterreichischen Waldviertel. Und so heißt der

Schüttkasten, ein klösterliches Gutsgebäude, nunmehr

Kunst & Kultur Seminarhotel Geras.

Wachau’s renowned hotel family Pichler is the new host at

the nostalgic atmosphere in Waldviertel in Lower Austria.

And this is why Schüttkasten, a monastic building, is now

known as the Art & Culture Seminar Hotel Geras.

schuettkasten-geras.at

Schlosswirt zu Anif

Am Rande der Festspielstadt

Salzburg gelegen, ist der

Biedermeier-Gasthof ein Hort

feinster österreichischer Küche

und Weinkultur. Das Gästebuch

spiegelt die Begeisterung

zahlreicher internationaler Künstler wider. Mit urigen

Zimmern zum längeren Verbleib.

Located on the outskirts of the festival city of Salzburg, the

Biedermeier Guesthouse is a refuge with the finest

selections from Austria’s cuisine and wine culture. The

guestbook reflects the enthusiasm of the many international

artists who have visited here. The rustic rooms will make you

want to stay even longer. schlosswirt-anif.at

SAVOIR VIVRE TRAVEL

Fernweh

Itchy Feet

Die besten Hotels und Restaurants aus aller Welt. | The best hotels and restaurants around the world.

Text: Gerald Sturz

Insel Kos | Island of Kos

Casa Cook Kos

Thailand

Robinson Club Khao Lak

Mit Beginn der Wintersaison 2017 erwartet Sonnenhungrige und Erholungssuchende an der

Westküste Thailands, etwa 85 Kilometer von Phuket entfernt, der Robinson Club Khao Lak. Er ist

der erste Robinson Club in Thailand. Er liegt inmitten des nahezu unberührten Khao Lak

Regenwaldes, direkt an einem herrlich langen und flachen Sandstrand an der Andamanensee,

dem Pak Weep Beach. Der Club hat 320 Zimmer und Villen in einer Größe von bis zu 350

Quadratmetern und ist insbesondere für Paare und Singles, aber auch für Familien mit Kindern

geeignet. Zur Anlage gehören fünf Pools sowie zwei Kinderpools inklusive kleinen Wasserrutschen.

Kulinarisch können sich Gäste in vier Restaurants verwöhnen lassen und auf Vollpension

„made by Robinson“ freuen. Für Kinder ab drei Jahren wird es einen Roby Club geben.

Sportlichen Gästen wird viel geboten werden: Tennis, Fuß-, Volley- und Basketball sowie

Bogenschießen. Wassersportler können sich im Stand-Up Paddling und Kajakfahren üben. Die

attraktiven Ausflugsoptionen reichen von Trekking, Radfahren oder Strandspaziergängen an den

kilometerlangen Stränden von Khao Lak bis hin zu Ausflügen in zahlreiche National- und

Marineparks, wie z.B. die berühmten Similan Islands, einem der schönsten Tauch- und

Schnorchelreviere weltweit.

At the beginning of the 2017 winter season, those craving sunshine and relaxation at Thailand’s

beautiful west coast will be greeted by the Robinson Club Khao Lak located approximately 85

kilometres from Phuket. It lies amid the nearly untouched Khao Lak rainforest, directly by a long

and flat sandy beach at the Andaman Sea, the Pak Weep Beach. The club has 320 rooms and

villas up to 350 m2 big and particularly suitable for couples and singles, but also for families

with children. Part of the facility is comprised of five swimming pools as well as kids’ pools with

little water slides. In terms of cuisine, guests can be spoilt in four different restaurants and can

look forward to an excellent full board service ”made by Robinson“. For children aged three

years and older, there is the Roby Club. There is always plenty on offer for athletic guests as well

— tennis, football, volleyball and basketball as well as archery. Water sports enthusiasts get to

test their stand-up paddling and kayaking skills. The attractive excursion programme includes

trekking, cycling and beach walks along the kilometre-long beaches of Khao Lak as well as trips

to the countless national and marine parks such as the famous Similan Islands for example, one

of the most beautiful diving and snorkelling areas in the world.

robinson.com

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT

An einem der schönsten Küstenabschnitte der

griechischen Insel Kos, im Norden nahe der Ortschaft

Marmari, dort, wo das weite Tal auf das blaue Meer

trifft, eröffnet am 1. Juli die Casa Cook Kos, das zweite

Haus der neuen Lifestyle-Kollektion von Thomas Cook.

Die Villen sind von den traditionellen Häusern der

Inseln inspiriert. Sie sind einfach gestaltet und

dennoch stilvoll, die Atmosphäre ist lässig. Ein guter

Ort für einen entspannten Sommerurlaub am Meer.

On one of the most beautiful coastal stretches on the

Greek islands of Kos, up north near the town of

Marmari where the wide valley meets the blue sea,

the Casa Cook Kos opened on 1 July, the 2nd spot of

the new lifestyle collection by Thomas Cook. The

villas are inspired by the traditional houses on the

islands, are decorated in a low key and yet stylish way,

the atmosphere is casual. A great place to spend a

relaxing summer holiday by the sea.

casacook.com

Istrien | Istria

Kempinski Hotel Adriatic

Im Nordwesten Istriens, nahe der Ortschaft Savudrija, befindet sich das Kempinski Hotel Adriatic, Kroatiens

erstes Fünf-Sterne Golf- und Spa-Resort. Das Hotel hat 186 Zimmer und Suiten; zur Ausstattung gehören

zwei Gourmet Restaurants, drei Bars, ein 3.000 Quadratmeter großes Spa samt Gym, ein Kempinski Kids

Club, eine eigene Kapelle, die sich bestens für Hochzeiten eignet. Das alles ist von einem großzügigen

mediterranen Park umgeben. Wer Lust auf Meer hat, der findet einen vom Resort betreuten Strand. Wer hier

Meetings und Konferenzen abhalten will, mehrere Konferenzsäle im Hotel und ein Konferenzzentrum am

Strand, von dem man einen wunderbaren Blick aufs Meer hat. Der Golf Club Adriatic ist der erste

18-Loch-Championship-Golf-Course in Istrien.

In the north-west of Istria, near the town of Savudrija, you will find the Kempinski Hotel Adriatic, Croatia’s

first five-star golf and spa resort. The hotel has 186 rooms and suites. Part of the amenities are two gourmet

restaurants, three bars, a 3,000 m 2 spa and gym, a Kempinski Kids Club and a chapel, perfectly suited for

weddings. All this is surrounded by a generous Mediterranean park. Those excited to be at the sea will

enjoy the resort-managed beach, whereas others interested in meetings and conferences will have access

to several conference halls in the hotel as well as a conference centre by the beach with a gorgeous view

onto the sea. The Golf Club Adriatic is the first 18-hole championship golf course in Istria.

kempinski.com

New York City

Chinese Tuxedo Restaurant

Einer von New Yorks aktuellen kulinarischen Hotspots befindet sich in einer abgelegenen Ecke Chinatowns,

in der Doyers Street. Die hat einen legendären Ruf. Einst trugen die Triaden hier ihre Bandenkämpfe aus und

so wurde jener Knick, den die recht kurze und L-förmige Straße macht, ehrfurchtsvoll „The Bloody Angle“

genannt. Heute ist die Doyers Street eine sichere Straße. Das “Chinese Tuxedo“, so heißt das Restaurant,

befindet sich in einem ehemaligen Opernhaus, was zu seinem sehr theatralischen Ambiente beiträgt. Hier

gibt es nun wagemutige neo-chinesische Küche, vor allem die Dumplings werden sehr geschätzt.

One of New York’s current culinary hotspots is located in a remote corner in Chinatown, in Doyers Street. It

has a legendary reputation. Once upon a time, the Triads held their gang fights here and thus the little bend,

made by the relatively short, L-shaped street, got to be known as “the Bloody Angle“. Today, Doyers Street

is completely safe. The “Chinese Tuxedo“ restaurant is located in a former opera house, contributing to the

very theatrical atmosphere. Today it’s a place for courageous neo-Chinese cuisine, especially the dumplings

are highly valued here.

chinesetuxedo.com

106 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE TRAVEL

ROBINSON Club Nobilis

New York City

Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

„Downtown New York hat sich zu einem der lebendigsten Viertel der Stadt entwickelt“, sagt Peter Humig, General

Manager dieses neuen Hotels von Four Seasons. „Es ist nicht mehr nur ein Geschäftsviertel. Gäste spüren diese

neue Energie von der Minute an, in der sie ankommen und wir sind stolz darauf, mittendrin im Herzen dieses

Stadtviertels zu sein.“ Das Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown ist der ideale Ausgangspunkt um das neue,

sehr vitale Lower Manhattan zu erkunden. Das Hotel liegt in Tribeca, und von hier sind es nur wenige Schritte zur

Wall Street, zum neuen World Trade Center und zum atemberaubenden neuen Transportation-Hub. Auch zu

angesagten Neighbourhoods wie Soho und dem Meatpacking District mit ihren Boutiquen, Restaurants und Bars

ist es nicht weit. Bemerkenswert ist das Restaurant des Hotels. Vor allem Steak-Liebhaber werden “Cut“, das

erste Lokal des aus Österreich stammenden Starkochs Wolfgang Puck in New York, lieben.

”Downtown New York has become one of the city’s liveliest quarters“, says Peter Humig, general manager of the

new Four Seasons hotel. ”It’s no longer just a business quarter. Guests feel this new energy mere moments after

arriving and we are very proud of our location in the centre of this city quarter.“ The Four Seasons Hotel New York

Downtown is the ideal starting point for exploring the new, very lively Lower Manhattan. The Hotel is located in

Tribeca, and from here it’s only a few steps to Wall Street, the new World Trade Center and to the breathtaking

new transportation hub. And other hip neighbourhoods like Soho and the Meatpacking District, with its many

boutiques, restaurants and bars, are not far away either. The hotel’s restaurant is particularly noteworthy.

Especially steak lovers will love ”Cut”, Austrian star chef Wolfgang Puck’s first restaurant in New York.

fourseasons.com

Asien | Asia

Aman Private Jet Wellness

Journeys

Das ist die ultimative Erfahrung für Spa- und

Wellness-Junkies. An einigen der schönsten

Plätze Asiens können Gäste der Private Jet

Wellness Journeys ihre Spa-, Yoga- und

Meditations-Übungen machen. So führt etwa

von 18. September bis 3. Oktober eine Reise

zuerst nach Bali in die Resorts Amandari und

Amankila, dann nach Java ins Amanjiwo und auf

den Philippinen ins Amanpulo. Zu Ende geht die

Reise im Amanoi in Vietnam. Begleitet und

betreut wird sie von anerkannten Experten.

Geflogen wird mit einem Legacy-Jet von

Embraer. Von 2. bis 15. November führt eine

weitere Jet-Reise nach Indien, Sri Lanka und

Thailand.

This is the ultimate experience for spa and

wellness addicts. With Private Jet Wellness

Journeys, guests will be able to carry out their

spa, yoga and meditation practices at some of

the most beautiful places in Asia. Between 18

September and 3 October, one of the journeys

will begin in Bali, at the Amandari and Amankila

resorts, then head to Java at the Amanjiwo and

then to the Phillipines at the Amanpulo resort.

The journey concludes at the Amanoi in

Vietnam. You will be accompanied and guided

by leading experts. Air travel is serviced by one

of Embraer’s Legacy Jet. Between 2 and 15

November, an additional Jet Journey leads

through India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

aman.com

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT

ROBINSON CLUB –

A wonderful break in paradise

The ROBINSON premium Club concept represents a positive

attitude to life and a unique holiday experience in an

atmosphere characterised by harmony and open-mindedness.

As Germany’s market leader in the club resort segment,

guests are presented with a wide variety of possibilities to

satisfy their every need: In addition to a large WellFit ® offer,

varied entertainment, a broad range of events and activities

for all ages and age-appropriate child care, special focus is

also placed on all forms of water sports, tennis and of course

top-class golf courses. A ROBINSON holiday is all about

providing activities that stimulate and relax.

ROBINSON Club Quinta da Ria

A special highlight for all golfers:

ROBINSON Club Quinta da Ria

Located on the sun-kissed coast of the Algarve in Portugal lies the

ROBINSON Club Quinta da Ria situated between two exclusive golf

courses, the Quinta da Ria and the Quinta de Cima. The two fantastic

18-hole courses are sure to fascinate with their distinctive designs

not to mention the unbelievable views practically at the ROBINSON

Clubs front doorstep. The key highlights of the resort: unspoiled beaches,

direct proximity to the Atlantic, beautifully manicured courses

in exceptional condition.

ROBINSON Club Nobilis

Directly situated on the Club premises lies the beautiful 18-hole

parkland course. This unique course is truly stunning, with its broad

tree-lined fairways and the natural pine forests which also play their

part in creating a wonderful backdrop for all lovers of golf. Another

11 golf facilities with 14 golf courses are located no more than 20

minutes away by car, including the Lykia Links dunes golf course.

Advice and bookings at your local TUI shop or at

www.robinson.com

108 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

ROBINSON Club Nobilis

SAVOIR VIVRE AUSTRIAN CULTURE GOES INTERNATIONAL

Kultur ist Politik

Culture is politics

Kleines Land, große Kulturnation: Mit jährlich mehr als 6.000 Konzerten, Ausstellungen,

Lesungen, Filmvorführungen und wissenschaftlichen Veranstaltungen weltweit betreibt Österreichs

Auslandskultur eine äußerst selbstbewusste Kulturdiplomatie.

Small country, rich in culture — with more than 6,000 annual concerts, exhibitions, lectures, film

screenings and science events around the globe, Austria‘s Foreign Cultural Policy has committed

itself to steadfast cultural diplomacy work.

Text: Rois & Stubenrauch

Weltweites

Netzwerk

Worldwide network

Flaggschiff der Österreichischen

Auslandskultur ist

das Austrian Cultural Forum

New York.

Flagship of Austria‘s Foreign

Cultural Policy is the Austrian

Cultural Forum New York.

PHOTOS: DAVID PLAKKE; BMEIA; MAHMOUD ASHRAF

Mit ihren virtuosen Melodien irgendwo zwischen

Tango, Folk und Wiener Klassik,

dargebracht auf zwei Gitarren und Violine,

begeisterten Cobario die Zuschauer im schönen Gebäude

des Österreichischen Kulturforums Istanbul:

Der gefeierte Auftritt des Wiener Instrumentaltrios

Ende März im noblen Stadtteil Yeniköy, reiht sich in

die über 6.000 Veranstaltungen jährlich, die die Österreichische

Auslandskultur ausrichtet. Gegenwärtig

besteht dieses Netzwerk der Kulturpolitik aus 31 Kulturforen

und Kooperationsbüros, 89 Botschaften und

Generalkonsulaten, 65 Österreich Bibliotheken, neun

Österreich-Instituten, zwei Wissenschafts- und Technologiebüros

sowie der Kulturpolitischen Sektion im

Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres.

Die Kulturdiplomatie hat in Österreich eine

lange Tradition: Bereits 1935 wurde in Rom das erste

Österreichische Kulturforum eröffnet. Ab den 1950er

Jahren folgten weitere Städte wie London, Teheran,

Berlin, Mexiko oder Tel Aviv und zuletzt 2007 New

Delhi.

Kulturnation Österreich

„Kunst und Kultur sind ein Weg, auf dem Österreich

mit der Welt gut kommunizieren kann. Österreich

hat darin eine hohe Glaubwürdigkeit. Umgekehrt

gibt es international eine hohe

Erwartungshaltung, weil die Kultur so stark mit dem

österreichischen Selbstverständnis verbunden ist“,

meint Botschafterin Teresa Indjein, seit Anfang 2016

Leiterin der Kultursektion im Außenministerium,

im Gespräch mit Cercle Diplomatique. Österreichs

Erbe prunkvoller vergangener Epochen, das eng mit

seiner Musikgeschichte verwoben ist, auch die glanzvolle

Ära des Jugendstils, tragen zweifelsohne viel

zum hohen kulturellen Status der kleinen Alpenrepublik

bei. Die Kulturdiplomatie setzt diesem vorgezeichneten

Bild jedoch ganz bewusst ein sehr buntes

Kaleidoskop an kulturellen Aktivitäten entgegen, um

respektierte Traditionen nicht als Klischees festzuschreiben,

sondern vielmehr als Ausgangspunkt für

Innovation zu nützen.

Fokus auf jungen Talenten

„Wir bemühen uns vor allem um jene Kunstschaffende

und Kreative, die ihre großen Schritte hinaus

in die Welt noch vor sich haben. Unser Blick gilt der

aktuellen Kunst und den neuen Talenten“, umreißt

Teresa Indjein die Linie der Auslandskulturarbeit.

Konkret resultieren aus diesem Fokus etwa die langjährigen

Programme „The New Austrian Sound of

Music“, das neue Österreichische Formationen von

Klassik über Jazz bis Pop vorstellt, oder „schreibART

Austria“, das aktuelles literarisches Schaffen aus Österreich

präsentiert.

Kultur als Friedensarbeit

Nicht weniger als 4.787 Projektpartner vor Ort

sind im Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Auslandskultur

2015 angeführt, die in Zusammenarbeit mit den

Kulturforen und Botschaften an über 2.500 verschiedenen

geografischen Orten Konzerte, Filmvorführungen,

Lesungen und wissenschaftliche Veranstaltungen

organisierten. In diesem fein verästelten

Netzwerk liegt für Teresa Indjein eine der großen

Stärken, die es ermöglicht, Kontakte zu knüpfen und

zu unterhalten, die weit über die Politik hinausreichen:

„Die Kultur ist die Basis der Politik! Das politische

System einer Gesellschaft entwickelt sich aus

der Kultur. Wo Politik scheitert oder zerstört, schafft

die Kultur wieder die ersten Knospen von Zusammenarbeit.

Ich betrachte die österreichische Auslandskulturarbeit

als kreative und gestaltende Friedensarbeit.“

Besondere Aufmerksamkeit, auch im Rahmen einer

EU-Kulturpolitik, genießen natürlich Österreichs

südöstliche Nachbarländer. Als Teil des 2015

gestarteten Westbalkan Schwerpunktes etwa läuft,

nach Serbien und Bosnien-Herzegowina, 2017 das

Kulturjahr Österreich-Kroatien. „Die Zusammenarbeit

mit Kroatien floriert!“, zeigt sie sich hocherfreut.

„Dank des tollen Engagements der Kroatischen Botschaft

in Österreich und des Kulturforums in Zagreb

werden es am Ende an die 200 Projekte sein. Besonders

freut uns, dass nun im Oktober die wunderschöne

Ausstellung „Wien und Zagreb um 1900“

nach Zagreb auch in Wien im Belvedere gezeigt

wird.“ Da ist die Hoffnung durchaus berechtigt, dass

der rege Austausch über das Netzwerk der Österreichischen

Kulturforen die Welt tatsächlich zu einem

friedlicheren Ort macht.

