CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 03/2017

Autumn 2017 

Nr. 3 | September – November 

International Affairs Global Business Exclusive Lifestyle 

cercle-diplomatique.com 

Oberösterreich 

SPECIAL 

14 Seiten 

extra 

MAZEDONIEN 

KLEINES LAND, GROSSER NAME 

MACEDONIA SMALL COUNTRY, 

BIG NAME

EDITORIAL 

Liebe Leserinnen, liebe Leser! | Dear Readers, 

PHOTO: ROIS & STUBENRAUCH 

Adelstitel wurden in Österreich offiziell bereits 

vor rund 100 Jahren abgeschafft. Dennoch 

wurde unser Magazin auf eine wunderbare 

Art und Weise „geadelt“ – denn seit kurzem sind wir 

auf der offiziellen Liste der Lese-Empfehlungen der 

Diplomatischen Akademie Wien als einziges Magazin 

Österreichs gelistet. Und auch in einer Sonderausgabe 

des Magazins Profil, einem „Wien Portfolio“, wurden 

wir in einem umfangreichen Bericht über die Hauptstadt 

als wichtiger Standort diplomatischer Beziehungen 

mit einer Erwähnung bedacht. Das macht uns 

stolz. Wir nehmen dies zum Anlass, auch weiterhin 

mit unserer erfahrenen Fachredaktion über relevante 

Themen aus den Bereichen Diplomatie, Politik und 

Wirtschaft sowie über die schönen Dinge des Lebens 

mit großem Engagement zu berichten. Denn die einzige 

Konstante im Leben ist die Veränderung. 

Mazedonien ist ein Binnenstaat in Südosteuropa, 

der sich gerade in einem Transformierungsprozess 

befindet. Ihm ist in dieser Ausgabe unsere Cover-Story 

gewidmet, zu lesen ab Seite 32. 

Unser Ambassadors’ Summit, übrigens der fünfte 

seiner Art, war außergewöhnlicher als je zuvor. Denn 

diesmal fand sich sozusagen geballte diplomatische 

Weiblichkeit im Fleming’s Selection Hotel Wien-City 

ein, um ihre Ansichten über den beruflichen Alltag 

und die Geschehnisse im Leben von Diplomatinnen 

miteinander und Ihnen als Lesern zu teilen. Wir danken 

den Exzellenzen Paulina Franceschi Navarro (Panama), 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort (Costa Rica), 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse (Dominikanische Republik) 

sowie Lucia Rosella Badia (El Salvador) sehr herzlich 

für die rasche Kooperation untereinander und die Bereitschaft, 

sich der Diskussion zu stellen, die Sie ab 

Seite 48 finden. 

Unser Bundesland-Special dreht sich diesmal um 

Oberösterreich. Das viertgrößte Bundesland Österreichs 

kann mit einer überraschenden Vielzahl an erfolgreichen 

Familienunternehmen aufwarten. Neben 

dem wirtschaftlichen Erfolg weltweit ist Oberösterreich 

nicht zuletzt wegen seiner international geachteten 

Kunst-Szene und seines geografischen Anteils im 

Salzkammergut touristisch bekannt und beliebt (ab 

Seite 83). 

Wir wünschen Ihnen angenehme Lektüre und 

einen spannenden Herbst! 

Titles of nobility were officially abolished in 

Austria about 100 years ago. Nevertheless, our 

magazine did receive a very special kind of ‘title’ 

recently — because we have been added to the official 

recommended reading list by the Diplomatic 

Academy of Vienna, as the only Austrian magazine to 

do so. And we were also mentioned in a special edition 

of the Viennese magazine Profil as part of an extensive 

report on the capital city as a hub for diplomatic 

relationships. This makes us proud. We are taking 

this opportunity to continue to report with our professional 

editorial team about relevant topics from the 

fields of diplomacy, politics and economics, as well as 

all the other beautiful things in life, with great commitment: 

Because, after all, change is the only constant. 

Macedonia in Southern Europe is currently undergoing 

rapid transformations. This edition of our 

cover story is dedicated to the small land-locked 

country, which you can start reading from page 32. 

Our Ambassadors’ Summit, incidentally the fifth 

of its kind, was more extraordinary than ever before. 

Because this time around, the full force of diplomatic 

femininity entered the Fleming’s Selection Hotel 

Wien-City in order to share their views on their work 

and the various intricacies of a diplomat’s life with 

each other and with you, the reader. We would like to 

thank their Excellencies Paulina Franceschi Navarro 

(Panama), Pilar Saborio de Rocafort (Costa Rica), 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse (Dominican Republic), as 

well as Lucia Rosella Badia (El Salvador), for quickly 

cooperating with one another and for their readiness 

to participate in the discussion, which you find on 

page 48. 

Our Province Special this time is all about Upper 

Austria. The fourth biggest province in Austria can 

boast a surprising number of successful family enterprises. 

Next to the global economic success, Upper 

Austria is also well known and loved by tourists for its 

internationally recognised art scene and its geographic 

share of the Salzkammergut region (page 83). 

We hope that you enjoy your reading and wish you 

an exciting autumn! 

Herzlichst, | Yours, 

Andrea Fürnweger 

Herausgeberin | Editor 

Mag. Alexander Bursky 

Herausgeber | Editor

CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE – 

ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE 

Nr. 312 

Ausgabe | Issue 03/2017 

September – November 

CONTENTS 

Cover story 

MACEDONIA 

Seite | page 32 

Mit der Bildung einer neuen 

Regierung im Mai 2017 ist 

Mazedonien gerade dabei, 

seine Wirtschaft 

anzukurbeln. 

With the formation of a 

new government, 

Macedonia is about to 

restart its economy. 

08 

10 

32 

38 

42 

45 

48 

56 

58 

62 

64 

68 

78 

80 

82 

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 Mazedonien | Cover story Macedonia 

Kleines Land, großer Name. Small country, big name. 

Interview 

Mazedoniens Botschafterin Vasilka Poposka Trenevska. 

Macedonia´s Ambassador Vasilka Poposka Trenevska. 

Dominikanische Republik | Dominican Republic 

Wunder der Karibik. Miracles of the Caribbean. 

Interview 

Die Botschafterin der Dominikanischen Republik Lourdes Victoria-Kruse. 

The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, Lourdes Victoria-Kruse. 

Gipfeltreffen der Botschafter | The Ambassadors‘ Summit 

Panama trifft Costa Rica, die Dominikanische Republik und El Salvador. 

Panama meets Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. 

Buchtipp | Book tip 

Die ultimativen Tipps & Tricks für Exporteure. The ultimate tips & tricks for exporters. 

Interview 

OFIDs Generaldirektor Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish . 

OFID´s Director-General Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish. 

Essay 

Das größte Risiko für Europa. The biggest risk for Europe. 

News 

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

L‘AUTRICHE 

Industrie | Industry 

Erfolgreiche Life Sciences in Österreich. Succesful life sciences in Austria. 

Zukunftslabor | Future Lab 

Andreas Bierwirth, CEO T-Mobile Austria, über Migration & Engagement. 

Andreas Bierwirth, CEO T-Mobile Austria, on migration & actions. 

Wirtschaftsnews | Business news 

Neues aus Österreich. News from Austria. 

OBERÖSTERREICH Special | Upper Austria Special 

Von Kultur über Tourismus bis Wirtschaft. From culture to tourism and economy. 

112 

114 

118 

124 

126 

128 

132 

138 

144 

150 

154 

156 

160 

164 

166 

170 

184 

Hideaways 

Entspannung für Ihre kleine Herbst-Auszeit. Relaxation for your autumn timeout. 

Reise | Travel 

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

Weltmuseum Wien 

Das neue Museum ab 25. Oktober 2017. The new museum starts on 25 October, 2017. 

Museum Visit 

Zu Besuch in der Secession. Visiting the Secession. 

Botschafter der Musik | Ambassadors of Music 

Stargeigerin Julia Fischer. Star violinist Julia Fischer. 

Kunst | Arts 

Kulturelle Highlights im Herbst. Cultural highlights in autumn. 

City Apartments 

Wohnkomfort auf Zeit. Temporary living comfort. 

Lifestyle 

Trends für den kommenden Herbst. Trends for the autumn season. 

Gesundheitswesen | Health Care 

Fokus Gesundheit. Focus Health. 

Ambassador‘s Drive 

Großbritanniens Botschafter auf CD-Testfahrt. UK‘s Ambassador on a test drive. 

Motor 

Die Grenzen ausweiten. Pushing the limits. 

Weekender 

Barcelona, Stadt für alle Sinne. Barcelona, city for the senses. 

Upcoming 

Wo es uns gefällt. Where we love to be. 

Buchempfehlungen | Must read 

Lesenswertes über Österreich. Book tips about Austria. 

Mein Wien | My Vienna 

Die Botschafterin von Dänemark. The Ambassador of Denmark. 

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. 

GENDER ERKLÄRUNG 

Im gesamten Magazin wird bei 

den deutschsprachigen Texten 

aus Gründen der besseren 

Lesbarkeit bei geschlechtsspezifischen 

Begriffen die maskuline 

Form verwendet. Diese Form 

versteht sich explizit als 

geschlechtsneutral. 

98 

106 

108 

110 

SAVOIR VIVRE 

Ethno Food 

Kulinarische Weltreise in Wien. Culinary world travel in Vienna. 

Connaisseur | Connoisseur 

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

Table Talk 

Zur Kaffeepause bei GM Monique Dekker im Park Hyatt Vienna . 

Coffee & cake with GM Monique Dekker at the Park Hyatt Vienna. 

Suite Dreams 

Die Präsidentensuite im The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna. The Presidential Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna. 

3 

4 

185 

Titelbild | Cover 

Skulpturen auf der Kunst-Brücke in Mazedoniens Hauptstadt Skopje | Sculptures on the Art 

Bridge in the capital Skopje, Macedonia 

Editorial 

Inhalt | Contents 

Impressum | Imprint 

COVERPHOTO & PHOTO: FOTOLIA 

Das Denkmal Alexanders des Großen in Skopje, Mazedonien 

The Alexander the Great monument in Skopje, Macedonia

VIENNA 18, WAEHRING 

FANTASTIC VILLA (NOT ONLY) 

FOR REPRESENTATION 

DISTINGUISHED AND MODERN LIVING IN A TRULY 

WONDERFUL REFURBISHED WINE-MAKER´S HOUSE 

690 sqm living space | ca. 1.412 sqm plot | 9 rooms | 6 bathrooms 

LE 

BULLETIN 

VIENNA 1, INNER CITY 

EXCEPTIONAL BAROQUE 

BUILDING DOWNTOWN 

APPROXIMATELY 1,000 SQM OF DELICATELY-RENOVATED 

LIVING SPACE IN THIS RARE JEWEL IN THE HEART OF VIENNA. 

17 rooms | 100 sqm spa area | ceilings up to 4.5 m | in-house cinema www.otto.at 

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.

LE BULLETIN CREDENTIALS 

Wir begrüßen die neuen Botschafter herzlich in Österreich: Willkommen! 

We cordially welcome the new Ambassadors to Austria! 

H. E. 

Víctor 

Veltzé Michel 

Ambassador of the Republic 

of Bolivia 

Credentials: July 2017 

H. E. 

Lourdes Gisela Antonia 

Victoria-Kruse 

Ambassador of the 

Dominican Republic 


H. E. 

François 

Saint-Paul 


Republic of France 


Darmansjah 

Djumala 


Republic of Indonesia 

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

Victor 

Osipov 


Republic of Moldawia 

Mehmet Ferden 

Çarikçi 


Republic of Turkey 

Credentials: July 2017 Credentials: July 2017 Credentials: July 2017 

Born on January 14, 1939 

Married, 3 children 

Education 

1957 -1969: Technical University of Vienna: Masters in 

Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering 

Professional Career 

2015: Study for the industrialization of cocoa in the Province 

of Beni Itenez 

2014: Proposal for Monorail construction on the Rio Rocha 

- Cochabamba 

2007: Airline operations reduced to Bolivia, Plan of economic 

and financial restructuring of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano 

2006: system for international investment and cooperation 

projects Indigenous Peoples 

1996-1999: Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Bolivia and 

UNIDO Representative to Aleterno 

1969 - 1996: Executive in the United Nations Industrial 

Development Organization (UNIDO / UNIDO) in different 

positions such as Head of Cooperation for Latin America and 

the Caribbean, Coordinator Representcaciones UNIDO in 

developing countries and Inter Coordinator - Agencial United 

Nations system in Vienna, Head of Investment Promotion 

Program for Latin America, Personal Advisor 

1965-1969: Permanent Representative of Bolivia the 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA or IAEA) for 4 

years (Vienna, Austria) 

1961-1965: Honorary Consulate of Bolivia in Vienna 

1958–1960: Floor work: NSU car factory, Neckarsulm, 

Germany. Factory of paper Holmest Bruck, Norkoeping, 

Sweden. Mechanization Agroindustrial, Munkdorp, Sweden 

1956/57: Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano crewman 

Born on February 13, 1955 


Education 

1989: Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra 

1981: Carl Duiesberg Gesellschaft. 

Federal Republic of Germany 

1971–1978: Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. 

Chemical Engineering 


2017: Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Austria, 

permanent Representative to the International 

Organizations in Vienna 

2011–2017: Embassy and Permanent Mission of the 

Dominican Republic in Austria, Minister Counsellor, 

Responsible for Consular and Cultural Affairs Vienna, 

Austria, Embassy of the Dominican Republic in India, 

Minister Counsellor, Responsible for Trade, Political and 

Cultural Affairs 

2010: Participation in the 7th Meeting of Working Groups 

and the 11th Meeting of High Ranking Officials of the 

FEALAC, Bali, Indonesia 

2010-2011: New Delhi, India 

2004-2010: Embassy of the Dominican Republic in 

Germany, Minister Counsellor, Responsible for Visas and 

Legalizations. Responsible for Cultural and Trade Issues, 

Foundations, Tourism, Fairs and Exhibits 

Born on March 3, 1958 

Education 

Licence (Subject: Law) 

Graduate of the Institut d’études politiques 

1983: Graduate of the École Nationale d’Administration 

Ministre plénipotentiaire de 1ère classe 


2017: Ambassador to Austria 

2014-2017: Ambassador to Romania 

2009-2014: Head Office of the Foreign Ministry 

2004-2009: Ambassador to Croatia 

2002-2004: Cabinet Director of the Minister Delegate 

Responsible for EU Affairs, Special Envoy to the Centre 

d’analyse et de prévision 

1998-2002: First Embassy Counsellor at the Permanent 

Representation of France to the UN in Geneva 


1990-1993: Second Embassy Counsellor at the Permanent 

Representation of France at the European Community in 

Brussels 

1988-1990: Delegate to the State Minister and Minister for 

the Economy, Finance and Budget 


1984-1985: First Embassy Secretary to Mexico 

1983-1984: Second Embassy Secretary to Mexico 

1981-1983: École Nationale d’Administration 

PHOTOS: CARINA KARLOVITS UND DANIEL TRIPPOLT/HBF 

Born on November 29, 1958 


Education 

2011: Ph.D. in Politics and Government, cum laude, 

Post-graduate Program, Faculty of Social and Political 

Sciences, Padjadjaran University, Bandung 

1997: Master of Arts in International Relations, cum laude, 

Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland 

1984: Foreign Service and Diplomatic Training, Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs 

1982: Bachelor Degree, Majoring in Economics and 

Development Studies, Sriwijaya University, South Sumatra 


2015-2017: Chief of President’s Office/Secretary to the 

President, b. Positions in International Forum 

2014-2015: Head of Indonesian Delegation to Foreign 

Policy Dialog with Germany, Russia, Poland, China, Fiji, 

Director General/Head, Policy Analysis and Development 

Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

2010-2014: Ambassador of Indonesia to Poland 

2013: Head of Indonesian Delegation to Informal 

Consultations, Major Economies Forum on Energy and 

Climate, Head of Indonesian Delegation (alternate) to 

UNFCCC/COP19, Poland 

2006-2010: Representative of Indonesia, EU Council and 

European Parliament in Belgium and Luxembourg 

2001-2003: Representative of the Republic of Indonesia in 

New York, Geneva and Bangkok 

1994-1996: Representative of the Republic of Indonesia in 

WTO and UNCTAD conferences and sessions in Geneva 

1988-1992: Representative of Indonesia in Tokyo 

Born on October 8, 1971 


Education 

2015: Special Training in Security Analyses and Strategies 

for high level officials of the Moldavan Government 

2008: European Institute of Political Science of the 

Republic of Moldova within the Council of Europe 

1988-1993: State University of Moldova, Faculty of 

Journalism and Communication Sciences 


2016-2017: Independent expert in politics, electoral and 

public administration areas 

2015-2016: Deputy Prime Minister in two consecutive 

cabinets of the Government of the Republic of Moldova 

2011-2014: CMI Program for Transnistrian Conflict Management, 

Political Expert, Independent expert 

2009–2011: Government of the Republic of Moldova, 

Deputy Prime Minister (for Country Reintegration), 

Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Advisor of the First 

Deputy Chairman, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova 

2005-2009: Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Staff, 

Senior Advisor of the parliamentary faction “Our Moldova 

Alliance” 

1992-2004: Electronic Press Association APEL NGO, 

Executive Director, Euro TV Chisinau, Municipal Public TV 

Station, Executive Director, "Radio d'Or" FM station, Open 

World House NGO, Executive Director, Radio Moldova 

International (public broadcasting company’s division), 

reporter, editor, commentator, chief of Romanian Section 

Born in 1968 

Married, 1 child 

Education 

1993: Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of 

Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Bologna-Italy and 

Washington, D.C. M.A. in Strategic Studies and 

International Economics 

1991: Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Department 

of International Relations 

1987: German High School, Istanbul 


2017: Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Vienna 

2013: Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the 

Republic of Turkey to the United Nations Office at Geneva 

and to the Conference on Disarmament as well as to the 

other International Organizations in Geneva 

2010: Ambassador, Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to the 

President of the Republic of Turkey 

2007: Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of the 

Republic of Turkey 

2003: First Secretary and Counsellor, Embassy of the 

Republic of Turkey, Berlin 

2001: Second Secretary and First Secretary, Deputy 

Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Cabinet to the Minister of 

Foreign Affairs 

1999: Second Secretary and Deputy Chief of Mission, 

Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Tripoli 

1996: Third Secretary, Permanent Representation of Turkey 

to the United Nations, New York 

1993: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Directorate for 

Middle East and Africa, Desk Officer for Iran, Iraq, 

Afghanistan and Pakistan 

8 Cercle Diplomatique 3/2017 

Cercle Diplomatique 3/2017 

9

LE BULLETIN REVIEW 

Official receptions 

Find more 

photos online 

cercle-diplomatique.com 

June 2017 

Presentation of the summer issue of „Cercle Diplomatique“ 

at the rooftop of Hotel Lamée 

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

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

The Ambassador of Belgium, H.E. Baron Willem Van de Voorde 

(2nd r.) and his wife Christine (middle) were welcomed by Isabella 

Wexberg, Director Hotel Lamée & Hotel Topazz (2nd l.) and CD´s 

editors, Andrea Fürnweger (r.) and Alexander Bursky (l.). 

PHOTOS: OURIEL MORGENSZTERN 

On this hot and sunny day, there could have been no better 

location than the great and colourful Lamée rooftop, with 

great sights over Vienna, which all guests also enjoyed. 



11



Azerbaijan 

Republic Day and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan 

and Austria were celebrated with a garden reception at the Embassy. 

Left: H.E. Galib Israfilov 

and his wife Farah 

Aslanova with their son. 


Argentina 

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

Luxury Furniture 

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN 

CLASSICAL TO CONTEMPORARY 

COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL 

HOTELS 

COMPLETE RENOVATION PROJECTS 

INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE SUITES 

H.E. Rafael Mariano Grossi and his wife Cinthia Echavarria Grossi. 

12 Cercle Diplomatique 3/2017


Italy 

The Palais Metternich, seat of the Italian Embassy, was the elegant location 

for celebrating National Day. 


United Kingdom 

The 91st birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was celebrated with a great 

garden party at the residence. 

LIVING NEXT TO 

ST. STEPHEN’S SQUARE 

Left: H.E. Giorgio 

Marrapodi, H.E. Maria 

Assunta Accili and 

H.E. Alessandro Azzoni 

(from left to right). 

Left: H.E. Leigh Turner 

(right) with H.E. Sian 

MacLeod (Head of the UK 

Delegation to the OSCE; 

middle). 

Coming soon to Vienna 

1010 Wien, Am Hof 5 – from 14.9. 

www.shoepassion.at 


Russian Federation 

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

HANDCRAFTED IN EUROPE 

H.E. Dmitry Lyubinskiy (middle) welcomed, 

together with his wife, the arriving guests. 



SINGERSTRASSE 21/25: Fully furnished rooms and 

luxury apartments (31 to 160 m 2 ) in the heart of Vienna. 

All apartments, completely refurbished in 2016, with 

marble bath, air conditioning, fully equipped kitchenette, 

satellite-tv, stereosystem, ISDN-telephone with 

voice-mailsystem and free high-speed internet-access. 

NEW: large lobby with 24h concierge service, breakfast 

area and conference room. 

Singerstrasse 21 / 25 

Apartments & Hotel 

1010 Vienna 

Tel.: +43 (0)1 514 49 0 

apartments@singerstrasse2125.at 

www.singerstrasse2125.at 


15



Turkmenistan 

On the occasion of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan 

and Austria 25 years ago, a reception was held at the Diplomatic Academy. 


Slovenia 

National Day was celebrated with a reception at the Haus der Industrie. 

Top: H.E. Silapberdi 

Nurberdiev. 

Left: H.E. Andrej Rahten 

(front row, 4th left) and 

his wife Polona Rahten 

Stekar (next to him, left). 


Philippines 

Independence Day was celebrated with a reception and a book presentation 

at Palais Hansen Kempinski. 


PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN, JOE HAIDER 


Sovereign Order of Malta 

On the occasion of the Celebration Day of the Sovereign Order of Malta, 

a reception was held at the St. Johanns Club. 

TIMELESS 

QUALITY 

AND STYLE 

SINCE 1836 

www.jse.wien 

Top: H.E. Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson (front row middle, in red) 

and her husband, Michael John Collinson (3rd r.). 

Top, left: The Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta, 

H.E. Christof Maria Fritzen. 

1010 Vienna, Austria 

Weihburggasse 27 


STORES AUCTIONS HUNTING MANUFACTURE 

Cercle Diplomatique 3/2017 17



Canada 

Three occasions were celebrated at this garden party at the residence: the 150th birthday of 

Canada, 65 years of diplomatic relations between Canada & Austria as well as a Farewell. 


USA 

On the occasion of the 241st Independence Day the traditional 

garden party was held again at the residence. 

Kate Marie Byrnes, Chargé d‘Affaires US-Mission at OSCE, Andrew 

Schofer (r.), Chargé d‘Affaires at the International Organisations 

and Chargé d‘Affaires of the US Embassy, Eugene Young (l.). 

Left: H.E. Mark Bailey 

and his wife Raja Bailey 

(next picture left, on 

the right) also 

celebrated their last 

official appearance in 

Vienna. 


Apostolic Nuntiature 

On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, the Apostolic Nuncio H.E. Archbishop 

Peter Stephan Zurbriggen invited to a reception at the Apostolic Nunciature. 



Top: H.E. Archbishop Peter Stephan Zurbriggen (middle) 

with His Eminence Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (left). 



19



Belarus 

To celebrate Independence Day a garden party was given at the Embassy. 

July 2017 

Croatia 

National Day, the 25th anniversary of the official recognition of Croatia as well as the Day 

of the Armed Forces were celebrated at the Embassy. 

FINE ANTIQUES 

WATCHES 

JEWELLERY 

PRECIOUS METALS 

Right: 

H.E. Alena 

Kupchyna. 

Left: H.E. Vesna Cvjetković 

(right) with H.E. Dubravka 

Marković and Colonel Davor 

Kopanji. 


Vietnam 

On the occasion of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and 

Austria 45 years ago, a cultural event was held at the City Hall of Vienna. 

Left, middle: H.E. Vu Viet Anh 

and his wife, Ha Phi Yen. 



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Estonia 

The country assumed the EU Council Presidency and celebrated with 

a concert and a reception at Kursalon Hübner. 


Cape Verde 

National Day was celebrated with the traditional garden reception. 

Left: H.E. Rein Oidekivi 

(right) with his wife 

Viktoria Melnyk (2nd 

right) and H.E. Eve-Külli 

Kala (2nd l.) with H.E. 

Michael Linhart. 

INTERNATIONALE 

APOTHEKE 

INTERNATIONAL 

PHARMACY 


Venezuela 

National Day was commemorated with a flower offering and a reception at the 

monument of Simon Bolivar at Donaupark. 

Left: Honorary Consul of 

Cape Verde Wolfgang 

Meixner (left). 

YOUR INTERNATIONAL 

HEALTH EXPERT SINCE 1870 

Wir stehen für Engagement, Service 

und Leistung in Sachen Gesundheit, 

Schönheit und Wohlbefinden. Im 

Sinne unseres Mottos „Gesund werden 

und Gesund bleiben“ betreuen 

wir all unsere Kunden mit fachlicher 

Kompetenz in über 13 Sprachen. 

We stand for commitment, service 

and efficiency concerning health, 

beauty and well-being. According 

to our motto “get well and stay well” 

we care for all our customers with 

competence speaking more than 

13 languages. 

Chargé d’ Affairs a.i. Dalila Hernández, 

Minister Counsellor, gave a speech. 

PHOTOS: JOE HAIDER, DODGE AND BURN 


Kärntner Ring 17, 1010 Wien 

T: (+43 1) 512 28 25 

F: (+43 1) 512 28 25 – 9 

www.internationale-apotheke.at 



23



Belgium 

On the occasion of the official re-opening of the Belgian Embassy at 

Vienna a reception was given to present the refurbished rooms. 


France 

On the occasion of National Day a reception was 

held at the magnificent Embassy. 

Left: H.E. Baron Willem Van 

de Voorde (2nd r.) and Didier 

Reynders (middle), Belgian 

Deputy Prime Minister & 

Minister for Foreign and 

European Affairs. 

Left: 

H.E. François 

Saint-Paul. 

WIEN | SALZBURG | INNSBRUCK 


France 

The Honorary Consulate of France and the Austrian-French Society Linz 

celebrated National Day with music and dance at Autowelt Linz. 

PHOTOS: DODGE AND BURN, AMITIÉ FRANCE-AUTRICHE DE LINZ 


Jeder Mensch hat seine Philosophie 

und sein eigenes Lebenskonzept. 

Wir haben dafür Verständnis und auch 

das geeignete Zuhause. 

Menschen, die sich für ein Leben in 

den Senioren Residenzen entscheiden, 

entscheiden sich bewusst für ihre 

Eigenständigkeit, ihre persönliche 

Freiheit, sowie für die Zuverlässigkeit 

eines kompetenten und wirtschaftlich 

eigenständigen Dienstleistungsunternehmens. 

Everyone has their own philosophy 

and their own concept 

of life. We understand 

that and offer the adequate 

home. 

People who decide to live in 

a senior citizens residence 

deliberately choose independence, 

personal freedom and 

the reliability of an economically 

independent service 

company. 

From left: Andreas Parlic, H.E. François Saint-Paul with his wife 

(2nd l.), Upper Austrian Honorary Consul Cecilia Baldivieso de 

Witzany and Upper Austrian Honorary Consul of France, Ekkehard 

Redlhammer. 

www.seniorenresidenzen.co.at 



25



German working visit in Vienna 

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier came to Vienna and met Federal 

President Alexander Van der Bellen and Federal Chancellor Christian Kern. 


Colombia 

Independence Day was celebrated with a garden 

party at the Prater Vienna. 

President Steinmeier (2nd r.) 

and Elke Büdenbender (very 

left) with President Van der 

Bellen, Doris Schmidauer 

(2nd l.) and Chancellor 

Christian Kern (below, r.). 

H.E. Jaime Alberto Cabal 

Sanclemente and his wife 

Claudia Calero de Cabal. 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 


Egypt 

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

PHOTOS: PETER LECHNER & CARINA KARLOVITS/HBF U. BKA/ANDY WENZEL, DODGE AND BURN 


H.E. Omar Amer Youssef (2nd right) with his wife (right). 



27



Korea 

The establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Austria 125 years ago 

was celebrated with a concert of traditional Korean music at Vienna Konzerthaus. 

HUGO BOSS AG Phone +49 7123 940 hugoboss.com 

Below: H.E. Dong-Ik Shin. 


Morocco 

A reception was given on the occasion of the anniversary 

of the accession to the throne of King Mohammed VI. 

PHOTOS: JOE HAIDER, DODGE AND BURN 

H.E. Lotfi Bouchaara and his wife. 


Wien BOSS Store Kärntner Straße 20

LE 

MONDE 

HIER FINDEN SIE EINE REIHE 

HOCHINTERESSANTER 

BERICHTE ÜBER DIE 

LÄNDER DIESER WELT UND 

IHRE VERTRETUNGEN IN 

ÖSTERREICH, GESPICKT MIT 

INTERVIEWS UND 

STELLUNGNAHMEN VON 

EXPERTEN AUS DEM IN- 

UND AUSLAND. 

HERE YOU WILL FIND A 

NUMBER OF HIGHLY 

INTERESTING REPORTS ON 

THE COUNTRIES OF THE 

WORLD AND THEIR 

REPRESENTATIONS IN 

AUSTRIA, PEPPERED WITH 

INTERVIEWS AND EXPERTS’ 

OPINIONS FROM AUSTRIA 

AND ABROAD.

LE MONDE MACEDONIA 

SMALL COUNTRY, 

BIG NAME 

MACE DONIA 

The Bridge of Art in 

Macedonia's capital Skopje 

– a pedestrian bridge 

across the Vardar River 

built in 2014, featuring 

many statues of noted 

Macedonian artists and 

musicians. 

With the formation of a new government 

in May 2017, the Republic of Macedonia 

is about to restart its economy and 

ambitions to join the European Union 

and the Nato. Those who know this 

small country with a big name well, 

are convinced that it is one of the last 

treasures in Europe yet to be discovered. 

PHOTO: FOTOLIA 

Text: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner 


Cercle Diplomatique 3 /2017 

33


The Temple St. Kliment Ohridski 

(left) and the modern Telekom 

building, both in Skopje. 

The famous St. Jovan Kaneo 

Church at Lake Ohrid, a place 

which has put Macedonia on the 

touristic landscape. 

PHOTOS: FOTOLIA, VLADIMIR ARSOVSKI, GORAN JAKIMOVSKI 

Oh, what a match this was. On August 8th, 

2017, the players of Manchester United, despite 

their ”spirited response“ and ”majestic 

performance from Nemanja Matić“, as the newspaper 

”Times“ noted, found themselves ”outclassed“ in 

a real lesson in soccer by Real Madrid and have lost 

the UEFA Super Cup Final by 1:2 against the Champions 

League winner from Spain. 

Oh, what a host city it was. The match took place 

at the national stadium of the Republic of Macedonia, 

a country which actually prefers handball as its 

favourite sport, in the capital Skopje. The city has 

welcomed the teams and its top-players like Cristiano 

Ronaldo or Paul Pogba with cheers, turning this 

major soccer evening into a celebration of hospitality 

and peaceful joy. In other words, as Aki Nuredini, 

the best-known of the some 25,000 Macedonians in 

Austria, who runs a successful restaurant – ”Il Sole“ 

– just behind Vienna's Opera, remarks as well, by 

hosting this high level sports event, Skopje has painted 

a whole new picture of a country which until recently 

has been seen as one of the dangerously unstable 

political focal points at the Western Balkans. 

Since 2015, Macedonia, which has gained independence 

from the former Republic of Yugoslavia in 

1991, has been locked in an ongoing political dispute. 

Even after the last elections in December 2016, 

that have seen Zoran Zaev, the leader of the leftwing 

SDSM party, ahead of the former prime minister, Nikola 

Gruevski from the rightwing VMRO-DPMNE 

party, the formation of a new government has been 

blocked for six months until May 2017. Tension between 

rival political factions already had forcefully 

broken out in April 2017 and spilled into bloodshed, 

when a nationalist mob stormed parliament. The situation 

had also raised concerns within the EU and 

Nato, since Macedonia is a candidate country to join 

both organisations. 

But with the finally achieved formation of a new 

government led by Mr Zaev, who in his first statement 

had guarenteed ”the protection of the unity, 

sovereignty and territorial integrity of the independent 

and multi-ethnic Macedonia“, the moods have 

boiled down and all efforts are now focused on the 

peaceful economic development which the country 

is definitely in need of. And with the successful hosting 

of the recent Super Cup Final, Skopje has sent a 

most welcomed sign to the world that Macedonia 

has again found its course towards European integration. 