With their brilliant melodies based somewhere

between tango, folk and Viennese

classic, manifested through guitars and

violins, Cobario amazed their audience in the beautiful

building of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Istanbul.

The celebrated performance by the Viennese instrumental

trio at the end of March in the classy city

district of Yeniköy was just one of more than 6,000

events annually organised by Austria‘s Foreign Cultural

Policy. Currently, this network of cultural policies

consists of 31 cultural forums and cooperation offices,

89 embassies and consulate generals, 65 Austrian libraries,

nine Austrian institutes, two science and tech-

KULTURBOTSCHAFTERIN.

I.E. Teresa Indjein leitet seit 2016 die

Kultursektion im Außenministerium.

CULTURAL AMBASSADOR.

Since 2016, H.E. Teresa Indjein is

Director General of the Culture Section

at the Austrian Federal Ministry for

Foreign Affairs.

TOUREN UM DIE WELT.

Johannes Fleischmann &

Anna Magdalena Kokits sind

Teil des Programms „New

Austrian Sound of Music“.

TOURING THE WORLD.

Johannes Fleischmann and

Anna Magdalena Kokits are

part of the programme

“New Austrian Sound of

Music“.

110 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

111

SAVOIR VIVRE AUSTRIAN CULTURE GOES INTERNATIONAL

INFO

HIGHLIGHTS

ÖSTERREICHISCHER

AUSLANDSKULTUR

2017

AUSTRIAN CULTURAL

POLICY HIGHLIGHTS 2017

Kulturjahr Österreich-

Kroatien mit rund 200

Projekten in Österreich und

Kroatien

Cultural Year Austria-

Croatia with around 200

projects in both Austria and

Croatia

Österreichisches

Kulturforum New York

75. Jahrestag der Gründung

1942 durch österreichische

Exilanten

15. Geburtstag des neuen,

von Raimund Abraham

entworfenen Gebäudes an

der East 52 nd Street in

Manhattan

Austrian Cultural Forum

New York

75 th anniversary of the

founding by Austrian

expatriates in 1942

15 th birthday of the new

building, designed by

Raimund Abraham, at East

52 nd Street in Manhattan

Österreichisches

Kulturforum Moskau

Ausstellung in Birobidzhan

(eine künstlerische

Entdeckung des Jüdischen

Autonomen Gebietes)

Projekt „MIR – Das Dorf und

die Welt“ bei der Krasnoyarsk

Museum Biennale.

Austrian Cultural Forum

Moscow

Exhibition in Birobidzhan (an

artistic exploration of the

Jewish autonomous region)

Project ”MIR — the Village

and the World” at the

Krasnoyarsk Museum

Biennale.

Österreichische Botschaft

Luxemburg

Sonderausstellung zum 300.

Geburtstag von Kaiserin

Maria Theresia, die auch

Herzogin von Luxemburg war.

Austrian Embassy

Luxembourg

Special exhibition commemorating

the 300 th birthday of

Empress Maria Theresa who

was also the Duchess of

Luxembourg

Österreichisches

Kulturforum Teheran

Ausstellungsreihe und

Workshops in Kooperation

mit der Ars Electronica

Austrian Cultural Forum

Teheran

Exhibition series and

workshops in collaboration

with Ars Electronica

„MONDSCHEIN“ (1914) VON MATO MEDOVIC.

Austellung im Belvedere im Rahmen des Kulturjahres

Österreich-Kroatien 2017.

“MOONLIGHT“ (1914) BY MATO MEDOVIC. Exhibition at the

Belvedere within the Cultural Year Austria-Croatia 2017.

DEUTSCH LERNEN. STUDYING GERMAN.

Sprachkurs im Österreichischen Kulturforum Teheran.

Language class at the Austrian Cultural Forum Teheran.

WIENER WELTMUSIK. VIENNESE WORLD MUSIC.

Das Trio Cobario spielte heuer im Österreichischen Kulturforum

Istanbul.

The Trio Cobario performed at the Austrian Cultural Forum

Istanbul this year.

INFO

bmeia.gv.at

nology offices as well as the cultural and political sections

in the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration

and Foreign Affairs. Cultural diplomacy is an Austrian

tradition. In 1935, the first Austrian cultural forum

was opened in Rome, additional cities such as London,

Teheran, Berlin, Mexico City or Tel Aviv followed

starting in the 1950s. The last city to be added was

New Delhi in 2007.

Austria, nation of culture

”Art and culture are a way for Austria to communicate

with the entire world. Austria enjoys strong credibility

here. Conversely, there is also much expectation

on an international level, because culture is so tightly

intertwined with Austria’s identity,“ says Ambassador

Teresa Indjein, Head of the Culture Section of the Foreign

Ministry since the beginning of 2016, in a talk

with Cercle Diplomatique. Austria‘s heritage of pompous

epochs, into which its musical history is also

deeply embedded, as well as the glittering art nouveau

era, undoubtedly contributes to the small Alpine

republic‘s widespread cultural appreciation. Cultural

diplomacy, however, adds a colourful kaleidoscope of

cultural activities to this already excellent picture, cementing

respected traditions not only as mere clichés,

but much rather as starting points for new innovations.

A focus on young talent

”We pay particular attention to those artists and

creative talents that still have their big breaks into the

world ahead of them. We’re always on the look out for

new contemporary art and talent,“ Teresa Indjein says

to summarise the work of the Foreign Cultural Policy.

Long-time programmes result from this focus such as

“The New Austrian Sound of Music“, which presents

new Austrian formations from classic to jazz and pop,

or “schreibART Austria“, which introduces contemporary

literary works from Austria.

Culture as peacekeeping

No less than 4,787 project partners were registered

in the logbook of the Austrian Foreign Cultural Policy

for 2015, which, in collaboration with the cultural forums

and the embassies, organised concerts, film

screenings, lectures and science events in more than

2,500 different locations. In this finely tuned network,

Teresa Indjein sees one of the great strengths of

Austria‘s Foreign Cultural Policy, which allows for the

formation and maintenance of new connections ex-

PHOTOS: PRIVATSAMMLUNG, ZAGREB; JOSEF POLLEROSS; COBARIO; MEETFACTORY; ÖKF ISTANBUL

tending far beyond politics. ”Culture is the basis of

politics! The political system of a society emerges

from its culture. And where politics fails or destroys,

culture forms the first seeds of collaboration. I consider

Austria’s Foreign Cultural Policy a creative form of

peacekeeping.“

Particular attention, also as part of the EU Cultural

Policy, is enjoyed by Austria’s south-eastern neighbouring

countries. As part of the focus on the Western

Balkans launched in 2015, and after Serbia and Bosnia

and Herzegovina, the Cultural Year of 2017 is Austrian-Croatian.

”The collaboration with Croatia is flourishing!“

says Teresa Indjein with much excitement.

”Thanks to the great engagement from the Croatian

Embassy in Austria and the Cultural Forum in Zagreb,

it’s going to end up being around 200 projects. We

are particularly excited that the great exhibit ‘Vienna

and Zagreb around 1900’ will be coming to the Belvedere

in Vienna in October after it has been shown in

Zagreb.“ This certainly justifies the hope that a rigorous

exchange via the network of the Austrian Cultural

Forums will indeed make the world a more peaceful

place.

„UNIVERSAL HOSPITALITY“.

Die Austellung der Meet Factory in Prag wurde heuer mit

dem ÖKF Prag realisiert.

The exhibition of Pragues‘s Meet Factory was realised with

the Austrian Cultural Forum Prague this year.

IM GARTEN DES KULTURFORUMS

ISTANBUL. AT THE GARDEN OF

ISTANBUL‘S CULTURAL FORUM.

Season Opening 2016 mit türkischen und

österreichischen Bands und DJs.

Season Opening 2016 with Turkish and

Austrian bands and DJs.

SAVOIR VIVRE CLASSICAL SUMMER BURGENLAND

Pannonische Sommerklänge

Pannonian summer tunes

Text: Rois & Stubenrauch

Ob unter freiem Himmel im Steinbruch oder im ehemaligen Salon Maria Theresias im Barockschloss –

das Burgenland hat eine lange Tradition an hochkarätigen Sommerfestspielen – auch weil der schöne

Landstrich fest mit den Biografien von Joseph Haydn und Franz Liszt verwoben ist.

The province of Burgenland has a long–lasting tradition of top-class festivals and summer concerts – also

due to the fact this beautiful stretch of land is so tightly woven into the biographies of Joseph Haydn and

Franz Liszt.

Angelika Kirchschlager, Mischa Maisky, Fazil

Say, Elisabeth Kulman... Die Riege der Klassikweltstars,

die im Laufe des Sommers 2017

im Burgenland zu erleben ist, ist (wieder einmal) äußerst

beeindruckend, was zu einem guten Anteil sicherlich

den vielen grandiosen Spielorten geschuldet

ist. „Allein der Moment, wenn während der Aufführung

die Sonne über dem Steinbruch untergeht, die

Felsen in ein magisches Licht taucht und sich der Zauber

des Ortes mit der genialen Komposition vereint!“,

schwärmt Anja Bihlmaier, Shootingstar der deutschen

Opernszene und neue musikalische Leiterin der Oper

im Steinbruch. „Die einzigartige Atmosphäre dieser

Freilichtbühne hat mindestens genauso viele Facetten

wie die wunderbare Musik Giuseppe Verdis.“ Verdis

Meisterwerk Rigoletto steht diesen Sommer in der pittoresken

Felslandschaft des Römersteinbruchs St.

Margarethen – seit 21 Jahren Schauplatz eindrucksvoller

Freilicht-Opernaufführungen – am Programm.

OPER IM STEINBRUCH

PHOTOS: ANDREAS TISCHLER, NEDA NAVAEE; HORST OSSINGER; ARENARIA; BEATRIX LEHNER; LUKAS BECK; IRENE ZANDL

Musikalische Reise

Joseph Haydn verbrachte große Teile seines Musikerlebens

im Burgenland. Auf eine Tour entlang

der Wirkungsstätten des Komponisten – von der

Bergkirche in Eisenstadt, wo Mischa Maisky ein Cello

Solo für Haydn gibt, bis zu Schloss Eszterháza am

Südende des Neusiedler Sees, der Sommerresidenz

von Haydns langjährigem Arbeitgeber Fürst Nikolaus

I. Esterházy – begeben sich diesen Sommer die

Haydn Land Tage. „Die Neuausrichtung des Festivals

bietet eine unglaubliche Vielfalt an Spielstätten

in direktem Bezug zu Joseph Haydns Leben und

Wirken“, freut sich Intendant Walter Reicher auf eine

äußerst vielfältige musikalische Reise.

Quartett im Barockjuwel

Eine der Stationen der Haydn Land Tage ist auch

der einstige sommerliche Wohnsalon Maria Theresias

auf Schloss Halbturn. Der prachtvolle Rahmen

des Barockschlosses ist ebenso bereits zum 44. Mal

Schauplatz der hochkarätigen Halbturner Schlosskonzerte.

„Für das diesjährige Festivalprogramm

habe ich mich daher – mit einem „Augenzwinkern“

– von der Zahl 4 inspirieren lassen,“ gibt Robert

Lehrbaumer, gefragter Pianist und seit mehr als zwei

Jahrzehnten künstlerischer Leiter der Schlosskonzerte,

einen Einblick in den Konzertreigen 2017. „Es

liegt auf der Hand, dass mit dem wunderbaren Minetti-Quartett

ein Streichquartett auftreten wird –

aber auch ein Gesangsquartett rund um den großen

SCHLOSSKONZERTE HALBTURN

Diesen Sommer steht in St. Margarethen Verdis Rigoletto am Programm: Mit Anja Bihlmaier als neue musikalische Leiterin, Vladislav Sulimsky als Rigoletto und

Elena Sancho Pereg als Gilda. This summer, the programme in St. Margarethen includes Verdi‘s Rogoletto: with Anja Bihlmaier as new musical director, Vladislav Sulimsky

as Rigoletto and Elena Sancho Pereg as Gilda.

Angelika Kirchschlager und das Minetti Quartett sind zwei der vielen Highlights der Schlosskonzerte

Halbturn 2017. Angelika Kirchschlager and the Minetti Quartet are just two of many highlights of this

year‘s concerts at Halbturn Palace.

114 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

115

SAVOIR VIVRE CLASSICAL SUMMER BURGENLAND

PICKNICKKONZERTE

ESTERHÁZY

HAYDN LAND TAGE

Joseph Haydn‘s life and work,“ rejoices festival director

Walter Reich as he looks forward to an exceptionally

diverse, musical journey.

An Samstagen im Juli & August 2017

INFO

KLASSIKSOMMER

BURGENLAND

Halbturner Schlosskonzerte

8.7. - 26.8.2017

halbturner-schlosskonzerte.at

Oper im Steinbruch

„Rigoletto“, 12.7. - 19.8.2017

arenaria.at

Picknickkonzerte

Fazil Say, 15. u. 16.7.2017

Sharon Kam,

19. u. 20.8.2017

esterhazy.at

Haydn Land Tage

24.8. - 3.9.2017

haydnfestival.at

Liszt Festival Raiding

21. - 25.6.2017

lisztfestival.at

Kammermusikfest

Lockenhaus

6. - 15.7.2017

kammermusikfest.at

Seefestspiele Mörbisch

„Der Vogelhändler“,

7.7. - 19.8.2017

seefestspiele-moerbisch.at

Sommerfestival Kittsee

„Die Csardasfürstin“, 28.06.

- 15.7.2017

sommerfestival.at

JOpera Jennersdorf

„Carmen“, 3. - 13.8.2017

jopera.at

LISZT FESTIVAL RAIDING

Bass Robert Holl. Weiters stehen Auszüge aus Vivaldis

„Vier Jahreszeiten“ und außergewöhnliche Konzertabende

zu vier Händen in der Besetzung Klavier/

Gitarre und Harfe/Violine auf dem Programm.“ Jodelstar

Christina Zurbrügg sowie Angelika Kirchschlager

und Sona MacDonald stehen ebenfalls auf

der eindrucksvollen Besetzungsliste der Halbturner

Schlosskonzerte.

Die großen Komponisten des Burgenlandes

Im Haydnsaal in Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt

ist diesen Sommer im Rahmen der Picknickkonzerte

Ausnahmepianist Fasil Say und die Klarinettistin

Sharon Kam zu erleben. Der zweite große Sohn des

Burgenlandes, Franz Liszt, kommt im großartigen

neuen Konzertsaal in seinem Geburtsort Raiding –

etwa bei einem Liederabend mit der Mezzosopranistin

Elisabeth Kulman – zu Ehren. In Lockenhaus,

beim stets erstklassig besetzten Kammermusikfest,

wird unter dem Motto „Chronos und Kairos“ musiziert.

Operette steht beim Sommerfestival Kittsee

und natürlich auf der Seebühne Mörbisch im Zentrum.

Den vielen Festivals ist bei aller Unterschiedlichkeit

der oft intime Rahmen gemein. Oder wie es Philippa

zu Königsegg, Schlossherrin in Halbturn und

Präsidentin der Schlosskonzerte ausdrückt: „Es geht

uns darum, durch außergewöhnliche Programme

eine spezielle Atmosphäre entstehen zu lassen. Oft

wird davon geschwärmt, wie man hier prominente

Künstler geradezu intim erleben kann – also ganz

anders als etwa bei den Salzburger Festspielen oder

in den großen Konzerthäusern.“ Ein weiterer Grund,

diesen Sommer einen – oder mehrere – Abende mit

hochkarätigem Musikgenuss im Burgenland zu verbringen!

KAMMERMUSIKFEST

LOCKENHAUS 2017

Angelika Kirchschlager, Mischa Maisky, Fazil

Say, Elisabeth Kulman… Burgenland‘s lineup

of classical music stars for summer 2017

is, once again, more than impressive. Which is without

a doubt partly due to the many grandiose venues

on offer. ”The moment the sun sets over the quarry

during the performance, dipping the rocks into an

enchanting light and uniting the magic of this place

with the genius compositions!“ enthuses Anja Bihlmaier,

shooting star of the German opera scene and

the new musical director of the Opera in the Quarry.

”The unique atmosphere of this open-air stage is at

least as versatile as the wonderful music of Giuseppe

Verdi.“ This summer, Verdi‘s masterpiece “Rigoletto“

is set to be performed in the picturesque, rocky landscape

of the St. Margarethen Roman quarry, which

has been the setting for impressive open-air opera

performances for 21 years.

Musical journey

Joseph Haydn spent a large part of his musical life

in the province of Burgenland. On a tour along the

composer‘s work locations — from the Bergkirche

church in Eisenstadt, where Mischa Maisky performed

a cello solo for Haydn, to Esterháza Palace at the

southern end of Lake Neusiedl, the summer residence

of Haydn‘s long-term employer Prince Nikolaus

I. Esterházy — the so-called Haydndays will be

held this summer. ”The festival‘s reorientation offers

an unbelievable diversity of venues directly related to

PHOTOS: JANOSKA ENSEMBLE/JULIAWESELY; ADAM FISCHER/HAYDNLANDTAGE/NIKOLAJ LUND; BALAZS BOROCZ; ANDREAS HAFENSCHER

A quartet in a baroque jewel

One of the stations along the Haydndays is Maria

Theresa‘s former living parlour in Halbturn Palace.

For the 44th time, the baroque palace‘s magnificent

setting is once again the venue for the top-class Halbturn

Palace Concerts. ”For this year‘s festival programme,

I have thus — with a wink — taken inspiration

from the number four,“ says Robert Lehrbaumer,

well-known pianist and the artistic director of the

Palace Concerts for the last two decades, as he provides

an inside look into the concert line-up for 2017.

”We will have a wonderful string quartet performance

by the Minetti Quartet — but there will also

be a vocal quartet around the great bass Robert Holl.

Furthermore, there will be excerpts from Vivaldi’s

“Four Seasons“ and extraordinary piano four hands

concert-evenings performed by piano/guitar and

harp/violin.“ Yodelling star Christina Zurbrügg as

well as Angelika Kirchschlager and Sona MacDonald

are also part of the impressive line-up of the Halbturn

Palace Concerts.