„Our first and foremost focus is the full membership 

to the EU and the Nato“, says Vasilka Popeska 

Trenevska, the Ambassador of the Republic of 

Macedonia to Austria. ”This is not only important 

for the stability of our country, but for the complete 

region as well, where Macedonia is the biggest supporter 

of the EU“ (also see interview page 38). 

Up until now, the major obstacle to EU and Nato 

membership has been the oppositions of Macedonia's 

neighbour Greece because of what is widely known 

as the „Name Issue“. Greece believes that the name 

”Republic of Macedonia“ implies a territorial claim 

to the northern Greek province with the same name 

and therefore has vetoed Macedonia's ambitions 

from the very beginning. It has also not been exactly 

helpful that former Prime Minister Gruevski renamed 

airports and motorways after Alexander the 

Great, the ancient Greek warrior reimagined by his 

party as its own national hero. 

Last June, in one of his first major diplomatic 

steps, Macedonia's new Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov 

has met with Greek ministers to discuss the 

name issue, saying his country would consider fresh 

proposals on its provisional name in an effort to unlock 

Greek opposition to its EU and Nato membership. 

”I will ask Greece to reconsider what kind of 

neighbour they want – do they want a stable, friendly 

country that offers hope for democracy and justice?“, 

Dimitrov said ahead of the meetings. ”If we are 

a good neighbour, then hopefully political forces in 

Greece will realise this is a historic opportunity.“ 

These talks are now closely observed by EU officials 

like Johannes Hahn, Austria's EU Commissioner for 

Regional Policy, who has been mediating in Macedonia 

heavily. ”The new government needs shoring up“, 

says Florian Bieber, a political scientist at the University 

of Graz, ”and nothing would be a better sign of 

success than a breakthrough in the name dispute.“ 

Meanwhile, supported by this positive restart in 

the name issue, the new government is trying 

to tackle the two main areas where the country is ailing 

most – unemployment and low average income. 

In 2016, Macedonia's economy, albeit small and 

amounting just a bit over 10 billion US-dollar (nominal), 

has grown some 2.4 percent and is supposed to 

increase for some 2.1 percent in 2017. But the unemployment 

rate last year stood at 24 percent and is expected 

to fall only to 22 percent in 2017, with youth 

unemployment even double than this – still one of 

the worst figures in the Western Balkans. And the 

Fresque "The Angel from 

Kurbinovo" (above) and the 

natural monumental rocks of 

Kuklitsi, Macedonia (below). 

Lake Matka near Skopje, one of 

the many hidden touristic 

treasures of Macedonia to be 

discovered. 

34 



35


MACEDONIA 

Official Name: 

Republic of Macedonia 

Capital: Skopje 

Area: 25,713 sqkm 2 

Population: 2,073,702 

(2016 estimate) 

Ethnic Groups: 64.2% 

Macedonians, 25.2% 

Albanians, 3.9% Turks, 

2.7% Romani, 1.8% Serbs, 

2.2% other/unspecified 

Languages: Macedonian, 

Albanian, Turkish, Romani, 

Serbian 

Religion: Eastern 

Orthodoxy (64.8%), Islam 

(33.3%), Other Christian 

(0.4%), Others/None 

(1.5%). 

Currency: Macedonian 

Denar (MKD) 

GDP: 10.23 billion $ 

(nominal, 2016) 

GDP per capita: 4,940 $ 

(nominal, 2016) 

Government: 

Parliamentary Republic 

• President: Gjorge Ivanov 

• Prime Minister: 

Zoran Zaev 

Independence 

from SFR Yugoslavia 

8 September 1991: declared 

8 April 1993: Officially 

recognised by the UN 

The neo-classicistic 

Government building in the 

heart of Skopje, where a 

new economic plan is 

currently carved out. 

A statue of Alexander the Great, 

towering a stone bridge in 

Macedonia's capital Skopje, 

overlooking the 

historic center. 

average wage of only some 300 Euro per month (after 

taxes) is far too low to make a decent living given local 

prices nearly at Western European levels. As a result 

of this, many young Macedonians are leaving or 

trying to leave the country. 

The new government is currently carving out economic 

measures to improve this situation. ”There are 

3-, 6- and 9-month steps“, Ambassador Trenevska 

explains. ”By the beginning of 2018, a complete new 

business plan for Macedonia will be presented and 

implemented.“ Major focus shall be put on the development 

of all kinds of infrastructure, tourism and 

small businesses. Already the World Bank has responded 

to such efforts and previous steps by the 

country with a population of some 2 million inhabitants. 

In its recent ”Ease of Doing Business“ report 

Macedonia is ranked 10th, which is mainly due to its 

investment pitch based on low taxes and wages and 

aiming at investments of mid-sized companies. Indeed, 

many investors pay virtually no corporate or income 

tax in Macedonia, thanks to special economic 

zones provided for greenfield projects. They also benefit 

from generous state subsidies and many young 

tech-savvy Macedonians who are especially talented 

in IT- and computer skills. 

As a matter of fact, because of this positive environment, 

Austria ranks number 2 as foreign direct 

investor in Macedonia, just behind the Netherlands 

and ahead of Greece, Slovenia and Hungary. According 

to Erika Teoman-Brenner, the Austrian Commercial 

Counsellor in charge of Macedonia, there 

are currently some 50 Austrian companies with local 

subsidiaries active in the country. ”Also some of the 

most well-known brands and service providers there 

are from Austria“, she says (also see page 41). 

Many of the Austrian expats working there also 

spread stories of a Macedonia being actually one of 

last treasures of Europe still to be discovered – not 

only in economic terms, but as one of the most beautiful 

places to visit. There are the impressive remainings 

of its Greek, Roman and Ottoman history, and 

there is the glittering Lake Ohrid and the historic 

waterside town of Ohrid, which already have etched 

out a place for Macedonia on the tourist map. ”But 

this small nation is far more than just one great lake“, 

as travel-guide Lonely Planet states. ”Skopje may be 

the Balkans' most bonkers and unfailingly entertaining 

capital city. And the rest of Macedonia is a 

stomping ground for adventurers. If you want to get 

off the beaten track in Europe, this is it.“ 

PHOTOS: FOTOLIA, VLADIMIR ARSOVSKI, GORAN JAKIMOVSKI, CAVKULOSKI / WWW.OHRIDPLACES.COM 

An evening dawn in winter over the 

city of Ohrid (left) and impressions 

of a fisherman cottage on 

Lake Prespa (right). 

36 

Cercle Diplomatique 3/2017

LE MONDE MACEDONIA | INTERVIEW 

H.E. Vasilka Poposka Trenevska 

“Macedonia remains committed to a solution to the ‘Name Issue’ with Greece.“ 

The Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia on economic 

measures of the new coalition government tackling unemployment 

and wage rise and the unsolved dispute about the name of 

her country. 

Interview: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner 

CD: Ambassador Trenevska, how would you see 

the current relationship between the Republic 

of Macedonia and Austria and its historic 

development? 

Vasilka Poposka Trenevska: Formal diplomatic 

relations between the Republic of 

Macedonia and the Republic of Austria 

commenced in 1994. And, while relations 

between the two countries go back much 

farther, more recent developments in relations 

between both countries are noteworthy. 

In particular, the high level of diplomatic 

relations between both countries in 

recent years has led to increased cultural 

exchange and the promotion of strong economic 

relations. Recent examples of high 

level cooperation include the engagement 

of the Republic of Austria with refugee crisis, 

showcasing the solidarity between Austria 

and Macedonia as both countries 

sought to mitigate the human impact as 

hundreds of thousands of refugees were 

fleeing civil war and strife. 

According to recent official figures, the trade 

volume in goods between Macedonia and Austria 

(2016) is just below of some 180 million Euro, 

declining, compared to the year before. What can 

be done to improve our trade relations? 

Taking the long view of Macedonian and 

Austrian economic relations is instructive, 

as the trend is clearly towards increasing 

economic engagement between both countries. 

From my time as Ambassador to the 

Republic of Austria, I have witnessed and 

done my best to facilitate the genesis of new 

ideas for cooperation, to support and protect 

existing areas of cooperation, and I have 

had the pleasure of seeing the fruition of 

plans already made. Ties between Macedonia 

and Austria are deepening organically, 

as both countries appreciate the full potential 

of regional economic cooperation. 

Macedonia remains a highly competitive 

destination for foreign direct investment 

in the Balkans, offering extremely attractive 

incentives for foreign investors over the 

long and short term. Budding industries, as 

well as established ones, offer high growth 

potential. Austrian support and economic 

cooperation has been a boon to Macedonia 

and has led to positive social and economic 

externalities in both countries. Furthermore, 

EU led support for the sustainable development 

of Macedonia and linkage of the 

Macedonian economy to the EU is exemplified 

by the trans-European road Corridor 

X, an initiative that is continuing to lead 

towards new and improved opportunities 

for investment in Macedonia. Foreign investors 

in Macedonia are offered continuous 

support through the Agency for Foreign 

Investment and Export Promotion, 

though the legal and bureaucratic process 

of investing in Macedonia has been markedly 

simplified since 2010. Furthermore, 

Technological and Industrial Development 

Zones (TIDZs) have been established in 

Macedonia to support investors in establishing 

successful enterprises that link a 

skilled Macedonian workforce with industrial 

capital investments. 

This year, experts have predicted a growth rate 

for Macedonia of some 3.1%. But they have also 

noted the “ongoing political crisis“ since 2015 as 

the biggest obstacle to achieve this. Can you give 

us an overview about the current political 

situation which seems to have stabilised after 

months of uncertainty about a new government? 

First quarter macro economic indicators 

would agree with the assessment that 

uncertainty regarding the outcome of the 

December 2016 election may have had an 

impact on growth. However, the new 

government that has formed, has now 

handled many of the key issues involved in 

the transitional period and has moved on 

to addressing aspects of economic policy 

that will positively affect economic growth. 

Effective strides are being made towards 

establishing a new political equilibrium, 

one in which fostering continued economic 

growth remains a priority. 

What are the plans of the new social democrat 

government to reduce unemployment (currently 

about 24%) and improve the average income of 

some 500 Euro per month of the Macedonian 

people? 

Unemployment figures have continued 

to drop from their peak following the European 

economic crisis. A large share of the 

drop in unemployment has resulted from 

foreign direct investment in Macedonia, 

tourism growth, as well as Macedonia’s 

success in manufacturing. The new SDSM 

led coalition government has spearheaded 

measures to promote labour policies that 

facilitate economic growth by supporting 

the internal market. Policies are being implemented 

to allow for a raise in the mini- 

ENJOY THE FESTIVE SEASON 

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H.E. VASILKA POPOSKA TRENEVSKA 

Austria already ranks as Nr. 2 of the major foreign 

investors in Macedonia, with an amount of some 

540 million Euro (2015) and providing jobs for 

some 5,900 people. Where would you see future 

investment opportunities? Which would be the 

major projects of development and which kind of 

incentives does Macedonia offer to investors? 

PHOTO: RALPH MANFREDA 

Spend your holidays at the Viennese Art déco jewel in the heart 

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elegant salons of our Garden Floor or at the open fireplace in the 

cozy ambience of our restaurant with exquisite creations by our 

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Our banquet Team will also be delighted to arrange for your 

individual celebration and program. 

The Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia to 

Austria since 2014, holds a PhD from the Faculty of 

Economics of the University of St. Clement of Ohrid/ 

Bitola. Prior to her diplomatic services, she has also 

worked as an associate professor at the Faculty of 

Veterinary Medicine in Skopje. 


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LE MONDE MACEDONIA | INTERVIEW 

LE MONDE EXPERT´S VIEW 

“The new coalition government has 

spearheaded measures to promote 

economic growth and to allow for a 

raise in the minimum wage of over 30 

percent.“ 

”Optimistic forecasts as investor 

confidence returns“ 

Erika Teoman-Brenner, Commercial Counsellor in Belgrade 

mum wage of over 30%. This change is expected 

to redistribute the benefits of the 

economic growth that Macedonia has been 

experiencing and to lead to positive externalities 

in the labour force. Macedonia’s labour 

force has a substantial degree of potential 

in skilled and semi skilled jobs that 

could be achieved by enhancing the potential 

for workers to invest in themselves 

while simultaneously supporting workforce 

training and educational initiatives 

that place further support in Macedonia’s 

economy. 

Since 2005, Macedonia has the status of an EU 

membership candidate, but is being blocked by 

Greece on a wide range of issues because of an 

unsolved dispute about its name. Can you give us 

an overview about the deeper roots of this 

dispute, possible ways to get over it and the 

development of EU membership negotiations? 

The effects of this dispute are felt most 

keenly by all Macedonians in terms of its 

effect on economic growth and Macedonia’s 

ability to participate in the European market. 

Of the diplomatic and political issues 

that face Macedonia as we pursue fullfledged 

membership in the European community, 

few are more acutely felt for Macedonians 

than what has come to be called 

“the Name Issue“. The issue itself derives 

from a complex socio-historical disagreement 

with Greece over the constitutional 

name of Macedonia, The Republic of 

Macedonia. The effects of this dispute, as is 

known, include the political stance that 

Greece has taken towards accepting Macedonia 

into the EU. This dispute has spillover 

effects into even the seemingly mundane 

principals of international relations, 

as our bilateral relations are marked by a 

seemingly “opt-in“ system whereby states 

and institutions decide independently to 

acknowledge our constitutional name, or 

to refer to the Republic of Macedonia as the 

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 

(fyrom). Macedonia is appreciative of the 

support that Austria has shown for our 

constitutional name. 

The roots of this issue began over a 

hundred years ago in the territorial redistributions 

which followed the Balkan Wars, 

in which parts of what had been Macedonia 

were ceded to Northern Greece and to 

Bulgaria. Yet, the contemporary roots of 

this issue extend to the era of the existence 

of Yugoslavia. During this period, relations 

between Greece and its Balkan neighbours 

remained uncertain. This uncertainty, 

combined with complex issues of national 

identity for both for Macedonia and Greece 

following the breakup of Yugoslavia have 

led to a political quagmire. 

Regardless of how the issue of 

Macedonia’s constitutional name has been 

arrived upon, a settlement to this dispute is 

essential to the future of the country. Many 

solutions to the dispute have been offered 

by both parties to the dispute, as well as by 

concerned onlookers. Macedonia remains 

committed to a solution to this issue that 

satisfies the concerns of our neighbors and 

respects the integrity of the Republic of 

Macedonia. We will stay at the negotiating 

table for as long as it takes to resolve the 

dispute to the mutual satisfaction of both 

parties. 

Which major touristic attractions in Macedonia 

would you highlight? What are the efforts of 

Macedonia to improve and expand its tourism 

industry? 

Efforts over the past decade to open 

Macedonia to the international community 

have yielded a set of increasingly wellknown 

touristic offerings. Our tourism 

sector has made great strides in developing 

standards and practices that allow for the 

participation of small and medium sized 

enterprises to enter the market as providers 

of high quality and attractive services for 

tourists. Furthermore, the Government of 

Macedonia has had success with its capital 

investments aimed at revitalizing major urban 

centres such as Skopje and Ohrid. Every 

year, accessibility is improved and our 

main touristic attractions have become 

even more pleasurable to visit. Personally, I 

take every chance I am provided with to 

take in Lake Ohrid from the lakeside boulevards 

and to enjoy the bustling commercial 

areas of downtown Skopje. There are, 

of course, also virtually endless opportunities 

for nature and extreme sport enthusiasts 

to take advantage of nature preserves 

such as Mount Vodno, Popova Sapka, and 

Mavrovo for activities such as world class 

paragliding, hiking, skiing, and sport kayaking. 

It should also be noted, however, that 

Macedonia has had enormous success in 

cultivating the development of our wine 

tourism sector over the past decade. 

Finally, can you share with us your vision of how 

Macedonia will develop in the coming years? 

In many ways, Macedonia is timeless. 

Our cultural mosaic is bound to steady historical 

trends that ensure that we remain a 

multicultural society that celebrates its heritage 

and strong links to Europe and Asia. 

That being said, I do see change on the horizon, 

brought about by improvements to 

the economic health of the country, which 

is led by our younger generations. A shift to 

high skilled jobs in the field of digital technology 

and a greater sense of security as 

Macedonia moves to address the opportunities 

that are present in our economy. This 

economic change will be met with, perhaps, 

a far more significant adaption as 

Macedonia’s social and political identity 

expands to include new facets. Primarily, I 

see a future for Macedonia as a full-fledged 

member of the European community. I see 

a place for Macedonia as a strong contributor 

to European cultural and economic attainment, 

as a partner in the peace and security 

of Europe. 


PHOTO: VALERI ANGELOV 

Erika Teoman- 

Brenner was 

appointed as 

Commercial Counsellor 

at the Austrian 

Embassy in Belgrade 

with accreditation to 

the Embassies in 

Skopje and Podgorica 

as well in September 

2015. 

Manufacturing is the real driver behind Macedonia‘s positive export performance. 

Macedonia is a small country with a population size of about 

2 million and a long history of migration. Being the poorest 

republic in former Yugoslavia, the country has tried hard to 

make progress in liberalising its economy and improving its 

business environment since its independence. While the 

country maintained an impressive level of stability during 

the global financial crisis in 2008/2009, the prolonged 

internal political crisis that almost paralysed it for two years, 

had a negative impact on the economic performance and 

caused a slow-down of economic growth. However, the 

stabilization of the political situation leads now to more 

optimistic forecasts as investor confidence returns and the new government 

seems to be committed to step up economic reforms. These should primarily be 

targeted at improving the regulatory environment and strengthening the rule of 

law – two issues that have been consistently raised by Austrian investors. 

Besides low labour cost, the government offers very attractive tax and financial 

incentives – probably the most generous in the Westbalkans – to foreign 

investors in free economic zones. This has helped to attract foreign investments 

especially in manufacturing which, in fact, has become the real driver behind the 

positive export performance of the country. But it has also contributed to a 

specific feature of the Macedonian economy: a very large import content in the 

foreign investments (machinery, raw materials etc.) and a very limited 

integration of local suppliers in these production chains. This is definitely a 

situation that should be remedied for the sake of strengthening the domestic 

sector, in particular small and medium sized companies. 

However, job creation is a major goal in this strategy to encourage foreign 

investments, given the persistently high levels of unemployment, especially 

among the youth, as throughout the whole region. On the other hand, companies 

find it often hard to recruit qualified technical personnel. An oversupply of 

University graduates and, at the same time, the lack of a functioning dual 

vocational training system created a mismatch in the labour market where the 

educational level of the young does not correspond to the qualification the 

employers are looking for. 

Austrian companies, and their products and services, enjoy an excellent 

reputation in Macedonia. Not only are we the second largest investor in the 

country, but also some of the most well-known brands and service-providers are 

from Austria. Regarding the bilateral trade, we observe a decline since last year. 

Our export volume 2016 amounted to 111 million Euro, which was 8,6% less than 

2015. At the same time, our imports from Macedonia – just about half of our 

exports – shrank by 3,6%. Austria´s main export items are meat, pharmaceuticals, 

food ingredients and various machinery and technical equipment. 

Macedonia´s exports to Austria consist basically of apparel – with more than 

half of Macedonian exports to Austria - and to a much lesser extent, of fruits and 

vegetables. It should be noted that the textile and garment industry is one of the 

most developed economic sectors in Macedonia and many well-known German 

and Italian fashion brands have production facilities there. 

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LE MONDE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Miracles of the Caribbean 

Each year, between January 

and March, many big cruise 

ships head for the northern 

Samaná Bay for a whalewatching-stopover. 

FACTS & 

FIGURES 

Its economy is a remarkable success story all over Latin America. Its blessings of nature 

and cultural heritage are providing records in tourism year after year. And its people, 

especially when dancing the merengue, are turning a visit to this Caribbean country 

into an unforgettable experience. Welcome to the Dominican Republic. 


PHOTOS: FOTOLIA 

On February 6th, 1998, the Austrian singer 

and pop star Falco – eventually the country‘s 

most outstanding musician in recent decades 

who has spent his last year in the Dominican Republic 

to finish a new album – has deceased after a 

car crash near the city of Monte Llano in the Dominican 

Republic. Up until now, some of his fans pay 

tribute at a little memorial site which has been set up 

there on the Caribbean island. 

As sad as this lethal accident has been, it carries a 

truth within that is distinctly und definitely positive 

since Falco has retreated into his creative refugium 

because he has fallen in love with the Dominican Republic 

– its welcoming people, its diverse nature with 

stunning mountains and desert scrublands, its 

beaches galore, its evocative colonial architecure 

and, maybe most of all, its merengue, the country‘s 

typical local music and dance. 

Experts say that Falco was about to integrate these 

sounds of love into his latest songs, which certainly 

would have made them a hit amongst the nearly seven 

million visitors to the Dominican Republic who 

are enjoying pretty much the same feelings. ”For 

some, the idyllic beaches and all-included rum cocktails 

may have their place, but for me, the Dominican 

Republic is about other things“, the wide-read British 

travel-blogger Ashley Harrell puts them into poetic 

words. ”It‘s the wizened men puffing cigars and slapping 

down dominoes by the fire atop Pico Duarte, or 

dancing the merengue inside the crumbling ruins of 

the New World‘s first monastery. I‘ve never felt so inspired 

as when I zipped through desert hills on a 

scooter, past grazing goats and drying laundry, headed 

for a faraway fishing village where an ambitious 

expat started a kitesurfing school.“ 

There is another traveller who may have been 

equally enthusiastic, the day he arrived at one of the 

endless, virgin shores – Christopher Columbus, today 

dubbed by the natives as “the first tourist“. He 

has discovered the island in 1492, giving it the name 

“La Hispañola“ and starting a period of more than 

four centuries under foreign rule. Between 1655 and 

1701 alone, the island has been dominated by the 

British, the French and the Spanish alternately. A few 

decades later, in 1731, it was divided into what is today 

Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which proclaimed 

its First Republic in 1844. 

This early period of independence found an end 

in 1916 when the United States of America occupied 

the Dominican Republic and governed it until 1924, 

installing a puppet regime afterwards. In 1930, the 

revolutionary Rafael Trujillo succeeded in a coup 

d‘etat only to start a grim dictatorship which lasted 

for about 30 years. Then, in 1964, the Fourth Republic 

has been established and since then, the Dominican 

Republic has embarked on a path of growth, stability 

and remarkable development – which in recent 

years even accelerated under President Danilo Medina 

who has been first elected in 2012 and re-elected 

last year. 

In 2016, the Dominican Republic with a population 

of some 10 million people has outperformed most 

of the other countries in the world with an economic 

growth rate of 6.6 percent, amounting to a GDP of 

more than 72 billion dollars (nominal). This equals 

one of the highest purchasing powers per person – 

some 15.200 dollars for each Dominican inhabitant 

– in Latin America and the Caribbean. Acccording 

to Alexander Solar, the Austrian Commercial Counsellor 

covering the Dominican Republic, this extraordinary 

economic perfomance is mainly due to ”a 

very strong increase in tourism“ of a record 11 percent, 

while the number of Austrian tourists even has 

jumped up for more than 25 per cent in 2016. 

”The Dominican Republic last year reached a record 

of nearly 6 million tourists, an increase of over 

380,000 additional visitors“, confirms Lourdes Victoria-Kruse, 

the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic 

to Austria in an interview with Cercle Diplomatique 

(page 45). Adds Petra Cruz, Director for 

Europe of the Dominican Republic‘s Tourism Board: 

”In April 2017, we have registered 15 percent more of 

international visitors in relation to the same period 

last year. It has been the best month in our tourism 

history which really makes us extremely happy.“ 

Since tourism accounts for nearly two thirds of the 

countries economy each and every Dominican – 

who are regarded as one of the happiest people in the 

world – is embracing foreigners, helping them with 

every single little problem, welcoming them with all 

kinds of services – no wonder the country is the epi- 


Official name: 

República Dominicana 

Capital and largest city: 

Santo Domingo 

Official language: Spanish 

Ethnic groups: 

72.9% Mixed 

16.1% White 

10.9% Black 

0.1% Yellow 

Government: 

Unitary presidential 

republic 

• President: 

Danilo Medina 

• Vice President: 

Margarita Cedeño de 

Fernández 

Area: 48,442 km 2 

Population: 10,100,000 

(2016 estmate) 

GDP: 72.194 billion $ 

(2016, nominal) 

GDP per capita: 7,159 $ 

(2016, nominal) 

Independence: 

• December 1, 1821: 

from Spain (ephemeral) 

• February 27, 1844: 

from Haiti (official), not 

recognized by Haiti until 

November 9, 1874 

• August 16, 1863: 

from Spain (restoration) 

• July 12, 1924: 

from the United States 

(occupation) 

The island which today consists of Haiti 

and the Dominican Republic has been 

discovered in 1492 by Columbus. 

Cap Cana, with its endless 

white sand beaches, is one of 

the major tourist attractions 

in the region of Punta Cana, 

located at the eastern coast 

of the Dominican Republic. 

Left: Cool carriages in Santo Domingo. 

Right: ”Teeth of the Dog“ – the 

number 1 golf course of the Caribbean 

at Casa de Campo resort in Punta 

Cana. 



LE MONDE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | INTERVIEW 

H.E. Lourdes Victoria-Kruse 

“Our goal is to welcome 10 million visitors in the year 2022.“ 

Interview: 

Rainer Himmelfreundpointner 

Dancing the merengue in the capital 

Santo Domingo, where the first 

cathedral of the Caribbean was built 

(top). Enjoying the gentle ocean near 

Samaná Bay and the fruits of nature 

offered by the Dominican Republic. 

tome of all-inclusive – and turning their holidays on 

the island into an unforgettable experience. As a 

commercial fundament, the government has recently 

carved out a new strategy which is based on 

three pillars: golf, adventure and nature or eco-tourism. 

In terms of golf, the Dominican Republic for a 

couple of years already has acquired a reputation as 

the number one destination in the Caribbean, thanks 

to its more than 30 golf courses, some of them – like 

the “Teeth of the Dog“ in Punta Cana – providing 

outstanding beauty and challenge. 

To enjoy eco-tourism and find adventure, one 

only has to take a discovery trip into the fertile interior 

of the island. ”You’ll see cows and horses grazing 

alongside the roads, and trucks and burros loaded 

down with fresh produce“, the blogger Harrell reports. 

”Further inland you’ll encounter vistas reminiscent 

of the European Alps, rivers carving their 

way through lush jungle and stunning waterfalls.“ 

Actually, four of the five highest peaks in the Caribbean 

rise above the rural lowlands surrounding Santiago, 

and remote deserts stretch through the southwest, 

giving the Dominican Republic a physical 

and cultural complexity not found on other islands. 

But that‘s only half of the fun this country has to 

offer. The other half is streched out over the hundreds 

of kilometers of coastline defining the Dominican 

Republic. There are endless, out-of-a-dream untouched 

shores being gently caressed by the 

Caribbean Sea, blessed with white-sand beaches shaded 

by rows of palm trees. Then, one may come across 

other parts which are lined dramatically with 

rocky cliffs, wind-swept dunes or even serene mangrove 

lagoons. 

And everywhere, whether it‘s fishing villages with 

boats moored along the shores, or indulgent tourist 

playgrounds with aquamarine waters, the sea is and 

always has been the common denominator. Some of 

the bays and coves where pirates once roamed are 

nowadays the temporary home of thousands of migrating 

humpback whales, and form part of an extensive 

network of parks and preserves safeguarding the 

country‘s natural heritage. They are also serving as a 

major attraction for cruise-ships-tourists, which between 

January and March of each year, make a whalewatching-stopover 

at Samaná Bay for this overwhelming 

ocean ballet performed by these giant animals. 

Those, who long for a bit of culture and entertainment 

as well, are welcomed to check in at one of 

the charming and affordable luxury hotels in one of 

the major cities. The country‘s roller-coaster past is 

writ large in the physical design of their architectures. 

For example, the Zona Colonial, a UNESCO- 

World-Heritage, in the capital of the Dominican Republic, 

Santo Domingo, exudes romance with its 

beautifully restored monasteries and cobblestone 

streets along which conquistadors once roamed. As a 

matter of fact, Ambassador Victoria-Kruse proudly 

remarks, ”Santo Domingo also was the first city of 

the New World, with the first cathedral, the first university 

and the first road in America“. 

There are many remainings of that era to be 

found, not only in Santo Domingo but also in Puerto 

Plata or Santiago, like for example the cute gingerbread 

home or even traces of the indigenous Taíno 

people who have carved their presence onto rock 

walls not far away where Christopher Columbus 

strode and has put the island on the world‘s map forever. 

But to be honest, for most of the visitors to the 

Dominican Republic such attractions make up for 

just a nice afternoon sight-seeing-tour. The real 

DomRep-feeling starts when the sun sets and when 

it comes to meeting the regular people there. 

Dominicans greatly appreciate their down time 

and really know how to party, as can be seen at Carnival 

celebrations held throughout the country and 

at each town‘s own distinctive fiesta. Such events are 

like windows into their culture, and it is more than 

worthy to join the fun and elaborate feasts. To do so 

and to dive into and experience this, there is no better 

way than to take a taste of the social glue which 

forms the bloodline of the country – the merengue. 

Only if you watch Dominican couples smoothly dancing 

to its rhythm, only when you listen to its sound 

blasting all-night long from the colmados, those 

combined corner stores and bars, you will really be 

able to absorb the true nature of the way of life on 

this Caribbean island. 

PHOTOS: FOTOLIA 


The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic digs into the strategics of her country‘s touristic development 

and highlights its location as a perfect hub for the Latin American and Caribbean markets. 

CD: Your Excellency, many Austrians are aware of 

the Dominican Republic as a touristic destination, 

but little is known about the relationship the 

countries share. Can you give us a glance at this? 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: The first diplomatic 

contacts date from 1938, when the 

Dominican Government designated an 

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary 

in Germany, Austria and 

Czechoslovakia. The Government of the 

Dominican Republic decided to establish a 

Permanent Mission in Vienna in 2005. 

With the subsequent opening of the Embassy 

in 2007, an Agreement on Air Transport 

between the Dominican Republic and 

the Republic of Austria has been signed. 

Since 2015, Dominican students have participated 

in the Ernst Mach Grant of the 

Austrian Government and this year was 

signed an agreement between the Instituto 

de Tecnología and the University of Graz, 

aimed to facilitate the exchange of more 

students. Currently, we are in negotiations 

to sign an agreement of promotion and 

protection of investments between both 

countries. Apart from many mutual highlevel 

visits, an interesting fact is that the 

Dominican community in Austria is the 

second largest from the Latin America and 

Caribbean region. In fact, the diplomatic, 

personal and commercial relations between 

Austria and the Dominican Republic 

are excellent. 

But the trade volume between the Dominican 

Republic and Austria is amounting only to some 

35 million Euro, with Austrian exports of some 12 

million Euro and imports from the Dominican 

H.E. LOURDES VICTORIA-KRUSE 

Republic to Austria of about 23 million Euro. What 

can be done to improve our trade relations? 

The Dominican Republic has been an 

important business partner for Austria in 

the Caribbean. But definitely, we have to 

continue to promote the variety and quality 

of Dominican products in Austria, as we 

are confident that these exchanges could 

still rise much more, in both directions. On 

the other hand, the Dominican Republic is 

an ideal market for foreign investment, largely 

due to its solid legal framework, incentive 

laws, special schemes and Government 

support towards direct foreign investment. 

Some of its main attractions are its unique 

geographical position, being the second 

country in Latin America and the Caribbean 

in terms of connectivity – i.e. transportation, 

logistics and telecommunications’ 

infrastructure – and a preferential market 

Born in Santo Domingo , Mrs Lourdes Victoria-Kruse, 

has studied chemistry before entering diplomatic 

services of the Dominican Republic. She has served at 

her country‘s Embassies in India and Germany. Six 

years ago, she moved to the Embassy in Vienna, 

where she took the position of Ambassador of the 

Dominican Republic to Austria in July 2017. 



45


| INTERVIEW 

“The unique geographical position 

of the Dominican Republic offers a 

preferential market access to more 

than 900 million consumers.“ 

Ein guter Platz, Konzentration, mentale Stärke und gute 

Technik – oder sich ganz einfach treiben lassen. 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse, the Ambassador of the 

Dominican Republic, during the interview with Cercle 

Diplomatique at the Embassy in Vienna‘s 4 th district. 

access to more than 900 million consumers 

around the world, through the free trade 

agreements with 48 countries, including 

the European Union. These factors, combined 

with economic stability, made the 

Dominican Republic, for the third consecutive 

year, the economy of greater growth 

in Latin America, with a rate of increase in 

the GDP of 6.6 per cent in 2016, as well as 

the regions lowest rate of inflation of only 

1.7 per cent in 2016. All these aspects, combined 

with a competitive and skilled workforce, 

made us the largest recipient of direct 

foreign investment in the Caribbean. 

Which areas would you point out? 