The great composers of Burgenland

This summer, the exceptional pianist Fasil Say and

the clarinettist Sharon Kam can be experienced in the

Haydnsaal concert hall in Eisenstadt as part of the Picnic

Concerts. Burgenland’s second great son, Franz

Liszt, will be honoured in the fantastic new concert

hall in his birth town of Raiding during a song recital

with the mezzo-soprano Elisabeth Kulman. In Lockenhaus,

at the always splendidly staffed Chamber

Music Festival, music will be made under the motto

“Chronos and Kairos“. The operetta will naturally be

the centre of attention during the Sommerfestival

Kittsee and, of course, on the Mörbisch floating stage.

Albeit very distinct in their own ways, the various

festivals share an often quite intimate atmosphere.

Or, as Philippa zu Königsegg, Lady of Halbturn Palace

and President of the Palace Concerts put it, ”We

want to create a special atmosphere through extraordinary

programmes. People often enthuse about how

intimately renowned artists can be experienced here

– quite a different story from the Salzburg Festival or

the other big concert halls.“ One more reason to

spend one – or more – evenings with top-class music

in Burgenland this summer!

Robert Lehrbaumer & Robert Holl

Angelika Kirchschlager & Sona MacDonald

Minetti Quartett

Christina Zurbrügg

Renate Holm uvm.

www.halbturner-schlosskonzerte.at

sommerarena[bühnebaden]

Orpheus in

der Unterwelt

Operette von Jacques Offenbach

Text von Hector Crémieux und Ludovic Halévy

23. 6. – 3. 9. 2017

Theaterplatz 7, 2500 Baden

T +43 2252 22522

www.buehnebaden.at

Foto: Lukas Beck

116 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE AMBASSADORS OF MUSIC

Culture Talk Oksana Lyniv

Die aus der Ukraine stammende, neue Chefdirigentin der Grazer Oper Oksana Lyniv im CD-Exklusivinterview über das

deutsche Opernfach, Galizien, Graz und Franz Xaver Mozart.

Oksana Lyniv, the Ukraine native and now the new head conductor at the Graz Opera, sat down for an exclusive CD interview to

discuss the German opera, Galicia, Graz and Franz Xaver Mozart.

Interview: Rois & Stubenrauch

INFO

PERSONAL DETAILS

PHOTOS: OKSANA LYNIV; IVAN BORYS

Bei der Styriarte 2017 – wo Sie am 1. Juli Tschaikowskis

Nussknacker dirigieren – werden Sie als „Spezialistin für

den ganz großen, leidenschaftlichen Russischen Klang“

vorgestellt. Können Sie sich mit dieser Charakterisierung

identifizieren?

Das kann man vielleicht besser von außen beurteilen, aber ich

denke schon, dass ich eher ein emotionaler Typ bin als

Dirigentin. Und ich liebe diese Musik und bin mit Tschaikowski

aufgewachsen. Als Ukrainerin werde ich natürlich zu den

slawischen Interpreten gezählt. Was ich mir aber in den letzten

Jahren als Assistentin bei Kirill Petrenko an der Bayerischen

Staatsoper in erster Linie erarbeitet habe, ist das deutsche

Opernfach: Wagner, Richard Strauss, usw.

Die Nussknacker-Suite wird bei der Styriarte ohne Ballett

dargeboten, dafür liest Schauspielstar Nora von

Waldstätten aus den Geschichten hinter der Musik.

Gefallen Ihnen solche innovativen Formate?

Ich finde es ist sehr wichtig, dass die Kunst immer eine

lebendige Form hat und nicht zum Museum wird. Wir

interpretieren ja Musik, die teilweise vor 300 oder 400 Jahren

entstanden ist! Deswegen bin ich sehr offen für Formate, die

einen Zugang aus unserer Zeit als moderne Menschen

entwickeln.

Es gab ja mehrere Anfragen an Sie für die Stelle als

Generalmusikdirektorin – was hat Sie bewogen, der Oper

Graz, die Sie ab September 2017 leiten werden, den

Vorzug zu geben?

Graz hat eine wunderschöne Atmosphäre – die war sofort zu

spüren vom ersten Abend in der Oper, wo ich mich fast wie zu

Hause gefühlt habe. Und das Opernhaus natürlich, das wie der

kleinere Bruder der Oper von Odessa aussieht, die Qualität des

Musizierens und die Stadt selbst. Ich habe große Erwartungen

und bin sehr neugierig darauf, im September zu starten!

Ihre Geburtsstadt Brody weckt natürlich sofort eine

Reihe von Assoziationen – von Joseph Roth bis Galizien

als Teil der k. u. k. Monarchie. Fühlen Sie eine Verbindung

zu Österreich?

Ja natürlich. Dieses besondere galizische Flair ist etwa in

Lemberg besonders in den vergangenen Jahren wieder stark

aufgeblüht. Zu Zeiten der Sowjetunion wurde sehr aktiv

versucht, die ganze Vergangenheit wegzustreichen. Aber

trotzdem existiert so etwas wie eine unbewusste Erinnerung

oder Speicherkarte, die noch tiefer liegt und die Verbindung zu

unserer noch älteren Vergangenheit aufrechterhält.

Sie sind Co-Initiatorin des Festivals „LvivMozArt“ in

Lemberg. Was möchten Sie mit diesem, Franz Xaver

Mozart gewidmeten Festival bewirken?

Die Tatsache, dass der Sohn von Mozart 30 Jahre in Lemberg

gelebt hat und das musikalische Leben der Stadt prägte, hat

mich sehr stark beeindruckt – aber noch mehr beeindruckt hat

mich, dass diese Tatsache fast niemandem in Lemberg, der

Ukraine oder in Europa bekannt ist! Und ich dachte mir, es kann

nicht sein, dass diese Geschichte einfach so untergeht. Meine

Idee ist, dieses Festival an der Kreuzung zwischen Ost und West

in der klassischen Musik zu positionieren – so wie Galizien

damals auch ein Treffpunkt der Kulturen war.

At the Styriarte 2017, where you will be conducting

Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker“ on 1 July, you are described

as an ”expert in the grand, passionate Russian melodies“.

Would you agree with this characterisation?

Perhaps this can be judged better from those on the outside,

but I do believe that I am a rather emotional conductor. I love

this music and I grew up with Tchaikovsky. As a Ukrainian, I am

of course counted among the Slavic interpreters and, as I said,

Tchaikovsky is very close to my heart. But what I have been

particularly focusing on during my last couple of years as an

assistant for Kirill Petrenko at the Bavarian State Opera is

mainly German opera: Wagner, Richard Strauss and so on.

The Nutcracker is presented at the Styriarte without a ballet.

Instead, Nora von Waldstätten, the famed actress, will read

from the history behind the music. Do you appreciate such

innovative formats?

I find it very important for art to maintain a vivid form so that it

doesn’t turn into a museum. After all, we are interpreting music

that is often more than 300 or 400 years old! This is why I’m

very open to formats that create an access point for us people

living in modern times.

There were several offers made to you to become general

music director — what made you decide in favour of the

Graz Opera, where you will be directing from September

2017?

Graz has a wonderful atmosphere — I got a feel of this right

away as I spent my first evening at the opera and completely

felt at home. And there is, of course, the opera house that looks

like the little brother of the Odessa Opera, the quality of the

music and the city itself. I have high expectations and I am very

excited to finally get started in September!

Your birth town of Brody triggers a number of different

associations — from Joseph Roth to Galicia as part of the

monarchy. Do you feel a connection to Austria?

Yes, of course. This very Galician flair has been flourishing quite

strongly in Lviv, especially in the last couple of years. During

the time of the Soviet Union, there was a direct attempt at

erasing that entire chapter of history. Nevertheless, something

like an unconscious memory prevailed, which reaches very

deeply and maintains the connection to our much older past.

You are the co-initiator of the “LvivMozArt“ festival in Lviv.

What do you wish to bring about with this festival dedicated

to Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, Mozart’s youngest son?

The fact that that Mozart’s son lived in Lviv for 30 years,

affecting the musical life of the city, impressed me very much

— but what impressed me even more, was that nobody in Lviv,

Ukraine or Europe was even aware of this fact! And I thought to

myself, this can’t be happening, this story simply mustn’t

disappear. And so, I got the idea to position this festival on the

intersection between East and West in the world of classical

music — in the same way in which Galicia was a meeting point

between different cultures back then.

Der Nussknacker

Pjotr Iljitsch Tschaikowski:

Nussknacker-Suite,

Schwanensee-Suite

Lesung aus E.T.A. Hoffmann:

„Nussknacker und Mausekönig“

u. a.

1.7.2017, Stefaniensaal Graz

styriarte.com

LvivMozArt

18.-25.8.2017, Lemberg

mozart.lviv.ua

Eröffnungskonzert Saison

2017/18

23.9.2017, Oper Graz

oper-graz.com

Oksana Lyniv ist ab September 2017

neue Chefdirigentin der Oper Graz.

From September 2017 on, Oksana Lyniv

will be the new head conductor at the

Graz Opera.

Oksana Lyniv begann ihre musikalische Laufbahn in Lwiw/Lemberg. Nach einem

Meisterklassenstudium in Dresden war sie an der Nationaloper Odessa und von

2013 bis zur laufenden Saison als musikalische Assistentin von Generalmusikdirektor

Kirill Petrenko an der Bayerischen Staatsoper München engagiert. Im Mai

dirigierte sie in Barcelona Richard Wagners „Der fliegende Holländer“. Zahlreiche

Konzerte, u. a. mit den Prager Philharmonikern komplettieren ihre musikalische

Arbeit. Ab der Spielzeit 2017/18 ist Oksana Lyniv Chefdirigentin des Grazer

Philharmonischen Orchesters und der Oper Graz.

118 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Oksana Lyniv began her musical career in Lviv. After her master class studies in

Dresden, she worked at the Odessa Opera and from 2013 to the current season as

the musical assistant of general music director Kirill Petrenko at the Bavarian State

Opera in Munich. In May, she conducted Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman“

in Barcelona, and countless other concerts with the Prague Philharmonics, amongst

others, added to her musical contributions. From season 2017/18 onward, Oksana

Lyniv will be the head conductor of the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra and the Graz

Opera.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 119

SAVOIR VIVRE ARTS

Kulturpatron sein! | Become a culture patron!

Kultur-Highlights Sommer 2017

Cultural highlights summer 2017

Text: Evelyn Rois

Bumerang, Australien

1893, Weltmuseum

Wien.

Boomerang, Australia 1893,

Weltmuseum Wien.

Das Weltmuseum in der Wiener Hofburg geht in seine letzte Umbauphase, bevor es am 25.10.2017 seine

Schausammlung außereuropäischer Kulturen – in 14 thematisch völlig neu konzipierten Sälen – wiedereröffnet.

Für viele der wertvollen, einzigartigen Objekte der Ausstellung besteht noch die Möglichkeit, eine Kulturpatenschaft

zu übernehmen: Auch das Magazin Cercle Diplomatique darf sich stolz Kulturpatron eines australischen

Bumerangs aus der ehemaligen Sammlung Erzherzogs Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este nennen.

The Weltmuseum Wien in the Hofburg Palace is entering its final reconstruction phase, before opening

again on 25 October 2017 for its display collection of non-European cultures in 14 thematically

reconceptualised halls. There is still the chance to become a patron for many of the

precious, unique objects in the exhibition: Cercle Diplomatique can proudly call

itself the cultural patron of an Australian boomerang from Archduke

Franz Ferdinand’s former collection.

weltmuseumwien.at

Rituale, Symbole,

Rätsel

Rituals, symbols, riddles

Robots & Art | Robots & art

„Roboter. Arbeit. Unsere Zukunft“: Die Vienna Biennale

2017 begibt sich vom 21.6.-1.10.2017 auf einen

umfassenden Ausstellungs-Parcours durch Wien

(Kunsthalle Karlsplatz, MAK, Architekturzentrum, Die

Angewandte) und zeigt auf, welche Antworten Kunst,

Design und Architektur mit ihren Creative Skills zu den

Themen Roboter und Automatisierung der Arbeitswelt

geben können.

“Robots. Work. Our Future”: Between 21.06. and

01.10.2017, the Vienna Biennale 2017 will go on an

extensive exhibition journey through Vienna (Kunsthalle

Wien, Museum of Applied Arts, Architekturzentrum

Wien, University of Applied Arts) to show what insight

art, design and architecture can deliver to the global

workforce regarding working robots and

automatisation.

viennabiennale.org

Hello Robot: Anouk

Wipprecht, Spider Dress

2.0, 2015; Roboterkleid,

3-D-Druck / Robot dress,

3D printing.

PHOTOS: ANOUK WIPPRECHT/JASON PERRY; WELTMUSEUM WIEN; NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WARSAW; DIE FOTOGRAFEN; GALERIE REITZ KÖLN; ÖSTERREICHISCHE NATIONALBIBLIOTHEK

Daniel Schultz d.J., Jan III.

Sobieski, 1680

Entscheidende

Schlacht

The deciding battle

Die Person Jan III. Sobieskis ist

untrennbar mit der Geschichte

Wiens verbunden: Als Oberbefehlshaber

des vereinten Entsatzheeres

befreite der polnische König die

bedrängte, schon verloren

geglaubte Stadt 1683 aus der

Belagerung durch die Osmanen.

Gemälde, Preziosen, Militaria und

Memorabilien zeichnen, in der

Ausstellung im Winterpalais Wien

vom 7.7.-1.11.2017, ein lebendiges

Bild des Königs und Feldherren.

Jan III Sobieski cannot be separated

from the history of Vienna — as the

chief commander of the Imperial

Army, the Polish king saved the

hopelessly besieged city from being

conquered by the Ottomans in

1683. Paintings, valuables, military

objects and all kinds of memorabilia

paint a lively picture of the king

and commander as part of the

exhibition at the Winterpalais

Vienna Museum from 07.07. to

01.11.2017. !

belvedere.at

Renata Tumarova,

Verzerrung von Tatsachen,

2016

Distortion of facts, 2016

Art goes Salzburg! | Art goes Salzburg!

Nach 20 Jahren in Innsbruck startet die ART Kunstmesse jetzt auch in Salzburg durch:

Die ART Salzburg Contemporary & Antiques International findet erstmals vom

22.-25.6.2017 im Messezentrum Salzburg statt. Der Fokus der rund 70 teilnehmenden

Galerien – etwa die Kahn Gallery aus London, die Kölner Galerie Reitz oder die

Werkkunstgalerie Berlin – liegt auf einem interessanten Mix zeitgenössischer Kunst. In

einem kleinen, feinen Segment werden auch klassische Moderne und erlesene

Antiquitäten gezeigt.

After 20 years in Innsbruck, the ART Kunstmesse fair is now also taking off in

Salzburg – the ART Salzburg Contemporary & Antiques International will take place

in the fair centre of Salzburg between 22.06. and 25.06.2017. The focus of the 70

participating galleries – such as the Kahn Gallery from London, the Reitz Gallery

from Cologne or the Werkkunstgalerie Berlin – is an interesting blend of contemporary

art. Classically modern and selected antiquities will also be on display in a

small but neat segment.

art-salzburg-contemporary.com

Franz Stephan von Lothringen, Joseph

Haydn und Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart zählten zu den prominentesten

Vertretern der österreichischen

Freimaurerei. Mit über 150

einzigartigen Exponaten aus

nationalen und internationalen

Sammlungen gewährt die Ausstellung

„300 Jahre Freimaurer. Das wahre

Geheimnis“, im Prunksaal der Österreichischen

Nationalbibliothek in Wien,

einen Blick hinter die Kulissen der

geheimnisvollen Bruderschaft.

23.6.2017-7.1.2018.

Franz Stephan of Lorraine, Joseph

Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart are among the most famous

representatives of Austrian

freemasonry. With more than 150

unique pieces from national and

international collections, the exhibit

“300 Years of Freemasons. The True

Secret” provides a peak behind the

curtains of this mysterious

fraternity in the ceremonial hall of

the Austrian National Library.

23.06.2017-07.01.2018.

onb.ac.at

Zwei Freimaurer, Porzellangruppe nach

Johann Kaendler, um 1740

Two Freemasons, Porcelain group after

Johann Kaendler, around 1740

120 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

121

SAVOIR VIVRE ARTS

Brooklyn, New York, 1959

Ironisches Œuvre

Ironic œuvre

Ob auf der Biennale Venedig 2017, im Kunsthaus Graz, im Leopold

Museum oder nun auch im 21er Haus in Wien: Das ironische Œuvre von

Erwin Wurm ist derzeit omnipräsent. In der großen Einzelausstellung

„Performative Skulpturen“ bricht der österreichische Ausnahmekünstler

einmal mehr leidenschaftlich mit gewohnten Kategorisierungen und

erweitert den Skulpturbegriff um aktionistische und performative

Elemente. 2.6.-10.9.2017.

Whether at the Venice Biennale 2017, at the Kunsthaus Graz, at the Leopold

Museum or now at the 21er Haus in Vienna — the ironic œuvre by Erwin

Wurm is everywhere right now. With the grand solo exhibition “Performative

Sculptures”, the exceptional Austrian artist passionately defies familiar

conventions and expands the meaning of the sculpture with actionist and

performative elements. 02.06. to 10.09.2017. 21erhaus.at

ARNULF RAINER

DIE FARBEN DES MALERS

MAI – OKTOBER 2017

Vom Zollamt ins Museum

From the customs office to the museum

Erwin Wurm, Fat House, 2003

Marie Spaemann

und Christian

Bakanic.

Täglich von 10 bis 17 Uhr

Josefsplatz 5, 2500 Baden

www.arnulf-rainer-museum.at

New York, 1962

Magnum Fotografie

Magnum photography

„Brooklyn Gang“ oder „East 100 th Street“ heißen die Fotoserien von Bruce Davidson, einem der prominentesten

Fotografen der legendären Agentur Magnum Photos. Die Galerie Westlicht in Wien widmet sich vom

15.6.-13.8.2017 dem mehr als fünf Jahrzehnte umspannenden Schaffen des amerikanischen Fotokünstlers.

Wer Bruce Davidson live in Wien erleben möchte: Auf dem ViennaPhotoBookFestival 2017 besteht am 11.6.

die Möglichkeit dazu!

“Brooklyn Gang” or “East 100 th Street” are the titles of the new photo series by Bruce Davidson, one of the

most famous photographers of the legendary Magnum Photos agency. The WestLicht Museum in Vienna is

dedicating itself to the five-decade-long career of the American photo artist between 15.06. and 13.08.2017.

Those who want to experience Bruce Davidson live in Vienna will have the chance to do so at the

ViennaPhotoBookFestival 2017 on 11.06.2017!

westlicht.com

viennaphotobookfestival.com

Jagdtrophäen, Elfenbeinschnitzereien, verbotene Reisemitbringsel

wie Korallen: Der Fotograf Oliver Mark hat die

interessantesten Objekte, die sich in der Asservatenkammer

des bundesdeutschen Zolls angesammelt haben, altmeisterlich

in Szene gesetzt. Die zweiteilige Ausstellung „Natura

Morta“ zeigt die Fotoarbeiten jetzt in der Gemäldegalerie der

Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien im Dialog mit Werken

der Sammlung – das Naturhistorische Museum wiederum

stellt den Fotografien Tierpräparate gegenüber. Bis 16.7.2017.

Hunting trophies, ivory carvings, forbidden souvenirs such

as corals — the photographer Oliver Mark has masterfully

snapped the most interesting objects that have come

together from the store room of the German customs office.

The two-part exhibition “Natura Morta” now displays the

photo works in the Picture Gallery of the Academy of Fine

Arts Vienna in dialogue with the pieces from the collection

— the Natural History Museum, Vienna, on the other hand,

juxtaposes the photographs with preserved animals. Until

16.07.2017.

akademiegalerie.at

nhm-wien.ac.at

PHOTOS: BRUCE DAVIDSON / MAGNUM PHOTOS; OLIVER MARK

PHOTOS: BELVEDERE WIEN/JOHANNES STOLL, DOMINIK BUDA; SYLVIE ANN PARÈ

Tanz im Pop-up Garten! | Dance in the pop-up garden!

20 Jahre Festspielhaus St.Pölten – das gehört gefeiert: Am 9.6.2017 gibt

es mit „Le Sacre du Printemps“ von Marie Chouinard zeitgenössischen

kanadischen Tanz als krönendes Saisonfinale und anschließend eine feine

Sommerparty im Pop-up Garten vor dem Festspielhaus, mit Videoprojektionen

vom US-amerikanische Fotokünstler David Michalek, Celloklängen

von Jeffrey Zeigler, DJ-Line und Streetfood – chill & dance!

20 years of the Festspielhaus St.Pölten theatre — that calls for a

celebration: On 09.06.2017, there will be contemporary Canadian dance

with Marie Chouinard’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” as the crowning season

finale, followed by an exciting summer party in the pop-up garden in

front of the theatre, with video productions by the American photo

artist David Michalek, cello tunes by Jeffrey Zeigler, DJs and street food

— chill & dance! festspielhaus.at

April 6 – June 18, 2017

Jean-Luc Moulène

April 6 – June 25, 2017

Rosa Barba

Anoka Faruqee

July 6 – September 3, 2017

Alex Da Corte

Ericka Beckman

secession

Friedrichstraße 12

1010 Vienna, Austria

www.secession.at

122 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE PROPERTY

Wohnen am Wasser

Living by the water

Der Reiz, ein privates Domizil mit unverbaubarem Blick sein eigen zu nennen, ist seit jeher

groß. Doch es gibt noch eine Steigerungsstufe: die Aussicht auf ein Gewässer.

Who doesn‘t dream of owning their own home with an endless view? There is, however, an

even more exciting prospect - a home with a splendid view on a relaxing body of water.

Text: Michaela Hocek

PHOTOS: ZOOMVP, JANA KODESKA-SCHMID

Uneinsehbare Grundstücke und ein atemberaubender

Blick auf glitzerndes Blau. Pool,

See, Teich oder städtisches Erholungsgebiet

direkt vor Haustür. Vielleicht auch ein privater Badesteg

oder Bootsanlegeplatz in unmittelbarer Nähe.

Das klingt nach Urlaub. Wird aber immer häufiger

für das alltägliche Wohnen zum Nonplusultra. Denn

der Bautrend zu Wohntürmen, exklusiven Kleinanlagen

oder freistehenden Atrium- und Penthäusern an

diversen Gewässern erlebt in Österreich eine Hausse

– unabhängig davon, ob die raren Grundstücke in der

Stadt oder am Land beheimatet sind.

Immobilie mit Mehrwert

Im Gespräch mit Immobilienexperten kristallisiert

sich schnell heraus, dass Wohnen am Wasser

vor allem in Wien an Bedeutung gewinnt. „In Österreich

wird Wohnen am Wasser schon lange genutzt.

Man muss nur nach Salzburg, Graz oder Linz blicken.

In Wien ist der Trend allerdings neu. Das liegt

einerseits daran, dass das Gebiet rund um die Donau

erst sehr spät vor Hochwasser gesichert wurde und

entlang des Handelskais durch das Verkehrsband

keine attraktive Anbindung an das Wasser vorhanden

ist. Die Bezirke Donaustadt und Floridsdorf mit

der Neuen und Alten Donau galten lange Zeit als

eher unattraktive Wohngegenden. Das hat sich in

den letzten Jahren stark geändert. Die Grundstückspreise

sind hier massiv gestiegen und erreichen aktuell

Rekordpreise“, erzählt Jasmin Soravia, Geschäftsführerin

der SoReal GmbH (Projektentwicklung

Soravia Group), im Interview. Sonja Kaspar, Maklerin

bei Otto Immobilien, analysiert das ähnlich: „In

Österreich bemerkt man in den letzten Jahren gesteigertes

Interesse an dieser Form des Wohnens. Sie

bietet für viele Menschen einen perfekten Ausgleich

zum stressigen Alltag – vor allem im urbanen Bereich.

Die freien Blickachsen auf eine Wasserfläche

bieten in der Enge der Städte einen gesteigerten Erholungswert.“

Leben und Arbeiten

Ein weiterer Trend ist die Verquickung von Wohnen

und Arbeiten. Sie ist auch beim Wiener Projekt

„TrIIIple“ ein wesentlicher Faktor. Die Adresse

Schnirchgasse 9 wird mit einem Investitionsvolumen

von rund 295 Millionen Euro ein Stück Stadtentwicklungsgeschichte

schreiben. Bis 2020 entstehen

auf etwa 73.000 Quadratmetern Nutzfläche

Vorsorgewohnungen, Eigentumswohnungen, Micro

Apartments, Büros, Gastronomie, Geschäfte und

Kindergärten. Das Projekt der Soravia Group und

ARE Austrian Real Estate Development umfasst drei

Türme mit je rund 100 Metern Höhe und einen

knapp halb so hohen Büroturm. An Stelle des ehemaligen

Zollamts setzt das Architektenteam Henke

Schreieck moderne Wohnkultur mit optimaler Infrastruktur

durch U-Bahn- und Flughafen-Anbindung,

Zugang zum Donaukanal und zu großzügigen

Freiflächen. Die Immobilien selbst werden durch

Rooftop-Pool, Concierge-Service, Bibliothek, Gemeinschaftsterrasse

und Kitchenlounge aufgewertet.

Attraktive Lagen

Floridsdorf als aufstrebender Bezirk kann derzeit

mit zwei neu entstehenden Projekten überzeugen:

„Wohnen am Wasserpark“ von Otto Immobilien ist

eines davon, das bis spätestens Winter 2018 mit 23

Eigentumswohnungen inklusive Terrassen, Balkonen

und Eigengärten den Wohnbereich hinaus ins

„Durch die geringen

verfügbaren Flächen

für Neubauten ist die

Wertsteigerung in

Wien enorm.“

“Due to the lack of

available space for

new buildings, there

has been an enormous

increase in value in

Vienna.”

Jasmin Soravia

Geschäftsführerin der SoReal

GmbH (Projektentwicklung

Soravia Group)

Managing Director of SoReal

GmbH (Project Development

Soravia Group)

124 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

TRIIIPLE.

Moderne Stadtentwicklung

par excellence stellt das

Projekt auf dem Gelände des

ehemaligen Zollamts in

unmittelbarer Nähe zum

Donaukanal dar.

Modern urban development

par excellence is manifested

in this project on the estate

of the former customs office,

in close vicinity to the

Danube Canal.

room4rent

SERVICED APARTMENTS

• temporary living

• 3 x in Vienna - from EUR 805,-/month

• full furnished

• free of commission

• Concierge-Service

www.room4rent.at/en

SAVOIR VIVRE PROPERTY

„Freie Blickachsen

auf eine Wasserfläche

bieten in der Enge der

Stadt gesteigerten

Erholungswert. “

”A great view of a calm

body of water can provide

much needed relaxation

in comparison with

the cramped city.“

Sonja Kaspar

Maklerin

Otto Immobilien

Agent at Otto Immobilien

WOHNEN AM WASSERPARK. LIVING BY THE WATER PARK.

Lichtdurchflutete Eigentumsobjekte mit exklusiver Ausstattung, großzügigen Terrassen, Balkonen und Eigengärten in Wien-Floridsdorf.

Light-flooded properties with exclusive furnishing, generous terraces, balconies as well as gardens in Vienna-Floridsdorf.

Grüne erweitert. Anfang 2019 folgt „Super Dry“ mit

der Adresse Drykalskiweg 11 von Hart + Hart. Hier

entstehen zehn Wohnungen inklusive Tiefgarage

und Aussicht auf die Alte Donau sowie die Skyline

der DonauCity. Abseits der Bundeshauptstadt ist das

Luxusrefugium „Laisseefaire“ am Kärntner Wörthersee

ein prestigeträchtiges Vorzeigebeispiel. Unter

der Ägide von Kollitsch wurden neue Wohnwelten

mit Privatsphäre, hauseigenem Steg, beheiztem

Pool und mondänem Raumambiente geschaffen. 18

Seesuiten, zwei Penthäuser und fünf Atriumhäuser

in einer Bucht am Nordufer punkten mit außergewöhnlicher

Architektur.

Interessantes Wertsteigerungspotential

Im Hinblick auf die Entwicklungschancen von

Immobilien am Wasser sind sich die Experten einig:

„Durch die geringen verfügbaren Flächen für Neubauten

ist die Wertsteigerung in Wien bereits in den

letzten 15 Jahren enorm. Langfristig kann man davon

ausgehen, dass sich an diesem Trend nichts ändern

wird“, so Soravia. „Die Grundflächen nahe dem

Wasser sind begrenzt, wodurch das Wertsteigerungspotential

für derartige Liegenschaften sehr gut

ist. Stichwort: unverbaubarer Blick“, setzt Kaspar

nach. Wer weiter in die Ferne schweifen möchte,

kann sich Inspiration bei den Luxusimmobilien auf

luxuryestate.com holen, wo unter anderem „Il Plametto“,

eine Renaissance-Villa mit Geheimtunnel,

Theater und Infinity-Pool, in Florida zum Verkauf

steht – um wohlfeile 130 Millionen Euro.

Secluded properties and a breathtaking view on

the glittering blue. Whether it‘s a pool, a lake, a

pond or an urban recreational zone right in

front of your door. Perhaps even a private swimming

pier or a dock in close vicinity. Sounds like holidays,

but is increasingly becoming an absolute must for daily

living. The new trends of residential towers, exclusive

residences or detached atriums and penthouses located

at various bodies of water is currently

experiencing a boom in Austria — no matter whether

the rare properties are located in the city or in the

countryside.

Property with added value

When talking with property experts, it quickly becomes

clear that living by the water is gaining particular

popularity in Vienna right now. ”Living by the water

has been quite common in Austria for a while, you

only have to look at Salzburg, Graz or Linz. In Vienna,

however, this trend is quite new. This is partly due to

the fact that it took a while for the land around the

PHOTOS: JAMJAM, BEIGESTELLT

Danube river to be secured from flooding and that

there is no attractive connection to the water via the

long Handelskai. The districts of Donaustadt and Floridsdorf

with the New and Old Danube have long

been considered rather unattractive residential areas.

This has completely changed in the last couple of years.

Property prices have increased immensely and are

currently hitting new records,“ says Jasmin Soravia,

Managing Director of SoReal GmbH (Project Development

Soravia Group) in our interview. Sonja Kaspar,

agent at Otto Immobilien, sees it similarly. ”There

has been increased interest in this type of living in

Austria in the last few years. It provides the perfect

answer to the stress of everyday life for many people

— especially in the urban areas. A great view of a calm

body of water can provide much needed relaxation in

comparison with the cramped city.“

Living and working

An additional trend is the merging of living and

working. This is also a key factor in the Viennese project

“TrIIIple“. At Schnirchgasse 9, urban development

will soon make history with an investment volu-

SUPER DRY.

Nach Süden gerichtet, auf vier Etagen, mit vorgelagerter Grünzone an der Alten Donau fällt der Blick

direkt auf die aufregende Skyline der DonauCity.

Set toward the south, on four floors, with an upstream green area by the Old Danube and a view

right on the exciting skyline of the Danube City.

126 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE PROPERTY

W I E N E R P R I V A T K L I N I K

LAISSEEFAIRE.

Atriumhaus, Seesuite oder Penthouse: Exklusive Wohnformen am Wörthersee, die Urlaubsstimmung

mitschwingen lassen.

Atrium house, lake suite or penthouse — exclusive living at Wörthersee lake, holiday feeling

guaranteed.

IL PALMETTO.

Auch so kann Wohnen am Wasser aussehen: Eine Liga für sich ist

die mediterrane Luxusvilla in Florida.

Living by the water can look like this, too — this Mediterranean

luxury village in Florida plays in its own league.

VIENNA PRIVATE HOSPITAL

RECOMMENDED BY LEADING DOCTORS

me of around 295 million euro. By 2020, freehold

apartments, condominiums, micro apartments, offices,

restaurants, shops and kindergartens will emerge

from the 73,000-square-metre-sized property. The

project of the Soravia Group and ARE Austrian Real

Estate Development combines three towers, each

around 100 metres high as well as an office tower

roughly half that height. In place of the former customs

office, the architectural team Henke Schreieck

will bring about a modern residential culture with optimal

infrastructure with connections to the U-Bahn

and the airport, access to the Danube Canal and generous

open spaces. The properties themselves receive

added value from rooftop pools, a concierge service, a

library, a communal terrace and a kitchen lounge.

Attractive locations

Floridsdorf gets to prove itself as a burgeoning district

via two newly developing projects: “Living by the

Water Park“ by Otto Immobilien is one of them,

which will expand further into the green by winter

2018 with 23 condominiums including terraces, balconies

and gardens. Starting in 2019, “Super Dry“ will

follow suit at Drykalskiweg 11 by Hart + Hart. Ten

apartments will be constructed here as well as an underground

car park and a view of the Old Danube and

the skyline of the Danube City. Beyond the capital, the

luxury destination of “Laisseefaire“ at Wörthersee lake

in Kärnten is both a prestigious and exemplary object.

Under the aegis of Kollitsch, entirely new living spaces

with plenty of privacy, a private own pier, heated pools

and a chic residential atmosphere have been crafted.

18 lake suites, two penthouses and five atrium houses

located within a bay at the northern shore boast with

extraordinary architecture.

Plenty of value appreciation potential

In regard to the long-term viability of properties

located by the water, our experts clearly agree: ”Due to

the lack of available space for new buildings, there has

been an enormous increase in value in Vienna in the

last 15 years. In the long run, you may assume that this

trend is not going to change,“ says Soravia. ”Properties

near the water are limited, which is why the value

appreciation potential for such locations is excellent.

Keywords: unobstructable view,“ adds Kaspar. Those

who want to keep looking into the future may receive

inspiration from the luxury properties on luxuryestate.com,

where, among other things, you will be able to

find “Il Plametto“, a renaissance villa with a secret tunnel,

a theatre and an infinity pool, located in Florida

and priced at merely 130 million euro.

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT

FIRST CLASS PRIVATE HEALTHCARE

The VIENNA PRIVATE HOSPITAL – situated in the centre of

Vienna in ultimate proximity to the University Hospital offers

highest medical competence with the leading specialists from

a great variety of fields. Built in 1871, the Vienna Private

Hospital became the flagship in the private healthcare sector.

The Vienna Private Hospital successfully combines decades of

clinical experience with the state-of-the-art scientific methods

in modern medicine.

With a variety of interdisciplinary medical centres of excellence

our hospital provides medical expertise, equipped with the modern

technology (PET/CT, multi-slice SPECT/CT) at the highest level.

Multilingual expert staff ensures convalescence in a luxurious

ambience in the Art Nouveau style. Our excellent cuisine meets

the individual culinary, religious and ethnic needs of our patients.

Welcome in The Vienna Private Hospital – Your Health is Our Passion!

MAIN MEDICAL FIELDS

Cardiology • Angiology • Cardiac Surgery • Obesity Management

Weight Loss surgery • Endocrinology/Metabolic diseases Abdominal

Surgery • Vascular surgery Neurosurgery • Brachial Plexus

and Peripheral Nerve Surgery • Reconstructive Surgery Oral

and maxillofacial Facial Reconstruction Surgery • Orthopaedics

surgery • Bone Tumor Surgery • Minimal invasive Implants

& Prosthetics Surgery • Trauma surgery • Physical medicine and

rehabilitation • Rheumatology • Immunology • Ophthalmology

Pulmonology • Gynaecology • Urology • Check-Ups

STATE OF THE ART MEDICINE, ELEGANCE AND LUXURY – IN THE HEART OF VIENNA

128 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

1090 Vienna/Austria · Pelikangasse 15 · Phone: +43 1 40 180-8700 · Fax: +43 1 40 180-2254 · Mail: info@wpk.at

SAVOIR VIVRE LIFESTYLE

Sommerfreuden

Summer delights

Text: Michaela Hocek

Blickfang Leder

Leather in focus

Ästhetische Kaffeekunst

The aesthetic art of coffee making

Mehrmals täglich entsteht bei Kaffee-Aficionados der

Wunsch nach Espresso, Latte Macchiato oder

Cappuccino – in den kommenden Monaten auch nach

Eiskaffee. Die „PrimaDonna Elite Experience“ von

De’Longhi im edlen Edelstahl-Design ist der richtige

Kaffeevollautomat, um allen Wünschen nach Kaffee und

Tee gerecht zu werden. Die Zubereitung erfolgt über

Eingabe am Touchscreen-Farbdisplay oder vernetzt via

Coffee Link-App über das Smartphone.

The urge for espresso, latte macchiato or cappuccino

arises several times a day for coffee aficionados – in the

coming months, iced coffee will be added to the list. The

"PrimaDonna Elite Experience" by De'Longhi in noble

stainless steel design is the perfect fully automatic

coffee machine to meet any desire for coffee or tea. The

preparation is carried out via the colour touch display or

linked through the CoffeeLink app straight with your

smartphone.

delonghi.com

Für die hohe Kompetenz in Sachen Leder ist das italienische Label Tod’s schon seit Anfang der 1900er Jahre bekannt. Auch die aktuelle Tod’s Eyewear Kollektion hat das edle

Material in den Fokus gerückt. Die Brillen sind komplett handgefertigt. Die Modelle sind leicht an der markentypischen Naht zu erkennen. Das kultige Geflecht, in aller Welt

durch den Einsatz beim klassischen Tod’s Mokassin bekannt, wird zum kennzeichnenden Schmuckelement an den Bügeln.