The main opportunities that the Dominican 

market can offer to Austrian companies 

are in the areas of renewable energy, 

collection and recycling of solid waste and 

sewage treatments, among others. Energy 

is one of the areas that presents greater opportunities 

for obtaining investment. This 

sector has the advantages offered by Law 

57-07 on incentives to the development of 

renewable energy sources. Other priority 

sectors for investment in the Dominican 

Republic are agribusiness, call centers, 

clothing and textiles, manufacture of footwear, 

medical and pharmaceuticals devices, 

information technology and software 

development, mining, telecommunications 

and last but not least tourism. 

What are the efforts of the Dominican Republic to 

improve and expand its tourism industry? 

The Dominican Republic last year has 

reached a record of nearly 6 million tourists, 

an increase of over 380,000 additional 

visitors and a growth of 6.4 per cent in arrivals, 

consolidating us as leader of the most 

attractive destinations in the Caribbean 

region. In April 2017, we have registered 15 

per cent more of international visitors in 

relation to the same period last year. And 

in terms of accommodation, last year the 

country recorded an offer of 75,205 rooms. 

These results are consistent with the medium-term 

Presidential goal to receive 10 

million visitors in the year 2022. 

Apart from famous all-inclusive hotels, small 

luxury hotels and natural beauties, which 

additional touristic offers would you highlight? 

Recently, our Ministry of Tourism developed 

an advertising strategy based mainly 

on the following segments of markets: 

Golf, Adventure and Nature, meaning ecotourism. 

The Dominican Republic has 

more than 30 golf courses and has been recognised 

as golf destination of the Caribbean 

for consecutive years. In addition, the 

country provides the opportunity to visit 

one of the largest sanctuaries in the world 

of humpback whales located in the Samaná 

Bay. The capital Santo Domingo was the 

first city of the New World, with the first 

cathedral, the first university and the first 

road in America. Since 1990, the Colonial 

City of Santo Domingo has been inscribed 

on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, 

where visitors can enjoy our history and 

culture, such as our traditional music merengue, 

which is declared as Intangible Cul- 

tural Heritage of Humanity, the carnival 

and explore the capital of the gastronomy 

of the Caribbean 2017. In 2016 alone, the 

Dominican Republic participated in 176 

international and regional fairs maintaining 

this image of the country. But my personal 

opinion is that the most important 

attraction are our people. In this sense, the 

country‘s socio-political and economic stability 

should also be highlighted. 

What about Austrian tourists? 

Regarding Austria, we participate on a 

regular basis in the Ferien Messe Wien and 

the ReiseSalon Wien to attract more visitors. 

In addition, for some years, there is a 

direct flight from Vienna to Punta Cana 

every week during the winter time as a result 

of the cooperation between Condor 

Airlines and tour operators. Also, it is important 

to highlight new connections with 

Eurowings, Air Berlin and Azur Air. From 

January to June 2017, the arrival of tourists 

from Austria increased more than 31 per 

cent. The trend is that more tourists from 

Germany, Switzerland and Austria have visited 

the Dominican Republic, many of 

them in a recurrent basis. 

What is your vision of how the Dominican 

Republic will develop in the coming years? 

I see my country as one of the most prominent 

of the Latin America and the Caribbean 

region, having a leading role in the 

political and economic arena. The projection 

of the country is currently based on a 

National Strategy of Development 2030, 

whose four major pillars are related to the 

demand of a social and democratic State of 

Law, a society based on equal rights and 

conditions. a sustainable economy, inclusive 

and competitive, and to achieve an environmentally 

sustainable society of production 

and consumption. Currently, there is a 

project to develop a dual education system 

between the private sector of Austria and 

Instituto de Formación Técnica Profesional, 

which is being canalised through this 

Embassy. For that reason, the Dominican 

Republic is destined to grow. 

PHOTOS: RALPH MANFREDA 

DOMINIKANISCHE REPUBLIK 

ein Traum 


Tourist Board Dominikanische Republik 

Hochstrasse, 54 . D-60313 Frankfurt/Main 

Tel.: +49 69 91397878 . Fax: +49 69283430 

germany@godominicanrepublic.com 

www.godominicanrepublic.com/rd 

Tourist Board

LE MONDE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION – 

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN DIPLOMACY 

Ambassadors‘ Summit #5 

“Women in diplomacy – this is the new normal.“ 

For centuries, the universe of managing international relations 

has been one of the last strongholds of men. But with the advance 

of more and more women to the center stages of high level diplomacy 

in recent years, male dominance at global geopolitical 

playing fields is steadily crumbling. In Cercle Diplomatique‘s fifth 

Ambassadors’ Summit, four female Ambassadors from Latin 

American countries joined a roundtable discussion about the 

increasing presence and influence of women in the world of 

diplomacy. 

Moderated by Rainer Himmelfreundpointner 

H. E. PAULINA FRANCESCHI NAVARRO 

H. E. PILAR SABORIO DE ROCAFORT 

PHOTOS: XYXXYXYXY 

H. E. LOURDES VICTORIA-KRUSE 

H. E. LUCIA ROSELLA BADIA 


The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to 

Austria and Permanent Representative to the 

UN in Vienna since November 2015, has also 

served as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent 

Representative to the United Nations in New 

York (2014-2015) and as Vice-Chancellor of the 

Santa Maria La Antigua University (2012-2014). 

The Ambassador of the Republic of Costa Rica 

in Austria and Permanent Representative to 

the UN in Vienna presented her credentials in 

February 2015. Previous positions include the 

ambassadorship to Ireland (from 2012), 

Iceland (from 2008), both non-resident, and 

the United Kingdom (from 2007). 

The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to 

Austria also acts as Permanent Representative 

to the United Nations in Vienna. Before she has 

joined the Vienna Embassy in 2011, Victoria- 

Kruse, a chemical engineer, has served at the 

Dominican Republic‘s Embassies in India 

(2010-2011) and Germany (2004-2010). 

The Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador to 

Austria and Permanent Representative to the UN 

in Vienna took her post in October 2016. Prior to 

this, she has served as Representative to the 

International Coffee Organisation, International 

Sugar Organisation, and International Maritime 

Organisation, London (2011-2016). 

48 



49



“There is a sixth sense, a natural intuition 

which women possess. With 

this ability, we may perform as better 

negotiators. Female intuition is not a 

definite solution of how to find the best 

or peaceful ends. But it certainly helps.“ 

“In diplomacy, some topics are considered 

to be male territory, like security 

or economics, while other topics, 

like migration, families or international 

aid are seen as female issues. This 

is only very slowly changing.“ 

CD: Your Excellencies, our topic today is the role 

of women in diplomacy. You certainly may think of 

Alexandra Michailowna Kollotai (1872-1952) from 

the former, then young Soviet Union. She was 

serving as the first female accredited Ambassador 

in history, at first to Norway from 1923, then to 

Mexico, afterwards negotiating the Soviet Union 

membership to the League of Nations in 1935. But 

how would you judge the role of women in 

diplomacy today? 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: Small states 

like mine had pioneers in female diplomacy 

as well. Minerva Bernadino was the 

first and one of the most important female 

Ambassadors of the Dominican Republic. 

She was one of the only four women who in 

1945 signed the Charter of the United Nations. 

And in 1948, as President of the Interamerican 

Commission of Women she 

promoted the adoption of civil rights for 

women at the Panamerican Conference, 

culminating in one of the first human 

rights treaties, establishing equal rights for 

women for all the member states. 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: Th e 

role of women in diplomacy today is a result 

of a major evolving trend we are facing 

globally. We are seeing a shift of paradigms 

meaning that more and more women are 

accessing male dominated careers compared 

to decades and centuries ago. And that 

is also reflected in diplomacy. But even as 

women and men each make up for around 

50 percent of world population, it would be 

unrealistic to say that this is the fact in professional 

life as well. But society is erupting, 

and it is an increasing trend that women 

hold positions in which you formerly had 

men, like in diplomacy. The stereotype of a 

diplomat has always been a man. Now you 

can find many outstanding female diplomats 

in the world – just think of a figure 

like Madeleine Albright, the first female US 

Secretary of State. So even though there is 

still a long way to go, the role of women in 

diplomacy is on the right track. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: I agree. 

In historical terms women in diplomacy, 

as in many other professional fields, 

were less present because those spaces were 

rarely open to us. But we have seen a shift in 

the last decades that has gradually allowed a 

larger presence of women in diplomacy. 

The number of female Ambassadors is increasing. 

And if you look down in the ranks, 

the presence of women diplomats is high. 

How did this global trend of emancipation effect 

the rise of women in diplomacy in detail? Do 

some countries have female quotas or other rules 

to support female diplomats? 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: In the 

past, a lot of women could not go up to become 

Ambassadors because many Ministries 

of Foreign Affairs had restrictions that 

undermined the careers of women diplomats. 

In some cases, women had to resign 

when they got married. That has changed. 

Interestingly, you see quite a few female 

Ambassadors coming from developing 

countries. Costa Rica, for example, was the 

first country to appoint a female Ambassador 

to the Court of St. James‘s in 1962. And 

the staff in our foreign ministry is over 50 

percent female. And let us not forget Christiana 

Figueres, a person whom I highly admire, 

who, as Executive Secretary of the 

UN Framework Convention on Climate 

Change, was instrumental in making the 

Paris Climate Agreement a reality. So what 

I would say: the male-female ratio in diplomacy, 

like in many other fields, is still not 

fifty-fifty, but it is improving quite rapidly 

in most parts of the world. 

Lucia Rosella Badia: Let me add, that 

between 1920 and 1940 many diplomatic 

laws stated that women could join the external 

service only in areas related to translation, 

interpreters or secretaries. This has 

started to change slowly, but for a long 

time, it was very hard for women to get up 

to junior, mid or higher levels. Even though 

some countries like Sweden have introduced 

female quotas in diplomacy, we still 

have a lot work to do in this area. Especially 

in diplomacy, some topics are considered 

to be male territory, like security or economics, 

while other topics like migrations, 

families, children or international aid are 

seen as female issues. Even if women now 

cover ”male“ topics like atomic energy or 

drugs, this perception is only very slowly 



changing. Also, in diplomacy and international 

relations, the whole system is still 

operated by men. You still can see things 

like the “Ambassadors‘ Wives Club“ which 

promotes the idea that a) there has to be a 

male Ambassador accompanied by a woman 

and b) this woman has to cover only 

social affairs. But women have a lot more to 

offer than just organising dinner parties or 

social events. This is one of the things where 

the system has to change. Inclusion in all 

respects has to be fostered in international 

politics and affairs. Like-minded views will 

not lead to global solutions, not even to local 

ones. If you don‘t include women‘s perspectives, 

or minority perspectives, the results 

are going to be just for a very focused, 

mainly male population and not for all the 

people. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: Exactly. 

Have you ever been introduced to someone, 

at an official event, as the Ambassador 

of your country, and then they say: “Oh, so 

you‘re the wife of the Ambassador?” 

Lucia Rosella Badia: It happened to 

me once at the UN where I had the El-Salvador-plate 

in front of me. A very high ranking 

official approached me and said: 

”When your Ambassador comes, please 

ask him to...“. When I told him that I am 

the Ambassador, he was very ashamed. 

Did any of you ever experience not to be taken seriously 

or treated 100 percent equally and with 

enough respect as a female Ambassador by male 

diplomats? 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: In my 

personal experience: no. Diplomacy has 

become more open. Even if it is partly still 

conservative, the inclusion of women has 

become more mainstream – like in many 

other professional fields. Think of Panama, 

one of the major figures for the expansion 

of the Panama Canal was a woman. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: I also 

don‘t feel that we, as female Ambassadors, 

are treated differently by our male counterparts. 

Mainly because if you are the Ambassador, 

whether you are male of female, 

you represent the head of state. 

Do you think that women in diplomacy are better 

negotiators? Do women have certain female skills 

that can contribute more to diplomatic procedures? 

Like a tendency to find compromises and 

balances easier than their male colleagues? Can 

certain situations be better handled by female 

diplomats rather than male? 

Lucia Rosella Badia: That is extremely 

hard to answer. I don‘t think skills are 

gender issues. Although I have found many 

studies that say that women are better negotiators. 

Maybe that is, because usually 

women have to work twice as hard as men 

to be considered as good as men. So maybe 

we are better prepared for certain negotiations 

which leads to better results. But this 

has nothing to do with gender but with 

training and capacity. One thing I found is 

that women are less intimidating than men 

are. This could sometimes help in negotiations. 

Other than that I cannot think of any 

skill that is purely male or female. 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: Nevertheless, 

I think we do complement a few 

things. There is a nature in women and that 

is empathy. Empathy is more common with 

women, it flows naturally in women simply 

because of biology. We also complement 

the equation, because we worry about issues 

which men sometimes do not care about, 

think of all the family or diversity issues. 

For example, in my country you can trace 

exactly that since women have become 

more engaged in public politics, families or 

children have become subjects of policies 

or political issues. Before, when there were 

only men, it was all about economics. You 

can very well track this back to women‘s 

engagement. Also, there is a difference between 

hearing and listening. I think, women 

are better listeners, we read more beyond 

words. That has been nurtured in us and 

sometimes does not flow very nicely with 

our male counterparts because they don‘t 

read between the lines like women do. It is 

easier for us to understand what‘s behind 

words. And that is an ability which is certainly 

very helpful in conflict situations or 

when you are seeking for peace and security. 

I think these are complementary values 

when it comes to the role of women in our 

profession. 



51



“There is a difference between hearing 

and listening. I think women are 

better listeners than men. We read 

more beyond the words than our 

male counterparts. This ability is certainly 

helpful in conflict situations. “ 

“Women are far more verbal and able to 

express much better than men. But that does 

not mean, that with women in charge, the 

world would be in peace. Golda Meir, Margaret 

Thatcher and Indira Gandhi – none of 

them shied away from conflict.“ 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: There is a 

sixth sense, a natural intuition, which women 

possess. With this sensibility we maybe 

can follow more issues and perform as 

better negotiators. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: Actually, 

I disagree, but not completely. First of 

all, no matter whether you are a man or a 

woman, as a diplomat you have to prepare 

well and develop the skills that make you a 

good strategist and negotiator. However, I 

don‘t think that we have a sixth sense or 

some sort of female special intuition. What 

I think, however, is that we, as women, have 

been socialised to be the nurturers in our 

families, and even if we, more and more, 

have successful careers, we still tend to bear 

a disproportionate burden when it comes to 

caring for the family and doing house chores, 

so we develop that kind of sensitivity. 

But that does not necessarily mean that if 

you had women in charge, the world would 

be at peace. Look at three women who were 

leaders early on – Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi 

and Margaret Thatcher. None one of 

them shied away from conflict. 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: Of course, 

female intuition is not a definite solution of 

how to find the best or peaceful ends. But it 

is certainly an ability that helps. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: As diplomats, 

we promote our countries‘ interests 

and defend our national positions. I doubt 

that any of us gives any more thought to 

our gender when doing our job, than our 

male counterparts do, but it may help that 

in some instances women are perceived as 

less threatening. 

Let me give you a historic example in which 

female diplomacy proved superior to male 

negotiation skills, known as the “Peace of the 

Ladies“ of Cambrai in 1529. In that case, all male 

negotiations have failed, and only with the help of 

female diplomacy, a bitter war could be avoided. 

So don‘t female negotiators deserve these merits? 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: There is 

something we know about women – we are 

more comfortable than men with verbal 

communication. In the case of the women 

in your example, I would think that perhaps 

that they were far more aware of what was 

at stake and what they were about to lose by 

going to war. Don‘t forget, that at the time, 

men probably had to gain from war in 

terms of honour, and military career advancement. 

But women often only had to 

lose, and were left vulnerable to sexual violence, 

the painful loss of their family 

members and destruction of their livelihoods. 

Perhaps, that is why they came from 

different perspectives. Violent conflict affected 

both groups differently. 

Maybe Sweden also had this historic example in 

mind, when it, a couple of years ago, began to 

strengthen the role of women in its diplomatic 

services. There is a female Swedish Ambassador 

here in Austria. Swedish female diplomats have 

formed a consulting group for the Syrian peace 

negotiations in Geneva, working together with 

Syrian Women’s Organisations. And a Swedish 

women’s network of mediators is engaging in 

peace processes like the one in Columbia. Do you 

think that this kind of ”feministic diplomacy“ 

could be a role model for your profession as a 

whole or at least for some countries? 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: My 

initial reaction is that I don‘t agree with the 

term ”feminist diplomacy“. There is no 

such thing as feminist or male diplomacy, 

as we have already stated. But what I do see 

is, that the results accomplished by these 

women, are very positive. When I see a 

country that has really worked on this policy 

and made gender mainstreaming a priority 

for them and it has turned out successfully, 

then for me this is an inspiration. It is 

a good way of promoting gender issues and 

to push for that cultural, paradigmatic 

change which I mentioned earlier. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: And, as 

I said, there are certain situations, like the 

one in Syria that you mention, in which 

you might be better off dealing with a 

group of females. Particularly, when you 

are dealing with women who have been affected 

by the war. These women may feel 

more comfortable speaking to other women. 

So, if you can achieve better results by 

sending a female Ambassador, the Swedish 

approach is a very good idea. 



Lucia Rosella Badia: It is always a 

matter of who is best for the job, either women 

or men. 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: Exactly. 

Lucia Rosella Badia: But it is interesting 

in the Swedish concept, that they apply 

a gender perspective system to all everyday 

jobs, not only by mandating female Ambassadors 

but by making sure that male 

Ambassadors think of these aspects as well. 

So, I don‘t like the term feminist diplomacy 

either. But I think quotas are important. 

Because otherwise, women won‘t be able to 

show that they can be as good as men. 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: Applying 

quotas is certainly helpful to reach this balance 

of men and women in our profession. 

Lucia Rosella Badia: But that does 

not mean that just any woman can meet the 

challenges of that job. Only those who have 

acquired the necessary skills. 

Do you observe more women to enter particular 

education to acquire these diplomatic skills? 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: Absolutely. 

In Panama, it is amazing to see the 

change of women‘s participation in diplomacy, 

compared to 20 years ago. Our diplomatic 

academy just recently reported of an 

increasing female engagement in diplomatic 

studies, especially by the younger generation, 

and the relation between male and 

female students there is very close to fiftyfifty 

right now. This is a perfect example, 

with which we can address the approach of 

younger people to diplomatic issues. 

What do you mean by that? 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: Th e 

younger generations, the famous Millennials, 

are shaped very differently in some respect. 

They feel more attracted by and are 

more committed to global issues as generations 

before, I feel. Maybe, because thanks 

to technology and social media, they are 

more connected and engaged. As a result, I 

also see an increase in women‘s participation 

in our diplomatic academy and in issues 

of international relations generally. 

Lucia Rosella Badia: I agree. Mill- 

ennials don‘t look at gender differences alone, 

they see the world as a whole. They have 

a different perception, compared to the older 

generations many male diplomats still 

belong to. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: In the 

case of Costa Rica, our foreign service is 

more than 50 percent female. In my personal 

experience, I have already led all-female 

Embassies, both here in Austria, and in 

the past. 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: Actually, 

the Embassy of the Dominican Republic 

here in Vienna is all-female as well. And we 

will see more and more women Ambassadors 

in the future all over the world. 

Is it a coincidence that all of you as female 

Ambassadors are representing a Latin Amercian 

country? And the Ambassadors of Mexico and 

Ecuador are women as well. Is there a certain 

reason, why especially countries of your region 

are represented by female Ambassadors, maybe 

because of a sort of revolutionary spirit in the air 

which is rooted in the movements of independence 

of these countries? 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: (...smiling) 

No, there are still more male Ambassadors 

than female ones from Latin American 

countries. And there was no revolution, 

at least in my country. 

Paulina Franceschi Navarro: I don‘t 

feel in that revolutionary way as well. We 

have come a long way, because we had 

many inspiring women ahead of us, for example 

Michelle Bachelet, the present and 

former President of Chile and one of the 

first female Latin American politicians. She 

was a role model and has inspired many of 

us. So it is no coincidence, it is part of a 

trend. Latin America as a whole is very engaged 

to this gender mainstreaming. We 

recently have and have had more female 

Presidents than ever before, in Chile, in 

Brazil, in Panama, in Costa Rica, only to 

name a few. We also have an increasing 

number of women in parliaments and high 

political positions as well. Maybe not as 

many as we would like to have, but it is an 

increasing trend. In Panama, for example, 

our Vice President and Minister of Foreign 

Affairs is a woman – Isabel Saint Malo. You 



53



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PIONEER WOMEN 

IN LATIN AMERICAN 

DIPLOMACY AND 

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DOESN’T ANYTHING SO GORGEOUS 

AT LEAST DESERVE A DATE? 

Michelle Bachelet, Chile 

In March 2014, this outstanding Latin American 

female politician was elected as President of 

Chile for the second time, already having served 

in this position from 2006 until 2010. Between 

her presidencies, Michelle Bachelet, a physician 

who also studied military strategy, was appointed 

the first executive director of the newly created 

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the 

Empowerment of Women. 

Minerva Bernadino, 


This female diplomat, who was one of the four 

women to sign the original charter of the United 

Nations, is best known for arguing in favour of 

gender-inclusive language in the UN‘s early 

stages. She was, for example, instrumental for the 

inclusion of the phrase “equal rights of men and 

women” in the preamble to the UN‘s charter. 

Christiana Figueres, 

Costa Rica 

The Costa Rican female diplomat was appointed 

Executive Secretary of the UN Framework 

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in July 

2010 and during her term, which ended 2016, the 

historic 2015 Paris Agreement has been reached. 

Prudencia Ayala, 

El Salvador 

This writer and social activist from El Salvador 

(1885-1936), who came from an indigenous 

family, is considered as the first fighter for 

women‘s rights in her country. She has founded 

the newspaper ”Rendencion Feminina“ and 

started the feminist movement in El Salvador. 

Petria, Dedé, Minerva & 

Maria Teresa Mirabal, 


These four sisters from the Dominican Republic 

opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and 

were involved in clandestine actions against his 

regime. Three of the sisters have been 

assassinated in 1960. November 25th, the day of 

their assassination, in 1999 has been designated 

as the ”International Day for the Elimination of 

Violence against Women“ by the UN. Today, the 

”Mirabal Sisters“ are symbols of both popular and 

feminist resistance and a role model for many 

Latin American female politicians. 

The Ambassadors‘ Summit took place at the Fleming‘s Selection Hotel Wien-City. Cercle Diplomatique‘s 

publisher Andrea Fürnweger (far left) had the honour, to host Lucia Rosella Badia, the Ambassador of El 

Salvador, Lourdes Victoria-Kruse, the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, Paulina Franceschi Navarro, the 

Ambassador of the Republic of Panama and Pilar Saborio de Rocafort, the Ambassador of Costa Rica for this 

roundtable discussion which was moderated by CD‘s author Rainer Himmelfreundpointner (clockwise from 

left to right). 

will see women of her kind in such positions 

much more often. 

Lourdes Victoria-Kruse: In the 

Dominican Republic, we also currently 

have a female Vice-President, Mrs. Margarita 

Cedeño de Fernandez as well as a female 

President of the Chamber of Deputies, 

Mrs. Lucia Medina. There are many 

females in top positions and we even have 

our own Ministry of Women. And I can‘t 

conclude without highlighting the political 

activities of three revolutionary Dominican 

women, Minerva, Patria and María 

Mirabal, who through their tireless commitment 

against the dictatorial regime of 

Trujillo, opened wide doors for female politicians 

not only in our country but also 

internationally. 

Pilar Saborio de Rocafort: I do 

not know if it is a coincidence or not, that 

four Latin American female Ambassadors 

have joined this roundtable discussion. 

There are also many female Ambassadors 

to Austria and Permanent Representatives 

to the International Organisations in Vienna 

from other regions. What I can say in 

the case of my country is, gender has no 

bearing on diplomatic appointments. Yet, 

the growing number of female Ambassadors 

is a reflection of something very important 

that has happened in Latin America. 

I refer to the change in traditional 

thinking about the role of women. The fact 

that we are sitting here, shows how women 

are key actors in decision-making processes 

in our countries, and in Latin America 

as a whole. 

Lucia Rosella Badia: Let me add, 

that the presence of women not only in 

diplomacy as Ambassadors, but in high 

and responsible positions in general, 

should not be seen as odd anymore. This 

is the new normal. This is the tendency. 

Women being diplomats or Ambassadors, 

for me is the most normal thing in my 

profession now-adays. Soon, the day will 

come, when we don‘t even think about 

that question. 


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LE MONDE BOOK TIP 

The ultimate tips & tricks 

for exporters and travellers 

INTERVIEW 

Walter Koren 

The former head of Advantage Austria, is facing a new 

professional challenge: This December, he takes up his 

position as Commercial Counsellor in Los Angeles, USA. 

The new handbook by Advantage Austria of the Austrian 

Federal Economic Chamber is a must-read for all those 

engaged in foreign trade. In a highly informative as well as 

humorous way, a number of tips and tricks are revealed that 

you can use to succeed internationally and, at the same time, 

make a good impression during small talk abroad. 

Text: Daniela Pötzl 

Was Sie wo tun und lassen sollten 

COOLE SMALLTALK-THEMEN FÜR JEDES LAND — NÜTZLICHE FLOSKELN IN DEN GÄNGIGSTEN SPRACHEN 

ISBN: 978-3-902985-81-1 

€ 39,- 

webshop.wko.at 

DAS ULTIMATIVE 

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DOS& 

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Alle Länder, alle Tricks, alle Codes 

D+D_cover.indd 1 16.08.17 15:18 

Rainer Himmelfreundpointner is one of 

Austria‘s most experienced business journalists. 

He is also active as a restless author for 

Cercle Diplomatique‘s editorial team. And he is the 

type of man who you may have thought was already 

extinct: the kind of man that helps a lady into her 

coat, the type who would never send her yellow roses, 

unless he was planning to tell her something 

rather special. He is also one of those people who can 

distinguish a starter fork, on a finely set table, from 

the other cutlery. And he would never drink water 

from a whiskey glass. And if he were to do so, then 

only as a result of extreme conditions that one has no 

control over anyway. A vast amount of general knowledge 

coupled with area-specific expertise thus made 

him the man of choice when it came to the task of 

finding an author for the editorial piece on the newly 

printed handbook by the Advantage Austria department 

of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. 

The extensive reference book is, however, also worth 

reading for travellers and those from all over Austria 

who are simply curious about the rest of the world: 

Dos & Don‘ts in aller Welt – Das ultimative Export- 

Handbuch (Dos & Don‘ts all over the world – The 

ultimate export handbook). 

Particularly during these highly technological years, 

several questions come to mind: Has globalisation 

transformed the world into a global village? Is 

international trade leading to the careless elimination 

of regional rough edges? And is the border-crossing 

transfer of goods, services and capital leading to 

the disappearance of local cultural characteristics? 

This book, however, wants to be different: against the 

mainstream and in favour of the many peculiarities 

that make the various continents, nations and countries 

in this world what they are. The book‘s detailed 

information was collected through meticulous work 

performed by the respective Commercial Counsellors 

at the various Advantage Austria centres around 

the world. In addition to that, the 660 experts at 110 

bases spread across 5 continents and the 140 specialists 

in Austria from the Advantage 

Austria department 

also possess comprehensive 

information on individual 

countries, industry-specific 

expertise as well as dense 

partner networks. 

As of right now, this is the 

most extensive reference 

Rainer Himmelfreundpointner 

PHOTOS: AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA/ WKO, ROIS & STUBENRAUCH 

book for exporters who, after giving this ‘export information 

and conduct bible’ with more than 600 

pages a thorough read, will know how to avoid putting 

their foot in their mouth or saying something 

insulting in 200 different countries. 

The book has a dense structure, each country listed 

in the book is presented in the form of a regional 

portrait. And there is one particularly useful feature: 

an excellent spotlight on Austria‘s traces in those regions 

does not remain unmentioned - probably the 

best way to build a bridge from the export land to the 

home country while engaging in small talk. And finally, 

selected dos & don‘ts for each country conclude 

the entries on the individual countries. 

The spiritual fathers of the now released work are, 

on the one hand, Christoph Leitl, the President of the 

Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, who provided 

fresh ideas, and Walten Koren on the other hand, 

now the former head of Advantage Austria, who 

conceptualised the book and plans on returning to 

one of his earlier professional fields beginning in 

December (see interview to the right) to act as an 

Commercial Counsellor in Los Angeles. 

A glamorous FESTIVE SEASON 

We’ve got a glittering selection of ideas 

for your perfect Christmas or New Year’s 

celebration. Whether you’re looking for 

mouthwatering festive menus with all 

the trimmings, or sparkling nights of fun 

celebrations with family and friends, 

make sure you book your table at 

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In 2002, the first book on the engagement 

with and in other countries was released by 

what was then Austria’s foreign trade 

agency. For its 15th anniversary, so to speak, 

we are now seeing the release of the 

handbook on dos & don‘ts for Austria’s 

exporters. What did you do differently this 

time around? 

Koren: We didn’t do anything differently, but we did 

it much better! All jokes aside, based on the 

countless intercultural questions that arrive at 

Advantage Austria, we decided that the time was 

ripe for a new, updated and content-richer book on 

the many bigger and smaller differences when 

interacting with other cultures. It also came as a 

surprise to us that it ended up being so long, but 

that is also partly due to the increased sensitivity 

around the topic. 

You are now switching to the ‘active camp 

on site’ and will be a Commercial Counsellor 

to Advantage Austria in Los Angeles. Why 

there exactly? 

I was motivated by the wish to return to my early 

work as a Commercial Counsellor for the last 

chapter of my career. To have a little less say within 

a big organisation and be on ‘the front line’ instead, 

with daily and direct contact with businesses. Los 

Angeles and the neighbouring city of San Francisco, 

with its Silicon Valley, are a fascinating location for 

that and there is so much happening there now, 

particularly in the areas of technology and 

innovation. This is also why we have established 

our new Innovation division at Advantage Austria. 

I’m very much looking forward to turning it into 

practice over there! 

Can you tell us a funny mishap that 

happened to you during a trip abroad? 

For Heinz Fischer’s state visit to Norway, the 

Austrian Federal President at the time, the dress 

code dictated a tailcoat, which I borrowed in 

Vienna. And, as these things happen, my luggage 

didn’t arrive and I had to see a local specialist at the 

last-minute. During the following state banquet, Her 

Majesty, Queen Sonja of Norway greeted me with 

‘welcome’, to which I responded with the same 

word. 


LE MONDE OPEC FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT | INTERVIEW 

Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish 

“Our focus remains on targeting the least developed countries.“ 

The Director-General and CEO of 

the OPEC Fund for International 

Development offers a rare look 

into the massive financial aid 

efforts of the more than 20 billion 

US dollar OFID has approved in 

its last 40 years. 

Interview: Rainer Himmelfreundpointner 

SULEIMAN JASIR AL-HERBISH 

FOTOS: XYXXYXYXY 


PHOTOS: ABDULLAH ALIPOUR JEDDI, RUPERT STEINER (2) 

CD: Mr. Al-Herbish, this November you will have 

spent 14 years as Director-General and CEO of 

OFID here in Vienna. How have OFID and its host 

city cooperated over the years and how would you 

describe the relationship between OFID and 

Austria in general? 

Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish: My experience 

also extends to my previous functions 

at OPEC, where I spent 13 years as a 

member of the Board of Governors. More 

recently, however, while at the helm of 

OFID, I have enjoyed a good relationship 

with the City of Vienna, as well as with the 

Republic of Austria. I am currently planning 

a courtesy visit to the new Federal 

President Alexander Van der Bellen, to 

congratulate him and brief him on OFID’s 

activities within Austria and globally. 

Highlights of OFID’s relationship with 

Austria and the City of Vienna include: 

OFID’s support for various social and cultural 

activities in Austria and Vienna, including 

the Vienna City Marathon, which 

we have sponsored for 10 consecutive years; 

and grants that we have extended to 

several Austrian NGOs, including the 

OFID Annual Award that we presented to 

SOS Kinderdorf in support of children in 

need. In addition, there is OFID’s participation 

in the Vienna Energy Forum and 

similar activities. We have also preserved 

the Palais Deutschmeister – our magnificent 

headquarters building – so that it remains 

an important piece of Austria’s cultural 

heritage. We even produced a book 

detailing the remarkable history of the 

building. And just last year, we presented 

the City of Vienna with the OFID Monument 

to commemorate our 40th anniversary 

and highlight the importance of the Sustainable 

Development Goals. 

The authorities of the City of Vienna 

and the federal government of Austria have 

continuously helped OFID meet its objectives. 

They have also recognised the contributions 

our organisation has made to the 

development agenda and to energy poverty 

eradication. In recognition of this, I was 

privileged to receive the Grand Decoration 

of Honour in Silver with Sash, which was 

conferred by the federal government in 

2013, and the Grand Decoration of Honour 

in Gold for services to the Province of Vienna, 

conferred by the City of Vienna in 

2015. I received both honours with pride, 

but dedicated them to my colleagues at 

OFID. 

How has OFID changed over time and what are 

the organisation’s focus areas now? 

Since OFID’s establishment in 1976, we 

have approved nearly 3,700 operations. 

These operations represent some 21 billion 

US dollars in commitments. By the end of 

the 1970s, we were disbursing roughly 80 

million US dollars per year. In the past decade, 

that average has increased tenfold to 

about 800 million US dollars per year. 

However, figures alone do not paint the 

full picture of our 41-year history. We have 

expanded the way we distribute funds, for 

example. Our public sector ‘window’ supports 

governments and state-related entities. 

But we also have a private sector facility, 

established in 1998, which supports 

operations ranging from large development 

projects to small and medium-sized 

enterprises (via local financial institutions). 

Furthermore, we support the economies of 

developing countries by enhancing their 

export and import trade activities through 

our trade finance facility, launched in 2006. 

Our grant operations window is used for 

a multitude of purposes, such as providing 

technical assistance, supporting research 

and intellectual activities, and for disaster 

relief. It also finances a special health programme, 

a programme for Palestine and 

one dedicated to funding energy poverty 

alleviation efforts. We continue to innovate 

in this sphere and always seek new business 

models and non-traditional approaches to 

solving energy poverty issues. 

The expansion of our operations over 

the past forty-plus years has centered on 

‘energy’. In 2007, our Member Countries 

called on us to intensify our efforts in alleviating 

energy poverty, resulting in the 

launch of OFID’s Energy Poverty Initiative 

(EPI). This initiative was fortified through 

The OFID headquarters at the Deutschmeister-Palais 

on Vienna‘s Ringstrasse, which was built between 

1864 and 1868 to serve as a residential palace of the 

Austrian Archduke Wilhelm Franz Karl, has been 

completely refurbished in the early 1980s. 

Born in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Al-Herbish holds a BA in 

Economics and Political Science from the University of 

Cairo and a MA in Economics from Trinity University, 

San Antonio, Texas. Since November 2013, he has been 

OFID‘s Director-General and CEO. Prior to his 

appointment at OFID, he served as the Governor of 

Saudi Arabia at OPEC for 13 years. 



59

LE MONDE OPEC FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT | INTERVIEW 

FACTS & 

FIGURES 

the 1 billion US dollars replenishment of 

our resources from our Member Countries 

in 2011, in addition to a 1 billion US dollars 

revolving commitment to the EPI by our 

Ministerial Council the following year. 

To effectively respond to the needs of 

our partner countries, OFID places the 

energy-water-food nexus at the heart of its 

approach. This approach to development 

recognises the dynamic and complex interlinkages 

between water, energy and food. 

At this approach’s core is the belief that, as 

sectoral issues, water, energy and food cannot 

be considered in isolation from one 

another. 

With this in mind, our 10-year strategic 

plan helps us focus on supporting operations 

in the energy, water and agriculture 

sectors, in addition to the transportation 

sector. Within this context, our focus remains 

on targeting the least developed 

countries. Africa, for example, attracts 50 

percent of all our financing commitments. 

Our focus is on advocacy, increasing the 

range of projects that we support on the 

ground, and building partnerships. 

How are OFID’s funds allocated? Which countries 

are prioritised? 

The least developed countries are indeed 

accorded highest priority and have received 

more than half of OFID’s cumulative 

commitments. These countries include 

those in sub-Saharan Africa, many in East 

and South Asia, and the low income countries 

of the Arab world and Latin America. 

Our remaining commitments support 

middle income countries with crippling 

urban and rural poverty pockets. 

Our concessional public sector financing 

– OFID’s core business – is allocated 

on the basis of a triennial lending program. 

This framework takes into account several 

critical parameters, such as human development 

and economic indicators. Complementing 

this is our grants programme, 

which targets capacity and institutional 

building through technical assistance, as 

well as initiatives geared toward fighting diseases, 

illiteracy and malnutrition. 

In 2016, OFID and its staff presented a monument, placed outside the VIC, ”as a token of gratitude“ to the City of 

Vienna. It marks OFID‘s 40th anniversary and highlights the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

“OFID places the energy-water-feed 

nexus at the heart of its approach. 

Within this context, we remain targeting 

the least developed countries.“ 

How successful has OFID been in alleviating 

poverty and what are the biggest obstacles in this 

quest? 

OFID’s interventions in the past four decades 

have made a significant contribution 

toward reducing poverty and improving 

the livelihoods of people in its partner 

countries. However, it is difficult to quantify 

this impact since poverty alleviation 

and socio-economic development is a collective 

effort. Various stakeholders – national 

governments and entities in particular, 

and ultimately the concerned people themselves 

– share the responsibility. The biggest 

challenge for development partners 

like OFID is understanding how to deliver 

assistance most effectively to achieve optimum 

results and sustainable impacts. It is 

in this spirit, and in recognition of our collective 

responsibility, that OFID joins global 

efforts in pursuit of Agenda 2030 and the 

Sustainable Development Goals. 

That said, there are many concrete examples 

of communities being transformed 

by our projects. In one case, a minigrid power 

project revolutionised a village by providing 

light, food storage facilities, enhanced 

safety and health resources, education 

and improved income generation. Another 

solid example would be an OFID-supported 

project that installed a solar generator 

to power a water well. It increased the free 

time of women and girls – who were primarily 

responsible for carrying water over 

long distances – so that they could benefit 

from increased education, leisure time and 

income generation opportunities. 

These are just two specific examples, but 

in reality, OFID has contributed to countless 

small and large scale projects in the 

water, agriculture, energy and transport 

sectors, among others. Despite our support, 

many of our partner countries lack 

the capacity and strong institutions important 

for implementing projects. We help 

provide consultants – local or international 

FOTOS: PHOTO: XYXXYXYXY 

MECANISMOS DE ENERGÌA RENOVABLE S.A. DE C.V. (MECER); UNDP/PAPP; SYAHRUL LUDDIN; BEIGESTELLT 


– and continuous project follow-up and 

monitoring. Most projects have been implemented 

satisfactorily and have achieved 

their objectives within a reasonable timeframe. 

How does OFID work with Austria with regards to 

reducing poverty and how do you see the 

relationship developing into the future? 

Vienna is now regarded as a major international 

energy hub – a reputation OFID has 

contributed toward. Austrian institutions 

have played the role of our key partners in 

many recent operations. For example, 

OFID has extended two grants to the Austrian 

Development Agency in support of 

the Southern African Solar Training and 

Demonstration Initiative (SOLTRAIN), 

which aims to reduce energy poverty by 

improving access to solar thermal solutions. 

We have also provided a grant to the 

United Nations Development Program in 

support of an initiative that will allow organisations 

– including Austrian companies 

– to explore the feasibility of various biomass, 

small hydropower and solar cooling 

solutions in Caribbean countries. And we 

have partnered with Hilfswerk Austria to 

reduce neonatal deaths in Mozambique by 

providing various types of renewable energy 

systems. 

Our partnership with Sustainable Energy 

for All (SEforALL) and other Viennabased 

energy organisations includes our 

membership of the Vienna Energy Club. In 

addition, Austrian energy company OMV 

is a founding member of the Oil and Gas 

Industry Energy Access Platform – an initiative 

spearheaded by OFID and the World 

Petroleum Council that aims to harness the 

enormous potential of the industry to contribute 

to Sustainable Development Goal 7: 

ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable 

and modern energy for all. 

As I said before, the authorities of the 

City of Vienna and the federal government 

of Austria—as well as Austrian-based companies 

and institutions—have continuously 

helped OFID meet its objectives. Long 

may our relationship continue. 

OPEC FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

Conceived at an OPEC conference in 1975 in Algiers and established in 1976, OFID is an intergovernmental 

finance institution of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It has 13 member states and is 

located in the Deutschmeister-Palais on the Ring circling around the inner City of Vienna. 

At its 40th anniversary last year, OFID presented a monument statue as, according to the words of Mr. 

Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish, the Director-General, ”a token of our gratitude“ to Vienna, ”where we are so 

fortunate to have our headquarters“. 

OFID‘s Solemn Declaration „reaffirmed the natural solidarity which unites OPEC countries with other developing 

countries in their struggle to overcome underdevelopment“. The organisation aims to strengthen 

cooperation between these countries and its central mission is to foster South-South solidarity by 

providing financial support with the primary aim to reduce poverty and supporting sustainable development. 

By the end of 2016, OFID reported cumulative financial commitments – backed by resources pledged by the 

member states – of more than 20 billion US dollars in support of more than 3,700 development operations 

across 134 countries worldwide. 

OFID‘s Reserve Account, according to the Annual Report 2016, stood at the impressive figure of 2.74 billion 

US dollars. Last year alone, new commitments of some 1.34 billion US dollars were approved, an increase of 

some 200 million US dollars compared to 2015. 

In terms of strategy, the organisation focuses on what OFID Director-General Mr. Al-Herbish calls the 

”energy-water-food nexus“ (see interview), an approach to development to which more than one–half of 

OFID’s cumulative financial assistance has been dedicated to. 

Rehabilitation of housing units in East Jerusalem: To get out from places like this, an OFID 

grant helped funding the provision of safe, affordable housing for 60 low-income families. 

Children at the OFID-funded (US$ 4.7 million) 

Baie St Anne Primary School in Praslin Island, 

Seychelles, in their new spacious classrooms. 

In order to help Honduras reduce its reliance on 

fossil fuels and diversifying to solar power, OFID 

has approved a US$ 25 million loan in 2014. 



61

LE MONDE ESSAY 

The biggest risk for Europe 

Paul Lendvai 

was born in Hungary in 

1929. The publicist, author 

and expert for Eastern 

Europe worked as 

correspondent for the 

London Financial Times as 

well as for Austrian, Swiss 

and German publications. 

Today, he still is the 

co-editor and editor-in-chief 

of the Europäische 

Rundschau which he also 

founded and works as head 

of the Europa-Studio of the 

Austrian Broadcasting 

Corporation ORF as well as 

as columnist for the 

Austrian daily newspaper 

Der Standard. 

The growth of nationalism continues to be the most important political and 

spiritual issue of our times. 

The poison of nationalism, which has twice already 

contributed to Europe’s demise, continues 

to plague us and threatens to infest the continent 

all over again. We live between the hopes of 

tomorrow and the ghosts of yesterday. And if you look 

at the events and actions that have been taking place in 

recent times, Paul Valery’s words of wisdom quickly 

come to mind (written during the interwar period): 

”We walk backwards into the future.“ The great French 

poet and cultural philosopher did, however, also remark 

that the political process could be seen as the art 

of making the necessary possible. 

The political distinctiveness and decisiveness of 

Europe’s statesmen that followed the inferno of the Second 

World War had set the conditions for the great 

and successful experiments of the common market 

and the European Union. Those who have experienced 

the two main forms of dictatorship, as the author 

has, whether the brown or the red one, will never 

forget Franz Grillparzer’s musing that humanity’s 

transition to bestiality occurred via the route of nationalism. 

This is why the burden of the unresolved past 

must be engaged with everywhere and at all times in 

order to quickly recognise and fight the resurgence of 

nationalism and even tribalism instead of Europeanism 

and humanism. 

The process of Europeanisation would have been 

erroneous if the concept of Europe had only come to 

mean the West and if the other neighbouring countries 

had been viewed as rivals or even as enemies. The 

national state and the growth regions are indispensable 

building blocks for the European integration process. 

There can be no successful European Union without 

the equality of the smaller states and without 

respect for their identities. Most nations in Central, 

Eastern and Southern Europe only received their sovereignty 

in the 20th century. The national sentiment 

was one of the key survival elements during centuries 

of foreign rule and occupation as well as during the 

struggle for independence. 

The fact that the Soviet Union did not manage to 

russify Central and Eastern Europe and convert the 

respective populations to their version of ”Marxism- 

Leninism“ should not distract from the immense moralistic, 

spiritual and cultural damage that had been 

inflicted on these countries. The national sovereignty 

of these smaller lands, their basically defensive nationalism, 

was always the basis for the revolt against Soviet 

dominion (1956 in Hungary, 1968 in Czechoslovakia 

and 1980 in Poland). Especially the example of 

the Yugoslav tragedy resulting from Serbia’s quest for 

hegemony and the various signs of a re-emerging nationalism 

should obliterate any illusion that the process 

of de-sovietisation and the fall of the communist 

regimes automatically led to the Europeanisation of 

these small states. 

The various border disputes and minority conflict 

between these new states resulting from the fall of the 

larger regimes in Central Europe and the Balkans are 

inheritances of history. The decisions over national 

borders were not made based on ethnic lines but for 

political, strategic and other reasons, whether during 

the First or the Second World War. What is also true, 

however, is that the geographic distribution of various 

ethnic populations, as well as the traditional ties in 

these areas, have become so intertwined that straightforward 

and completely satisfactory boundary setting 

is not always possible. Consequently, every country 

has big and small minorities that often feel that they 

belong to an entirely different nation altogether. 

There are many examples of the incredibly complicated 

nature of the many unfulfilled territorial demands 

and national differences, such as the conflict 

between Romania and Hungary regarding the treatment 

of the large Hungarian minority in Transylvania, 

the fight between Serbia and Kosovo, the relationship 

between Macedonia and the Albanians (almost a third 

of the population), the tensions between Greece and 

Macedonia or the problematic nature of the large Russian 

minorities spread across the Baltic states and 

their relationships to Russia. 

Even today, nearly three decades after the fall of 

communism, the growth of nationalism continues to 

be the most important political and spiritual issue of 

our times. The heritage of the comfortable forgetfulness 

concerning one’s own crimes perpetrated during 

the Second World War, as well as before and after the 

communist transfer of power, continues to linger. The 

victims of one type of totalitarianism should not be 

counted against those of another. Contemplating one’s 

PHOTO: THOMAS RAMSTORFER 

history and sovereignty remains a crux if not simultaneously 

contemplating one’s own complicity and guilt. 

A particularly sad chapter here is the problem of 

anti-Semitism. Passionate and often one-sided criticism 

of Israel often functions as a fig leaf for hatred of 

the Jews in Western Europe. The viral outbreak of 

”anti-Semitism without Jews“ (which was the title of 

my book from 1972 and has since become a common 

phrase) is especially alarming because the intensity of 

racism and xenophobia has always been an infallible 

indicator for the psychological and moral state of the 

various European societies. 

The advance of the nationalist-populist parties and 

the erosion of the democratic centre-left or centreright 

and their traditional parties threaten the stability 

and prosperity of the European Union. Brexit and the 

fatal weakening of the United Kingdom, the unpredictability 

of the Trump administration and Russia’s expansive 

strategy boost right and left wing extremists. 

The leadership crisis in Brussels is also a consequence 

of the mediocrity or irresponsibility of those in power. 

Perhaps more than ever since the Second World War, 

we must today stand up for unity and not for separation, 

for European cooperation and not for nationalist 

isolation. 

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LE MONDE NEWS 

Latest update from around the globe 


New appointments 

Welcome to the OSCE! 

Following the expiration of a five-day 

silence procedure and in accordance with 

the proposal submitted by the Permanent 

Council, the OSCE Ministerial Council 

adopted in July by consensus the decisions 

to appoint four senior-level officials. 

Thomas Greminger (Switzerland) is the 

new OSCE Secretary General, Ingibjörg 

Sólrún Gísladóttir (Iceland) the Director of 

the OSCE Office for Democratic 

Institutions and Human Rights, Lamberto 

Zannier (Italy) the OSCE High Commissioner 

on National Minorities and Harlem 

Désir (France) the OSCE Representative on 

Freedom of the Media. OSCE Chairpersonin-Office 

and Austrian Foreign Minister 

Sebastian Kurz expressed his satisfaction 

regarding these crucial appointments for 

the functioning of the organisation. 

osce.org 

The future of work 

Robo concierge 

The successful hotel group Motel One has launched its 8th establishment in 

Munich in the city’s new Parkstadt Schwabing quarter, in close proximity to IT 

giants such as the IBM Watson IoT Center and Microsoft. ‘Sepp’, in his 

custom-tailored lederhosen, showcases the abilities of artificial intelligence 

as part of a new pilot project, is a self-learning robo concierge that can 

answer questions like, ‘Where is the bar?’ and ‘When is breakfast?’. 

motel-one.com 

OSCE Secretary General, 

Thomas Greminger, Director 

of the OSCE Office for 

Democratic Institutions and 

Human Rights, Ingibjörg 

Sólrún Gísladóttir, OSCE 

Representative on Freedom 

of the Media, Harlem Désir 

and OSCE High Commissioner 

on National Minorities, 

Lamberto Zannier (left to 

right). 

European Parliament 

An unforgettable 

experience 

Traineeships at the European 

Parliament offer the 

opportunity to get an insight 

in the EU institutions, 

discover the decision-making 

process, make many new 

international connections and 

challenge oneself in one of 

the most multicultural 

environments. It is possible to 

choose between a wide range 

of traineeships, from the 

general option for university 

graduates to the journalism 

and translation ones. 

Applications can be 

submitted no later than 

midnight on 15 October 2017. 

europarl.europa.eu 

PHOTOS: OSCE, MOTEL ONE, EVA AIR 

PHOTOS: WIRTSCHAFTSAGENTUR 

WIEN / DAVID BOHMANN, 

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cleanliness in the cabin’, were determined 

by analysing an extensive global 

passenger satisfaction survey among 320 

airlines in total. Passengers perceive 

particularly high standards in the Royal 

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for which they received the second top 

spot in the ‘Best Business Class Amenities’ 

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L’AUTRICHE LIFE SCIENCES 

Die Segnungen einer verkannten Industrie 

The blessings of an underestimated industry 

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM. Im 

Regional Center Vienna sind die 

gesamten Krebsforschungsaktivitäten 

des Unternehmens konzentriert. 

Boehringer Ingelheim. The Regional 

Center Vienna serves as the nucleus of 

all the company‘s cancer 

research activities. 

Durch die Bewerbung der Stadt Wien als neuer Standort für die Europäische Arzneimittelbehörde EMA, rückt 

auch der österreichische Life-Science-Sektor in den Fokus. Fazit: Die medizinische, pharmazeutische und 

biotechnologische Forschung hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren ins absolute Spitzenfeld vorgearbeitet. 

Vienna is matching for the new location of the European Medicines Agency EMA, and so the spotlights have 

fallen on Austria‘s life science sector. It turns out that the country has emerged as a leading player in medical, 

pharmaceutical and biotechnological research in recent years. 


TLR9 Endosom 

und Rezeptor 

TLR9 Endosome and 

its receptor 

Mikroskop-Bilder wie diese 

gehören zum Alltag österreichischer 

Life Science-Forscher. 

A common picture for Austrian 

life science researchers. 

PHOTOS: ASTRAZENECA, DIETER QUANT 



69


Mrd. Euro 

Wertschöpfung der medizinisch-pharmakologischen 

Forschung in Österreich. 

10Value creation of Life Science research in Austria. 

act. worldwide. 

BAYER. Forscher untersuchen 

das Gewebe nierenkranker 

Patienten an einem 

luftgefederten Spezialmikroskop 

für Fluoreszenzaufnahmen. 

Scientists at Bayer investigate 

kidney-tissue using a special 

hightech microscope. 

GLAXOSMITHKLINE. Einer 

der vielen Verpackungsschritte 

für einen Impfstoff. 

One of the many packaging 

steps for a vaccine at 

GlaxoSmithKline. 

Gut, Sie kennen zweifellos Sigmund Freud, 

den Vater der Psychoanalyse. Kaum ein anderer 

Name der medizinischen Forschung 

wird so oft und selbstverständlich in einem Atemzug 

mit Wien und Österreich genannt wie dieser. Aber 

wussten Sie auch, dass der Pathologe Karl Landsteiner 

seine bahnbrechende Entdeckung der Blutgruppen, 

wofür er später den Medizin-Nobelpreis bekam, 

1901 an der Universitiät Wien machte – und damit 

zur damals einzigartigen Aufbruchstimmung in der 

Donaumetropole beitrug. Oder war ihnen bekannt, 

dass der Ausnahme-Chirurg Theodor Billroth, obwohl 

gebürtiger Deutscher, in seinen wichtigsten 

Jahren die Wiener Medizinische Schule geprägt und 

maßgeblich zur Gründung des Rudolfinerhauses 

1882 beigetragen hatte. Und wussten Sie, warum 

nach dem Wiener Chirurgen Ignaz Semmelweis 

Krankenhaus und Straße benannt wurden? Richtig: 

Ihm ist es zu verdanken, dass in Spitälern vernünftige 

Hygienestandards, vor ihm von Ärzten als „Unfug“ 

abgetan, eingeführt wurden. 

Berühmte Mediziner-Namen wie diese machen 

derzeit nicht nur in einschlägigen Kreisen, sondern 

vor allem in höheren Verwaltungsebenen der Stadt 

Wien die Runde. Denn die Bundeshauptstadt befindet 

sich in einem gewaltigen, europaweiten Wettlauf, 

in dem ihre Vergangenheit als Nukleus und Pionierstadt 

der medizinischen Forschung, aber auch ihre 

Gegenwart als international bedeutender Standort 

für Life Sciences eine zentrale Rolle spielen – das 

Rennen um die Ansiedelung der Europäischen Arzneimittelbehörde, 

die noch in London residiert. 

Wegen des Brexit muss sich die „European Medicines 

Agency“ (EMA) einen neuen Standort suchen. 

Neben Wien rittern weitere 18 EU-Städte um die 

prestigeträchtige Ansiedelung dieser zweitgrößten 

dezentralen EU-Behörde und ihre rund 900 Mitarbeiter. 

Sollte die Entscheidung für die Donaumetropole 

fallen, wäre das nicht nur ein starkes Signal für 

den Standort Wien, sondern auch recht lukrativ. 

Rund um die EMA würden laut Berechnungen des 

Instituts für Höhere Studien etwa 2.180 Arbeitsplätze 

geschaffen und gesichert, und die Behörde dürfe 

gut 200 Millionen Euro zum BIP, etwa 180 Millionen 

Euro zur heimischen Bruttowertschöpfung und fast 

330 Millionen Euro in den nächsten fünf Jahren zu 

den Steuereinnahmen beitragen. 

Wien fährt in diesem Match mit starken Argumenten 

und vielen Incentives auf. Es hat Service- 

Center für die EMA-Mitarbeiter eingerichtet, bietet 

ihnen finanzielle Unterstützung für die Kinderbetreuung 

an, schafft an die 1.100 freie Plätze an den 14 

internationalen Schulen, erleichtert den Arbeitsmarktzugang 

für Angehörige – und die Stadt wird 

auch die mögliche zukünftige Immobilie der EMA 

zum symbolischen Preis von einem Euro Miete pro 

Jahr überlassen. In der engeren Auswahl sind momentan 

die Anlage „Austria Campus“ der Signa- 

Gruppe im 2. Bezirk und der Komplex „Erdbergerlände 

– Vie26“ der CA-Immo. Auch das „HoHo“ 

Seeparkcampus Ost ist noch im Rennen. „Wir haben 

ein attraktives Angebot vorgelegt und sind überzeugt, 

dass sich Wien als Standort sehr gut positioniert 

hat“, sagt Gerhard Hirczi, der Geschäftsfüher 

der Wirtschaftsagentur Wien. „Das Interesse ist derzeit 

jedenfalls groß. Allein die von uns eigens für die 

EMA-Bewerbung eingerichtete Website emazingvienna.at 

verzeichnet bisher rund 10.000 Zugriffe.“ 

Dass Wien in diesem Wettkampf all seine Vorzüge, 

die es nun bereits zum achten Mal in Folge zum 

Weltmeister in Sachen Lebensqualität gemacht haben, 

in die Waagschale wirft, liegt auf der Hand. 

Noch wichtiger, insbesondere für eine Behörde wie 

die Arzneimittelagentur, ist in diesem Rennen die 

Stadtortqualität in Sachen Life Sciences, also welchen 

Stellenwert die medizinische, pharmakologische 

und biotechnologische Forschung hier, und 

natürlich auch in ganz Österreich, aktuell genießt. 

Das Fazit gleich vorweg: einen ganz hervorragenden. 

PHOTO: BAYER AG, GLAXOSMITHKLINE / TOM WHIPPS 

VAMED offers a complete project and service portfolio for health care as a developer, 

planner, contractor and operator. VAMED has already successfully implemented 

more than 800 hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, health resorts and 

thermal spas in 79 countries worldwide. 

Story continues on p. 72 ➝ 

www.vamed.com 



74 Number 

ERC Grants 

Zahl der Förderung des European Research Council an 

in Österreich ansässige Life Science-Forscher in 2017. 

of high-volume scholarships in life sciences 2017. 

MÖGLICHE EMA-ZENTRALEN. 

Das HOHO im Seeparkcampus 

Ost (Bild oben) ist nur noch 

dritte Wahl. Ganz vorne auf 

der Shortlist stehen derzeit 

der Austria Campus (Bild 

rechts) im 2. Bezirk sowie die 

Anlage Erdbergerlände (Bild 

unten) im 3. Bezirk. 

As of now, Vienna‘s shortlist 

for possible EMA headquarters 

consists of 3 real estate 

complexes. The HOHO in the 

new Seeparkcampus (top) in 

the 22nd district ranks Nr. 3. 

Real favourites are the 

Austria Campus (right) in the 

2nd district and an object at 

the Erdbergerlände (bottom) 

in the 3rd district. 

„Österreich hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren 

zu einem Spitzenreiter in Sachen Pharma und Arzneimittelforschung 

entwickelt“, sagt Finanzminister 

Hans Jörg Schelling. „Mittlerweile hängen mehr als 

63.000 Jobs direkt oder indirekt an diesem Industriezweig, 

die Wertschöpfung beträgt rund zehn Milliarden 

Euro pro Jahr oder 2,8 Prozent des BIP.“ Besonders 

wichtig dabei: Pharmazeutische Unternehmen 

wenden für Forschung & Entwicklung laut Statistik 

Austria im Schnitt 14 Prozent ihres Umsatzes auf 

und sind damit besonders innovativ, da die F&E- 

Quote aller Wirtschaftszweige bei lediglich 1,7 Prozent 

liege. 

Die Bandbreite dieses Sektors in Österreich ist 

ebenfalls beeindruckend. Im akademischen Bereich 

kommen fünf Universitäten wie etwa die MedUni 

Wien mit allein 8.000 Studenten, zwei weitere Hochschulen 

für angewandte Wissenschaften sowie elf 

außer-universitäre Forschungeinrichtungen, allen 

vor das Institut für Molekulare Biotechnologie IMBA 

oder MedAustron, das international renommierte, 

hochmoderne Krebsbehandlungszentrum mit 

Ionentherapie in Wiener Neustadt, auf insgesamt gut 

12.000 Beschäftigte, die Life Sciences abdecken. Allein 

in Wien belegen rund 33.000 Studenten dementsprechende 

Fächer. 

Und der hierzulande hohe Standard der medizinischen, 

pharmakologischen und biotechnologischen 

Forschung wird durch die knapp 5.000 jährlichen 

einschlägigen Publikationen in „peer-reviewed“ 

Fachmedien sowie die 74 Grants, jene extrem begehrten 

Förderungen des European Research Council, 

die in Österreich ansässige Forscher allein 2017 

bereits erhalten haben, unterstrichen. 

Im kommerziellen Bereich sind so gut wie alle 

großen Namen der pharmazeutischen Industrie in 

Österreich, insbesondere Wien, vertreten – ein gut 

Teil davon auch mit ihren Zentralen für Zentral- und 

Osteuropa. Egal ob Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, 

Novartis, Sanofi, Sandoz, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, 

Shire, Octapharma, Merck oder Sigmapharm – allein 

im pharmazeutischen Bereich kommen jene 120 

Unternehmen, die vom Dachverband Pharmig, der 

95 Prozent der Branche abdeckt, vertreten werden, 

auf rund 18.000 direkt Beschäftigte. 

„Österreich ist zu einem Top-Standort für die 

Entwicklung neuer Medikamente geworden“, heißt 

es auch in der offiziellen EMA-Bewerbungsbroschüre. 

„Allein im Jahr 2015 wurden hier über 300 klinische 

Tests, vor allem im Bereich der Krebsbehandelung, 

durchgeführt, etwa die Hälfte davon bereits in 

der (finalen) klinischen Phase III. 70 Prozent davon 

wurden von der pharmazeutischen Industrie finanziert, 

30 Prozent von akademischen Einrichtungen 

direkt.“ Alles mit ein Grund dafür, dass jedes Jahr 

PHOTO: SCHREINKASTLER, CA IMMO, SIGNA, SANOFI 

allein in Wien zehn neue Life-Science-Unternehmen 

neu in den Markt eintreten. 

Wegen dieses erfreulichen Umfeldes hat sich beispielsweise 

der deutsche Konzern Boehringer Ingelheim 

bereits vor etlichen Jahren entschlossen, sein 

Forschungszentrum für 30 Länder in Zentral- und 

Osteuropa und Zentralasien, sowie für die Schweiz 

und Israel, in Wien anzusiedeln. Wien ist nicht nur 

das Zentrum für Krebsforschung sowie Standort für 

biopharma zeutische Forschung, Entwicklung und 

Produktion im Konzern, Boehringer Ingelheim zählt 

auch zu den forschungsintensivsten pharmazeutischen 

Unternehmen in Öster reich. Insgesamt erzielte 

das Regional Center Vienna im Geschäftsjahr 

2016 Gesamterlöse in Höhe von 821,5 Millionen 

Euro und beschäftigte in der Region Mittel- und Osteuropa 

3.470 Mitarbeiter, davon 1.629 in Österreich. 

Erst diesen April hat es den Spatenstich für eine 

neue biopharmazeutische Produktionsanlage in 

Wien-Meidling gesetzt, mit 700 Millionen Euro die 

größte Einzelinvestition in der Geschichte des Unternehmens 

und die größte Firmeninvestition in Wien 

seit der Errichtung des General-Motors-Werks in As- 

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Arbeitsplätze 

Der Life Science-Sektor zählt zu den 

wichtigsten Arbeitgebern in Österreich. 

63.000Number of jobs in Austria‘s life science sector. 

zeutische Industrie glaubt an den Standort Österreich.“ 

Bleibt nur noch zu hoffen, dass auch der EU-Rat, 

der am 20. November über die neue Heimat der 

EMA entscheiden wird, ebenfalls daran glaubt. Obwohl 

Wien dem Vernehmen nach gut im Rennen 

liegt und Hans-Georg Eichler, einer der leitenden 

Mediziner der Behörde, bereits durchblicken ließ, 

dass „viel für Wien spricht“, ist das Rennen längst 

nicht gewonnen. „Wien punktet als extrem gut aufgestelltes 

Gesamtpaket“, hält Hirczi den Ball flach. 

„Aber man muss natürlich betonen, dass die Chancen, 

die EMA nach Wien zu holen, rein rechnerisch 

bei insgesamt 19 Bewerbern am Ende bei fünf Prozent 

liegen.“ 

NEW URBAN 

PERSPECTIVES 

Close to the city center 

PFIZER ÖSTERREICH. 

Einsatz einer Ultrazentrifuge 

beim Pharmakonzern, der 

durch Viagra bekannt 

geworden ist. 

A centrifuge in operation at 

Pfizer, generally known for 

its Viagra pills. 

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM. 

Der Konzern hat gerade 700 

Millionen Euro in die 

Errichtung eines neuen 

biopharmazeutischen 

Werkes in Wien investiert. 

Boehringer Ingelheim has 

just invested 700 million 

Euro for a new biopharma 

production plant in Vienna. 

pern 1979, die 500 zusätzliche Arbeitsplätze schaffen 

wird. 

Man kann das auch als Zeichen für die EMA-Bewerbung 

verstehen, wie Philipp von Lattorff, der Generaldirektor 

von Boehringer Ingelheim, auf Anfrage 

von Cercle Diplomatique zu verstehen gibt: „Die Ansiedelung 

der Europäischen Arzneimittelagentur 

EMA in Wien wäre ein wichtiges Signal und hätte positive 

Auswirkungen auf den Pharmastandort. Dabei 

geht es um viele neue Arbeitsplätze, um Unternehmensansiedlungen, 

um Impulse für die gesamte Forschungslandschaft 

in Österreich und nicht zuletzt um 

eine verstärkte Sichtbarkeit des Pharmastandorts 

Wien innerhalb der Europäischen Union.“ 

Auch andere Top-Unternehmen haben jüngst 

durch Großinvestitionen aufhorchen lassen. Merck 

beispielsweise, das etwa 550 Beschäftigte in Österreich 

in Brot hält, hat in seinem Werk in Spittal in 

Kärnten, wo jährlich etwa fünf Milliarden Tabletten 

produziert werden, in den vergangenen zwei Jahren 

etwa 7,5 Millionen Euro in die Schaffung neuer Produktionsflächen 

gesteckt, was rund 100 neue Jobs 

bringen wird. Und erst Anfang dieses Sommers hat 

sich die Firma MSD Animal Health mit einem neuen 

Werk – eine Investition von rund 185 Millionen – in 

Krems niedergelassen, wo dadurch etwa 400 neue 

Arbeitsplätze entstehen. „Mit dieser Ansiedelung 

wird es abermals bewiesen“, fasst Pharmig-Generalsekretär 

Jan Oliver Huber zusammen. „Die pharma- 

Since the City of Vienna is applying as a potential 

location for the “European Medicines Agency“ 

(EMA), which has to give up its headquarters 

in London because of Brexit, many famous 

names of medicine are buzzing around here. Sigmund 

Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, Karl 

Landsteiner, who discovered human blood groups, 

Theodor Billroth, one of the most famous representatives 

of the Vienna School of Medicine, or Ignaz 

Semmelweis, a crusader for better hygienic standards 

in hospitals. All of them have been pioneers in 

medical research and mirror Vienna‘s proud tradition 

in this area, which the city throws in the pan in 

the race for EMA. 