The Italian label Tod's has been known for their expert leather craftsmanship since the early 1900s. Even the current Tod's Eyewear collection has put the noble material into

focus with completely handmade glasses. The unique seam make the models easily recognisable. The iconic mesh, known all over the world through its use on the classic

Tod's moccasin, is an extraordinary feature on the arms. tods.com

It’s Teetime!

It's tee time!

Die neue Golfkollektion von

Colmar vereint Style und

Funktionalität für Liebhaber des

Greens. Die Sommer-Neuheiten

umfassen ärmellose Daunen-

Westen und Westen, Golfhosen,

Polos. Klassische und

Slim-Passformen sorgen für

optimale Bewegungsfreiheit.

The new golf collection by

Colmar combines style and

functionality for lovers of golf.

Sleeveless down vests and

regular vests, golf pants and

polos are included in the fresh

summer collection. Classic and

slim fits ensure ultimate

freedom of movement.

colmar.it

Sonne & Sport

Sun & sports

Der Casual Sport-Trend setzt sich natürlich im

Sommer fort. Der ideale Sonnenschutz wird zum

wichtigen Thema. Shiseido liefert mit der „Sports BB

SPF50+“-Produktlinie eine sehr wasserresistente

BB-Cream, die nicht nur schützt, sondern auch den

pH-Wert der Haut reguliert.

The casual sports trend is set to continue this

summer and so the ideal sun protection becomes an

important topic for everybody. Shiseido delivers a

very water-resistant BB-Cream with the "Sports BB

SPF50 +" product line, which not only protects but

also regulates the pH value of the skin. shiseido.at

Feminine Facetten | Feminine facets

Von Kopf bis Fuß

From head to toe

Vor allem im Business muss das äußere Erscheinungsbild schon auf den ersten Blick passen. Die aktuelle

Kollektion von Falke Men’s Legwear verhilft Männern mit gedeckten Farben, frischen Farbakzenten und

unterschiedlichen Mustern zu Individualität. Leinen, geflammte oder gekämmte Baumwolle und glänzende

Fasern wie Seide und Viskose sind die Materialien des Sommers für die hochwertigen Socken.

The right appearance at first glance is key, especially when it comes to business. Falke Men's Legwear’s current

collection provides men with their own unique touch using muted colours, fresh colour accents and different

patterns. Linen, flamed or combed cotton and shiny fibres such as silk and viscose are this summer’s choices of

material for premium quality socks. falke.com

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT

Edle Rose

Noble rose

Neben Uhren, Schreibgeräten und feinen

Lederaccessoires ist Montblanc auch für

erlesenen Damenschmuck bekannt. Die

Kunsthandwerker der Manufaktur

platzieren Edelsteine auf gekonnte Art.

Der elegante Ring aus Weißgold mit

großzügigem Diamant-Pavé stammt aus

der Kollektion „Pétales de Rose“.

In addition to watches, writing

instruments and fine leather accessories,

Montblanc is also known for exquisite

ladies' jewellery. The manufactory´s own

craftsmen set every gemstone in a skilful

manner. The elegant ring made of white

gold with generous diamond pavé is a

part of the "Pétales de Rose" collection.

montblanc.com

Kein Geringerer als Star-Fotograf Michael Avedon hat die aktuelle

Bulgari-Kampagne mit Lottie Moss geschossen. Die glamourösen

Accessoires, die eine gelungene Kombination aus luxuriöser Handwerkskunst

und außergewöhnlichen Materialien sind, wurden im

sonnendurchfluteten Rom in Szene gesetzt.

None other than star photographer Michael Avedon has shot the

current Bulgari campaign with Lottie Moss. The glamorous accessories,

a successful combination of luxurious craftsmanship and extraordinary

materials, were staged in sunny Rome.

bulgari.com

130 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

131

SAVOIR VIVRE LIFESTYLE OPEN AIR

Outdoorfreuden

Outdoor pleasures

Text: Michaela Hocek

Hey, Mister DJ!

Was wäre eine Gartenparty ohne Sound? Mit einer Range aus

Extra-Bass-Lautsprechern bringt Sony eine klangstarke und spritzwassergeschützte

Soundflotte mit kräftigen Bässen, Lichteffekten und

Ausdauer (der Akku hält bis zu 24 Stunden) ins Freie. Bis zu zehn Geräte

können miteinander verbunden werden.

What would a garden party be without sound? With a range of extra

bass speakers, Sony delivers a splash-proof and powerful sounding

fleet of speakers with strong bass, light effects and long lasting battery

life (they last up to 24 hours) out in the open. Up to ten devices can be

linked together.

sony.at

Atmosphäre schaffen

Create atmosphere

Ein Garant für gemütliche Abende im Garten, auf dem Balkon oder

der Terrasse ist die richtige Außenbeleuchtung. Die LED-Laterne

Abelia von Philips schafft verschiedene Stimmungen – mit Kerzenschein-Modus

bis warmweißen, hellen Lichtkegeln. Sie wird über

USB aufgeladen und ist absolut wetterfest.

The right exterior lighting is a necessity for cosy evenings in the

garden, on the balcony or the terrace. The LED lantern Abelia by

Philips creates various moods – from candlelight mode to warm

white and bright light cones. They are charged via USB and are

absolutely weatherproof.

philips.at

Stilvoll tafeln | Stylish dining

Von Hand geflochten

Hand-braided

Exklusiv und fair: Auf der indonesischen Insel Java entstehen die Terrassenmöbel

des deutschen Unternehmens Bloom. Produziert wird „on demand“ und mit

umfangreichen Qualitätskontrollen. Individuelle Anpassungen nach Kundenwünschen

sind möglich.

Exclusive and fair: the terrace furniture by the German company Bloom is

produced on the Indonesian island of Java. Production is purely on demand and

undergoes stringent quality control. Individual customisations according to

customer requirements are also possible.

bloom-moebel.de

Special Edition

Special edition

Der legendäre Panton Chair, den Verner Panton gemeinsam mit

Vitra bereits 1967 zur Serienreife entwickelte, ist um eine

Farbnuance reicher. Der Freischwinger behübscht in diesem

Sommer in kräftigem Sunlight-Gelb den Außenbereich. Vorsicht:

Zeitlich limitiert!

The legendary Panton Chair, which Verner Panton developed

together with Vitra as early as 1967, has received a new colour

nuance option. This summer, the cantilever chair makes the

outdoor area shine in powerful sunny yellow. It’s a limited edition!

vitra.com

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT

Die WA-Kollektion von Dedon ist das Ergebnis der Stilsicherheit von

Designer Toan Nguyen und einem zweijährigen Entwicklungsprozess.

Winkel und Kurven im harmonischen Zusammenspiel und die schlanke

Anmutung spiegeln zeitgenössische Sensibilität wider.

The WA collection by Dedon is the result of the stylistic confidence of

designer Toan Nguyen and a two-year development process. Angles

and curves in a harmonious interplay and the slim appearance reflect

contemporary sensibility. dedon.de

132 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE AMBASSADOR´S DRIVE

Auf der Straße: Skoda Kodiaq. Am Steuer: S.E. Jan Sechter

On the road: Skoda Kodiaq. At the steering wheel: H.E. Jan Sechter

Der Botschafter der Tschechischen Republik auf CD-Testfahrt. | The Ambassador of the

Czech Republic performs a test drive for CD.

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

Ein verregneter Donnerstag im April, draußen

am Wiener Rennweg staut sich der Verkehr,

drinnen im geräumigen Skoda Kodiaq – dem

aktuellen Testauto des fünften „Ambassador's Drive“

von „Cercle Diplomatique“ – steuert Testfahrer Jan

Sechter, der Botschafter der Tschechischen Republik

in Österreich, behutsam in eine Parklücke vor der

145 Jahre alten Böhmischen Kirche. Hier, im 3. Bezirk,

schlägt heute das Herz der tschechischen Gemeinde

in der Bundeshauptstadt, die noch etwa

12.000 Personen zählt. Gleich dahinter liegt auch die

zweisprachige Tschechische Schule für etwa 550

Schüler, mit Theaterverein, Chor und Unterricht in

Tschechisch bis zur Matura. Erst jüngst habe der

berühmte „Turnverein Sokol“, der etliche Volleyball-

Stars hervorgebracht hat, dort sein 150jähriges

Bestehen gefeiert.

Sechter, ein hochgewachsener, drahtiger Prager,

wird an diesem Ort fast nachdenklich. Er erzählt,

wie sich Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts über 300.000

tschechische Arbeiter im 4. und 10. Bezirk ärmlichst

ansiedelten und mit schwielenden Händen die Expansion

der Weltwunderstadt Wien um 1900 erst

ermöglichten. Er berichtet von tschechischen Sozialvereinen,

die die hiesige Arbeiterbewegung befeuert

haben. Und er schwärmt von den vielen Spuren

Tschechiens in Wien – von der Karlskirche über die

Kirche Maria am Gestade, die noch heute eine tschechische

Pfarre ist, bis zur Ressel-Statue vor der Technischen

Universität, die den tschechisch-österreichischen

Erfinder der Schiffsschraube ehrt. Und

natürlich vom Kaiserschmarrn, Budweiser-Bier und

den vielen Unternehmen mit tschechischem Ursprung,

von Swarovski bis Kapsch. Kurzum: Nirgendwo,

mit Ausnahme von Chicago vielleicht, sei

der Fußabdruck tschechischer Auswanderer stärker

als in Österreich, insbesondere Wien.

Dann hält der Diplomat, der nach seinem Dienst

als Kulturattaché in Berlin um die Jahrtausendwende

mit dem damaligen österreichischen Bundeskanzler

Wolfgang Schüssel die Entschädigungszahlung des

Versöhnungsfonds für tschechische Zwangsarbeiter

im Zweiten Weltkrieg erfolgreich verhandelt hat,

inne und streicht behutsam über die edlen wuchtigen

Formen des Kodiaq. Man kann geradezu spüren,

wie sehr er dieses technische Meisterwerk – momentan

der ganze Stolz der Autoindustrie in Tschechien,

die auch den Hyundai iX 35 herstellt – bewundert.

„Wissen Sie“, sagt der studierte Volkswirt Sechter,

der über den Wandel tschechischer Agrarbetriebe

Jan Sechter hat seinen Posten

als Botschafter der Tschechischen

Republik in Österreich

2013 angetreten.

Jan Sechter is serving as Ambassador

of the Czech Republic to

Austria since 2013.

134 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

SAVOIR VIVRE AMBASSADOR´S DRIVE

zur Marktwirtschaft diplomiert hat und demnächst

als Botschafter nach Hongkong wechselt, „das war

ein langer, steiniger Weg.“ Auf der Fahrt zurück zur

Botschaft, neben dem Reinhardt-Schauspielseminar,

lässt er sich dazu eine charakteristische Episode entlocken.

Mitte der 1990er Jahre, kurz nachdem Skoda

in die VW-Familie übernommen wurde, kamen die

tschechischen Ingenieure mit ersten Entwürfen für

den Skoda Octavia daher – ein günstiges, modernes

Mittelklasse-Kompaktauto. Die deutschen Kollegen

winkten ab – der VW-Passat sei völlig ausreichend in

diesem Segment – und hätten die tschechischen

Techniker mit einem hämischen Nachsatz nach

Hause geschickt: „Das schafft ihr sowieso nie.“

Was Skoda, wie man am Octavia der heute vierten

Generation sieht, zu Höchstleistungen angespornt

hat – auf deren Zenit nach dem Yeti heute der Kodiaq

steht. Deswegen startet Jan Sechter nochmals kräftig

durch und dreht eine derart lebendige Ehrenrunde,

dass selbst VW die Luft wegbliebe.

Jan Sechter im Gespräch

mit CD Autor Rainer

Himmelfreundpointner.

Ambassador Sechter

and CD's author Rainer

Himmelfreundpointner.

Pressedame Michaela Cieslarova mit

Botschafter Jan Sechter.

Michaela Cieslarova, in charge of

media relations, and Ambassador

Jan Sechter.

Skoda Kodiaq – groß, aber oho

Skoda Kodiaq – spacious, yet really smart

Der Skoda Kodiaq hatte seine Premiere auf dem Pariser Autosalon voriges Jahr und nicht nur die Fangemeinde

der tschechischen Automarke sofort in Entzücken versetzt – natürlich auch wegen des modischen „Q“, auf

das man heutzutage in so vielen Logos trifft. Der Kodiaq ist nach dem Yeti das zweite SUV – steht für Sports

Utility oder Suburban Vehicle – aus dem Hause Skoda, und er macht dieser Marke, die mehr und mehr ins

Top-Segment strebt, alle Ehre. Beeindruckend sind vor allem sein kraftvolles Auftreten und Äußeres, seine

vielen durchdachten Details (etwa im Navi) und sein großzügiges Platzangebot, das ihn mit einer dritten

Sitzreihe sozusagen zu einem tschechischen Raumwunder macht.

The Skoda Kodiaq made its debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show Salon and, after the Yeti, is Skoda's second

SUV, this time coming with the fashionable „Q“ in its logo. The Kodiaq is a further step of the Czech carmaker

into the echelons of the top segment of the industry, convincing with its impressive exterior, the number of

sophisticated features (try the navi) and a very spacious inside which even allows a third row of seats.

Technische Daten Technical data

Motor Engine

R4 Diesel und Benziner

Antrieb Drive

Front- und Allradantrieb / front-wheel and four-wheel drive

kW (PS) kw (HP) 92 - 140 (125 - 190)

Hubraum Capacity 1.395 - 1.984 ccm

Kraftstoffverbrauch/

Fuel consumption

7,4 - 5,3 l/100 km (kombiniert / combined)

Preis Price

ab | from € 25.690,– (inkl./ incl. NoVA & 20% Mwst./ VAT)

compensation payments for Czech WW II slave labourers

with Austria's former chancellor Wolfgang

Schüssel, is smoothly parking the new Skoda SUV, he

takes a big sidestep into history and goes back to the

late 19th century when some 300,000 Czechs helped

to build Vienna into a 2 million metropolis around

1900. And he proudly sums up the many traces of

Czech origin to be found here – the Karlskirche, the

monument of Josef Ressel, inventor of the ship's propeller,

Austrian companies like Swarovski or Kapsch,

which have been founded by Czechs, and of course,

the Kaiserschmarrn and the Budweiser beer.

Then, the Ambassador caresses the mighty curves

of the Kodiaq and reveals a background episode why

it currently is the pride of the Czech automotive industry.

Back in the 1990s, soon after Skoda was taken

over by VW, engineers proposed to launch the Octavia,

but have been rejected by their VW colleagues.

”One Passat is enough“, they were told. And: ”You

won't succeed, anyway.“ This insult has driven Skoda

engineers to record performance, as the 4th generation

Octavia proves. And the Kodiaq, Sechter says, is

the crown of this development.

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

On a rainy Thursday in April, Jan Sechter, the

Ambassador of the Czech Republic, is driving

a Skoda Kodiaq – the test-car of CD's

fifth „Ambassadors's Drive“ – to the Bohemian

Church at Vienna's Rennweg. Here, in the 3rd district,

beats the heart of the some 12,000 persons

strong Czech community in Vienna, with a bilingual

school for around 550 students, a choir and a theatre

ensemble just behind of it.

As Sechter, who after his service as cultural attaché

in Berlin until the year 1999, has negotiated

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA

INFO:

skoda.at

136 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Der entspannte tschechische

Botschafter während der

Testfahrt des Skoda Kodiaq

an einem verregneten April-

Donnerstag.

The relaxed Czech Ambassador

during his test drive of a Skoda

Kodiaq on a rainy Thursday in

April.

ENJOY A NEW AND LUXURY GENERATION

OF FULLY EQUIPPED SERVICED APARTMENTS

IN THE HISTORIC HEART OF VIENNA

LIV’IN RESIDENCE BY FLEMING’S WIEN-PARLAMENT / AUERSPERGSTRASSE 21 / A-1080 WIEN ∙ AUSTRIA /

T: +43 1 22737 – 5555 / F: +43 1 22737 – 9999 / WWW.BASEDINVIENNA.AT / WIEN-PARLAMENT@LIV-IN.DE

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 137

SAVOIR VIVRE MOTOR

Highlights vom Genfer Automobil-Salon

Geneva Motor Show highlights

Text: Rois & Stubenrauch

BMW 5er Touring:

Stilsicheres Raumwunder

Stylish storage miracle

Die starke 5er Baureihe von BMW erhält nun auch einen neuen Kombi. Das bewährte Design, inkl. dem praktischen Heckfenster, hat

sich nur minimal geändert. In seinen Abmessungen leicht gewachsen, bietet der neue BMW 5er Touring jedoch spürbar mehr Platz

im Inneren: Bis zu 1.700 l fasst nun der Kofferraum. Leichte Materialien wie Aluminium sorgen für ein sehr dynamisches Fahrverhalten.

Bei den Assistenzsystemen ist BMW – mit Gestiksteuerung oder dem neuen Driving Assistant Plus, der teilautonomes Fahren

ermöglicht – wie immer top.

BMW’s powerful 5-series now also includes an estate car. The tried and tested design, Motor Engine

R4 / R6 Diesel und/and Benziner/petrol

including the practical rear window, has barely changed. Having increased slightly in Antrieb Drive

Hinterradantrieb/Allrad xDrive - Rear wheel/4wheel xDrive

its measurements, the new BMW 5-series Touring includes significantly more space kW (PS) kw (HP) 140 (190) - 250 (340)

– the trunk now holds up to 1,700 litres. Light materials, such as aluminium, provide a Hubraum Capacity

1.995 - 2.998 ccm

very dynamic driving experience. BMW’s assistance system with gesture control and Kraftstoffverbrauch Fuel consumption Diesel ab/from 4,4 / Benziner/petrol ab/from 5,9 l/100km

the new Driving Assistance Plus, which allows for partly autonomous driving, is top Preis Price ab | from € 53.800,–

class, as usual.

VW Arteon: Neue Premiumklasse aus Wolfsburg | New

premium class from Wolfsburg

Range Rover Velar: Britische Coolness | British coolness

Ebenfalls am Genfer Automobilsalon lancierte VW sein neues Flaggschiff Arteon

– als „echte Herausforderung für die Premiumwettbewerber“, so Volkswagen

Vorstandsvorsitzender Herbert Diess. Die dynamische, klare Linie des neuen VW

Arteon und ein markiger, über die gesamte Breite gezogener Kühlergrill

signalisieren distinguierte Power. Der große Radstand von 2,84 Metern sorgt trotz

der sportlichen Silhouette für Beinfreiheit im Fonds und viel Platz im Kofferraum.