Apart from that, Vienna has a lot more to offer to 

the 900 employees of EMA – special services for 

their children, additional schooling or tailored working 

permits for family members. Plus: brand-new 

headquarters for a symbolic rent of one Euro per 

year. The current shortlist of appropriate, state-ofthe-art 

real estate objects includes the Austria Campus 

in the 2nd district, the complex Erdbergerlände 

in the 3rd district and the “HoHo“ in Vienna‘s new 

Seestadt in the 22nd district. ”We have presented a 

very attractive offer and are convinced that Vienna is 

in a very good position“, says Gerhard Hirczi, CEO of 

Vienna‘s Business Agency. 

But the most important argument to lure the 

EMA to Vienna – a step that would create some additional 

2,180 jobs directly and indirectly and a contribution 

of more than 200 million Euro to Austria‘s 

GDP, apart from some 330 million Euro in taxes over 

the next 5 years – certainly would be the high stan- 


PHOTOS: WERNER HARRER, AGENTUR NEUFRANKFURT 

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A PROJECT BY


Millionen Euro 

Investitionssumme einer neuen Produktionsanlage 

von Boehringer Ingelheim in Wien. 

700A recent investment of Boehringer in Vienna. 

SANDOZ KUNDL. 

Lehrlinge in der biochemischen 

Produktion. 

Apprentices at the 

biochemical production site 

of Sandoz Kundl. 

dards of medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological 

research (and production) in Austria, with Vienna 

at its core. ”Actually, our country in recent years 

has turned into a leader in pharma and medicines 

research“, says Hans Jörg Schelling, the Austrian finance 

minister. ”In the meantime, this sector is providing 

63,000 jobs directly or indirectly, with a value 

creation of some 10 billion Euro or 2.8 percent of 

GDP.“ Plus: Pharmaceutical companies in average 

are spending some 14 percent of their revenues for 

R&D, a record figure according to Statistic Austria. 

There are more impressive figures as well: Five 

universities, two universities with applied sciences, 

and eleven non-university research institutions, like 

the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology IMBA or 

the well-known cancer-treatment center MedAustron 

in Wiener Neustadt, employ some 12,000 individuals 

in the field of life sciences, with about 33,000 

students. And nearly 5,000 publications in peer-reviewed 

journals and 74 grants from the European 

Research Council in 2017 alone are evidence for the 

high-quality research performed in Vienna. 

On the commercial front, one may find all the famous 

names of Big Pharma here in Austria, most of 

them again in Vienna, where many have set up their 

headquarters for Central and Eastern European 

markets. Pharmig, the Austrian Association of Pharmaceutical 

Companies, counts 120 members with 

some 18,000 employees in all – which respresent 95 

percent of this life sciences sector. Among them giants 

like Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Sanofi, 

Sandoz, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Shire, Merck, 

Octapharma or Sigmapharm. 

”Austria has become a top location for drug development“, 

states a document for the EMA application. 

”In 2015 alone, more than 300 clinical tests, about 

half in (final) Phase III and most of them in oncology, 

were applied for in Austria. Around 70 percent of clinical 

trials in Austria are carried out by the pharmaceutical 

industry, while 30 percent are implemented 

academic-sponsored.“ Which might as well be a 

reason that in Vienna alone each year more than 10 

new life science companies are entering the market. 

Because of this positive framework, some big players 

have partly located their research centers in Vienna. 

Boehringer Ingelheim‘s Regional Center Vienna, 

for example, is responsible for business and clinical 

research in more than 30 countries in Central and 

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Switzerland and Israel. 

It is also the company‘s center for cancer and pharmaceutical 

research, which employs some 1,629 persons 

in Austria and has reported sales of over 820 

million Euro last year. Just a few month ago, in April, 

2017, Boehringer Ingelheim has launched an investment 

of over 700 million Euro for a new pharmaceutical 

production site in Vienna, the biggest single investment 

in the company‘s history. One may read 

this as a signal towards EMA, as Philipp von Lattorff, 

the CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim told Cercle Diplomatique. 

”A settlement of EMA in Vienna would be 

an important signal and would definitely have positive 

effects for Vienna as a major location for medical 

and pharmaceutical research inside the European 

Union.“ 

Apart from Boehringer Ingelheim, other companies 

of the sector are heavily investing as well. Merck, 

to name just one, has spent over 7.5 million Euro in 

the last two years to expand its production plant in 

Spittal in Carinthia, creating some 100 new jobs. 

And the city of Krems just recently has seen an investment 

of 185 million Euro of MSD Animal 

Health, which has opened a new factory with some 

400 jobs there. Says Jan Oliver Huber, the General- 

Secretary of Pharmig: ”Another evidence for the 

faith of the pharmaceutical industry in Austria.“ 

So everybody in this business, and the administration 

of Vienna at most, hopes that the EU Council, 

which is deciding on the new location of the EMA on 

November 20th, is believing so as well. 

PHOTO: SANDOZ BIOCHEMIE KUNDL 

Bild: Kästenbauer/Ettl 

Teilchenphysik trifft Krebsmedizin 

Particle Physics Meets Cancer Medicine 

Die Ionentherapie ist eine innovative, komplementäre Form der Strahlentherapie zur Krebsbehandlung. In Österreich wird sie 

bei MedAustron in Wiener Neustadt angeboten. | Ion beam therapy is an innovative, complementary type of radiotherapy for 

cancer treatment. In Austria, the therapy is available at the MedAustron center in Wiener Neustadt. 

Die Ionentherapie ist eine Weiterentwicklung der 

Strahlentherapie und kommt vor allem bei Tumoren 

zur Anwendung, die gegen traditionelle 

Strahlen resistent sind oder für jene, die in einer 

schwierig zu behandelnden anatomischen Lage 

sind. Bestrahlt wird bei der Ionentherapie mit geladenen 

Teilchen, die ihre Energie mehrheitlich 

direkt im Tumor deponieren. Einerseits können 

dadurch Nebenwirkungen und Langzeitschäden 

minimiert werden, andererseits kann die Strahlendosis 

bei aggressiven Tumoren erhöht werden. 

MedAustron ist eines von nur wenigen Zentren 

weltweit, das zwei verschiedene Arten dieser 

Teilchen generieren kann: Protonen und Kohlenstoffionen. 

Dazu braucht es komplexe Technik 

– entwickelt in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Europäischen 

Kernforschungszentrum CERN: ein 

spezieller Teilchenbeschleuniger beschleunigt 

die Teilchen auf bis zu zwei Drittel der Lichtgeschwindigkeit, 

bevor diese in einen Bestrahlungsraum 

und dort millimetergenau auf einen 

Tumor gelenkt werden. 

Seit Ende 2016 werden bei ¬MedAustron Patientinnen 

und Patienten mit der Ionentherapie behandelt, 

darunter auch Kinder. Die Betroffenen 

kommen dabei über einen Zeitraum von mehreren 

Wochen täglich für eine ambulante Bestrahlung 

zu MedAustron. Parallel dazu werden die 

Behandlungsmodalitäten sukzessive ausgebaut, 

um im Vollbetrieb bis zu 1.000 Patientinnen und 

Patienten pro Jahr behandeln zu können. Ebenso 

wird die Anlage auch für Forschung genutzt, um 

die Therapiemethode stetig weiterzuentwickeln. 

◆ 

Ion beam therapy is an evolution of radiation 

therapy and is mainly used for tumors, which are 

resistant to conventional radiation or located in 

a delicate anatomical position. The therapy uses 

charged particles, which deposit their energy for 

the most part directly in the tumor. Thus, side effects 

and long-term effects can be reduced, and the 

radiation dose for aggressive tumors can be increased. 

MedAustron is one of only a few centers worldwide 

that is able to generate two different kinds of 

these particles: protons and carbon ions. 

In order to achieve this, complex technology is 

necessary – developed in cooperation with the European 

Organization for Nuclear Research CERN: 

a particle accelerator is used to accelerate the 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. 

Patients, including children, are treated at Med- 

Austron since late 2016. In the form of an outpatient 

treatment, they receive one irradiation daily 

over the course of several weeks. In parallel, the 

treatment modalities are being 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. 


www.medaustron.at

L’AUTRICHE FUTURE LAB 

Andreas Bierwirth 

„Wir haben keine andere Wahl.“ 

”We don’t have a choice“. 

Stetiges Wachstum 

Continued growth 

Der CEO von T-Mobile Austria über Migration, das Engagement der Zivilgesellschaft und das 

seines Unternehmens. The CEO of T-Mobile Austria about migration, actions by civil society and 

his own enterprise. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Andreas Bierwirth ist ausgebildeter 

Bankkaufmann und studierte danach 

Betriebswirtschaftslehre an der 

Universität Münster. Seit September 

2012 ist er CEO von T-Mobile Austria. 

Davor war er Managing Director bei 

Germanwings, Vice President 

Marketing bei der Lufthansa und 

Vorstandsmitglied der Austrian 

Airlines. Bierwirth ist außerdem 

Mitglied mehrerer Aufsichtsräte, u.a. 

von Casinos Austria, Do & Co und 

easyJet. 

Andreas Bierwirth is a trained 

banker and studied Business 

Administration at the University of 

Münster. Since September 2012 he 

acts as CEO of T-Mobile Austria. Prior 

to that, he was the Managing 

Director of Germanwings, Vice 

President Marketing of Lufthansa and 

Managing Board member of Austrian 

Airlines. In addition, Bierwirth is also 

Managing Board member of various 

companies such as Casinos Austria, 

Do & Co and easyJet. 

Wir schaffen das. Dieser Satz hat 

der deutschen Bundeskanzlerin 

Angela Merkel in der Folge viel 

Kritik gebracht, von der Naivität noch die 

freundlichste war. War sie tatsächlich naiv? 

Bleiben wir bei der österreichischen Situation. 

2015, im Jahr mit dem stärksten 

Migrationsstrom, flohen rund 100.000 

Menschen nach Österreich, von denen etwa 

die Hälfte bisher Asyl erhielten. Dies entspricht 

etwa der Größenordnung im benachbarten 

Deutschland. Vor allem in den 

ersten Wochen und Monaten wurde mit 

großen Anstrengungen diese Erstaufnahme 

bewältigt. Mit beispiellosem Engagement 

der Zivilgesellschaft, von spontanen Hilfsaktionen 

Freiwilliger an Bahnhöfen bis zu 

den kleinen und großen Hilfsorganisationen, 

haben „wir“ dies geschafft. Ja, da gab es 

schwierige Situationen und schlechte Quartiere. 

Dennoch konnten die Menschen, die 

aus Not und Todesbedrohung entflohen, 

hier wieder Hoffnung schöpfen. 

Jetzt geht es darum, die Integration dieser 

Menschen zu bewerkstelligen. Österreich 

und Deutschland müssen dabei leider 

nicht nur die Gegenwart bewältigen, sondern 

auch eine jahrzehntelange Vergangenheit 

mehr schlecht als recht gelungener Integration 

seit den „Gastarbeitern“ der 60er 

Jahren aufarbeiten. Die Schwierigkeiten 

heute haben auch viel mit den Versäumnissen 

von gestern zu tun: Würden etwa alle in 

Österreich geborenen Kinder – wie dies in 

manchen anderen Staaten üblich ist – automatisch 

auch österreichische Staatsbürger 

sein, würde es eine klare Zukunftsorientierung 

für diese jungen Menschen als Österreicherinnen 

und Österreicher geben, statt 

sie selbst noch in der dritten Generation 

mit dem Etikett „Migrationshintergrund“ 

als Außenseiter abzustempeln. 

Dazu braucht (und gibt) es zur unverzichtbaren 

Verantwortung öffentlicher Stellen 

weiterhin des Engagements der Bürgerinnen 

und Bürger ebenso wie das von 

Unternehmen. Am eigenen Beispiel: In Zusammenarbeit 

mit der privaten Initiative 

„lobby.16“ bildet T-Mobile seit sechs Jahren 

Lehrlinge aus, die als Jugendliche ohne Familie 

nach Österreich geflüchtet sind. Ein 

der Lehre vorangehender Vorbereitungskurs 

(Deutsch, Englisch, Mathematik) 

schafft die Voraussetzung, dass die anschließende 

Lehre gelingen kann – die meisten 

unserer Lehrlinge schneiden an der Spitze 

ihres Jahrgangs ab, haben anschließend bei 

T-Mobile Arbeit und damit auch eine neue 

Lebensperspektive gefunden. Unser Gewinn? 

Engagierte Mitarbeiter, die manche 

unserer Kunden bei Bedarf auch in einer 

ihrer Muttersprachen bedienen können. 

Die ambivalente Haltung der öffentlichen 

Stellen – um es höflich auszudrücken 

– ist leider nicht immer hilfreich. Auf 

Sprachkurse muss oft lange gewartet werden. 

Asylverfahren dauern unerträglich 

lange, was für die Betroffenen eine schwere 

Belastung ist. Nicht selten müssen wir erleben, 

dass z.B. Jugendliche, die sich hier gut 

eingelebt haben, die Sprache gelernt, die 

Schule mit Erfolg besucht und Freunde ge- 

PHOTOS: MARLENA KÖNIG/ T-MOBILE, RALPH MANFREDA 

funden haben, ablehnende Asylbescheide 

erhalten, selbst wenn sie aus humanitären 

Gründen weiterhin im Land bleiben dürfen. 

Damit liegt ein großer Schatten über 

ihrer Zukunft, der eine positive Lebensperspektive 

fast unmöglich macht. 

Um es unmissverständlich auszudrücken: 

Niemand hat sich diese Situation ausgesucht, 

die Menschen, die in ihrer Not geflohen 

sind ebenso wenig wie die Staaten, in 

denen sie jetzt auf ein zweites Leben hoffen. 

Werden sie es schaffen, werden wir es schaffen? 

Meine Antwort ist: Wir haben keine 

andere Wahl. Machen wir ohne Wenn und 

Aber das Beste daraus um letztlich aus der 

Krise zu gewinnen. 

We can do it. German Chancellor 

Angela Merkel ended up earning 

a lot of criticism for this 

phrase, of which naivety was perhaps the 

politest of accusations. But was it really naivety 

that drove her? 

Let’s stick with Austria. During 2015, the 

year with the strongest influx of migrants, 

around 100,000 people fled to Austria, half 

of which have received asylum in the meantime. 

This proportionally corresponds to 

the situation in neighbouring Germany. Especially 

the first couple of weeks and 

months saw the mobilisation of great efforts 

to get the first wave under control. With exemplary 

actions by civil society, from spontaneous 

and voluntary support at train stations 

to the smaller and larger relief 

organisations, “we“ did it. Yes, there were 

difficult situations and there were some 

poor accommodations. Nevertheless, the 

people that fled from misery and certain 

death were able to find hope again. 

The next task is to set into motion the 

integration process. Here, Austria and Germany 

must not only work within the present, 

but also rework decades of mismanaged 

attempts at the integration of the 

“Gastarbeiter“ (guest workers) who came 

during the ‘60s. The difficulties today can 

often be traced back to the failures of the 

past. If, for example, all children born in 

Austria automatically received Austrian citizenship 

– as it is the case in many other 

countries – they, as young Austrians, would 

be endowed with a much clearer vision of 

the future, rather than still being labelled as 

being of a “migration background“ and remaining 

outsiders after three generations. 

Next to the indispensable responsibility 

of our public institutions, this will also require 

the engagement of citizens and businesses 

alike. Our own example: In collaboration 

with the private initiative “lobby.16“, 

T-Mobile has been training apprentices for 

several years who as adolescents had fled to 

Austria without any other family members. 

A foundation course that precedes the apprenticeship 

(German, English, Mathematics) 

provides the building blocks for successfully 

completing the subsequent 

training – most of our apprentices finish at 

the top of their year, find work at T-Mobile 

and thus also have a new, fresh perspective 

on life. And our benefit? Committed employees 

that can, for example, also take advantage 

of their mother tongues when engaging 

with a segment of our customers. 

The ambivalent attitude of the public authorities 

– to put it mildly – is, unfortunately, 

not always helpful. People often have to 

wait too long to attend language courses, 

asylum requests take forever to be processed, 

which is an incredible burden on 

those affected by it. 

We frequently see young adolescents, 

who have settled in very well, learned the 

language, successfully completed schooling 

and found friends, receive rejections to 

their asylum requests, even though they are 

permitted to remain in the country for humanitarian 

reasons. This casts a large shadow 

over their futures, making a positive 

outlook on life nearly impossible. 

To make it clear – none of us asked for 

this situation. Neither the people that fled 

from their miseries, nor the countries where 

they are now hoping for a second chance. 

Can we do it? Can they do it? 

My answer is: we don’t have a choice. 

Let’s try to somehow turn this crisis into an 

opportunity. 

T-Mobile Austria ist eine österreichische 

Mobilfunkgesellschaft und 100-prozentige 

Tochter der Deutschen Telekom AG. Ursprünglich 

hieß das Unternehmen max.mobil. und 

wurde nach der kompletten Übernahme durch 

T-Mobile im Jahr 2000 schließlich im April 

2002 in T-Mobile Austria umbenannt. Heuer 

setzt das Unternehmen seinen Wachstumskurs 

fort. Der Gesamtumsatz stieg im 2. Quartal 2017 

im Vergleich zum Vorjahresquartal um 3 Prozent 

auf 215 Millionen Euro, der Umsatz des 

Kerngeschäfts Verbindungsgebühren (Service 

Revenues) wuchs im Vergleich zum selben 

Quartal des Vorjahres ebenfalls um 3 Prozent 

auf 185 Millionen Euro. 

T-Mobile Austria is an Austrian mobile network 

operator and a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche 

Telekom AG. The company had originally been 

titled max.mobil, but was renamed T-Mobile 

Austria in April 2002 due to T-Mobile’s full 

acquisition in 2000. This year, the company is 

continuing its growth trajectory. Total turnover 

increased by 3% resulting in 215 million euro in 

the second quarter of 2017 up from the same 

quarter in 2016. Turnover of the company’s core 

business activity of network charges increased 

also by 3% to 185 million euro in contrast with 

the same quarter of the previous year. 

t-mobile.at 


Cercle Diplomatique3/2017 

79

L‘AUTRICHE BUSINESS 

Neues aus Österreich 

News from Austria 


Ehrung | Tribute 

Mit Nachschlagwerk geehrt | Honoured with 

a reference book 

Der frühere Bundesminister, Klubobmann und Nationalratspräsident 

Heinrich Neisser ehrte den langjährigen Nationalratsabgeordneten 

Josef „Pepi“ Höchtl und übergab ihm, anlässlich einer Feier, die 

gebundene Dokumentation als Nachschlagwerk seiner gesamten fast 

25-jährigen parlamentarischen Tätigkeit. 

The former Federal Minister, Parliamentary Leader and President 

of the National Council Heinrich Neisser honoured the long-time 

Parliamentary Representative Josef ‘Pepi’ Höchtl by handing him, 

on the occasion of a ceremony, a bound documentation of his 

entire nearly 25-year-long parliamentary career in the form of a 

reference book. 

PHOTOS: HERIBERT CORN, WKO, OTTO IMMOBILIEN, BEIGESTELLT 

Aussenwirtschaft Austria | Advantage Austria 

Neubesetzung | Replacement 

Michael Otter, Abteilungsleiter-Stellvertreter der Aussenwirtschaft 

Austria, wurde zum neuen Leiter ernannt. Er hat mit September 2017 die 

Nachfolge von Walter Koren angetreten, der ab Dezember als Wirtschaftsdelegierter 

an das AC Los Angeles wechselt (siehe auch Seite 

56-57). Otter absolvierte ein International Business Administration 

Studium an der WU Wien und war danach in Abu Dhabi, Tokio und 

New York sowie als Wirtschaftsdelegierter in Seoul und Tokio tätig. Seit 

Juli 2016 war er mit dem Aufbau des neuen Geschäftsfeldes Innovation 

(Innovationsagentur) befasst. 

Michael Otter, Deputy Head of Department at Advantage Austria, has 

been named the new office’s new Head. In September 2017, he will 

succeed Walter Koren, who will become the Economic Delegate to the AC 

Los Angeles beginning in December (also see pages 56-57). 

Otter completed an International Business Administration degree at the 

Vienna University of Economics and Business and then worked in Abu 

Dhabi, Tokyo and New York as well as an Economic Delegate to Seoul and 

Tokyo. Since July 2016, he has been involved with the development of the 

new innovation business sector (innovation agency). 

wko.at/aussenwirtschaft 

Immobilien | Properties 

Elegant wohnen | Living elegantly 

Wie viele Villen gibt es aktuell im 18. und 19. Wiener Gemeindebezirk, wie viele werden 

jedes Jahr verkauft? Wie hat sich das Preisniveau in den letzten Jahren entwickelt und wie 

hoch ist das aktuelle Angebot? Antworten darauf gibt der erste „Villenreport“ der Otto 

Immobilien Gruppe, in dem das kleine, aber feine Segment des relevanten Villenbestandes 

in Währing und Döbling erstmals wissenschaftlich erhoben und analysiert wurde. 

How many villas are currently in Vienna’s 18th and 19th districts; how many are sold every 

year? How has the price level changed over the last couple of years and how high is the 

current offer? Answers to such questions are provided by the Otto Immobilien Group’s 

first Villa Report, which for the first time, scientifically inquires into and analyses the 

underestimated selection of villas in Währing and Döbling. 

otto.at 

Wien wählt - Nationalratswahl 2017 

Neuerscheinung | New release 

Zwei starke Optimisten | Two feisty optimists 

Österreich gilt als Land der Jammerer. Man beklagt sich, beschwert sich, und dafür gibt es mitunter oft gute 

Gründe. Nun stehen Flüchtlingskrise, Arbeitslosigkeit, Populismus, die neue Rechte, Zusammenbruch der 

tradierten Systeme in Politik, Verwaltung, Sozialpartnerschaft und das Diktat der EU-Bürokratie im Fokus. 

Bundespräsident a.D. Heinz Fischer (rechts) und Wirtschaftskammerpräsident Christoph Leitl legen dar, 

warum das Kind allzu oft mit dem Bade ausgeschüttet wird, und warum wir uns vor Augen führen müssen, 

was in Österreich Großes während der vergangenen Jahrzehnte nach den beiden Weltkriegen geleistet 

wurde – in Europa und insbesondere in Österreich. 

Österreich für Optimisten (Austria for optimists) 

ISBN: 978-3-7110-0158-0, Ecowin Verlag 

Austria has a reputation as a country of complainers. People gripe, they whine, 

and often for a good reason. Right now, motivating factors are the refugee 

crisis, unemployment, populism, the new right, the collapse of the traditional 

way of doing politics, administration, social partnerships and the control of the 

EU bureaucrats. Former Federal President Heinz Fischer (pictured right) and 

President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce Christoph Leitl outline why 

the baby is too often thrown out with the bathwater and why we must 

become aware of what incredible feats have been performed in the decades 

after the two World Wars – in Europe as well as in Austria. 

ecowin.at 

Bildung | Education 

25 Jahre Danube International School 

Vienna | 25 years Danube International 

School Vienna 

Über 500 Schüler aus 60 Nationen besuchen die Danube International 

School Vienna, die heuer ihr bereits 25jähriges Jubiläum feiert. Der 

Unterricht findet für alle Altersgruppen, von drei bis 18 Jahre, an Vorund 

Nachmittagen statt und wird von 99 Lehrern aus 29 Nationen in 20 

Sprachen betreut. Vor kurzem saniert, verfügt das Gebäude über eine 

Vielzahl an Klassenzimmern und anderen Einrichtungen, einschließlich 

drei Laboratorien, einem Computerraum, einer Turnhalle, einem 

Theatersaal, sowie einer Bibliothek. 

More than 500 students from 60 different countries attend the 

Danube International School Vienna which is celebrating its 25th 

anniversary this year. Classes are available for all age groups, from 

three to 18 years old, mornings and afternoons, and are taught in 

20 languages by a team of 99 teachers from 29 different 

countries. Recently refurbished, the building contains a variety of 

classrooms as well as other facilities, including three laboratories, 

a computer room, a gymnasium, an auditorium, and a library. 

danubeschool.com 

BEZAHLTE ANZEIGE 

Am Sonntag, dem 15. Oktober 2017, findet in Österreich die Nationalratswahl statt. Setzen Sie ein starkes 

Zeichen und entscheiden Sie mit, welche 183 Abgeordneten Ihre Interessen im Nationalrat vertreten. 

Wählen dürfen alle österreichischen Staatsbürgerinnen 

und Staatsbürger, die bis zum 15. Oktober 2001 geboren 

wurden und ihren Hauptwohnsitz spätestens am 

Stichtag der Wahl, dem 25. Juli 2017, in einer österreichischen Gemeinde 

begründet hatten. Auslandsösterreicherinnen und Auslandsösterreicher 

sind wahlberechtigt, wenn sie in einer österreichischen 

Gemeinde in der Wählerevidenz eingetragen sind. Die in 

Wien in der Wählerevidenz eingetragenen Auslandsösterreicherinnen 

und Auslandsösterreicher wurden bereits Mitte Juli mit einem 

persönlichen Schreiben über ihre Wahlmöglichkeiten informiert. 

Wählen mit Wahlkarte. Wenn Sie am Wahltag nicht in Ihrem zuständigen 

Wahllokal wählen können (zum Beispiel aus gesundheitlichen 

Gründen oder wegen eines Aufenthalts im Ausland), haben 

Sie die Möglichkeit, mit einer Wahlkarte in einem beliebigen 

Wahlkarten-Wahllokal in ganz Österreich oder per Briefwahl im 

In- und Ausland Ihre Stimme abzugeben. 

Alle in Wien wahlberechtigten Personen können einen Wahlkartenantrag 

bis zum 11. Oktober 2017 schriftlich (z. B. online 

über www.wahlen.wien.at) oder bis zum 13. Oktober 2017, 12 Uhr, 

persönlich beim Wahlreferat ihres zuständigen Magistratischen 

Bezirksamtes stellen. 

Um in Wien eine Wahlkarte zu beantragen, sind folgende Angaben 

unbedingt erforderlich: 

· Begründung, warum eine Wahlkarte benötigt wird · Familienname 

· Vorname · Geburtsdatum · Geburtsort · Adresse des Hauptwohnsitzes 

· Identitätsnachweis (z. B. Kopie eines amtlichen Lichtbildausweises 

oder Angabe der Reisepass-, Personalausweisbeziehungsweise 

Führerscheinnummer) oder Unterschrift des Antrages 

mit einer qualifizierten elektronischen Signatur (Bürgerkarte/ 

Handysignatur). 

Eine für die Briefwahl verwendete Wahlkarte muss bis spätestens 

am Wahltag, dem 15. Oktober 2017, 17 Uhr, per Post, per Botin 

beziehungsweise Boten oder durch persönliche Abgabe bei einer 

Bezirkswahlbehörde einlangen. Die für die Briefwahl verwendete 

Wahlkarte kann auch am Wahltag in jedem Wahllokal während 

der Öffnungszeiten der Wahllokale und in jeder Bezirkswahlbehörde 

bis 17 Uhr abgegeben werden. 

Alle Wahlinfos für Wiener Wählerinnen und Wähler: 

Stadtservice Wien - Stadtinformation: Telefon 00 43 1/525 50 

www.wahlen.wien.at 


OBERÖSTERREICH 

Special 

Grußworte 

Greetings 

Oberösterreich – ein Land der Möglichkeiten 

Upper Austria — a land of possibilities 

Drei Themen stehen im 

Mittelpunkt dieses redaktionellen 

Special-Teils des 

Cercle Diplomatique Magazins – 

Wirtschaft, Tourismus und Kultur. 

Drei Schwerpunkte, die auch das 

Land Oberösterreich ganz besonders 

auszeichnen. 

Rund ein Viertel aller österreichischen 

Exporte kommen aus 

dem starken Wirtschaftsbundesland 

Oberösterreich. Auch das 

Tourismusland Oberösterreich erfreut 

sich bei Gästen aus dem Inund 

Ausland immer größerer Beliebtheit. 

Und Oberösterreich ist 

ein lebendiges Kulturland, das in 

den unterschiedlichen Regionen 

unterschiedlichste Geschmäcker 

bedient. 

Ich danke dem Magazin Cercle 

Diplomatique für die Möglichkeit, 

unser Land zu präsentieren und 

lade alle Leser ein, sich selbst ein 

Bild von den vielen Möglichkeiten 

in Oberösterreich zu machen. 

Three topics are at the focus 

of this editorial special section 

of the Cercle Diplomatique 

magazine – business, tourism 

and culture. Three topics that 

also happen to distinguish the 

province of Upper Austria. 

Around a quarter of all Austrian 

exports originate from the economically 

strong province of Upper 

Austria. And as a tourist 

destination, Upper Austria continues 

to gain more and more popularity 

among visitors from home 

and abroad. Upper Austria is also 

a vibrant cultural hub that caters 

to a variety of tastes across its various 

regions. 

I would like to thank the Cercle 

Diplomatique magazine for the 

opportunity to present our province 

and invite all readers to get a 

taste of the many possibilities offered 

by Upper Austria. 

THOMAS STELZER 

Landeshauptmann von 


Governor of Upper 

Austria 

Der Jurist studierte an der 

Johannes Kepler Universität 

Linz. Er war von Oktober 

2015 bis Anfang April 2017 

Landeshauptmann-Stellvertreter. 

Seit dem 6. April 2017 ist er 

Landeshauptmann von 

Oberösterreich. 

Thomas Stelzer studied Law 

at the Johannes Kepler 

University Linz. He was 

Deputy Governor between 

October 2015 and early April 

2017. Since 6 April 2017, he is 

the new incumbent Governor 

of Upper Austria. 

Business Class 

HOCHGENUSS 

Auf Langstrecken in der myAustrian Business Class bereitet der Flying Chef 

mein Gourmet-Menü persönlich zu. Besser als jeder Restaurantbesuch! 

the charming way to fly 

Ihr | Yours sincerely, 

Thomas Stelzer 


UPPER AUSTRIA CULTURAL HOTSPOTS 

Linz dreht auf 

Linz turns it up 

Text: Rois & Stubenrauch 

Markus Poschner, neuer 

Chefdirigent Bruckner Orchester 

Linz /new chief conductor 

Bruckner Orchester Linz 

Ars Electronica Center 

Ars Electronica, Klangwolke, Brucknerfest und eine große Valie Export Ausstellung – 

Linz zündet im Herbst ein Feuerwerk an hochkarätigen Kulturevents. 

Ars Electronica, Klangwolke, the Brucknerfestival and a great Valie Export exhibition – 

this autumn, Linz is firing up the big guns for top-notch culture events. 

PHOTOS: LIVA, TIME‘S UP, KYLE SMITHERS, ARS ELECTRONICA / CHRISTOPHER SONNLEITNER, BREMER PHILHARMONIKER, STADT LINZ, VOEST ALPINE AG, LINZ TOURISMUS, FLORIAN VOGGENEDER, RAKUTARO OGIWARA, MASCHEKS. 

Wenn im Labor erzeugte neuronale Zellen 

musikalische Klänge generieren („cellF“ 

von Guy Ben-Ary) oder zwei Roboter gemeinsam 

ein Netz in einem Raum spinnen („MoR- 

FES_02“ von Maria Yablonina), dann kann es sich nur 

um Medienkunst des Ars Electronica Festivals handeln, 

das auch 2017 die Oberösterreichische Landeshauptstadt 

zum Nabel der digitalen Avantgarde der 

Welt macht. „Artificial Intelligence – Das Andere Ich“ 

steht im September als Klammer über der diesjährigen 

Ausgabe des Festivals, das auf einem dichten Parcours 

von Installationen, Performances und Symposien 

das komplexe Verhältnis zwischen menschlicher 

und künstlicher Intelligenz auslotet. 

Auf eine akustische Reise über die Weltmeere 

entführt die Linzer Klangwolke am 9.9 unter dem 

Titel „Moby Dick“ – frei nach Hermann Melville, basierend 

auf einem Werk des Komponisten Stephen 

Melillo. Das Feuerwerk ist dieses Jahr inhaltlicher 

Bestandteil der Inszenierung – man darf gespannt 

sein! Ab dem 16.9. vertieft sich dann das Brucknerorchester 

– erstmals unter seinem neuen Chefdirigenten 

Markus Poschner - und eine ganze Reihe 

hochkarätiger Gäste, von Valery Gergiev und seinen 

Münchner Philharmonikern bis zur schillernden 

Songwriterin Tori Amos, beim internationalen 

Brucknerfest 2017 in den Klangkosmos des oberösterreichischen 

Komponisten Anton Bruckner. 

Die Eröffnung des Valie Export Centers in der Tabakfabrik 

Linz als internationales Forschungszentrum 

für Medien- und Performancekunst folgt als 

weiterer Höhepunkt des Linzer Kulturherbstes im 

November. Parallel dazu zeigt das Lentos Kunstmuseum 

die Ausstellung „Valie Export - Das Archiv als 

Ort künstlerischer Forschung“, die anhand einer Fülle 

von Dokumenten, Skizzen und Entwürfen der bedeutenden, 

in Linz gebürtigen Medienkünstlerin, 

den Weg von der Ideenfindung bis zur Ausformulierung 

eines Werkes greifbar macht. 

When synthetic neural cells generate musical 

tunes (‘cellF’ by Guy Ben-Ary) or two 

robots spin a web inside a room (‘MoR- 

FES_02’ by Maria Yablonina), then we must be talking 

about the media art of the Ars Electronica festival 

that is set to transform the Upper Austrian 

provincial capital of Linz into the world’s centre for 

digital avant-garde in 2017. ‘Artificial Intelligence – 

the Other I’ is the title of this year’s edition taking 

Voest Alpine Stahlwelt 

place in September and explores the complex relationship 

between humanity and artificial intelligence 

through a dense web of installations, performance 

and symposia. 

The Linzer Klangwolke, on the other hand, invites 

you on an acoustic journey through the world’s oceans 

on 09/09 under the title ‘Moby Dick’ – inspired 

by the work of Herman Melville, based on a piece by 

composer Stephen Melillo. This year, fireworks are 

an essential component of the show – time to get excited! 

Starting on 16/09, the Bruckner Orchester, for 

the first time under the new Chief Conductor Markus 

Poschner, as well as a series of top-class guests, 

from Valery Gergiev and his Munich Philharmonic 

all the way to the dazzling song writer Toris Amos, 

unite to explore the auditory world of the Upper 

Austrian composer Anton Bruckner at the International 

Brucknerfestival 2017. 

The opening of the Valie Export Centre at the Tabakfabrik 

Linz as an international research centre for 

media and performance art is an additional highlight 

in the Linz culture autumn this November. At the same 

time, the Lentos Art Museum is displaying the exhibition 

‘Valie Export — The Archive as a Place for Artistic 

Research’, which, by way of a variety of documents, 

sketches and designs by Linz’s most significant media 

artists, make the path from the original idea to the final 

implementation of a piece more accessible. 

Lentos Kunstmuseum 

KULTURHERBST 

OBERÖSTERREICH 

CULTURE AUTUMN 

IN UPPER AUSTRIA 

Ars Electronica 

Festival für Kunst, Technologie und 

Gesellschaft / Festival for Art, 

Technology and Society 

Postcity Linz, 7.9. - 11.9 2017 

aec.at 

Offenes Kulturhaus 

Oberösterreich OK 

CyberArts 2017 – Prix Ars 

Electronica Exhibition 

7.9. - 17. 9. 2017 

ok-centrum.at 

Klangwolke 2017 

Donaupark Linz, 9.9.2017 

klangwolke.at 

Internationales 

Brucknerfest 2017 

16.09. - 13.10.2017 

brucknerhaus.at 

Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz 

Valie Export – Das Archiv als Ort 

künstlerischer Forschung 

Valie Export – The Archive as a 

Place for Artistic Research 

10.11.2017 - 28.1.2018 

lentos.at 

Valie Export Center Linz 

valieexportcenter.at 

Museum Angerlehner 

museum-angerlehner.at 

Voest Alpine Stahlwelt 

voestalpine.com/stahlwelt 

Oben: Die Klangwolke legt sich am 9. September über Linz. Top: The sound cloud will arrive at Linz on the 9th of September. 

Darunter / Below: Ars Electronica Festival 2017: Turnton Docklands, Time’s Up (A). *Explored*, Candaş Şişman/NOHlab/Plato Media Lab (TR). Bodyscape, Behnaz Farahi (US/IR). 

Big Concert Night, Ars Electronica AIDJProject, Opening 2017 Valie Export Center 



85

Fine hotels 

UPPER AUSTRIA TOURISM 

Mit einer Prise Salz 

With a pinch of salt 


CERCLE 

DIPLOMATIQUE 

selected by 

ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE INTERNATIONAL 

can also be found in these exclusive hotels: 

Im Salzkammergut findet man einzigartige Seen und Berge. 

Der Salzabbau hat einst die Region weit über die Grenzen 

hinaus bekannt gemacht. Heute sind Hallstatt und Bad Ischl 

beliebte Tourismusorte Oberösterreichs. 

With unique lakes and mountains, Salzkammergut is included 

in Austria’s holiday regions. In the past, the region used 

to receive a lot of attention from far beyond its borders for its 

salt mining industry. Today, Hallstatt and Bad Ischl are 

popular tourist destinations in Upper Austria. 

Von hier gelangte das oberhalb des Ortes abgebaute 

Salz auf damals mühevollen Wegen bis 

an die Ostsee und in den Mittelmeerraum: 

Hallstatt, das Wort „Hall“ ist ein altertümlicher Ausdruck 

für Salz, war für Europa so bedeutend, dass 

man eine ganze Epoche, die Zeit von ca. 1.000 bis 500 

v. Chr., danach benannt hat – die Hallstattzeit. Mit 

dem Auftreten der Habsburger lässt sich der Hallstätter 

Salzbergbau ab 1282 dokumentarisch nachweisen 

Auch heute noch gehört das Salzbergwerk zu den 

wichtigsten Attraktionen des Ortes. Durch das Zusammenspiel 

von alter Kultur und atemberaubender 

Natur wurde vor genau 20 Jahren die Region Hallstatt 

Dachstein/ Salzkammergut von der UNESCO zum 

Weltkultur- und Weltnaturerbe erklärt. 

Des Kaisers liebster Ferienort 

Die Familie Habsburg hat aber noch einen weiteren 

Ort im Salzkammergut, nämlich Bad Ischl, geprägt. 

Hier wurde in der Biedermeierzeit der Grundstein 

für den Tourismus gelegt, das zweite 

wirtschaftliche Standbein der Region. Zusammen 

mit Ehefrau Elisabeth („Sisi“) war Kaiser Franz Joseph 

I. dann auch der treueste Gast des rasant aufstrebenden 

Kurortes. 83 Sommer seiner insgesamt 

86 Lebensjahre verbrachte er im Salzkammergut. 

Dafür wurde sogar der offizielle Regierungssitz nach 

Bad Ischl verlegt. Von der Kaiservilla aus, die bis 

heute im Originalzustand erhalten ist, frönte er seinem 

liebsten Hobby, der Jagd nach Gämsen, Rehen 

und Hirschen, die er in Mengen erlegte und deren 

Geweihe noch heute dichtgedrängt die Wände der 

Kaiservilla schmücken. 

Kreative Inspirationsquelle 

Mit dem Kaiserhof kamen in den Sommermonaten 

auch viele berühmte Künstler aus Wien nach 

Ischl, das alle inspirierte: Musiker wie Johann Strauß 

und Franz Lehar und Dichter, wie Nikolaus Lenau 

und Adalbert Stifter, der hier zum Landschaftsliteraten 

von Weltrang wurde. Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller 

entwickelte die neue Landschaftsmalerei des 

Biedermeier. Und der legendäre Forscher Friedrich 

Simony legte im Inneren Salzkammergut den 

Grundstein für seine Hochgebirgs- und Eiszeitforschung, 

die seinen Namen bis heute eng mit dem 

Dachstein verbindet. Sie alle festigten den Ruf des 

Salzkammergutes als idealen Ort. 

PHOTOS: ÖSTERREICH WERBUNG JULIA KNOP, CARNIEL; SALZKAMMERGUT TOURISMUS; OBERÖSTERREICH TOURISMUS; FOTOLIA 

From here, the salt that was mined in the area 

above the town made its way to the Baltic Sea 

and to the Mediterranean area via painstaking 

routes: Hallstatt. The word ‘Hall’ is an ancient way of 

saying salt in German, which was such an important 

commodity in Europe at the time that the entire period 

from approximately 1000 to 500 BC was named 

after it – the Hallstatt period. Salt mining was first 

documented in Hallstatt beginning in 1282 with the 

arrival of the Habsburg family in Salzkammergut. 

And salt, also known as ‘white gold’, seems to have 

outlasted everything else: To this day, the salt mine is 

among the town’s most important attractions. As a 

result of the interplay between culture and the breathtaking 

natural landscape, the Hallstatt Dachstein/ 

Salzkammergut region was declared a UNESCO 

World Heritage Site exactly 20 years ago. 

The Kaiser’s favourite holiday destination 

The Habsburg family has influenced another 

town in Salzkammergut, namely Bad Ischl. This is 

where, during the Biedermeier period, the foundation 

was built for tourism, the region’s second economic 

corner stone. Together with his wife Elisabeth, 

known as Sisi, Franz Joseph I of Austria became the 

emerging wellness destination’s most loyal visitor. 

Throughout his 86 years of life, he spent 83 summers 

in Salzkammergut. This even resulted in the official 

seat of government being relocated to Bad Ischl. 

From the Imperial villa, which is still preserved in its 

original state, he would practice his favourite hobby, 

hunting chamois and deer, of which he slew many 

and whose densely packed antlers still decorate the 

walls of the imperial villa to this day. 

Creative source of inspiration 

The Imperial court saw many famous artists from 

Vienna come to Bad Ischl during summer, perhaps 

to seek inspiration: Musicians like Johann Strauß 

and Franz Lehar and poets such as Nikolaus Lenau as 

well as Adalbert Stifter, who became world-famous 

for his countryside and landscape poetry. Ferdinand 

George Waldmüller came here and developed the 

Biedermeier style of painting landscapes. And the 

legendary researcher Friedrich Simony came to the 

Salzkammergut to lay the foundation for his alpine 

and ice age research, which still links his name to 

Dachstein. Together, they all contributed to the Salzkammergut 

region gaining a reputation as the ideal 

place to enjoy a splendid summer. 

General Manager 

Gerhard E. Mitrovits 

Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna 

Schottenring 24 

1010 Vienna 

T. +43 1 236 1000-0 

kempinski.com/vienna 

These selected hotels offer 

CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE INTERNATIONAL 

as a special service: 

Almdorf Seinerzeit ● Hotel Altstadt Radisson Blu ● Hotel Astoria ● Astoria Relax & Spa-Hotel ● 

Hotel Bristol A Luxury Collection Hotel Vienna ● Austria Trend Hotel Europa ● Fleming‘s Deluxe Hotel 

● Golden Hill Country Chalets & Suites ● Hotel de France Wien ● Hotel Goldener Hirsch A Luxury 

Collection Hotel Salzburg ● Gradonna****s Mountain Resort ● Hilton Danube ● Hilton Vienna Plaza ● 

Hilton Vienna ● Hotel Imperial A Luxury Collection ● Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof ● Imperial Riding 

School Renaissance Hotel Vienna ● Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol ● Kitzbühel Country Club ● Hotel Kitzhof 

Mountain Design Resort ● Hotel Lamée ● Loisium Langenlois ● Loisium Südsteiermark ● Luxuslodge 

„Zeit zum Leben“ ● Meliá Vienna ● MGallery by Sofitel Hotel am Konzerthaus Vienna ● Park Hyatt 

Vienna ● Palais Coburg ● Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna ● Austria Trend Hotel Park Royal Palace 

Vienna ● Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn ● The Ritz-Carlton Vienna ● Sacher Salzburg ● Sacher 

Wien ● Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen Vienna ● Schloss Fuschl, A Luxury Collection Resort & SPA ● 

Romantik Hotel Schloss Pichlarn ● St. Martins Therme & Lodge ● The Guesthouse Vienna ● Austria 

Trend Hotel Schloss Lebenberg ● The Ring, Vienna‘s Casual Luxury Hotel ● Hotel Topazz ● Sofitel Vienna 

Stephansdom ● Stanglwirt ● Vienna Marriott Hotel ● Vila Vita Pannonia 

Oben: Hallstatt ist einer der bekanntesten Orte in der Salzkammergut Region. 

Top: Hallstatt is one of the most well known places in the Salzkammergut region. 

Darunter: Prähistorische Funde aus der Hallstattzeit; im Berginneren des Hallstätter Salzberges 

(links); Die Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl (rechts) 

Below: Prehistoric finds from the Hallstatt period; Deep inside the salt mountains in Hallstatt; The 

Imperial villa in Bad Ischl (right). 

INFO: 

hallstatt.net 

badischl.salzkammergut.at 

oberoesterreich.at 

Would you like to belong to these exclusive hotels? 

If so, please contact us! 

office@firstclassmedia.at 

ECONOMIQUE et TOURISTIQUE INTERNATIONAL 


UPPER AUSTRIA BUSINESS SUCCESS 

Es bleibt in der Familie 

It runs in the family 

XXXLUTZ & STILHAUS 

Expansion - wie hier abgebildet 

in die Schweiz - ist in diesem 

Unternehmen ein Must. In this 

company, expansion – like 

pictured here, to Switzerland – is 

a must. 

Jedes zweite Großunternehmen in Oberösterreich 

befindet sich in Familienbesitz. 

Darunter sind einstige Kleinunternehmen 

zu finden, die heute als Big Player 

international groß im Geschäft sind. 

Every second large enterprise in Upper 

Austria is family-owned. Among 

them, you will find many former 

small businesses that are major 

international players today and 

deal in big business. 


Der erst 21-jährige Franz Mitterbauer übernimmt 

im Jahr 1927 die Schlosserwerkstatt 

seines Lehrherren in Laakirchen und baut 

sie zur Reparaturwerkstatt aus. 1935 hat er bereits 

fünf Mitarbeiter. 14 Jahre später kommt dann der 

Durchbruch: Nach unzähligen Versuchen und mühevollem 

Einsatz beherrschte der Betrieb die Herstellung 

konkurrenzfähiger Bleibronze-Gleitlager. 

Die industrielle Produktion beginnt. 

Nach dem Krieg startet er mit der Produktion 

konkurrenzfähiger Gleitlager, kurz darauf auch mit 

deren Export. Heute ist die Miba führender Zulieferer 

der internationalen Motoren- und Fahrzeugindustrie 

und beschäftigt 5.000 Mitarbeiter an 22 

Standorten. Geführt wird sie mittlerweile vom Enkel 

des Firmengründers, Franz-Peter Mitterbauer, unter 

dessen Führung bis 2020 hehre Ziele angestrebt werden: 

einerseits ein profitables Wachstum auf über 1 

Mrd. Euro, andererseits die globale Nummer 1 in 

den betreffenden Marktsegmenten zu werden. Kein 

Wunder also, dass die Business-Strategie die Bezeichnung 

„Dynamic Evolution“ quasi als Motto 

trägt. 

SILHOUETTE 

Gegründet 1964, ist das 

Unternehmen mit Designer 

Arthur Arbesser am Puls der Zeit. 

Keeping the pace: The company, 

founded in 1964, hired the trendy 

designer Arthur Arbesser. 

PHOTOS: LEA HEPP HEPPFOTOGRAFIE, BEIGESTELLT 

Titan als Werkstoff 

Neun von zehn Unternehmen in Österreich sind 

Familienbetriebe. Ohne Berücksichtigung von EPUs, 

den Ein-Personen-Unternehmen, sind immer noch 

mehr als 50 Prozent der Betriebe Familienunternehmen 

für 60 Prozent der Umsätze verantwortlich. 

In Sachen Erfolg hat Oberösterreich mehrere herausragende 

Beispiele zu bieten - wie Backaldrin, die 

für den Kornspitz bekannt geworden sind. Oder Silhouette, 

die mit der leichtesten Brille der Welt den 

Markt, der die Nasen ziert, revolutioniert haben. 

Durch den Einsatz neuester Materialien kommen 

stets neue Produkte auf den Markt. Ein Schwerpunkt 

liegt in der Anfertigung hochpreisiger, größtenteils 

unter Verwendung von Titan, handgefertigter, randloser 

Brillenfassungen. 

Erst kürzlich hat sich das Unternehmen, das von 

Anneliese und Arnold Schmied gegründet wurde, 

mit dem angesagten Designer Arthur Arbesser neuen 

kreativen Wind in die Zentrale nach Linz geholt. 

Selten war Brillenmode, die seit 1964 mit Tradition 

dort gefertigt wird, cooler und bunter. 

Expansion als Stärke 

Richard Seifert und seine Frau Gertrude (geborene 

Lutz) gründeten bereits 1945 die XXXLutz KG in 



89

UPPER AUSTRIA BUSINESS 

SUCCESS 

International 

erfolgreich in 


Internationally 

succesful in 

Upper Austria 

Backaldrin 

backaldrin.com 

voestalpine AG 

voestalpine.com 

BMW Motoren GmbH 

bmw-werk-steyr.at 

Swietelsky Bau 

swietelsky.com 

Lenzing AG 

lenzing.com 

Kreuzmayr Gruppe 

kreuzmayr.at 

Engel Austria GmbH 

engelglobal.com 

KTM Industries AG 

ktm.com 

MAN Truck & Bus GmbH 

truck.man.eu 

HABAU GmbH 

habau.at 

Vivatis Holding AG 

vivatis.at 

Berglandmilch eGen 

berglandmilch.at 

Doppler GmbH 

doppler.at 

delfortgroup AG 

delfortgroup.com 

Brau Union Österreich AG 

brauunion.at 

Polytec Holding AG 

polytec-group.com 

FACC AG 

facc.com 

Bernecker & Rainer GmbH 

br-automation.com 

Felbermayr Holding GmbH 

felbermayr.cc 

Plasser & Theurer GmbH 

plassertheurer.com 

BWT AG 

bwt.at 

GREINER 

Das Unternehmen gehört zu den weltweit größten Verarbeitern von Kunst- und Schaumstoff. The company is among the largest 

production sites of synthetic substance and foam material worldwide. 

Haag am Hausruck. Das Unternehmen betreibt seit 

1973 eine anhaltende Expansionspolitik. Nun ist die 

Schweiz dran: Das Möbelhaus wird ab Frühjahr 2018 

eine umfassende Auswahl im Bereich Wohnkultur 

im stilhaus in Rothrist im Kanton Aargau präsentieren, 

vor allem hochwertige Design- und Markenmöbel 

und ein sehr großes Angebot an Wohn-Accessoires 

auf gleich drei Stockwerken. 

Die XXXLutz-Gruppe unter der heutigen Führung 

von Andreas und Richard Seifert ist mit dem 

bevorstehenden Markteintritt in der Schweiz bereits 

in 10 europäischen Ländern vertreten. Derzeit werden 

246 Einrichtungshäuser mit insgesamt 21.500 

Mitarbeitern bei einem Gruppenumsatz von rund 

vier Mrd. Euro betrieben. 2010 bot das Unternehmen 

sogar dem blau-gelben Möbel-Platzhirschen 

die Stirn und eröffnete im Heimatland von Ikea den 

ersten Standort in Malmö. 

Produkte für den Alltag 

Auch wenn man sie auf den ersten Blick nicht 

gleich erkennt: Produkte aus dem Hause Greiner 

sind aus unserem Alltag nicht mehr wegzudenken – 

ob bei Joghurtbechern, der Hutablage im Auto oder 

der Schaumstoffmatratze. Die Unternehmen der 

Greiner Holding AG mit Sitz in Kremsmünster erzeugen 

Verpackungen aus Kunststoff für den Foodund 

Nonfood-Bereich, zählen zu den weltweit führenden 

Unternehmen in den Bereichen Life Science 

und Diagnostik und stellen Schaumstoffe für die 

unterschiedlichsten Anwendungsgebiete her. 

Nun hat man sich auch für den Healthcare-Bereich 

etwas einfallen lassen: Mit der Einführung einer 

weltweit neuen digitalen Systemlösung von Greiner 

eHealth Technology (GeT) soll nun am Pilotspital 

Steyr der gesamte Blutabnahmeprozess optimiert 

werden. Die Systemlösungen ermöglichen eine digitale 

Abarbeitung und Dokumentation, da ab sofort 

alle Probenröhrchen mit einem Barcode versehen 

sind. Das bisher weltweit gängige manuelle Etikettieren 

der Röhrchen sowie weitere administrative Prozessschritte 

durch das Pflegepersonal sollen demnach 

der Vergangenheit angehören – was 

Verwechslungen in Zukunft ausschließen, dafür 

100-prozentige Nachverfolgbarkeit sowie Transparenz 

garantiert soll. 

Ein Panther für Florianijünger 

Wer in Wien-Schwechat bei der Feuerwehr 

Dienst tut, arbeitet bald noch besser ausgestattet: 

Denn der größte Flughafen Österreichs tauscht seine 

komplette Flotte aus und betreibt in Zukunft nur 

mehr Rosenbauer Fahrzeuge am Flugfeld – neben 

einer Rettungstreppe, die bereits im Einsatz ist, werden 

bis Jahresende zwei sogenannte Panther zum 

Einsatz kommen, mit denen die Flughafenfeuerwehr 

auch öffentliche Straßen und das zum Einsatzbereich 

gehörende Augebiet befahren kann. Im kommenden 

Jahr werden sich dann vier neue rote „Wildkatzen“ 

hinzugesellen– damit wird der Flughafen Wien über 

die weltweit modernste Flotte an Flughafenlöschund 

Rettungsfahrzeugen verfügen. 

Das Unternehmen aus Leonding macht zwar nur 

weniger als 10% seines Umsatzes mit Feuerwehren 

in Österreich, weltweit betrachtet schwören jedoch 

viele Staaten auf die Rosenbauer Produkte. Nicht selten 

begegnet man daher auch Einsatzfahrzeugen in 

den USA. Begonnen hat alles im Jahr 1866, in dem 

Johann Rosenbauer das erste oberösterreichische 

Feuerwehr-Ausrüstungsgeschäft in Linz gründete. 

PHOTOS: HELFRIED P. DAUME, BEIGESTELLT 

Neben Hanfschläuchen, Handdruckspritzen verschiedener 

Hersteller, Helmen und Knöpfen wurden 

damals auch Fecht-, Sport- und Spielgeräte verkauft. 

Das erste Feuerwehrfahrzeug wurde übrigens bereits 

1918 gebaut. Heute ist Rosenbauer seit vielen Jahren 

der weltweit führende Hersteller für Feuerwehrtechnik 

im abwehrenden Brand- und Katastrophenschutz. 

Allen Unternehmen ist eines gemeinsam – sie haben 

oft viele Jahrzehnte, im Fall von Rosenbauer 

ganze Jahrhunderte, überdauert, Moden überstanden, 

eigene kreiert und sich den kommenden Herausforderungen 

angepasst und passend agiert. Daher 

trifft der viel zitierte Sager: „Die erste Generation 

baut es auf, die nächste erhält es und die dritte zerstört 

es“ bei zahlreichen Unternehmen in Familienhand 

in Oberösterreich glücklicherweise nicht zu. 

Möge daher der Wappenspruch der Familie Starhemberg 

als Motto gelten: „Non nobis, sed posteris “ 

– „Nicht für uns, aber für unsere Nachkommen“, und 

mit aller gemeinsamen Kraft der Familie. 

In 1927, 21-year-old Franz Mitterbauer took over 

his tutor’s locksmith’s workshop in Laankirchen 

and reconstructed it into a repair workshop. By 

1935, he already had five employees. 14 years later 

came the breakthrough. After the war, he began the 

production of competitively priced bearings, exports 

followed soon after. Today, Miba is the leading supplier 

of the international motor and vehicle industry 

and employs 5000 people at 22 different locations. 

The company is now run by its founder’s grandson, 

Franz-Peter Mitterbauer, under whose leadership 

even more ambitious goals are planned for 2020: on 

the one hand, a profitable growth of over 1 billion 

euro, and on the other hand, to become the global 

number 1 in the relevant market segments. So, it 

should come as no surprise that their business strategy 

basically operates under the motto ‘Dynamic 

Evolution’. 

Titanium as raw material 

Nine out of ten companies in Austria are familyowned. 

Without consideration for individual entrepreneurs, 

50 percent of family-owned businesses are 

responsible for 60 percent of total turnover. 

When it comes to success, Upper Austria can list 

several excellent examples – like the company 

Backaldrin which became famous for its product 

MIBA 

Der internationale Spezialist für Gleitlager und andere Teile für die Fahrzeugindustrie. 

The specialist for slide bearings and other parts needed in the automative industry. 

called “Kornspitz“. Or like Silhouette, for example, 

has revolutionised the market with the lightest glasses 

in the world. As a result of the extremely high 

standards during manufacturing, as well as the use of 

new materials, there is a constant influx of new products 

to the market. One emphasis lies on the production 

of high-priced, largely titanium-based, 

hand-made rimless eyewear frames. 

Just recently, the company, founded by Anneliese 

and Arnold Schmied, embarked on a new creative 

direction at the headquarters in Linz by announcing 

collaboration with the hip designer Arthur Arbesser. 

Eyewear fashion, crafted in Linz with passion and 

tradition since 1964, has never been this cool and colourful. 

Expansion as strength 

Richard Seifert and his wife Gertrude (née Lutz) 

founded XXXLutz KG in Haag am Hausruck in 

1945. Since 1973, the company has been engaged in 

a continuous policy of expansion. And now it’s 

Switzerland’s turn: Beginning in spring 2018, the 

furniture chain will present an extensive new selection 

under the banner ‘Residential Culture’ at the 

stilhaus in Rothrist in the canton of Aargau. The focus 

will be on high-quality designer and brand furniture 

pieces and a very large collection of residential 

accessories, spread across three floors. 

With the upcoming market launch in Switzerland, 

the XXXLutz Group, led today by Andreas and 



91

UPPER AUSTRIA BUSINESS 

SUCCESS 

ROSENBAUER 

ist der weltweit führende 

Hersteller von Feuerwehrtechnik. 

is the worldwide leader in the 

area of firefighting 

technology. 

UNSERE OÖ. INDUSTRIE: 

SICHERT MIT IHREM 

EXPORT- 

ERFOLG 

INFO: 

miba.com 

silhouette.com 

xxxlutz.at 

greiner.at 

rosenbauer.com 

Richard Seifert, is already represented in 10 European 

countries. Currently, the group operates 246 

furniture stores with a total of 21,500 employees and 

a turnover of around four billion euro. In 2010, the 

company even defied the Swedish furniture giant 

and opened its first location in Ikea’s home country, 

in the city of Malmö. 

Products for everyday life 

Even if you may not recognise them at first, we 

can’t imagine our lives without Greiner products 

anymore — whether yoghourt cups, parcel shelves in 

cars or foam mattresses. The company Greiner Holding 

AG, headquartered in Kremsmünster, produces 

synthetic packaging for the food and non-food sectors 

and are considered among the globally leading 

enterprises in the areas of life science and diagnostics 

and make synthetic materials for various areas of application. 

And now there are also some new ideas for the 

healthcare sector: With the introduction of a completely 

new digital system solution by Greiner 

eHealth Technology (GeT), the Pilotspital Steyr pilot 

hospital will optimise the entire process of drawing 

blood. The system solution will allow for digital processing 

and documentation, as all test tubes will now 

be equipped with barcodes. The manual labelling of 

the tubes, as well as additional administrative steps 

carried out by the care personnel, will thus be a thing 

of the past. This will prevent mix-ups and instead 

guarantee traceability, as well as transparency, in the 

future. 

A panther for the fire brigade 

Those performing firefighting services at the Vienna 

International Airport will soon be much better 

equipped, because Austria’s biggest airport is replacing 

its entire fleet and will be operating more Rosenbauer 

vehicles in the future. Next to rescue stairs, 

which are already operational, two so-called Panthers 

will also be added, which the airport firefighters 

can use to navigate public roads, as well as the 

Augebiet region, which also belongs to the deployment 

area. The new year will then see the addition of 

four new ‘wild cats’, and as a result the Vienna International 

Airport will have the most state-of-the-art 

fleet of airport firefighting and rescue vehicles in the 

world. 

Although the enterprise from Leonding only receives 

less than 10% of its turnover from fire departments 

in Austria, globally, many states count on 

Rosenbauer’s products. That’s why you might encounter 

one of their vehicles in the USA from time to 

time. It all began in the year 1866 when Johann Rosenbauer 

founded the first Upper Austrian firefighting 

equipment business in Linz. Next to hemp hoses, 

hand pumps from various manufacturers, 

helmets and buttons, he also sold fencing and sports 

equipment as well as toys. The first firefighting vehicle 

was, incidentally, already built in 1918. Rosenbauer 

has been the worldwide leading manufacturer 

of firefighting technologies for fire and civil protection 

for many years. 

All these companies share one thing in common: 

They have survived for many decades — or in the 

case of Rosenbauer, centuries. They survived changing 

trends, created their own, and adjusted to challenges 

and navigated them swiftly. And hence the 

popular expression ‘the first generation makes it, the 

second generation spends it, and the third generation 

blows it’ doesn’t apply to the countless familyowned 

businesses in Upper Austria. And let’s hope 

that the motto of the coat of arms of the Starhemberg 

family prevails: ‘Non nobis, sed posteris’ — not for 

us, but for our descendants, and with the joint 

strength of the family. 

PHOTO: KLAUS MITTERHAUSER 

JEDEN 2. ARBEITSPLATZ 

DAS BRINGT UNS ALLEN MEHR WOHLSTAND. 

Mit Köpfchen und Qualität erzeugt die OÖ. Industrie Produkte und 

Dienstleistungen, die weltweit gefragt sind. Diese internationalen Erfolge 

sichern unsere Arbeitsplätze, ermöglichen ein höheres Einkommen und 

bringen dem Staat Steuereinnahmen in Rekordhöhe. 

www.wirerzeugenzukunft.at 


UPPER AUSTRIA INTERVIEW 

PROMOTION 

Cecilia Baldivieso de Witzany 

„Neben einem Dach über dem Kopf und Essen, brauchen Kinder Bildung.“ 

”Next to a roof and food, it’s important to provide children with education.” 

Kornspitz for a Kingdom 

Die Doyenne der Honorarkonsuln in Oberösterreich über zwei Heimaten und ihr Hilfsprojekt. 

The doyenne of the Honorary Consuls in Upper Austria about two homes and her aid project. 

PERSONAL DETAILS 

Cecilia Baldivieso de Witzany ist 

gebürtige Bolivianerin und 

absolvierte eine Hotelfachschule in 

Madrid. Sie arbeitet in einem Linzer 

Reisebüro, lehrt seit 25 Jahren 

Spanisch am WIFI und ist Honorarkonsulin 

für Bolivien in Oberösterreich. 

Seit Anfang 2013 ist sie auch 

die Doyenne der Honorarkonsuln in 

Oberösterreich. Sie ist verheiratet 

und Mutter einer erwachsenen 

Tochter. 

Cecilia Baldivieso de Witzany was 

born in Bolivia and graduated from a 

hotel management school in Madrid. 

She worked at a travel agency in Linz, 

has been teaching Spanish at the 

WIFI and is an Honorary Consul for 

Bolivia in Upper Austria. Since early 

2013, she has also been the doyenne 

of the Honorary Consulate in Upper 

Austria. She is married and is the 

mother of an adult daughter. 

alalay.at 

Welche glücklichen Umstände brachten Sie nach 

Österreich? 

Als ich in jungen Jahren Au-pair-Mädchen in Paris war, 

traf ich Doris aus Oberösterreich, die heute eine liebe 

Freundin von mir ist. Sie lud mich zu sich nach Hause 

ein, nach Gallneukirchen, nahe Linz. Doris brachte mir 

auch gleich in Frankreich den Wolfgang Ambros-Hit 

„Schifoan“ bei und meinte: „Den werden wir 

zusammen in Österreich singen!“ Aus den zwei 

Wochen sind schließlich 33 Jahre geworden (lacht). 

Was schätzen Sie an Österreich besonders? 

Ich bin von den Traditionen dieses Landes sehr 

begeistert. Und natürlich auch von den Menschen, 

auch wenn es manchmal so scheint, als würden sie 

vorerst auf Distanz gehen. Ich mag die vier 

Jahreszeiten, auch wenn sie zeigen wie schnell die Zeit 

vergeht. Und ich liebe die Vielfalt der Musik in diesem 

Land. 

Sie unterstützen, gemeinsam mit Ihrem Mann 

Walter, seit 1995 ein Kinderhilfsprojekt in Ihrem 

Heimatland Bolivien. Wie hilft „Alalay“ vor Ort 

im Detail? 