VW took advantage of the Geneva Motor Show to show off its new Arteon

flagship, marking a “real challenge for the premium competitors”, as expressed by

Volkswagen’s chairman Herbert Diess. The dynamic, clear lines of the new VW

Arteon and the vigorous grille covering the entire width signal distinguished

power. The large 2.84-metre wheelbase provides legroom in the back and plenty

of space in the trunk despite its sporty silhouette.

Motor Engine

R4 Benziner/R4 petrol und/and Diesel / Plug-in-Hybrid

Antrieb Drive

Allradantrieb / Four-wheel drive

kW (PS) kw (HP)

140(190) - 235 (320) / Plug-in-Hybrid 300 (407) Systemleistung / system performance

Hubraum Capacity

1.969 ccm

Kraftstoffverbrauch Fuel consumption Diesel ab/from 5,1 / Benziner/petrol ab/from 7,3 / Plug-in-Hybrid 2,1 l/100km (Stromverbrauch/Electricity consumption: 19 kWh/100 km)

Preis Price ab | from € 48.304,–

Volvo XC60: Skandinavisches Kraftpaket | Scandinavian power horse

Lange hat man auf den neuen XC60 gewartet, beim Genfer Autosalon im März war es endlich soweit: Die zweite Generation von Volvos erfolgreichstem Modell wurde

vorgestellt. Sowohl von außen als auch innerlich nimmt der rundum erneuerte XC60 starke Anleihen am großen Bruder der 90er Baureihe: Markante Linienführung, die

charakteristischen Scheinwerfer, ergonomische Sitze. Auch das große Panoramadach ist vom XC90 übernommen. Bei den Assistenzsystemen legt Volvo noch ein Schäuferl

nach: Eine Lenkunterstützung etwa, die bei drohender Kollision selbsttätig ausweicht, verstärkt die bei den Skandinaviern ohnehin sehr groß geschriebene Fahrsicherheit.

The waiting time for the XC60 was long but at the Geneva Motor Show, the time had finally come – the introduction of the second generation of Volvo’s most successful

model. Both in terms of its exterior and its interior, the completely revamped XC60 takes strong design cues from its big brother from the ‘90s series — distinct lines, the

characteristic headlights, ergonomic seats. The panorama roof has also been carried over from the XC90. In terms of the driver’s assistance system, Volvo has cranked it up a

touch. The car boasts a steering assistance system that swerves independently in the event of an impending collision, improving security, always key with the Scandinavians.

FOTOS: XYXXYXYXY

PHOTOS: VOLVO CAR GROUP, JAGUAR LAND ROVER/RICHARD PRESCOTT, BMW AG, VOLKSWAGEN AG

„Driven by Reduction“ gab Land-Rover-Chefdesigner Gerry McGovern als Prämisse

für den neuen Range Rover Velar aus. Mit seiner klaren, aerodynamischen Linie

gemahnt der Neuzugang der Modellreihe denn auch an eine edle Luxusjacht.

Highlights wie versenkte Türgriffe und das reduzierte Cockpit sorgen für einen

zusätzlichen Wow-Effekt. Eine optimierte Motorenpalette bringt höchste

Performance auf der Straße. Die phänomenale Geländetauglichkeit ist dem Velar

als Mitglied der Land Rover Familie natürlich in die Gene geschrieben.

“Driven by Reduction” was Land Rover Chief Designer Gerry McGovern’s premise

for the new Range Rover Velar. With its clear and aerodynamic lines, the newest

addition to the model series echoes the style of a classy luxury yacht. Highlights

include the recessed door handles and the reduced cockpit, adding even more

reasons to get excited. An optimised range of engines brings top-notch performances

to the road and a phenomenal terrain capability is, of course, wired into the

Velar’s very DNA due to it belonging to the Land Rover family.

Motor Engine

R4 / V6 Diesel und Benziner

Antrieb Drive

Allradantrieb

kW (PS) kw (HP) 132 (180) - 280 (380)

Hubraum Capacity

1.998 - 2.995 ccm

Kraftstoffverbrauch Fuel consumption Diesel ab/from 5,4 / Benziner/petrol ab/from 7,6 l/100km

Preis | Price ab | from € 61.300,–

Motor Engine

R4 Diesel und Benziner/petrol

Antrieb Drive

Frontantrieb/Allrad 4Motion; Front-wheel drive/4-wheel

kW (PS) kw (HP) 110 (150) - 206 (280)

Hubraum Capacity

1968 /1984 ccm

Kraftstoffverbrauch Fuel consumption Diesel ab/from 4,4; Benziner/petrol ab/from 7,3 l/100km

Preis | Price ab | from € 42.990,–

138 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 139

SAVOIR VIVRE WEEKENDER

Bled, Slowenien | Slovenia

Ach, wie romantisch!

Oh my, how romantic!

Einer der schönsten Plätze Europas findet sich in Slowenien, am Fuß der Julischen Alpen, ganz nahe an

der österreichischen Grenze: die Ortschaft Bled mit ihrem See besticht mit viel Romantik und einer

spannenden Historie.

One of the most beautiful places in Europe can be found in Slovenia, at the foot of the Julian Alps and in

close vicinity to the Austrian border — the town of Bled and its lake captivate with a romantic atmosphere

and an exciting history.

Text: Gerald Sturz

Was für ein Anblick – die Burg, der

See, die Insel, die Berge! Nicht

ohne Grund gilt Bled als einer der

romantischsten Orte Europas.

What a sight – the castle, the lake,

the island, the mountains! All reasons

why Bled is considered one of the

most romantic places in Europe.

140 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Insel im See.

Exakt 99 Stufen führen von

der Bootsanlegestelle

hinauf zur Wallfahrtskirche

Mariä Himmelfahrt.

Die Boote, die exklusiv auf

dem Bleder See verkehren,

nennt man Pletna.

Island in the lake.

Exactly 99 steps are leading

from the boat landing dock up

to the pilgrimage church of

the Assumption of the Virgin

Mary. Pletna are the boats

called which are exclusively

navigating on Lake Bled.

PHOTOS: KLEMEN KUNAVER, TADEJ BERNIK, ROZLEBREGAR

Mit großer Leidenschaft zählt Janez Fajfar, der

Bürgermeister von Bled, die Gründe auf,

warum man seinen Ort in der slowenischen

Oberkrain, am Fuß der Julischen Alpen, besuchen

sollte. Da ist der Bleder See selbstverständlich, der als

einer der romantischsten und schönstgelegenen Plätze

Europas gilt, da ist die Insel mitten im See mit ihrer

Wallfahrtskirche Mariä Himmelfahrt, da sind die

Pletna, die typischen Boote mit dem Stoffdach, die am

See verkehren und die Gäste für eine Rundfahrt oder

zu eine Fahrt zur Kirche mieten können, da ist der

herrliche, sechs Kilometer lange Wander- und Radweg

rund um den See, immer dicht am Wasser, mit

den vielen Lokalen, in die man einkehren kann, da ist

die Villa Bled, die Geschichte geschrieben hat, da ist

der Golfsko igrišče Royal Bled, der königliche Golfplatz,

dessen Anfänge bis ins Jahr 1937 zurückreichen

und der als einer der schönsten Europas gilt.

Am schönsten ist natürlich der Blick auf den See

von oben, von dem Burgberg Grajski grič etwa oder

einem der umliegenden Berge, vom Osojnice oder

vom Straza, auf den man auch mit einem Sessellift

kommt.

Schloß Bled enthält ein Museum, das die Geschichte

der Region erzählt. Und die reicht weit zurück

bis in vorchristliche Zeiten, als auf der Insel im

See ein Heiligtum für die Göttin der Liebe und der

Fruchtbarkeit errichtet wurde. Als Kurort entdeckt

wurde Bled in der Mitte und am Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts,

während der Zeit Maria Theresias. Dem

See und den Quellen wurde eine heilende Wirkung

zugeschrieben. Zahlreiche Aristokraten und Großbürger

siedelten sich in der idyllischen Landschaft

rund um den Bleder See an. 1883 besuchte gar Kaiser

Franz Josef den Ort. 1906 wurde Bled ans Eisenbahnnetz

angeschlossen: die Stecke führt von Villach

über Jesenice nach Bled und weiter nach Görz und

nach Triest. Damals war sie die teuerste Bahnstrecke,

die bis dahin gebaut worden war mit spektakulären

Brücken und Tunneln. Zur Eröffnung kam Erzherzog

Franz Ferdinand.

Wer heute Bled besucht, der kommt natürlich

nicht an der berühmten Villa Bled vorbei. Sie liegt

etwas außerhalb des Kurorts. Inmitten einer großzügigen

Parkanlage. Nahezu verwunschen. Janez Fajfar,

der langjährige Bürgermeister, hat hier auch

schon als Hoteldirektor gearbeitet. Die Villa Bled hat

Geschichte geschrieben und in ihr wurde Geschichte

geschrieben. Ursprünglich stand an dieser Stelle ein

Fachwerkhäuschen, das sich die adelige Familie

Windischgrätz errichtet hatte, die nach ihrer unrühmlichen

Rolle während der Märzrevolution von

1848 die Abgeschiedenheit der Krainer Berge den

Habsburger-Metropolen Wien und Prag vorzog.

Nach 1918 stand hier das Schlösschen des jugoslawischen

Königs Alexander. Hier empfing die Königsfamilie

Karageorgewitsch die Mitglieder des griechischen,

rumänischen und englischen Hofes als Gäste.

Die Villa Bled, so wie wir sie heute kennen, wurde

erst nach dem 2. Weltkrieg errichtet. Sie wurde die

Sommerresidenz von Marschall Tito. Der Präsident

Jugoslawiens nutzte sie als angemessenes Haus, um

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

141

SAVOIR VIVRE WEEKENDER

Der Bleder See liegt

inmitten einer anmutigen

Landschaft, was auch dem

königlichen Golfplatz

zugute kommt. Lake Bled

is located amidst a graceful

landscape, which also benefits

the royal golf course.

Die Villa Bled hat auch schon

Staatsgäste und Prominente

aus aller Welt beherbergt.

Villa Bled accomodated state

visitors and VIPs from all over

the world.

TIPP

Wine Bar & Restaurant

Sova

„Was wir kochen, das kommt

vom Herzen“, sagen die

beiden Küchenchefs Knego

und Branko, die in ihrem

Restaurant, das in der

Ortschaft Mlino direkt am

See liegt, einer kreativen

Beschäftigung mit der

lokalen Küche nachgehen.

Wunderbarer Blick auf den

See.

”We cook from the heart,“

the two chefs Knego and

Branko maintain, who use

their restaurant to engage

creatively with the local

cuisine. Their eatery is

located in the town of Mlino

right by the lake, onto which

you can enjoy a fantastic

view.

restavracija-sova.com

internationale Gäste zu empfangen. Vor allem Staatsbesuchen

aus den Ländern der Dritten Welt oder aus

Osteuropa wollte Tito so zeigen, wie erfolgreich Jugoslawien

war, weiß Bürgermeister Fajfar zu berichten.

So waren u.a. Haile Selassie, der Kaiser von Äthiopien,

hier und Nasser, der Präsident von Ägypten.

Aber auch Akihito, der Kaiser von Japan, hatte das

Vergnügen, die Villa Bled zu besuchen. Persönlichkeiten

aus Kunst und Kultur wie Paul McCartney

wohnten im Lauf der Jahre ebenfalls hier. Und Donald

Trump war hier, was vermutlich verwandtschaftlichen

Verhältnissen geschuldet war.

Anekdoten und Geschichten gibt es zur Genüge.

Eine der originellsten erzählt von von Kim Il-sung,

dem nordkoreanischen Präsidenten, der hier nächtigte

und von seinem Bett so begeistert war, dass er es

abbauen und nach Pjöngjang verschiffen ließ. Bemerkenswert

an der Villa Bled ist auch, dass sie ist aus

dem selben Marmor gebaut, der auch beim Bau des

Weißen Hauses in Washington verwendet wurde.

An Tito und seinem Umbau erinnert heute noch

ein Wandfresko im Konzertsaal. Es erzählt von der

Geburt des Staates Jugoslawien und zeigt die Partisanenschlachten

des Zweiten Weltkriegs, aus denn

Tito siegreich hervorgegangen war. Seit 1984 ist die

Villa Bled ein Hotel. Nicht irgendeines, sondern

wohl das bekannteste der Region.

Eine wichtige Veranstaltungen im Herbst ist das

Bled Strategic Forum, das in diesem Jahr am 4. und

5. September stattfindet. Es ist ein Treffen von Politikern

und Wirtschaftsleuten vor allem aus Mittelund

Südosteuropa. Janez Fajfar nennt es kokett das

„Davos des Balkans“. Die Veranstaltung unterstreicht

die Bedeutung, die Bled heute als Kongress- und

MICE-Ort hat.

With plenty of passion, Janez Fajfar, mayor

of Bled, compiles a list of reasons why

people should come visit his town in the

Slovenian region of Upper Carniola at the foot of the

Julian Alps. There is, of course, Lake Bled, which is

considered among the most romantic and most

beautifully located spots in Europe. There‘s the little

island in the heart of the lake with a pilgrimage church

dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, there are

the Pletna, the region-typical boats with fabric roofs,

which navigate around the lake and can be rented by

visitors for a round trip or a ride to the church.

There‘s the splendid, six-kilometre-long hiking and

cycling trail around the lake, always right by the water,

with plenty of eateries all around, there‘s Villa

Bled, with all its history, there‘s the Golfsko Igrišče

Royal Bled, the royal golf course, whose beginnings

date all the way back to 1937 and which is said to be

one of the most beautiful in Europe.

The best way to experience the lake is naturally from

above, for example from the castle hill Grajski Grič or

from one of the surrounding mountains such as Osojnice

or Straža, which can be reached via chairlift.

PHOTOS: MIRKO KUNŠIČ , CRT SLAVEC, FRANCI FERJAN, MIRKO KUNŠIČ, JOŠT GANTAR

Bled Castle houses a museum which tells the history

of the region. And that history reaches far back

into pre-Christian times when a shrine was erected

for the goddess of love and fertility on the island in

the lake. Bled became known as a resort town in the

middle and toward the end of the 18th century, during

the time of Maria Theresa. The lake and its

springs were attributed with healing properties.

Countless aristocrats and members of the upper class

settled within the idyllic landscape around Lake

Bled. In 1883, even Emperor Franz Joseph visited the

place. In 1906, Bled was connected to the railway

network — the track leads from Villach and Jesenice

to Bled and then continues to Görz and Triest. Back

then, it was the most expensive railway track that

had ever been built, with spectacular bridges and

tunnels, and its opening was accompanied by Archduke

Franz Ferdinand.

Those visiting Bled today won‘t do without a trip

to the famous Villa Bled. It is located just outside of

the resort town. Amid a generous park facility, it‘s

quite magical. Janez Fajfar, the long-time mayor,

used to work here as the hotel director. Villa Bled has

made history and history was made in it, too. Originally,

there used to be a little half-timbered house in

its place, erected by the noble family Windischgrätz,

which, due to its ignoble role in the March Revolution

of 1848, preferred the remoteness of the Carniolian

mountains over the Habsburg metropoles of Vienna

and Prague. After 1918, it was the location of

the castle of King Alexander of Yugoslavia. The royal

family Karađorđević received members of the Greek,

Romanian and English courts as guests here.

Villa Bled, as we know it today, was only constructed

after World War Two. It became the summer

residence of Marshal Tito. The president of Yugoslavia

used it to receive international guests. Tito

was particularly keen on showing state visitors from

third world countries and Eastern Europe how successful

Yugoslavia was, reports mayor Fajfar. This is

how, among others, Haile Selassie, the King of Ethiopia

and Gamal Nasser, president of Egypt, came here.

But also Akihito, the Emperor of Japan, had the pleasure

of visiting Villa Bled. Individuals from art and

culture such as Paul McCartney also stayed here. As

did Donald Trump, which was probably due to family

relations.

There‘s plenty of anecdotes and stories here. One

of the best is about Kim Il-sung, the North Korean

president, who had been so impressed by his bed that

he had it deconstructed and shipped to Pyongyang.

Another thing that‘s remarkable about Villa Bled is

that it‘s made of the same marble which had also

been used for the construction of the White House in

Washington.

A fresco on a wall in the concert hall still reminds

visitors of Tito and his reconstruction. It tells the story

of the birth of the Yugoslavian state and portrays

two partisan battles from World War Two, from

which Tito emerged victorious. Since 1984, Villa

Bled has been a hotel. Not just any, but one of the

best-known in the region.

An important event during autumn is the Bled

Strategic Forum, held on 4 and 5 September this

year. It‘s a meeting between politicians and business

representatives, particularly from Central and Southeast

Europe. Janez Fajfar straightforwardly calls it

the “Davos of the Balkans“. The event underlines the

importance that Bled carries today as a conference

and MICE location.

INFO:

bled.si

Schloss Bled

blejski-grad.si

Bled Strategic Forum

bledstrategicforum.org

Golfsko igrišče Royal Bled

golfbled.si

www.slovenia.info

AKTIV URLAUB IN

SLOWENIEN

SLOWENIEN. Grün. Aktiv. Gesund.

Piran

From Executive Potential to

Executive Performance

82.000 executives from 85 countries in 31 years

IEDC-Bled School of Mangement

Prešernova 33, 4260 Bled Slovenia

IEDC Vienna Office, Hahngasse 6, Vienna, Austria

www.iedc.si

SAVOIR VIVRE UPCOMING

Wo es uns gefällt

Where we love to be

Text: Daniela Pötzl

PHOTOS: WWW.GUENTERSTANDL.DE, , HOTEL NIDUM, IMPERIAL RIDING SCHOOL RENAISSANCE

HOTEL, URBAN MASSAGE

Kulinarik | Cuisine

City Barbecue

Bis 30. September 2017 verwandelt sich der rund

2.000 m 2 große Garten beim Imperial Riding

School Renaissance Hotel in Wien Landstraße

wieder zum „place to be“ für Grillliebhaber. Ob „all

you can eat“ oder „à la carte“ – donnerstags bis

sonntags kann man zwischen 17 und 22 Uhr eine

große Auswahl an Fleisch- und Fischspezialitäten,

vielfältige Beilagen, erfrischende Cocktails und das

herrliche Ambiente des historischen Gartens bei

chilliger Lounge Musik genießen.

Till 30 September 2017, the 2,000 m 2 seized

garden at the Imperial Riding School Renaissance

Hotel at Vienna Landstraße will turn into „a place

to be“ for barbecue aficionados again. There, from

Thursday to Sunday, between 5 and 10 pm, a great

variety of meat and fish specialities, manifold side

dishes, refreshing cocktails und the magnificent

ambiance of the historic garden are waiting for you

- relaxed lounge music included.

citygarden-wien.at

Urlaubsdestination | Holiday destination

Cooler Luxus | Cool luxury

Wer sich ein paar tolle Tage gönnen möchte, steigt im Nidum – Casual

Luxury Hotel in der Olympiaregion Seefeld ab. Mit dem Weekend

Special kann man auch noch am Sonntag bis spät nachmittags im

Infinity-Außenpool, in drei Saunen, dem Innenpool mit Whirlpool oder

im Dampfbad relaxen. Bei den drei Restaurantbereichen, der Apero

Terrace und Champagnerbar schätzen Herren das legere Motto „Ohne

Krawatte – ohne Sorgen“. Die Zimmer, bis zu 118 m2 groß, sind

Holz-Designersuiten mit traumhaften Berg-Ausblicken.

If you want to enjoy a few pleasant days’ stay, you will visit the

NIDUM – Casual Luxury Hotel in the Olympiaregion Seefeld. With the

Weekend Special, you can also relax on Sunday until late afternoon in

the infinity outdoor pool or the three saunas, the indoor pool with

whirlpool or the steam bath. Within the three restaurant areas, the

Apero Terrace and champagne bar, gentlemen appreciate the casual

motto ‘Without a tie – without worries’. The rooms, up to 118 m2 in

size, are wooden designer suites with fantastic mountain views.

nidum-hotel.com

Wohlbefinden | Wellbeing

Absolute Entspannung |

Ultimate relaxation

Urban Massage gibt es nun auch in Wien.

Neben den Bezirken 1 bis 23 kommen

zertifizierte Masseure und Masseurinnen

Ihrer Wahl auch in Brunn am Gebirge,

Klosterneuburg, Maria Enzersdorf,

Mauerbach, Mödling, Perchtoldsdorf und

Purkersdorf zum Arbeitsplatz, nach Hause

oder ins Hotel.

Urban Massage is now also available in

Vienna. In addition to the districts 1 to

23, certified masseurs of your choice visit

you at work, home or hotel at Brunn am

Gebirge, Klosterneuburg, Maria

Enzersdorf, Mauerbach, Mödling,

Perchtoldsdorf and Purkersdorf.

urbanmassage.com

#WeAreMusical

Tourismus | Tourism

Das Almdorf – Ein Quell für innere Zufriedenheit | A source for inner peace

Direkt auf zwei sonnigen, leicht versetzten Nockbergeplateaus liegen die beiden Dorfteile „Fellacher“ und „Kleeangerle“ auf der Fellacheralm bei Patergassen

in Kärnten. „Das Almdorf“ bietet seinen Gästen 51 wunderschöne und hochwertige Almhütten. Nach einer wunderbaren Bergwanderung im Gebiet des

Biosphärenparks Nockberge lässt man sich gerne auf hohem Niveau kulinarisch verwöhnen. Ganz außergewöhnlich ist dabei die Holzknechthütte, die

traditionelle Kärntner Küche mit besten heimischen Zutaten bietet. Durch die Initiative von Prinz Alfred von Liechtenstein, der die Weiterentwicklung des

Almdorfs initiierte, soll es in Zukunft als „World Peace Eco Resort“ zur Oase für inneren Frieden werden und auch als Thinktank dienen.

The two village areas ‘Fellacher’ and ‘Kleeangerle’ are located directly on two sunny plateaus in the Nockberge mountain region on the Fellacheralm

mountain pasture near Patergassen in Carinthia. The “Almdorf“ offers its guests 51 magnificent and high-quality mountain huts. After a wonderful

mountain hike in the area of the Nockberge biosphere park you can spoil yourself with wonderful culinary delights. The Holzknechthütte mountain hut,

which offers traditional Carinthian cuisine using only the best local ingredients, is quite exceptional. Through the initiative of Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein,

who initiated the further development of the alpine village, it has become an oasis for inner peace as a ‘World Peace Eco Resort’ and is also to

serve as a think-tank in the future.

almdorf.com

REGIE

Andreas Gergen

DAS MUSICAL MIT DEN HITS VON

RAINHARD FENDRICH

WELTPREMIERE

IM SEPTEMBER 2017

BUCH

Titus Hoffmann

Christian Struppeck

MACHO MACHO • ES LEBE DER SPORT • TANGO KORRUPTI • WEU’SD A HERZ HAST …

144 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

AUSTRIA.MUSICALVIENNA.AT

SAVOIR VIVRE MUST READ

Lesenswertes über Österreich

Books on Austria worth reading

Text: Gerald Sturz

Pfarr Platz Wirt Wein

Peter Weinhäupl

Grado. Der Strand

Mitteleuropas.

Sandór Békési und Elke Doppler (Herausgeber)

Wien von oben.

Die Stadt auf einen

Blick

Graham Greene und Anika Siems Nicolas Mahler nach Robert Musil Stefan Dech / Reinhold Messner / Nils Sparwasser

Der dritte Man

Der Mann ohne

Eigenschaften

Eine perfekte Woche...

Tirol

Der Pfarrplatz in Wien-Heiligenstadt gilt nicht nur als

einer der schönsten Plätze Wiens. Seine Geschichte

ist auch Teil der Wiener Geschichte. Und so ist dieses

sehr großzügig illustrierte Buch mehr als bloß das

Porträt eines Platzes und seiner Anwohner. Es erzählt

auch so einiges über die Kulturgeschichte der Stadt.

Bereits vor 2.000 Jahren siedelten sich hier die Römer

an. Später wohnte hier Ludwig van Beethoven und

fand Anregungen für seine Kompositionen. Seit dieser

Zeit zeigt sich der Pfarrplatz in einem nahezu

unveränderten Zustand. Dieses Buch erzählt

facettenreich die Jahrhunderte währende Geschichte

dieses malerischen Orts. Es beschreibt ausführlich

den Werdegang des Heurigen Mayer und des

Restaurants Pfarrwirt sowie der traditionsreichen

Weingüter Mayer am Pfarrplatz und Rotes Haus.

The parish square or “Pfarrplatz“ as it is known to

locals in Wien-Heiligenstadt is not only one of the

most beautiful places in Vienna. Its history is also part

of Viennese history. This very generously illustrated

book is more than just a portrait of a place and its

inhabitants. Plenty is also told about the cultural

history of the city. 2,000 years ago, the Romans

already settled here. Later, Ludwig van Beethoven

lived here and found inspiration for his compositions.

Since that time, the parish square has remained

almost unchanged. This book provides a detailed

account of the centuries-old history of this

picturesque place. It describes in detail the history of

the Heuriger Mayer and the restaurant Pfarrwirt as

well as the traditional wineries Mayer am Pfarrplatz

and the Rotes Haus.

–

D + R Verlagsgesellschaft

€ 24,00

Als „spiaggia della Mitteleuropa“, als der Strand

Mitteleuropas, bezeichnet sich Grado gern. Dieser

prachtvoll illustrierte Band erzählt die bisweilen

turbulente Geschichte dieses traditionellen Seebads

an der oberen Adria mit seiner bis heute perfekt

erhaltenen historischen Altstadt, der Fischerdorfidylle

und seiner bemerkenswerten regionalen Küche – und

von den mit Grado verbundenen nostalgischen

Kindheitserinnerungen. Es folgt den Spuren der

Wiener Secessionisten, die um 1900 Grado als Kulisse

für ihre Gemälde schätzten. Es erzählt von den

„goldenen“ 1920er und 1930er Jahren und von den

1960er Jahren, als Österreicher den Ort als

Sommerurlaubsziel wiederentdeckten.

Grado likes to call itself the “spiaggia della

Mitteleuropa“, Central Europe’s beach. This superbly

illustrated volume tells the sometimes turbulent

history of this traditional seaside resort at the upper

Adriatic with its still perfectly preserved historic old

town, the fishing village idyll and its remarkable

regional cuisine – and of the nostalgic childhood

memories associated with Grado. It follows the

footsteps of the Viennese Secession artists who

appreciated the ambience of Grado in the 1900s as a

setting for their paintings. It tells of the “golden“

1920s and 1930s and of the 1960s, when Austrians

rediscovered the place as a summer holiday

destination.

–

Brandstätter Verlag

€ 49,90

Zur sehr sehenswerten Ausstellung im Wien Museum

ist dieses Buch erschienen, das sich mit den

Versuchen, der Stadt über die Jahrhunderte und

Jahrtausende visuell beizukommen, auseinandersetzt.

Es zeigt nicht nur die ältesten, größten oder

berühmtesten Pläne, Panoramen und Modelle Wiens,

sondern ebenso seltene thematische Karten oder

künstlerische Zugänge und Designprodukte.

Außerdem werden traditionsreiche, aber auch neue

Aussichtspunkte der Stadt exemplarisch beleuchtet

– vom Stephansturm und dem Kahlenberg bis hin zum

Hochhaus in der Herrengasse.

This book was published parallel to the very

impressive exhibition at the Vienna Museum and

deals with the attempts to visually manage the city

over the centuries and thousands of years. It not only

shows the oldest, largest or most famous plans,

panoramas and models of Vienna, but also rare

thematic maps or artistic approaches and design

products. In addition, traditional, but also new sights

of the city are exemplarily highlighted – from the

Stephansturm and Kahlenberg to the Hochhaus in

Herrengasse.

–

Metroverlag

€ 26,00

Das weltweit vermutlich bekannteste Wien-Buch

stammt von einem britischen Autor. Graham Greenes

„Der dritte Mann“ spielt im zerstörten und geteilten

Wien unmittelbar nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. 1949

hat Carol Reed den Roman mit Orson Welles und

Joseph Cotton und mit der Musik von Anton Karas

verfilmt; der Film ist ein Klassiker. Nun wurde der

Roman wieder einmal auf ganz hervorragende Art

visualisiert. Die Edition Büchergilde hat eine

illustrierte Fassung herausgebracht; die Zeichnungen

stammen von der deutschen Illustratorin Annika

Siems, deren Stil deutlich an den legendären Hans

Hillmann erinnert.

The world‘s most famous book about Vienna comes

from a British author. Graham Greene’s „The Third

Man“ is set within the destroyed and divided Vienna

immediately after the Second World War. In 1949,

Carol Reed filmed the novel with Orson Welles and

Joseph Cotton and the music by Anton Karas, a

classic. This time, the novel has been once again

visualized in an especially brilliant way. Edition

Büchergilde has produced an illustrated version, the

drawings are by the German illustrator Annika Siems,

whose style is clearly reminiscent of the legendary

Hans Hillmann.

–

Edition Büchergilde

€ 25,80

Robert Musils kolossales Werk „Der Mann ohne

Eigenschaften“ gilt als quintessentieller Wien-Roman.

Jeder sollte ihn gelesen haben; die wenigsten haben

es geschafft. Doch Hilfe naht. Jetzt gibt es diese

Kurzfassung, die noch dazu als Comic daherkommt.

Der Wiener Zeichner Nicolas Mahler, dessen

reduzierter Strich und lakonischer Humor ihn zu

einem internationalen Star der Zeichnerszene werden

ließen, hat „eine respektlos reduzierte und höchst

eigenwillige Interpretation“ geschaffen, wie die

deutsche „tageszeitung“ anmerkte. Jetzt schafft man

den „Mann ohne Eigenschaften“ bequem in einer

Stunde. Es gibt also keine Ausreden mehr.

Robert Musil‘s colossal work “The Man Without

Qualities“ is considered a quintessential Viennese

novel. Everyone should have read it and only a few

have succeeded. But help is here! Now there is a short

version which also happens to come in the form of a

comic. The Viennese drawer and illustrator Nicolas

Mahler, who rose to become an international star of

the artistic scene for his reduced lines and laconic

humour, created a “disrespectfully reduced and highly

individual interpretation“, the German “tageszeitung“

noted. Now you can get through “The Man Without

Qualities“ in an hour. So there are no excuses.

–

Suhrkamp Verlag

€ 19,60

Die beiden Reiseführer-Reihen „Ein perfektes

Wochenende in...“ und „Eine perfekte Woche in...“, die

von der Süddeutschen Zeitung herausgegeben

werden, zeigen sehr schön, dass weniger oft mehr ist.

„Hier erfahren Sie nicht alles und jedes, sondern

genau das, was Sie für eine perfekte Woche

brauchen“, schreiben die Herausgeber. Die schönsten

Unterkünfte, die empfehlenswertesten Restaurants,

die besten Berghütten und noch vieles mehr. Und

tatsächlich: Dieses schmale Büchlein ist der ideale

Reisebegleiter für eine gelungene Woche in Tirol.

The two guidebook series “Eine perfekte Woche in ...“

(A perfect week in ...) and “Ein perfektes Wochenende

in...“ (A perfect weekend in ...), published by the

Süddeutsche Zeitung, show very nicely that less is

often more. “You will not learn everything there is to

know but exactly what you need for a perfect week,“

the editors write. The most beautiful accommodations,

the most recommended restaurants and the

best mountain huts and so much more. And indeed:

this small booklet is the ideal travel companion for a

successful week in Tyrol.

–

Süddeutsche Zeitung Edition

€ 16,90

146 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

147

SAVOIR VIVRE MY VIENNA

H.E. János Perényi

Botschafter von Ungarn | Ambassador of Hungary

Interview: Daniela Pötzl

Top in Wien | Top in Vienna

PERSONAL DETAILS

Wunderbare Details im Inneren der

Botschaft und ein Klavier, auf dem

Franz Liszt gespielt hat (ganz oben).

Wonderful details of the Embassy‘s

interior and a piano, which Franz Liszt

had played on (very top).

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA (5), PETER RIGAUD (2), CHRISTIAN STEMPER

Sie sind nun seit zweieinhalb Jahren in Wien. Welche

Orte in der Stadt haben Sie in dieser Zeit besonders

liebgewonnen?

Erstens liegt mir die Innenstadt besonders nah am Herzen,

weil ich in einem Barockpalais in der Bankgasse wohne.

Dieses Gebäude dient seit über dreihundert Jahren den

ungarisch-österreichischen Beziehungen: Im Jahre 1747

wurde es als Ungarische-Königliche Hofkanzlei in Betrieb

gesetzt und fungiert auch seither als Ort und Stätte der

Arbeit der Vertreter von Ungarn in Österreich. In der Nähe

befindet sich der Volksgarten, wo ich, wenn mich meine

Enkelkinder besuchen kommen, sehr viel Zeit mit ihnen

verbringe.

Was macht für Sie Wien so besonders?

Wien ist auf jeden Fall eine besondere Stadt. Jahrhundertelang

war sie Hauptstadt des Habsburgerreiches, was noch

bis heute Spuren hinterlässt. Die Atmosphäre von Wien ist

stimmungsvoll und einzigartig. Alt und neu bzw. modern

verschmelzen zu einer Einheit. Kosmopolitismus trifft hier

auf Gemütlichkeit. Davon können viele Städte nur träumen.

Das MuseumsQuartier ist z.B. ein gelungener Mix aus

moderner Kunst und historischer Stätte. In der Innenstadt

trifft man bei fast jedem Schritt auf Palais, Wohnhäuser,

Innenhöfe, die den Fingerabdruck von früheren Jahrhunderten

tragen. Viele von diesen haben auch einen

besonderen Bezug zu uns, Ungarn, wie die Palais

Esterházy, Pálffy, Batthyány oder Trautson (früherer Name:

Ungarisches Leibgardepalais, heutiger Sitz des österreichischen

Bundesministeriums für Justiz). Meine Familie hat

hier auch österreichische Verwandte – wir fühlen uns auch

deshalb in Wien heimisch. Am Anfang des vorigen

Jahrhunderts hat mein Großvater im Theresianum gelernt,

wo die ungarische Sprache damals noch verpflichtend zu

unterrichten war.

Wenn Sie Besuch aus Ihrer Heimat haben, wohin

fahren Sie Ihre Gäste zuerst? Haben Sie einen

Lieblingsort?

Wenn Besucher aus Ungarn kommen, was ziemlich oft der

Fall ist, gibt es „verpflichtende“ Programme: Albertina,

Kunsthistorisches Museum und Belvedere. Meine Gäste,

die sich für Süßspeisen begeistern, nehme ich zum Demel

mit. Wenn die Gäste kleine Kinder haben, besuchen wir das

Naturhistorische Museum. Manchmal machen wir mit den

Gästen einen Ausflug: ins Burgenland, nach Féltorony/

Halbturn, Fraknó/Forchtenstein oder Kismarton/Eisenstadt,

Ortschaften, die auch eine einzigartige Rolle in der

ungarischen Geschichte gespielt haben und mir deshalb

auch sehr am Herzen liegen.

Welche Erinnerungen werden Sie mitnehmen, wenn

Sie Wien wieder verlassen müssen?

Alle diese Erlebnisse nehme ich in meinem Gedächtnis und

in meinem Herzen mit, sowie auch die Erinnerungen an

eine interessante diplomatische Arbeit in einem

Nachbarland, das für Ungarn besonders wichtig ist.

You have been living in Vienna for two and a half years

now. What city spots or places have you become

particularly fond of?

I have to mention the inner city, which is particularly close

to my heart because I live in a Baroque palace in

Bankgasse. For more than three hundred years, this

building has served Hungarian-Austrian relations. It was

established in 1747 as a home to the Hungarian Royal

Court Chancellor, and since then it has been the main

venue for the work of Hungarian representatives in Austria.

Volksgarten Park is close by where I spend a lot of time

when my grandchildren come to visit.

What makes Vienna so special to you?

Vienna is definitely a special city. For centuries, it was the

capital of the Habsburg empire, the traces of which can be

witnessed to this day. The atmosphere of Vienna is

harmonious and unique, the old and the modern merge

into one. Cosmopolitanism meets an atmosphere of

comfort. A combination many cities can only dream of. The

MuseumsQuartier is just one of many examples where

modern art is successfully combined with historical sites.

In the inner city districts you can find numerous palaces,

houses and courtyards, which still bear witness to previous

centuries. Many of these also have a special relationship

with us Hungarians such as the Palais Esterházy, Pálffy,

Batthyány or Trautson (formerly known as the Palace to

the Hungarian Personal Guard, and today residence to the

Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice). My family also has

Austrian relatives, so we also feel at home in Vienna. At

the beginning of the last century, my grandfather was a

pupil at the Theresianum, a historic school in Vienna,

where the Hungarian language was still part of the

mandatory education.

When you receive visitors from your home country, is

there any place that you usually show first? Do you

have a favourite location?

When visitors from Hungary come here – which is quite

often the case – there are a few ‘obligatory’ spots to go to.