Straßenkinder haben auch ein Recht auf ein würdiges 

Leben. Neben einem Dach über dem Kopf und Essen 

ist es aber auch wichtig, Ihnen den Zugang zu Bildung 

und Ausbildung zu ermöglichen. 1995 stellte die Stadt 

La Paz ein Haus für die Straßenkinder zehn Jahre lang 

gratis zur Verfügung. Im selben Jahr knüpften mein 

Mann Walter und ich erste Kontakte zu Alalay. Bei 

einem verregneten Musik-Openair in Grünau im 

Almtal, das Walter moderierte, wurde dann schließlich 

der Grundstein für die Hilfsachse Österreich-Bolivien 

gelegt. Mittlerweile haben viele geholfen und uns 

auch mit Patenschaften unterstützt. Wir haben Kinderdörfer 

gebaut und Ausbildungen ermöglicht. 

Vermissen Sie Bolivien? 

Ich habe nur die ersten 16 Jahre meines Lebens dort 

verbracht. Danach war ich immer wieder in anderen 

Ländern sowie den USA, Spanien und Frankreich 

sesshaft. Daher trifft der Begriff „vermissen” nicht 

ganz zu. Ich vermisse die Menschen in meinem Land, 

meine Eltern, meinen Bruder. Dennoch schätze ich 

mich mit „zwei Heimaten“ als privilegiert ein. 

Natürlich freue ich mich riesig auf jede Reise nach 

Bolivien, aber auch zurück nach Österreich zu kehren. 

Bolivien ist ein äußerst spannendes Land, mit seiner 

Vielfalt an ethnischen Gruppen, Essen und den 

Trachten, die so bunt sind, wie die bolivianische 

Flagge. Und ich tanze auch in Österreich sehr gerne, 

es befreit die Seele. Und bei bolivianischen Festen 

wird ja sowieso immer getanzt (lacht). 

Which fortunate circumstances brought you to 

Austria? 

When I was an au pair in Paris in my younger years, I met 

Doris from Upper Austria, who remains a good friend of 

mine to this day. She invited me to her home in 

Gallneukirchen, near Linz. While in France, Doris taught 

me Wolfgang Ambros’ hit ‘Schifoan’ and said: ‘We’ll be 

singing this one together in Austria!’ And in the end, those 

two weeks became 33 years (laughs). 

What do you appreciate the most about Austria? 

I’m amazed by the country’s traditions. And, of course, by 

the people, even if they may come across as distant at 

first. I like the four seasons, even though they demonstrate 

how quickly time passes. And I love the diversity of the 

music in this country. 

Together with your husband Walter, you have 

been supporting a children’s aid project in your 

homeland of Bolivia since 1995. How exactly does 

“Alalay“ provide support on site? 

Street children have a right to a dignified life. Next to a 

roof over the head and food, it’s also important to provide 

them with access to education and vocational training. In 

1995, the city of La Paz organised a home for street 

children which would be free of charge for 10 years. In the 

same year, my husband Walter and I first got in touch 

with Alalay. During an open-air music festival in Grünau in 

the Almtal valley, which Walter was presenting, the 

foundation was built for the Austria-Bolivia support route. 

In the meantime, many have helped and many have also 

assisted through sponsorships. We have built children’s 

villages and made vocational training possible. 

Do you miss Bolivia? 

I have only spent the first 16 years of my life there. Then I 

settled down in other countries as well as in the USA, in 

Spain and France. Therefore the term „miss“ does not 

apply in a way. I do miss the people in my country, my 

parents, my brother. Yet I feel privileged as I can say: I 

have “two homes“. Naturally, I am totally looking forward 

to each trip to Bolivia, yet also, when I return to Austria. 

Bolivia is a very exciting country, with its diversity of 

ethnic groups, food and the traditional costumes that are 

as colourful as the Bolivian flag itself. And I also like to 

dance, in Austria too. Dancing frees up the soul. And 

dancing is mandatory at Bolivian festivals anyway 

(laughs). 


BACKALDRIN THE KORNSPITZ COMPANY, PUBLICATION FREE OF CHARGE • ENTGELTLICHE EINSCHALTUNG 

More than 20 years ago, Austria’s leading seller of baking 

ingredients, backaldrin The Kornspitz Company, began 

its activities in Jordan. It is a success story that is also 

reflected in the partnership with the Jordanian Olympic 

Committee. 

It was in 1996 that backaldrin Managing Director Harald Deller first 

became aware of Mahmoud Khader from Jordan. Today’s Vice President 

of backaldrin Arab Jordan Ltd. already had a perfect understanding 

of the German language, which he had acquired during his studies in 

Vienna. During his time in Vienna, he earned a living by selling newspapers 

– today he is known as „Mr. backaldrin of Arabia“. 

Best-selling Fine Bakery 

Today, baking ingredients from backaldrin are in demand all over Jordan: 

„Our products are found in almost every bakery, in restaurants, at 

airports and in supermarkets,“ says Khader, who jointly directs the local 

backaldrin business with his son Mohammed. The family business first laid 

the foundation in 2006, with the commissioning of its own production site 

in the capital Amman, the first outside of Austria. From there, the raw material 

manufacturer supplies customers in more than 40 countries in the 

Arab world, as well as in Africa. Flatbread and confectionery are among the 

top sellers, while Kornspitz makes a welcome change in the region. The 

broad product range allows for growth in Jordan and the surrounding markets. 

Partner of the Jordanian Olympic Committee 

„Jordan is an extremely important location for us, playing a vital role in 

the exportation of goods in the Middle East and the surrounding countries,” 

says Harald Deller, who is also Honorary Consul of the Hashemite 

Kingdom of Jordan for Upper Austria. This is also why, as in many other 

countries, backaldrin The Kornspitz Company, is committed to being a reliable 

partner for athletes. The company is official partner of the Jordanian 

Olympic Committee and was allowed to welcome the successful Jordanian 

swimmer, Khader Baqleh, in the Upper Austrian capital of Linz last year. 

Jordanian Olympian in Linz for Training Camp 

The athlete, who had been preparing for the Rio Olympic Games at the 

Olympic base, Gugl in Linz, was with his trainer, Yehia Hammudeh Al 

Salti, for two weeks of training in Upper Austria. During this time, he met 

the swimmers of the “Kornspitz Sport Team”, Lena Kreundl and Sebastian 

S t e ff a n . 

Top: backaldrin has been producing goods in Amman, the capital city 

of Jordan, since 2006. 

Middle: “Mr. backaldrin of Arabia” Mahmoud and his son 

Mohammed Khader 

Bottom: (from left to right): Mahmoud Khader, Trainer, Ambassador 

Hussam al Husseini, Gerhard Rumetshofer, Jördis Steinegger, 

Sebastian Steffan, Khader Baqleh, Lena Kreundl, Provincial 

Councillor Michael Strugl, Harald Deller 


SAVOIR 

VIVRE 

IN „SAVOIR VIVRE“ DREHT 

SICH ALLES UM DIE SCHÖNEN 

DINGE DES LEBENS WIE KULTUR 

& REISEN, KULINARIK & HOTELS, 

AUTO & SPORT, UHREN & 

SCHMUCK, MODE & DESIGN, 

WELLNESS & GESUNDHEIT 

UND VIELES MEHR. 

"SAVOIR VIVRE" FOCUSES ON 

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE SUCH 

AS CULTURE & TRAVELLING, 

HOTELS & RESTAURANTS, CARS & 

SPORTS, WATCHES & JEWELLERY, 

FASHION & DESIGN, WELLNESS 

& HEALTH AND MUCH MORE.

SAVOIR VIVRE ETHNO FOOD 

Weltreise à la carte 

Around the world à la carte 

Urlaub nach dem Urlaub: In Wien kann man um die ganze Welt reisen, ohne einen 

Schritt über die Stadtgrenze zu machen. 

Holiday after the holidays: In Vienna, you can travel around the whole wide world 

without having to set one foot outside the city limits. 


Reich gedeckte 

Tafel. 

Richly served table. 

PHOTOS:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Wien ist die schönste Stadt der Welt. Zum 

mittlerweile achten Mal in Folge wurde 

Wien in der Mercer Studie – die jährlich 

durchgeführte weltweite Vergleichsstudie von Expatriats 

in 231 Großstädten – auch heuer wieder als der 

Ort mit der höchsten Lebensqualität gereiht. Eine 

lebenswerte Weltstadt also, die auch im Bereich der 

Kulinarik keine Wünsche offen lässt. Und während 

Kebab, Sushi und Pizza uns schon zur alltäglichen 

Labung geworden sind, muss festgehalten werden, 

dass ja die Wiener bzw. österreichische Küche von 

zahlreichen internationalen Einflüssen geprägt wurde. 

Da tummeln sich italienische, französische, ungarische, 

südslawische, polnische, jüdische und böhmische 

Elemente. Kein Wunder also, dass die Diskussion 

um den tatsächlichen Ursprung des Wiener Schnitzels, 

der im Übrigen auch in Italien oder in der Türkei 

liegen könnte, immer wieder entfacht wird. 

Bis heute wird die Wiener Gastronomie-Landschaft 

immer wieder durch kulinarische Spezialitäten 

aus den Heimatländern von Zuwanderern geprägt: 

wie das gerade erst eröffnete afghanische 

Restaurant Asman der Familie Muhammad in Wien- 

Landstraße. Oder das Äthiopische Restaurant, das 

vor vielen Jahren das erste seiner Art überhaupt in 

Wien war und wo man mit den Fingern isst, oder die 

trendigen georgischen Lokale, wie das Cafe Ansari 

und das Aragwi. In Wien trifft man auf indonesische, 

nepalesische, tibetanische, karibische und kurdische 

Restaurants, sogar ein uigurisches und ein 

kirgisisches gab es schon einmal. „Exotisches“ wird 

gerne probiert, allerdings haben es neue Restaurants 

mitunter anfangs schwer. Überliefert ist in diesem 

Zusammenhang folgende Feststellung eines prominenten 

Wiener Gastronomen: „Der Wiener geht erst 

lange Zeit daran vorbei und schaut durchs Fenster. 

Wenn er sich dann irgendwann mal hineintraut und 

es ihm gefällt, erzählt er keinem davon. Schließlich 

will er seine Ruhe haben und immer einen Tisch bekommen. 

Gefällt es ihm nicht, erzählt er es jedem.“ 

Urlaub am Teller 

Die so genannten Ethno-Küchen, also all jene 

Kochstile, die historisch und thematisch zu eigenständig 

oder exotisch waren, um in die Wiener Küche 

integriert zu werden, sind mehr als beliebt. Die 

ausländische Lieblingsküche der Wiener ist die italienische, 

was die hohe Dichte von rund 500 Restaurants 

beweist, und die man vom einfachen Panino 

über einzelne Regional-Spezialitäten – wie aus dem 

Friaul, der Toskana oder Sizilien – bis zum mehrgängigen 

Italo-Menü im edlen Procacci, der berühmten 

Cantinetta Antinori oder dem noblen Fabios genießen 

kann. 

Urlaub und Essen liegen bei den Wienern eng 

beieinander. Neben dem anhaltenden Italo-Trend, 

werden auch gerne kroatische (z.B. Sopile in 1040, 

Konoba in 1080, Ragusa in 1090 und Bodulo in 

1150) und griechische Lokale (wie Orpheus und Ellas 

in der Innenstadt) besucht – analog zu den beliebten 

Urlaubsländern der Österreicher. 

Wer auch unter dem Jahr Sehnsucht nach südlichen 

Gefilden hat, kann getrost bei Panagiotis Favvas 

einkehren. Der gelernte Koch betreibt in der 

Nussdorferstraße mit Favvas Gourmet ein mediterranes 

Feinkost-Deli mit hochwertigen Olivenölen, 

die von seiner Familie in Monemvasia am Peloponnes 

gefertigt werden. Man kann gleich dort verkosten 

und zu Mittag auch hausgemachte warme Speisen 

wie Pastitsio, Moussaka oder den 

Spinat-Schafkäsestrudel genießen. Zum Mitnehmen 

gibt es eine Vielzahl an weiteren lukullischen Spezialitäten 

aus Griechenland, Italien, Spanien (Oh, diese 

lange gereiften Schinken!) und Kroatien, auch das 

Weinangebot ist außergewöhnlich. 

Erstaunlich langsam geht jedoch die Etablierung 

französischer Lokale vonstatten, die es in Wien bisher 

immer etwas schwerer hatten. Erfolgreiche Beispiele 

sind die gehobene Brasserie-Küche des Le 

Salzgries unweit des Schwedenplatzes oder die bodenständige 

Bistro-Linie des Beaulieu in der Ferstl- 


Wer in Wien ist, hat es gut: 

Neben der ausgezeichneten 

Lebensqualität gibt es hier 

auch (fast) alle Küchen der 

Welt. 

Vienna is the place to be: 

Apart from the exquisite 

quality of life, you can enjoy 

(almost) all national cuisine 

styles of the world. 


99


Die vielen 

Küchen Wiens 

Vienna´s diverse 

cuisine styles 

SHIKI 

Alois Traint und Gerhard 

Bernhauer sind die Chefs 

de Cuisine (v.l.) 

Ein ganz spezieller Ort: 

der Chef´s Table. 

Alois Traint and Gerhard 

Bernhauer are the chefs de 

cuisine. 

A remarkable location: the 

chef´s table. 

FABIOS 

Hort lässiger Italianità in Wien. 

Vienna´s cradle of easy-going italianità. 

Afghanisch / Afghan 

Afrikanisch / African 

Amerikanisch / American 

Arabisch / Arabian 

Asiatisch / Asian 

Australisch / Australian 

Balkan / Balcan 

Britisch / British 

Bulgarisch / Bulgarian 

Chinesisch / Chinese 

Französisch / French 

Georgisch / Georgian 

Griechisch / Greek 

Indisch / Indian 

Indonesisch / Indonesian 

Irisch / Irish 

Italienisch / Italian 

Japanisch /Japanese 

Koreanisch / Korean 

Kreolisch / Creole 

Kroatisch / Croatian 

Kurdisch / Kurdish 

Lateinamerikanisch / Latin 

American 

Levantinisch / Levantine 

Libanesisch / Lebanese 

Marokkanisch /Moroccan 

Mexikanisch / Mexican 

Mongolisch / Mongolian 

Nepalesisch / Nepalese 

Pakistanisch / Pakistani 

Persisch / Persian 

Polnisch / Polish 

Portugiesisch / 

Portuguese 

Rumänisch / Romanian 

Russisch / Russian 

Schweizerisch / Swiss 

Skandinavisch / 

Scandinavian 

Slowakisch / Slovak 

Spanisch / Spanish 

Sri-lankisch / Sri-lankan 

Thailändisch / Thai 

Tibetisch / Tibetan 

Türkisch / Turkish 

Ukrainisch / Ukrainian 

Ungarisch / Hungarian 

Usbekisch / Uzbek 

Vietnamesisch / 

Vietnamese 

QUELLE: FALTER VERLAG, FALTER.AT 

PATARA 

Wunderbare Curries im Restaurant mit stylisch-eleganter 

Umgebung. 

Wonderful curries at the stylish-elegant restaurant. 

Passage, wo man im Lokal auch gleich Spezialitäten 

einkaufen kann. 

Asiatisch weiter im Trend 

Interessante und hochwertige Neuzugänge sind 

stets bei den Wiener Asia-Restaurants zu verzeichnen. 

Der chinesische Arzt Simon Xie Hong, der bereits 

vier Restaurants in Wien betreibt, darunter 

auch das ON Market am Naschmarkt, eröffnete 

kürzlich seinen fünften Gastro-Streich, das ON Sud 

in 1150. Auch die TV-erprobte koreanische Köchin 

Sohyi Kim hat, nach einem Abstecher beim exklusiven 

Merkur Markt am Hof, nun wieder ein eigenes 

Restaurant. Im kleinen Kim im 9. Bezirk kocht sie im 

exklusiven Rahmen abends ein zehngängiges Menü. 

Vor kurzem wurde um einen Shop erweitert, unweit 

des Lokals an der Ecke. 

Das urban-hippe Mochi und das Iki im neuen 

Belvedere-Viertel beim Hauptbahnhof, Karma Ramen 

und Sakai bieten ein erstaunliches Spektrum 

japanischer Küchen und Kochstile. Besonders im 

Aufwind sind derzeit vietnamesische Restaurants, 

wie das Pho Sai Gon, Good Morning Vietnam, Le 

Viet und Vietthao. 

Vor rund drei Jahren eröffnete im 1. Bezirk nahe 

der Wiener Staatsoper das Restaurant Shiki, das moderne, 

fantasievolle japanische Küche mit europäischen 

Akzenten bietet. Das Fine-Dining- und Brasserie-Lokal 

ist ein Projekt des international 

erfolgreichen Dirigenten und Geigers Joji Hattori, 

der in Japan geboren und in Wien aufgewachsen ist. 

Und auch Thailand ist bestens vertreten: Das Patara 

am Petersplatz ist nicht nur das schönste, sondern 

auch das beste Thai-Restaurant. Äußerst empfehlenswert 

sind die tollen Menüs, die einen guten 

sensorischen Überblick der thailändischen Küche 

liefern. Wundern Sie sich nicht, wenn Sie kein Messer 

aufgedeckt bekommen. Man teilt traditionsgemäß 

mit dem Löffel, Messer werden auf Anfrage 

freilich nachgereicht. 

Erlebnis-Küchen 

Am überraschendsten aber ist vielleicht, dass 

man in Wien auch ganz fantastisch englisch essen 

kann, vor allem im pulsierenden Pub mit angeschlossenem 

Restaurant Charlie P’s, das als einziges 

Irish Pub eine Gault Millau-Haube verliehen bekam. 

Patron Brian Patton führt übrigens auch das The 

Brickmakers Ale & Ciderhouse, wo es rund 30 verschiedene 

Craftbiere vom Fass sowie original texanische 

BBQ-Spezialitäten von einem eigens importierten 

Smoker gibt. 

Das einstige Dom Beisl beim Stephansdom hat 

Ende 2015 einen neuen Pächter gefunden. Der israelische 

Starkoch Eyal Shani etablierte mit dem Miznon 

Vienna sein jüdisch-mediterranes Streetfood- 

Konzept nun auch in Wien. Die Gerichte, vor allem 

gefüllte Pita-Brote und gebratenes Gemüse, werden 

an der Theke bestellt und laut ausgerufen, wenn sie 

PHOTOS: RESTAURANT PATARA, SHIKI, FABIOS, ON MARKET, BEIGESTELLT 

fertig sind. Als Vorspeise bekommen Gäste einen 

ganzen Karfiolkopf, der vorher gekocht und 

dann gegrillt wird. Auch das Ambiente ist speziell, 

denn die Räumlichkeiten wurden zu einer offenen 

und einladenden Küche umgebaut. Alte Bananenkisten 

gefüllt mit Karfiolköpfen hängen von der Decke 

und laute, fröhliche Musik dröhnt aus den Boxen, 

die bis in den Außenbereich des Lokals zu hören ist. 

Und das Miznon erbrachte auch den Beweis, dass 

Essen in der Tat völkerverbindend sein kann: Vor 

über einem Jahr traf Ben aus Neuseeland dort Valeria 

aus New York. Erst kürzlich haben sie einander 

das Ja-Wort gegeben und dort gefeiert, wo alles begann. 

Liebe geht eben doch auch durch den Magen. 

Vienna is the most beautiful city in the world. 

For the 8th time in a row, the Mercer study 

- the global annual comparison study on 

expatriates living in 231 cities - once again selected 

Vienna as the place with the highest quality of life. A 

liveable world city, in other words, which also leaves 

no desires unfulfilled when it comes to food. And 

ON_MARKET 

Der chinesische Arzt Simon Xie Hong hat sein bereits fünftes Lokal in Wien eröffnet (im Bild: das 

ON Market beim Naschmarkt). The Chinese M.D. Simon Xie Hong has opened his fifth restaurant in 

Vienna (pictured above: ON Market at Naschmarkt). 

CHARMANT UND UNVERWECHSELBAR 

CHARMING DISTINCTION 


Besuchen Sie uns / Visit us: Josefstädter Straße 10-12, 1080 Wien, T. +43 1 205 99-0, www.flemings-hotels.com

SAVOIR VIVRE ETHNO 

FOOD 

So wünschen Sie 

Guten Appetit in 

aller Welt 

Before you enjoy 

your meal around 

the world 

AFRIKAANS 

Smaaklike ete! Lekker eet! 

ALBANISCH/ALBANIAN 

T‘boftë mire! 

BULGARISCH/BULGARIAN 

Dobãr apetit! 

MANDARINCHINESISCH/MANDARIN 

CHINESE Mànmàn chī! 

KROATISCH/CROATIAN Dobar tek! 

TSCHECHISCH/CZECH Dobrou chuť! 

DÄNISCH/DANISH Velbekomme! 

HOLLÄNDISCH/DUTCH Smakelijk! 

Smakelijk eten! Eet Smakelijk! 

ENGLISCH/ENGLISH 

Bon appetit! Enjoy your meal! 

FINNISCH/FINNISH 

Hyvää ruokahalua! 

FRANZÖSISCH/FRENCH Bon appétit! 

DEUTSCH/GERMAN 

Guten Appetit! Mahlzeit! 

GRIECHISCH/GREEK 

Kalí óreksi! 

GRÖNLÄNDISCH/GREENLANDIC 

Nerilluarisi 

UNGARISCH/HUNGARIAN 

Jó étvágyat! 

ISLÄNDISCH/ICELANDIC 

Verði þér að góðu 

ITALIENISCH/ITALIAN 

Buon appetito! 

JAPANISCH/JAPANESE 

Itadakimasu 

LETTISCH/LATVIAN Labu apetīti 

LITAUISCH/LITHUANIAN 

Gero apetito! Skanaus! 

MAZEDONISCH/MACEDONIAN 

Priyatno yadenye 

NORWEGISCH/NORWEGIAN 

Vær så god! 

POLNISCH/POLISH Smacznego! 

PORTUGIESISCH/PORTUGUESE 

Bom apetite! 

RUMÄNISCH/ROMANIAN 

Poftă bună! 

RUSSISCH/RUSSIAN 

Prijatnovo appetita! 

SERBISCH/SERBIAN Prijatno! 

SLOWAKISCH/SLOVAK Dobrú chuť! 

SLOWENISCH/SLOVENIAN Dober tek! 

SOMALISCH/SOMALI 

Ha kuu macaanaato 

SPANISCH/SPANISH 

¡Buen provecho! ¡Buen apetito! 

SCHWEDISCH/SWEDISH 

Smaklig måltid! 

MIZNON 

Erfolgreiches jüdisch-mediterranes Streetfood-Konzept, beheimatet im ersten Bezirk. Succesful Jewish-Mediterranean street food 

concept, located at the first district. 

while kebab, sushi and pizza have already become 

staple dishes here, one should not forget that Viennese, 

or Austrian cuisine in general, has had all kinds of 

international influences. With time, you will discover 

Italian, French, Hungarian, South-Slavic, Polish, 

Jewish and Bohemian influences. It should then 

come as no surprise that the discussion around the 

actual origin of the Wiener Schnitzel, which incidentally 

could also be in Italy or in Turkey, keeps popping 

up everywhere you go. 

To this day, Vienna’s gastro landscape continues 

to be marked by the culinary specialities of its immigrants 

and their homelands such as the recently opened 

Afghan Asman Restaurant by the Muhammad 

family in Wien-Landstraße. Or the Ethiopian Restaurant, 

which, many years ago, was the first of its 

kind in Vienna and where you eat with your hands, 

or trendy Georgian spots like Cafe Ansari and the 

Aragwi. In Vienna, you will come across Indonesian, 

Nepalese, Tibetan, Caribbean and Kurdish restaurants, 

and there have even been Uyghur and Kyrgyz 

eateries. ‘Exotic’ is very popular, however, new restaurants 

often face a difficult launching phase. A 

prominent Viennese gastronome once said the following 

regarding this issue: ‘The Viennese first likes 

to just walk past a place and look through the window. 

If he ever dares to go inside, and he likes it, he 

won’t tell anyone about it. After all, he wants to keep 

his peace and always have a table. If he doesn’t like it, 

however, he will tell everyone about it.’ 

Holiday on the plate 

The so-called ethnic cuisines, meaning those styles 

of cooking that have historically and thematically 

been too unique or too exotic to be integrated into 

Viennese cuisine, are also more than popular. The 

Viennese’s favourite foreign cuisine remains Italian, 

which is proven by the dense presence of 500 restaurants, 

and which you can enjoy in the form of a simple 

Panini to the various regional specialities – from 

Friuli, to Tuscany or Sicily – all the way to a multicourse 

Italian menu at the noble Procacci, the famous 

Cantinetta Antinori or the exquisite Fabios. 

In Vienna, holidays and food are closely connected. 

Next to the persistent Italian trend, Croatian 

(such as Sopile in 1040, Konoba in 1080, Ragusa in 

1090 and Bodulo in 1150), as well as Greek eateries 

(like Orpheus and Ellas in the centre), also enjoy popularity 

– in parallel to being among the Austrians’ 

most beloved holiday destinations. 

Those who still crave Southern delights during 

the rest of year may pay a visit to Panagiotis Favvas. 

The trained chef runs Favvas Gourmet at Nussdorferstrasse, 

a Mediterranean delicacy deli with highquality 

olive oils made by his family in Monemvasia 

in the Peloponnese. You may try the produce there 

and enjoy home-made hot dishes for lunch as well, 

such as Pastisio, Moussaka or the spinach sheepcheese 

strudel. There’s also plenty available for takeaway, 

such as a wide selection of epicurean specialities 

from Greece, Italy, Spain (oh, those cured hams!) 

and Croatia. The wine offer is also extraordinary. 

The establishment of French restaurants, on the 

other hand, is taking surprisingly long, and they’ve always 

had it a little more difficult in Vienna. Successful 

examples include the uptown brasserie Le Salzgries 

not far from the Schwedenplatz square or the downto-earth 

Beaulieu bistro at Ferstl-Passage, where you 

can also shop local specialities right in the restaurant. 

Asian continues to soar 

Interesting and top-notch newcomers can always 

be found in Vienna’s Asian food scene. The Chinese 

doctor Simon Xie Hong, who already operates four 

PHOTO: MIZNON 

Culture 

and space. 

90,000 square meters of art, architecture, 

theater, music, digital culture, dance, 

design, shops, culture for children, 

fashion, restaurants and bars 



www.mqw.at 

General sponsor 

Supported by

Patrizia Pepe 


STYLE 

INFO 

ESSENTIALS 

Asman, 

Tel.: +43 1/286 70 20 

cafeansari.at 

ethiopianrestaurant.at 

aragwi.at 

procacci-vienna.at 

cantinettaantinori-vienna.at 

fabios.at 

sopile.at 

konoba.at 

ragusa.at 

bodulo.at 

orpheas.at 

ellas.at 

favvas-gourmet.com 

le-salzgries.at 

beaulieu-wien.at 

on-market.at 

on-sud.at 

sohyikim.com 

mochi.at 

iki-restaurant.at 

karmaramen.at 

sakai.co.at 

phosaigon.at 

goodmorningvietnam.at 

leviet.at 

Vietthao, 

Tel.: +43 1/585 20 31 

shiki.at 

patara-wien.at 

charlieps.at 

brickmakers.at 

facebook.com/miznonvienna 

Pita im Miznon. 

Pita at Miznon´s. 

THE BRICKMAKER´S 

Das Ale & Ciderhouse bietet viele Craft Biere als Spezialität. 

Special Craft beers are on offer at the Ale & Ciderhouse. 

restaurants in Vienna, among them the ON Market 

at Naschmarkt, recently opened his fifth gastro coup, 

the ON Sud in the 15th district. And even the TVtested 

Korean chef Sohyi Kim has, after a quick detour 

to the exclusive Merkur Markt am Hof, her own 

restaurant again. In the little Kim in the 9th district, 

she spends her evenings cooking a ten-course menu 

within an exclusive setting. A shop was added recently, 

not far from the restaurant around the corner. 

The urban and hip Mochi and the Iki in the new 

Belvedere quarter near the Wien Hauptbahnhof 

main railway station, as well as Karma Ramen and 

Sakai, offer an astonishing range of Japanese cuisines 

and cooking styles. Vietnamese restaurants, such as 

the Pho Sai Gon, Good Morning Vietnam, Le Viet 

and Vietthao, are also enjoying soaring popularity at 

the moment. 

Around three years ago, the Shiki restaurant launched 

in the 1st district near the Vienna State Opera, 

combining modern, creative Japanese cuisine with 

European accents. The fine dining and brasserie restaurant 

is a project by the internationally successfully 

conductor and violinist Joji Hattori, who was born in 

Japan and grew up in Vienna. 

And Thailand is also very well represented: The 

Patara at Petersplatz is not only the most gorgeous, but 

also the best Thai restaurant in Vienna. Particularly 

recommended are the great menus, which provide an 

excellent sensory overview of Thailand’s food culture. 

Don’t be surprised if you are not served a knife, 

though. Food is, as it is done in Thailand, cut with the 

spoon. However, knives are provided upon request. 

FAVVAS GOURMET 

Panagiotis Favvas verwöhnt mit mediterranen Spezialitäten. 

Panagiotis Favvas indulges with Mediterranean specialities. 

Culinary experiences 

What may perhaps surprise you the most, however, 

is that you can also enjoy very fine British food 

in Vienna, especially in the vibrant pub and its attached 

restaurant Charlie P’s, the only Irish Pub 

which has been awarded a Gault Millau toque. Manager 

Brian Patton also runs The Brickmakers Ale & 

Ciderhouse, where they serve around 30 different 

craft beers on tap as well as original Texan BBQ specialities 

from the specially imported smoker. 

The former Dom Beisl near St. Stephen’s Cathedral 

received a new leaseholder in the end of 2015. 

The Israeli star chef Eyal Shani has now brought his 

Jewish-Mediterranean street food concept to Vienna 

with the Miznon Vienna. The dishes, especially the 

filled pita bread and fried vegetables, are ordered at 

the bar and are then called out loudly when they are 

done. As an appetiser, guests receive an entire cauliflower 

head that is first cooked and then grilled. And 

the atmosphere is quite special as well, because the 

premises were rebuilt into an open and inviting kitchen. 

Old banana crates filled with cauliflower heads 

hang from the ceiling, joyful music roars from the 

speakers, which can still be heard at the restaurant’s 

outside area. 

And the Miznon also proved that food can indeed 

connect people from different cultures. Over a year 

ago, Ben from New Zealand met Valerie from New 

York right there. And just recently, the two tied the 

knot and celebrated back at the place where everything 

began. The way to someone’s heart is through 

the stomach, after all. 

FOTOS: CHRISTINA KARAGIANNIS/BRICKMAKERS, FAVVAS GOURMET 

OUR BRANDS 

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GL1285_0014_AW17_Parndorf_Press_Cercle Diplomatique FP Advertorial_230x297mm_AW.indd 1 14/08/2017 17:17 


SAVOIR VIVRE CONNOISSEUR 

Essen und trinken mit Stil 

Wine and dine in style 


Löffelweise Leidenschaft 

A spoonful of passion 

Der Duft von Vanille 

A scent of vanilla 

Die nach der Fünf-Elemente-Lehre zubereiteten Suppito-Produkte wie 

Minestrone oder Chili con Carne kommen jetzt auch per Post! Einfach 

Freitag bis Dienstag auf der Website die Bestellung tätigen. Diese wird 

dann immer freitags von 8-18 Uhr via Postboten in gekühlten 

Thermoboxen direkt ins Haus geliefert. 

You can now get the Supprito products, created in accordance with the 

principles of Wu Xing, such as Minestrone or Chili con Carne, via mail! 

Just order online from Friday to Tuesday on their website. The mailman 

will then bring your delivery directly to your door in cooling thermo 

boxes on Fridays between 08:00 – 18:00. 

suppito.at 

MEET - EAT - SLEEP 

@ MELIÁ VIENNA 

total of 1.079 square metres 

flexible conference space 

Allerfeinste Mischung | Finest blend 

Marco Simonis (rechts) hat seit bereits drei Jahren mit seiner Bastei 10 Erfolg – 

mit einer feinen Mischung aus Kulinarik, Design und Wohlfühl-Atmosphäre. Nun 

eröffnete er einen zweiten Standort in der Theobaldgasse in 1060. Neben 

Feinkost, frischen selbstgemachten Sandwiches und Salaten sowie einer 

erlesenen Auswahl an Eigenprodukten, wird die Location durch eine Selektion 

spezieller autochthoner Weine sowie Bierspezialitäten abgerundet. Und über all 

dem wacht, wie übrigens auch in der Dominikanerbastei, der Opapa. 