These are the Albertina, the Kunsthistorisches Museum

and Belvedere Palace. Guests who are fond of sweet

delights are treated to a visit to the legendary Demel court

confectionery bakery, patisserie and coffee shop. If the

guests also have small children, we visit the Natural

History Museum. Sometimes, we go for an excursion with

our guests to Burgenland, to Féltorony/Halbturn, Fraknó/

Forchtenstein or Kismarton/Eisenstadt, all being places

that have also played a unique role in Hungarian history

and are therefore very close to my heart.

Which impressions or memories will stay with you if

you have to leave Vienna?

All of these experiences gathered in Vienna will stay in my

memory and in my heart as well as all the memories of the

interesting diplomatic work in a neighbouring country that

is particularly important to Hungary.

Eine sommerliche Sicht auf den

Volksgarten, Köstliches aus der

Konditorei Demel und ein

gewagter Blick vom Stephansdom

(von oben nach unten).

A summerly sight of the

Volksgarten, sweet delicacies

made by Demel and a daring view

from St. Stephen‘s Cathedral.

S.E. János Perényi, geboren 1949, studierte an der Universität Uppsala in Schweden und schloss

mit einem Doktorat ab. Seit Dezember 2014 ist er Botschafter von Ungarn in Wien. Davor war er

u.a. in Marokko stationiert. Er ist verheiratet (oben im Bild mit Ehefrau Maria) und ist Vater und

Großvater.

H.E. János Perényi, born in 1949, studied at Uppsala University (Sweden) and finished his

studies with a Ph.D.. He has been Ambassador of Hungary in Vienna since December 2014.

Previously, he served i.a. in Morocco. He is married (pictured above with his wife Maria) and is a

father and grandfather.

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 149

LES RENDEZ-

VOUS

EIN RÜCKBLICK AUF

GESELLSCHAFTLICHE

EREIGNISSE DER

JÜNGSTEN

VERGANGENHEIT.

A REVIEW OF SOCIAL

EVENTS OF THE RECENT

PAST.

LUXURY-PENTHOUSES

IN THE HEART OF VIENNA

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are comfortably situated on a single level, ranging from 130 m² to 210 m². Each penthouse has a generous private terrace

with a breathtaking view – overlooking the Vienna skyline or the leafy Hamerlingpark.

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A PROJECT OF ARE DEVELOPMENT,

MHH DEVELOPMENT AND SORAVIA GROUP

LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

Popping of Flashbulbs

Find more

photos online

cercle-diplomatique.com

March 2017

Cercle Diplomatique invited a small group of Ambassadors to a very special tour

at Wiener Staatsoper with director Dominique Meyer as backstage tour guide.

March 2017

The French Fashion Week 2017 took place at the beautiful French

Embassy for the second time again.

April 2017

Kempinski celebrated its

120 th birthday, also in Vienna

Top: the GM Peter Knoll (r.)

with GM Henning Reichel (l.,

Kempinski Hotel Das Tirol)

and Andrea and Peter

Fürnweger at the Palais

Hansen Kempinski Vienna.

After the one-hour backstage tour, the Ambassadors enjoyed drinks

and finger food at the Champagner-Bar Le Moët at the Le Méridien,

concluding the interesting evening.

The French Ambassador, H.E. Pascal Teixeira da Silva

(below, last row, very r.) and his wife Pascale (top,

middle) enjoyed French products with Michaela Hirsch

(l.) and Johanna Wall (r.) from Cercle Diplomatique.

PHOTOS: OURIEL MORGENSZTERN

PHOTOS: MONI FELLNER, HELMUT TREMMEL, PALAIS HANSEN KEMPINSKI VIENNA

152 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 153

LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

April 2017

Cercle Diplomatique invited to an exclusive trip to the McArthurGlen Designer

Outlet Parndorf in Burgenland.

April 2017

Cercle Diplomatique asked the new Ambassadors to Vienna to

the traditional get-together with lunch at Patara restaurant.

The group could enjoy shopping and

bargain hunting the whole evening as

well as champagne and canapés

afterwards.

The new Ambassadors enjoyed the good talks and company, together with CD‘s editors Andrea

Fürnweger (l.) and Alexander Bursky (middle), as well as the fine Thai food at Vienna‘s Peterplatz.

April 2017

Swarovski and the Ambassador of Iraq invited to a hommage in

memory of Zaha Hadid at the Iraqian embassy.

PHOTOS:MACARTHURGLEN DESIGNER OUTLET PARNDORF

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN, IRAKISCHE BOTSCHAFT, ANDREAS TISCHLER/SWAROVSKI

H.E. Auday Al-Khairalla (top, middle) asked to a festive reception in memory of the great

late architect at Palais Larisch-Mönnich. Swarovski as a company had worked many years

with Hadid and supported the event with the display of the exhibit “Crista“. It is a

centerpiece made from crystal and metal and belongs to the Atelier Swarovski Home

Collection since 2016.

154 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 155

LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

April 2017

The magnificent ambiance of Schloss Grafenegg was the venue for the premiere of the

Design Days Grafenegg.

April 2017

Together with Christian Johann Springer, Cercle Diplomatique

invited to a special evening under the motto “Timeless quality and

style“ at the flagship store of Joh. Springer´s Erben at Vienna‘s

inner city.

Around 60 national and

international exhibitors

took part, such as Dedon,

Kramer & Kramer,

Formdepot or Jaguar Land

Rover. 9,500 visitors

made the premiere a

success.

April 2017

Gerstner celebrated its 170 th company anniversary at the

atmospheric Salon Privés at Palais Todesco.

Christian Johann Springer (left) told Michaela Hirsch

and Alexander Bursky (2nd r.; both CD) about history

and manufacture of handmade European long guns.

Executive partner Oliver W. Braun from Gerstner (right) and Josef

Bitzinger, restaurateur and representative of the WKO (left).

PHOTOS: ROLAND RUDOLPH, CHRISTIAN MIKES, FLORIAN MOSHAMMER

PHOTOS: OURIEL MORGENSZTERN

156 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 157

LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

April 2017

There was a touch of Latin American and Caribbean feeling at this year‘s

ICON-Vienna cocktail.

May 2017

“Celebrate summer with FreyWille and Cercle Diplomatique“ was

the motto of a charming evening in Vienna‘s inner city.

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean presented themselves with music, a cigar

lounge and a rum tasting as well as a cultural supporting programme.

May 2017

Herman Van Rompuy, the former Prime Minister of Belgium,

stayed in Vienna and gave a speech on Europe.

Friedrich Wille (2nd l.) was the host. Mezzo-soprano

Manca Izmajlova is the brand ambassador of FreyWille

in Slovenia (3rd l.).

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN, BEIGESTELLT,

PHOTOS: OURIEL MORGENSZTERN

Invited by H.E. Paul Huynen, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the OSCE, and his

wife, Christine Huynen-Van der Borght, Rompuy gave a speech on „Firmness and dialogue

in Europe: Harmel doctrin now“.

158 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 159

LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

May 2017

The apprentice initiative Amuse Bouche celebrated its 10-year anniversary. 36 junior

employees were honoured at the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy.

May 2017

Cercle Diplomatique inivited with Reinhold Puntschart-Kolarik to an art

breakfast at the Auktioneum.

May 2017

With a ground-breaking ceremony,

the project Amethyst of the Wiener

Privatklinik was officially started.

The network Amuse

Bouche supports with

competitions young

people, working in

Vienna´s top hotels.

Right: Amuse Bouche

founder Piroska Payer (r.)

with her sister Barbara.

May 2017

Honorary Vice Consul Birgit Sarata invited to her private home.

Special guest was National Council President Doris Bures.

Birgit Sarata, Honorary Vice Consul of Senegal (r.) with her guest of

honour, Doris Bures (l.), the Austrian National Council President.

PHOTOS: AMUSE BOUCHE AUSTRIA, DODGE AND BURN

PHOTOS: OURIEL MORGENSZTERN, AMETHYST RADIOTHERAPY AUSTRIA GMBH/APA-FOTOSERVICE/TANZER

Lady Ambassadors and Ambassador spouses and

partners also enjoyed the expert-talk under the motto

“The world of tableware culture“ by Annette Ahrens.

The expert for Austrian tableware presented silver, glass

and porcelain objects from Art Nouveau and Art Déco.

The first private

radiotherapy center in

Austria will start by the

end of 2017. Top: CEO

Paul Stuchetz (l.), Primar

Walter Ebm (below).

160 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017 161

LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

May 2017

On the occasion of Maria Theresa‘s 300 th birthday, the Diplomatic Academy Vienna,

the Theresian Military Academy and the Theresian Academy celebrated together.

NEW!

24-hour online booking

www.zwd.at

It was the first time that all three institutions organised a festivity together. The birthday of the

Empress was celebrated with a baroque „Spectaculum“ when students of the Theresianum,

dressed in historic costumes, portrayed historic personalities.

May 2017

The Empress and Slovenia was the topic of the “Central

European historic lectures“.

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162 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

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LES RENDEZVOUS EVENTS

Official media

partner

May 2017

General Director Sabine Haag and Director Steven Engelsman invited to a

fundraising dinner for the Weltmuseum which will be opened on 25 October 2017.

Top: General Director

Sabine Haag and Director

Steven Engelsman. And

become a „Cultural Patron“

of one of the precious

exhibits! CD already set a

good example with an

Australian boomerang.

May 2017

Happy Birthday, Pepi Höchtl! The jubilarian was celebrated

with a lecture by EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

The celebration took place at the festive hall of Raiffeisenbank

Klosterneuburg (pictured below).

PHOTOS: KHM/ APA-FOTOSERVICE/ HAUTZINGER, ALFRED NECHVATAL

Top: The jubilarian Pepi Höchtl

(r.) with EU Commissioner

Johannes Hahn.

164 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

GUIDE

EINE NÜTZLICHE

ÜBERSICHT ÜBER DIE

WICHTIGSTEN ADRESSEN

FÜR DIE INTERNATIONALE

GEMEINSCHAFT.

A USEFUL OVERVIEW

OF THE MOST IMPORTANT

ADDRESSES FOR THE

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

LE GUIDE ADDRESSES

Useful links & addresses

IMPRESSUM

Relocation Services

Crown Worldwide GmbH

+43 1 516 33 31-68

crownrelo.com

E.R.A. Executive Relocations Austria

+43(0)699 11 55 93 24

era-relocation.com

Expat Consulting Real Estate &

Relocation Services GmbH

+43 1 328 88 18

expat-consulting.com

recom - relocation company

+43 1 409 24 62

recom-relocation.at

Step Vienna Int. Relocation Service

GmbH

+43 1 897 21 54-0

stepvienna.at

Real Estate Agents

Bernhart Immobilien GmbH

+43 (0)664 440 90 09

bernhart-immobilien.at

BUWOG

+49 1 878 28 1130

buwog.com

Dr. Koch & Co. GesmbH

+43 1 479 15 58

kochreal.at

EHL Immobilien GmbH

+43 1 512 76 90

ehl.at

Hart + Hart Bauträger GmbH

+43 1 209 37 77-0

hart-hart.at

HL Living Deluxe Real Estate GmbH

+43 1 503 22 71

livingdeluxe.com

Hübl & Partner GmbH

+43 1 277 88

huebl-partner.com

Immobilienkanzlei Jasmine Kupfer

+43 1 912 43 86

immobilien-kupfer.eu

IES Immobilien-Projektentwicklung

GmbH

+43 1 512 31 38

ies-immobilien.com

ivv Immobilien Verkauf und

Vermietungs GmbH

+43 1 890 0800 0

ivv.at

Kollitsch Immobilien GmbH

+43 463 260 09 41

kollitsch.eu

OTTO Immobilien GmbH

+43 1 512 77 77

otto.at

Raiffeisen evolution projekt

development GmbH

+43 1 717 06-0

raiffeisenevolution.com

Raiffeisen Immobilien Vermittlungs

GmbH

+43 517 517

riv.at

SRE Schottenring 18 Real Estate

GmbH

+43 1 310 A2812 11

www.palais-schottenring.com

RE/MAX Austria

+43 7472 209 0

remax.at

Swietelsky Baugesellschaft m.b.H.

+43 1 580 211 717

swietelsky.immo

Vienna Immobilien

+43 1 478 49 68

viennaimmobilien.com

Serviced City Apartments

Adagio Vienna City

+43 1 908 303

adagio-city.com

Hotel NH Wien City

+43 1 521 720

nh-hotels.de

LIV‘iN Residence by Fleming‘s

Wien-Parlament

+43 1 227 37-5555

basedinvienna.at

My place City Centre

My place Riverside

+43 1 317 17 17–75

my-place.at

Room4Rent

+43 1 890 20 10 9000

room4rent.at

Style Appartement BeLLeArTi

+ 43 1 317 65 65

bellearti.at

VCA Vienna City Apartments

+43 (0)650 443 38 00

Schottenring33.com

viennaresidence

+43 1 307 22 22

viennaresidence.com

Wienwert Serviced Apartments

+ 43 1 332 07 08

serviced-apartment-vienna.com

Facility Management

Simacek

+43 1 211 660

simacek.com

Lawyers

Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati

+43 1 514 35-0

chsh.com

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz

+43 1 404 43-0

cms-rrh.com

Dorda Brugger Jordis

+43 1 533 47 95-0

dbj.at

Lansky, Ganzger + Partner

+43 1 533 33 30-0

lansky.at

Schönherr Rechtsanwälte

+43 1 534 37-0

schoenherr.eu

TaylorWessing enwc

+43 1 716 55-0

taylorwessing.com/at/home.html

Health & Private Clinics

Augenzentrum Tuchlauben

+43 1 995 87 70

augenarzt.wien

Austrian Health – agency for high

quality medicine

+43 1 361 88 66

austrianhealth.at

DHC - Dental Health Care

+43 (0)664 440 66 77

dentalhealthcare.at

Goldenes Kreuz Privatklinik

+43 1 40 111-0

goldenes-kreuz.at

International Pharmacy

+43 1 512 28 25

internationale-apotheke.at

Kurzbari – Zentrum für ästhetische

Medizin

+43 1 358 28 02

kuzbari.at

Privatklinik Döbling

+43 1 360 66-5599

privatklinik-doebling.at

RC Radiology Center

+43 1 408 12 82

radiology-center.com

Rudolfinerhaus

+43 1 360 36-0

rudolfinerhaus.at

PHOTO: WIENTOURISMUS/BRYAN DUFFY

Service Department for foreign patients

of the Vienna Medical Association

+43 1 513 95 95

aekwien.at

Wiener Privatklinik

+43 1 40 180-0

wiener-privatklinik.com

ZWD Zahnklinik Wien Döbling

+43 1 320 97 97

zwd.at

Useful links & ressources

Emergency numbers

(all without prefix):

Fire-brigade 122

Police 133

Ambulance 144

City Of Vienna

wien.gv.at/english

Vienna Tourist Board

vienna.info

Immigration & residency

wien.gv.at/english/administration/

civilstatus

Vienna Service Office

(in the UN-center)

vso.wien.at

Vienna Expat Center

A service provided by the City of Vienna:

Schmerlingplatz 3, 1010 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 4000-86949

Info@expatcenter.at

expatcenter.at

Transportation

Vienna public transport information

wienerlinien.at

Austrian Federal railways ÖBB

oebb.at

Austrian Airlines

austrian.com

Vienna Airport

viennaairport.com

Avcon Jet AG

avconjet.at

Vienna Airportlines

viennaairportlines.at

CAT (City airport train)

cityairporttrain.com

Taxi 40100

taxi40100.at

Taxi 60160

taxi60160.at

Taxi 31300

taxi31300.at

Austrian Automobilist Club ÖAMTC

(AAA – partner)

oeamtc.at

please call 120 for breakdown-assistance

Maurizius Stipek Mietwagen GmbH

Tel.: +43 676 350 01 70

msm@kstp.at

Security

The Investigator

Tel.: +43 (0) 664 44 99 464

closeprotection.wien

4mation

Tel.: +43 (0) 664 124 14 67

4mation.at

International Schools

in Vienna

Vienna International School

Straße der Menschenrechte 1, 1220 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 2035595-0

Fax: +43 1 2030366

vis.ac.at

The American International School

Salmannsdorfer Straße 47, 1190 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 40132-0

Fax: +43 1 40132-5

ais.at

Danube International School Vienna

Josef Gall Gasse 2, 1020 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 7203110

Fax: +43 1 7203110-40

danubeschool.at

Amadeus

International School Vienna

Bastiengasse 36-38, Haus 3, 1180 Vienna

Tel.: +43 1 470 30 37-00

amadeus-vienna.com

Vienna Elementary School

Lacknergasse 75, 1180 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 4704600

Fax: +43 1 4704600-99

vienna-elementary-school.at

International Christian School of

Vienna

Wagramer Straße 175, 1220 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 25122-0

Fax: +43 1 25122-518

icsv.at

Lycée Francais de Vienne

SECONDARY SCHOOL / LYCÉE

Liechtensteinstraße 37A, 1090 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 3172241

Fax: +43 1 3102417

KINDERGARTEN + PRIMARY SCHOOL /

MATERNELLE ET ELÉMENTAIRE

Grinzingerstraße 95, 1190 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 3701217

Fax: +43 1 3701217-22

(for both): lyceefrancais.at

Svenska Skolan / Swedish School

Scheibelreitergasse 15 1190 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 3207980

Fax: +43 1 3207980-20

svenskaskolan.at

Japanese School in Vienna

Prandaugasse 2 1220 Vienna

Tel: +43 1 2042201-0

Fax: +43 1 2042201-85

japaneseschool.at (Japanese only)

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168 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

DER

FAHNDER

ARMOURED CAR

www.derfahnder.at

AU REVOIR

Stadtspaziergang

City walk

57 Restaurant & Lounge, 22. Bezirk | 22 nd District

Text & Photo: Rois & Stubenrauch

Your stay

in the heart of Vienna

www.my-place.at

Ganz oben!

Alte Donau und

Donauinsel sind beliebte

Wiener Freizeitareale am

Wasser. Für einen

traumhaften Sonnenuntergang

aus der Vogelperspektive

lohnt sich einmal

ein Abstecher in die 57.

Etage des nahe gelegenen

DC Tower 1: Die höchste

Rooftop Bar Österreichs

ist der perfekte Ort für

einen lauen Sommerabend

mit fantastischem

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Band der Donau und das

aus der Dämmerung

auftauchende Lichtermeer

Wiens. Nur fliegen

ist schöner!

At the very top!

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gorgeous view across the

silver ribbon of the

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sea of lights emerging

from the dawn.

Only flying is better!

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57 RESTAURANT &

LOUNGE

DC Tower 1

melia.com

170 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2017

CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 02/2017