For the last three years, Marco Simonis (r.) has been successfully heading the 

Bastei 10, with a fine blend of cuisine, design and feel-good atmosphere. Now, 

he has opened his second location at Theobaldgasse in 1060. Next to various 

delicacies, freshly prepared sandwiches and salads, as well as an exquisite 

selection of proprietary products, the location is topped off with a selection of 

domestic wines and beer specialities. And the place is watched and guarded 

by gramps, just like the Dominikanerbastei in Vienna. marcosimonis.com 

Joy Spence sprengte als erste 

Master-Blenderin die gläserne 

Decke der männlich 

dominierten Spirituosen-Welt. 

Nun setzte sie sich und der 

traditionsreichen Rum-Marke 

aus Jamaika mit der Limited 

Edition „Appleton Estate Joy 

Anniversary Blend Aged 25 

Years“ ein Denkmal, einem 

seltenen Rum-Blend aus Sorten, 

die mindestens ein Vierteljahrhundert 

lang gereift sind. 

Joy Spence was the first 

woman to become a Master 

Blender in the very much 

male-dominated world of 

spirits. Now, she’s creating a 

monument both to herself, as 

well as to the tradition-steeped 

rum brand from Jamaica, 

in the form of the limited 

edition of ‘Appleton Estate Joy 

Anniversary Blend Aged 24 

Years’, a rare rum blend of 

varieties that are at least a 

quarter of a century old. 

campari-austria.at 

PHOTOS: PHOTO-SIMONIS.COM, CAMPARI, GERT WINKLER, HOTEL MELIÁ VIENNA, FENSTER CAFÉ 

Neuer Sonntags- 

Treffpunkt | New Sunday 

meeting spot 

Das 57 Restaurant im Meliá Vienna 

lädt zum SKYLIFE@MELIÁ-BRUNCH57 

in 220 Metern Höhe über den Dächern 

Wiens ein: Immer sonntags von 11 bis 

15 Uhr, kann man aus einem reichhaltigen Vorspeisen-, Hauptgang- und 

Dessertbuffet wählen – atemberaubender Blick über die Stadt inklusive. 

Für 47 Euro pro Person inkl. einem Glas Cava, Säften sowie einem 

Heißgetränk. 

The 57 Restaurant in the Meliá Vienna invites you on a SKYLIFE@ 

MELIÁ-BRUNCH57 at an elevation of 220 metres, looking across 

Vienna’s rooftops. Every 

TOP 5 OPENINGS 

Neu in Wien | New in Vienna 

Neue Wiener Küche / 

New Viennese cuisine 

durchhaus.at 

Großes im Kleinen / 

Not so small after all 

villaklein.at 

Neapel in Wien / 

Naples in Vienna 

laspiga.at 

Innovative Gyoza Brothers 

cafeleopold.wien 

Kaffee, mal ganz anders / 

Coffee, done a little different 

sasha.coffee 

Sunday between 11:00 and 

15:00, you will be able to 

choose from a starter, main 

and dessert buffet. The 

incredible view of the city is 

the cherry on top. For 47 euro 

per person, including a glass 

of Cava, juices, as well as a 

hot beverage. 

57melia.com 

494 square metres ballroom with 

a bordering balcony to the Danube 

three private dining rooms in 

220 metres height 

meetings, creative workshops, 

birthday dinner or similar occasions 

Donau City Strasse 7 • 1220 Vienna • Austria • Tel. +43 (0)1 90 104 

melia.vienna@melia.com • www.melia.com 


SAVOIR VIVRE TABLE TALK 

Zur Kaffeepause im Park Hyatt Vienna | Coffee break at the Park Hyatt Vienna 

General Manager Monique Dekker lud zu Kuchen und Kaffee im „Café am Hof“. 

General Manager Monique Dekker invited to coffee and cake at the Café Am Hof. 


MONIQUE DEKKER 

GM Monique Dekker im Gespräch mit 

CD Chefredakteurin Daniela Pötzl. 

GM Monique Dekker with CD´s Editor in 

chief, Daniela Pötzl. 

PHOTOS: TONY GIGOV, ANTONIA FELGNER (2), THERESA SCHREMS (2), BEIGESTELLT 

Im Laufe eines Journalistinnen-Lebens 

trifft man seine Interviewpartner ja an 

diversen Locations und in vielen gastronomischen 

Lokalen. Selten aber macht 

ein Treffpunkt so viel Freude wie das ehemalige 

Bankhaus im historischen Prachtbau 

Am Hof in Wiens Innenstadt, das zum 

wunderbaren Hotel Park Hyatt Vienna 

umgestaltet wurde. Der Hort eleganter 

Opulenz im besten Sinne verleiht einem 

schon beim Betreten ein erhebendes Gefühl. 

Ich bin mit Monique Dekker verabredet, 

die die Geschicke des Hauses als General 

Manager leitet. Die Auswahl an süßen 

Köstlichkeiten im Café Am Hof ist zur frühen 

Nachmittagsstunde groß. Serviert werden 

Pistazien Knusper Nougat Gâteau und 

Erdbeer Cheesecake - für mich eine Melange, 

für meine Gastgeberin eine erfrischende 

hausgemachte Limonade mit Basilikum, 

Zitronensaft und ganzen Ingwerstücken. 

Schon früh, erzählt Dekker, sei ihr der 

zukünftige berufliche Weg bewusst gewesen. 

„Ich war drei Jahre alt“, meint die gebürtige 

Holländerin. Sie erzählt über ihre 

Großeltern väterlicherseits als Vorbilder: 

„Meine Oma hatte eine Kneipe, mein Opa 

war Restaurantleiter.“ Geprägt von diesem 

Gastgeber-Umfeld absolvierte sie schließlich 

ein Hotelmanagement-Studium in 

Den Haag und arbeitete gegen Ende der 

Ausbildung in New York. Nach ersten beruflichen 

Erfahrungen im Luxushotel St. 

Regis, führte sie ihr Weg vom Big Apple 

aus zur Hyatt Gruppe: nach Boston und 

Chicago, dann Singapur und Tokio. Nach 

fünf Jahren in Asien reifte der Entschluss, 

nach Europa zurückzukehren. Hyatt eröffnete 

da gerade einen Neubau mit 300 Zimmern 

in Düsseldorf, Dekker verantwortete 

als General Manager drei Jahre lang die 

gesamte Pre-Opening Phase. Sie bewährte 

sich und bekam dann das Angebot, auch 

das umgestaltete historische Wiener Haus 

aus der Taufe zu heben. „Mir gefällt das 

Hyatt-Motto einfach“, stellt Dekker fest: 

„We care for people so they can be their 

best“. Und dies gelte für Mitarbeiter wie 

Gäste und Lieferanten gleichermaßen. Am 

besten zu sein, geht heute mehr denn je 

auch mit der Bereitschaft einher, für Änderungen 

bereit zu sein. Und Nachjustierungen 

im Flagship-Hotel durchzuführen: Der 

Barbereich wurde an das Restaurant angeschlossen. 

Die ehemalige Bar wurde zum 

Kaffeehaus Café Am Hof umgestaltet und 

mit einem eigenen Eingang versehen. Viele 

kommen nun aus der näheren Umgebung 

zum Business Lunch, am Abend lockt das 

Restaurant The Bank Brasserie & Bar Reisende 

wie Einheimische gleichermaßen. 

Als Ausgleich für ihren straffen Arbeitsalltag 

und Terminkalender betreibt 

Dekker gerne Sport und radelt auch, wie 

zuletzt beachtliche 35 km entlang der Donau, 

gemeinsam mit ihrem Ehemann. Ihre 

beiden Beagles halten sie ebenso fit. Monique 

Dekker scheint angekommen zu 

sein. Und hat sich verliebt – in Wien. „Ich 

würde gerne noch die kommenden 10 bis 

15 Jahre hier bleiben“, sagt sie lächelnd. 

During the course of a journalistic 

career, one gets to meet his or her 

interviewees at various different 

locations, including many restaurants, cafes 

and bars. It is quite rare, however, that a 

meeting spot brings as much delight as the 

former bank building in the historical Am 

Hof house in Vienna’s city centre, which 

has been rebuilt into the Hotel Park Hyatt 

Vienna. Upon entering, this treasure of elegant 

opulence gives you an exhilarating 

feeling. I have an appointment with Monique 

Dekker, the hotel’s General Manager. 

During the early afternoon hours, the Café 

Am Hof provides a wide selection of sweet 

delicacies. Among the treats on offer are 

pistachio crunchy nougat gateau and 

strawberry cheesecake. I order a melange, 

and my host has a refreshing homemade 

lemonade with basil, lemon juice and whole 

ginger pieces. 

”From very early on,“ says Dekker, ”I 

knew what my future career would look 

like. I was three years old,“ says the native 

Dutch woman. She talks about her grandparents 

on her father’s side as key role models. 

”My grandmother had a pub, my 

grandfather managed a restaurant.“ Influenced 

by this hospitality environment, she 

completed a hotel management degree in 

Den Haag and then worked in New York 

toward the end of her training. After a few 

professional experiences in the luxury hotel 

St. Regis, life led her from the big apple 

to the Hyatt Group: to Boston and Chicago, 

then Singapore and Tokyo. After five years 

in Asia, she decided to return to Europe. 

Hyatt was just opening a new hotel in Dusseldorf, 

Dekker became the General Manager 

for the entire three-year-long pre-opening 

phase. She proved herself and then 

received the offer to launch the redesigned 

historical Wiener House. ”I just liked the 

Hyatt theme,“ Dekker states. ”We care for 

people so they can be their best“. This likewise 

applied to employees, guests and suppliers. 

And today, being at your best often 

means being ready to adapt to change. One 

such change meant making modifications 

to the flagship hotel. The bar area was connected 

to the restaurant. The former bar 

was redesigned into the Café Am Hof and 

equipped with a separate entrance. Many 

now come from the surrounding areas to 

meet for business lunch, whereas in the 

evening, The Bank Brasserie & Bar restaurant 

attracts both locals and travellers alike. 

To balance her strict work schedule and 

routine, Dekker likes to do sports and to 

cycle. Recently, she and her husband completed 

an impressive 35 km along the Danube. 

Her two beagles also like to keep her 

fit. Monique Dekker has arrived. And she 

has fallen in love as well — with Vienna. ”I 

would like to stay here for the next 10 to 15 

years or so,“ she says with a smile. 

absolvierte ein Hotel-Management Studium in Den Haag, Niederlande. Erste berufliche 

Hotel-Erfahrungen sammelte sie im Luxus-Hotel St. Regis in New York. Seit 1996 arbeitet sie 

vorwiegend für die Hyatt Gruppe und war in Boston, Princeton, Chicago, Singapur und Tokio 

tätig. Von 2010 bis 2013 begleitete sie die Pre-Opening Phase des Hyatt Regency Düsseldorf. 

Seit Juni 2013 ist sie General Manager im Park Hyatt Vienna. 

completed a hotel management degree in Den Haag, the Netherlands. She collected her first hotel 

experiences in the luxury hotel St. Regis in New York. Since 1996, she has been working primarily for 

the Hyatt Group and has been assigned to hotels in Boston, Princeton, Chicago, Singapore and 

Tokyo. Between 2010 and 2013, she attended the pre-opening phase of the Hyatt Regency 

Dusseldorf. Since June 2013, she has been the General Manager at the Park Hyatt Vienna. 

INFO: 

PARK HYATT VIENNA 

Am Hof 2 

1010 Wien 

parkhyattvienna.com 

Sehr gute Wahl. Der Erdbeer Cheesecake links, 

der Pistazien Knusper Nougat Gateau rechts und 

die Melange in der Mitte. 

A very good choice. The strawberry cheesecake 

to the left, the pistachio crunchy nougat gateau 

to the right and the melange in the middle. 

Ganz links: Der Himmel für Naschkatzen. 

Far left: Heaven for people with a sweet tooth. 

Links und oben: Das süße Angebot und den 

Kaffee gibt es auch zum Mitnehmen, ganze 

Torten gerne auf Vorbestellung. 

Left and above: The sweet delicacies and the 

coffee can be ordered for takeaway, whole cakes 

are available on pre-order. 


SAVOIR VIVRE SUITE DREAMS 

Suite Dreams 

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna – Präsidentensuite | Presidential Suite 

Text: Rois&Stubenrauch 

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

5-Sterne Häuser, die den Ansprüchen höchster Würdenträger und Staatsgäste gerecht werden. Seit August 2012 komplettiert The 

Ritz-Carlton, Vienna den Reigen glanzvoller Wiener Ringstraßenhotels. Cercle Diplomatique hat Generaldirektor Christian Zandonella 

um ein paar Worte zur Präsidentensuite des The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna gebeten. 

Vienna is a hub for international diplomats, a UN location and the setting for numerous key conferences. The city’s countless 5-star 

hotels are guaranteed to fulfil the demands of the highest of dignitaries and state guests alike. Since August 2012, The Ritz-Carlton, 

Vienna has been complementing the ranks of Vienna’s Ringstrasse hotels. Cercle Diplomatique sat down with General Manager Christian 

Zandonella for a chat about the Presidential Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna. 

PHOTOS: MATTHEW SHAW, THE RITZ-CARLTON, PHOTO-SIMONIS.COM, TINA HERZL 

Das The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna besteht aus vier historischen 

Ringstraßenpalais – welche Funktion hatten die Räumlichkeiten 

der Präsidentensuite ursprünglich? 

Jedes der vier Palais hatte seinen individuellen Charakter. Die 

Präsidentensuite befindet sich im Palais Gutmann, welches von 

Wilhelm Ritter von Gutmann für seine Familie gebaut wurde und 

diente damals als Beletage. Da Herr Gutmann ein passionierter 

Kunstsammler war, kann man bis heute die wunderschönen 

Deckenbemalungen von August Eisenmenger betrachten, der 

auch das weltbekannte Deckenfresko im Goldenen Saal des 

Musikvereins gestaltet hat. 

Im The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna trifft große amerikanische 

Hoteltradition auf Wiener Charme. Wie finden Sie die 

richtige Mischung für Ihre Gäste? 

Unser Stammhaus ist zwar in den Vereinigten Staaten, aber 

unsere Wurzeln sind zutiefst europäisch. Wir sehen uns als 

Wiener Zuhause auf Zeit und zeigen unseren Gästen auch gerne 

Wien von einer neuen Seite. So kann man bei uns mit dem 

Küchenchef den Naschmarkt besuchen oder mit dem Running 

Concierge Wien bei einem Sightseeing-Jogginglauf um die 

Ringstraße erkunden. 

Wie würden Sie den Stil der Präsidentensuite im The 

Ritz-Carlton, Vienna charakterisieren? 

Die Präsidentensuite ist architektonisch gesehen historisch, 

besitzt aber selbstverständlich die modernsten Annehmlichkeiten. 

Besonders hervorzuheben ist das denkmalgeschützte Deckenfresko, 

das die vier Jahreszeiten und die 12 Monate darstellt. Meine 

persönlichen Highlights sind die eigene Bibliothek und die 

ultramodernen Möbel berühmter österreichischer Designer. 

Natürlich spielt Platz eine wichtige Rolle – da wir eine der größten 

Präsidentensuiten Österreichs haben, müssen wir uns darum 

keine Sorgen machen. Den Gästen der Präsidentensuite steht 

natürlich auch unsere Club Lounge mit ihrem exklusiven und 

persönlichen Service offen – ein Hotel im Hotel. Auch ein eigener 

Concierge steht hier zur Verfügung. Im The Ritz-Carlton Spa 

können die Gäste im längsten Pool an der Ringstraße entspannen. 

Was war der ausgefallenste Wunsch, den Sie bis anhin 

einem Gast der Präsidentensuite erfüllt haben? 

Andersherum: Ein berühmter Gast hat unseren Mitarbeitern 

einmal eine private Autogrammstunde gegeben, weil er mit 

unserem Service so zufrieden war. 

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna consists of four historical palace 

buildings on the Ringstrasse. Which function did the rooms 

of the Presidential Suite have before? 

Each of the four palaces has its own individual character. The 

Presidential Suite is located in the Palais Gutmann that Wilhelm 

Ritter von Gutmann built for his family, and is used as a reception 

floor. Gutmann was a passionate art collector and you may admire 

August Eisenmenger’s beautiful ceiling paintings to this day. 

Eisenmenger also designed the well-known ceiling fresco in the 

Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein. 

In the Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, the great American hotel 

tradition meets Viennese charm. How do you find the right 

balance of the two for your guests? 

Our parent company may be in the United States, but our roots are 

deeply European. We see ourselves as a temporary home in Vienna 

and like to present the city to our guests from an entirely new 

perspective. They may accompany our head chef for a visit to the 

Naschmarkt or join the Running Concierge for a sightseeing 

jogging tour around the Ringstrasse. 

How would you characterise the style of the Presidential 

Suite in the Ritz-Carlton, Vienna? 

Architecturally speaking, the Presidential Suite is historical, but it 

does, of course, also possess various modern amenities. Especially 

noteworthy is the landmarked and protected ceiling fresco, which 

depicts the four seasons and the twelve months of the year. My 

personal highlights are the private library and the ultra-modern 

furniture by various renowned Austrian designers. It goes without 

saying that space plays a key role here, and since we’ve got one of 

the largest Presidential Suites in Austria, we really don’t have to 

worry about that. The guests also have access to our Club Lounge, 

with its exclusive and personal service. In the Ritz-Carlton Spa, our 

guests may relax in the longest swimming pool in the Ringstrasse. 

What was the most unusual request that you have received 

from a guest in the Presidential Suite so far? 

Actually it was the other way around: A famous guest once gave 

our staff a private autographing session because he was so 

satisfied with our service. 

Generaldirektor Christian Zandonella über 

die Präsidentensuite des The Ritz-Carlton, 

Vienna. 

General Manager Christian Zandonella on 

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna’s Presidential Suite. 

INFO: 

THE RITZ-CARLTON, VIENNA 

Schubertring 5-7 

1010 Wien 

Tel.: +43 1 311 88 

ritzcarlton.com

SAVOIR VIVRE HIDEAWAYS 

Wunderbare Fluchten 

Great Escapes 

Zeit für eine herbstliche Auszeit? Wir haben vier Empfehlungen für Sie! Time for an autumn break? We´ve got four recommendations for you! 

Das Almdorf 

World Peace Eco Resort 

MEHR ENTSPANNUNG 

MORE RELAXATION 

Zwischen Tradition und Moderne: Das Almdorf 

verkörpert die perfekte Mischung aus Beständigkeit und 

Vision. 

Between tradition and modernity: The Almdorf embodies 

the perfect mixture of stability and vision. 

Ein Highlight: Das kleinste Restaurant der 

Welt – Auf dem offenen Feuer bereitet die 

Köchin ihren Gästen ein mehrgängiges Menü 

zu, der Blick durch die Panoramascheibe ist 

atemberaubend. 

A highlight: The smallest restaurant in the 

world — the chef prepares a multi-course 

menu for her guests on the open fire, the view 

through the panorama pane is breath-taking. 

PHOTOS: DAS ALMDORF, PETER KÜHNL/PURADIES, INNS HOLZ NATUR- & VITALHOTEL UND CHALETDORF BÖHMERWALD, HELDENTHEATER/MOLZBACHHOF 

Auf 1.500 Metern Seehöhe in Kärnten wartet im 

exklusiven „Das Almdorf“ neben authentischem 

Ambiente und erstklassigem Service auch eine Hotelerfahrung 

der besonderen Art. In 51 wunderschönen Hütten und 

exquisiten Chalets werden Gäste hier von atemberaubender 

Natur, echter gelebter Gastfreundschaft und heimischer 

Kulinarik umgeben. Die Hütten verzaubern mit einer Stube, 

dem gemütlichen Wohnbereich, der Hausbank auf der 

Hüttenterrasse, dem köstlichen Hüttenfrühstück und der 

Liebe zum Detail. Der Sternenhimmel lockt Chalet-Gäste in 

den beheizten Zuber zu einem Bad im Freien. Für einen 

erholsamen Schlaf sorgen die Schlafzimmer aus gesundem 

Zirbenholz. 

Alles geschieht in dem angenehmen Bewusstsein, dass hier 

regional und nachhaltig gewirtschaftet wird. Das spiegeln 

allein die Produkte der dort zubereiteten traditionellen 

Kärntner und hochwertigen Küche wider, die von 

umliegenden Bergbauern bezogen werden. Ein kulinarischer 

Höhepunkt ist die Holzknechthütte, das kleinste Restaurant 

der Welt. Für naturnahe Pflege und Erholung sorgen der Alm 

Spa und die Panoramasauna mit dem Besten, was die Natur 

in der jeweiligen Jahreszeit zu bieten hat. Die zum Teil 

eigens fürs Almdorf entwickelten Behandlungen, wie das 

Kräuterheubad, laden auf Basis bewährter Heilmethoden 

des Bauernkalenders und der Mondphasen zu entspannten 

Stunden ein. 

1 

,500 metres above sea level in the Austrian Carinthia, the 

exclusive Das Almdorf awaits you with an authentic 

atmosphere, top-notch service and a very special kind of 

hotel experience. In 51 beautiful huts and exquisite chalets, 

guests are surrounded by breath-taking nature, real local 

hospitality and domestic cuisine. The huts delight with a 

bedroom, the cosy living area, the house bank on the hut 

terrace, the delicious hut breakfast and plenty of passion for 

detail. The starry night sky attracts chalet guests into the 

hot tub for an open-air bath. Beds made from healthy 

pinewood guarantee a good night’s sleep. 

All this occurs with the reassuring awareness that 

everything here is sourced locally and sustainably. This 

becomes particularly apparent when looking at the products 

from the traditional Carinthias and their quality cuisine, 

frequented by the surrounding mountain farmers. One 

culinary highlight is the Holzknechthütte hut, the smallest 

restaurant in the world. Natural care and relaxation is 

provided by the Alm Spa and the Panoramasauna, as well as 

the best of whatever nature happens to have on 

offer during the season. The treatments, some of 

them specifically developed for the Almdorf, 

such as the herbal hay bath, invite you to relax 

and benefit from the proven healing methods 

based on the farmer’s calendar and the lunar 

phases. 

INFO: 

Das Almdorf World Peace Eco Resort 

Fellacheralm 

9564 Patergassen bei Bad Kleinkirchheim 

Tel.: +43/4275-7201 

almdorf.com 

Holzbach 

Ganz ohne Nägel, Schrauben und Leim wurde der Molzbachhof 

um einen Zubau, das neue Vollholz-Hotel Holzbach, 

erweitert. Das zertifizierte Wander- und familiäre 

Wellnesshotel in Kirchberg am Wechsel bietet 16 

Vollholzzimmer sowie ein Gourmet-Restaurant. 

The Molzbachhof farm added a new annexe without the use 

of nails, screws or glue whatsoever — the new Vollholz- 

Hotel Holzbach. The certified hiking and family spa hotel in 

Kirchberg am Wechsel offers 16 fully wooden rooms, as well 

as a gourmet restaurant. 

molzbachhof.at 

INNs HOLZ 

Zentral zu sieben Top-Golfplätzen wohnen Gäste des INNs 

HOLZ Natur- & Vitalhotel und Chaletdorf Böhmerwald in 

Schöneben. Das Badehaus mit beheiztem Outdoorpool 

(oben) sowie der Hotel-Wellnessbereich bieten Entspannung. 

Chalet-Gäste relaxen außerdem in ihrer privaten 

Wellnessoase. 

Right at the centre of seven top-notch golf courses, that’s 

where the guests of the INNs HOLZ Natur- & Vitalhotel and 

the Böhmerwald Chalets in Schöneben live. The bathhouse 

with heated outdoor pool and the hotel spa area provide 

pure relaxation. Chalet guests can also seek refuge in their 

own private wellness oasis. innsholz.at 

Puradies 

Das Gourmetrestaurant ESS:ENZ 

ist die neue Adresse für 

Feinschmecker im Puradies 

Hotel & Chalets in Leogang. 

Zwei Hauben-Koch André Stahl 

verwöhnt dort u.a. mit 

handwerklicher Perfektion und 

Fleisch vom hauseigenen Biobauernhof sowie Kräutern, die 

vor der Haustür wachsen. 

The gourmet restaurant ESS:ENZ at the Puradies Hotel & 

Chalets in Leogang is the new address for foodies. Two-time 

Hauben-award winning chef Andrè Stahl pampers his guests 

with handmade perfection and meat from the in-house 

organic farm, as well as herbs picked from right in front of 

the door. 

puradies.com 


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 

Lovran, Kroatien | Croatia 

Villa Astra 

Malediven | Maldives 

Robinson Club Noonu 

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT 

Die Villa Astra wurde vor hundert Jahren von einem 

italienischen Adeligen namens Nicolo Guerra errichtet, 

der von dem herrlichen Blick, den man von diesem 

Platz aus auf die Kvarner Bucht hat, begeistert war. 

Damals nannte man diese Gegend „die österreichische 

Riviera“. Die Villa Astra ist ein wunderschönes Haus in 

neugotischem Stil; sie befindet sich in Lovran, einem 

Nachbarort von Opatija, dem ehemaligen Abbazia. 

Heute ist die Villa Astra eines der schönsten und 

romantischsten Hotels der Gegend. Ein idealer Ort, um 

auszuspannen. Sie verfügt über einen direkten 

Meereszugang, hat einen schönen Pool, einen 

Wellness-Bereich und ein intimes Gourmetrestaurant. 

The Villa Astra was constructed a hundred years ago 

by the Italian nobleman Nicolo Guerra who was 

enchanted by the incredible view of the Kvarner Bay 

from this location. Back then, the area was known as 

“the Austrian Riviera”. The Villa Astra is a beautiful 

house built in the neo-gothic style – it is located in 

Lovran, near Opatija, formerly known as Abbazia. 

Today, the Villa Astra is one of the most beautiful and 

romantic hotels in the area. An ideal place to unwind. 

It has direct access to the sea, a beautiful pool, a spa 

area and an intimate gourmet restaurant. 

hotelvillaastra.com 

Malediven | Maldives 

St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort 

Auf einer privaten Insel im Dhaalu Atoll liegt das St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Auf neun Hektar bietet 

es einzigartigen Luxus vom persönlichen 24-Stunden Butlerservice bis zur Entspannung pur im Iridium Spa. 

Sechs erstklassige Restaurants und Bars bieten Kulinarik auf höchstem Niveau. Die 77 exklusiv gestalteten 

Überwasser- und Landvillen – alle mit privatem Swimmingpool – haben je nach Wunsch ein, zwei oder drei 

Schlafzimmer und sind zwischen 150 und 1.540 Quadratmeter groß. Das Resort ist binnen 45 Minuten mit 

dem Wasserflugzeug vom Malé International Airport erreichbar. 

On a private island in the Dhaalu Atoll region, you will find the St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Spread 

across nine hectares, it offers unique luxury — from a 24-hour personal butler service to pure relaxation in 

the Idrium Spa. Six top-notch restaurants and bars provide cuisine on the highest level. The 77 exclusively 

styled land and country villas — all equipped with private swimming pools — have two or three bedrooms 

depending on request and are between 150 and 1,540 square metres big. The resort can be reached within 

45 minutes via seaplane from Malé International Airport. 

stregismaldives.com 

„Ob barfuß im Sand in unserer wunderschönen Sundownerbar auf der Landzunge, 

stilvoll im Teppanyaki-Restaurant auf Stelzen im Wasser oder auf einer Tauchtour im 

spektakulären Noonu-Atoll – hier können Sie die Malediven völlig neu erleben!“, 

verspricht Adam Szkop, der Clubdirektor des neuen Robinson Club Noonu. Es ist nicht 

das erste Robinson-Resort auf den Malediven. Doch in Ergänzung zum Robinson Club 

Maldives gibt er sich besonders familienfreundlich (ohne deshalb ein Familienclub zu 

sein) und bietet All-inclusive-Verpflegung an. Er befindet sich auf der Insel Orivaru im 

Noonu-Atoll und ist von Malé, der Inselhauptstadt, wo sich auch der internationale 

Flughafen befindet, sehr leicht und schnell mit einem Wasserflugzeug und/oder 

Schnellboot erreichbar. Geboten werden ein vielfältiges Sport und Wellness-Angebot, 

Tauchen und Schnorcheln, eine hochwertige Kulinarik, ein Entertainment-Programm mit 

Shows, Party, Konzerte – und eine qualifizierte Kreativbetreuung für Kinder und 

Jugendliche. 

”Whether barefoot in the sand at our wonderful Sundowner Bar on the headland, 

stylishly at our Teppanyaki restaurant mounted on stilts and sitting on top of the water, 

or during a diving tour in the spectacular Noonu Atoll — experience the Maldives like 

never before!“, promises Adam Szkop, Club Director of the new Robinson Club Noonu. 

It’s not the first Robinson resort on the Maldives. But unlike the Robinson Club Maldives, 

it is especially family-friendly (without actually being a family club) and provides 

all-inclusive catering. The club is located on the island of Orivaru in the Noonu Atoll 

region and it can easily be reached from Malé, the island capital harbouring the 

international airport, via seaplane and/or speedboat. Also on offer is a diverse sports 

and wellness programme, diving and snorkelling, high-quality cuisine, an entertainment 

range consisting of shows, parties, concerts — as well as qualified creative supervision 

for kids and adolescents alike. 

robinson.com 

London 

The Ned 

The Ned ist das jüngste Haus der Soho House Gruppe, zu der Hotels in London, New York, Los Angeles, 

Berlin und an einigen anderen Plätzen gehören und die bei den erfolgreicheren Mitgliedern der Creative 

Class besonders beliebt sind. Es befindet sich in jenem eindrucksvollen Gebäude in der Londoner City, in 

dem einst die Headquarters der Midland Bank untergebracht waren. Nun ist The Ned Londons neues, 

angesagtes Luxushotel. Für Lebensqualität sorgen ein Rooftop Pool, neun Restaurants und Bars sowie das 

beliebte Cowshed Spa und Gym. 

The Ned is the newest house by the Soho House Group, which also includes hotels in London, New York, Los 

Angeles, Berlin and several other places that are particularly popular among the more successful members 

of the creative class. It’s located in the impressive building in the City of London that once used to 

headquarter the Midland Bank. Today, the Ned is London’s current hip luxury hotel. Excellent quality of life 

is guaranteed by a rooftop pool, nine restaurants and bars, as well as the popular Cowshed Spa and Gym. 

thened.com 


SAVOIR VIVRE TRAVEL 

New York City 

Campbell Bar 

Bangkok 

Park Hyatt Bangkok 

Das Gebäude, das das Park Hyatt Bangkok beherbergt, ist nicht zu übersehen. Seine Form ist spektakulär: Sie soll 

an eine dreidimensionale Acht erinnern, eine Glückszahl in der chinesischen Kultur. Den Skyscraper hat Amanda 

Levete, die zurzeit wohl meistgefragte Architektin weit und breit, entworfen. Die Innengestaltung des Hotels hat 

das bewährte Büro YabuPushelberg übernommen und sie haben ein Haus von außergewöhnlicher Eleganz und 

entspannter Ruhe geschaffen, das sehr gekonnt modernes Design mit Elementen der thailändischen Kultur mixt. 

Das Park Hyatt Bangkok bietet einen sehr spektakulären Salzwasser Infinity Pool über den Dächern Bangkoks und 

selbstverständlich gute Restaurants und Bars. Unterhalb des Park Hyatt befindet sich mit der Central Embassy 

eine der besten High-end-Shopping Malls Bangkoks. 

The building housing the Park Hyatt Bangkok cannot be missed. Its shape is nothing short of spectacular — and is 

intended to resemble a three-dimensional eight, a lucky number in Chinese culture. Amanda Levete, perhaps the 

most sought-after architect of our times, designed the impressive skyscraper. The hotel’s interior design was 

handled by the tried and tested YabuPushelberg agency, having crafted a building of extraordinary elegance and 

tranquillity, perfectly blending modern design principles with various elements from Thai culture. The Park Hyatt 

Bangkok offers a truly spectacular salt water infinity pool hovering above the roofs of Bangkok and, of course, 

also excellent restaurants and bars. Underneath the Park Hyatt, you will find the Central Embassy, one of the best 

high-end shopping malls in Bangkok. 

bangkok.park.hyatt.com 

Das Campbell Apartment war eine legendäre, 

klassische Cocktail Bar im Grand Central 

Terminal. Hier tranken die Mad Men und die 

smarten Banker von der Wall Street noch in 

Ruhe einen Martini, bevor sie die Vorortezüge 

bestiegen, die sie nach Hause brachten. Nun hat 

sie wiedereröffnet. Und ist nun ein beliebter 

Anlaufpunkt für all jene, die ganz gepflegt vor 

einem Abend im Theatre District oder einer 

Nacht in Downtown hier noch einen Aperitif 

trinken wollen. 

The Campbell Apartment was a legendary, 

classic cocktail bar in the Grand Central 

Terminal. This is where the Mad Men and smart 

Wall Street bankers gathered for a quick Martini 

before commuting back to the suburbs by train. 

And now it’s open again, as a popular point of 

contact for all those wanting to drink an aperitif 

prior to heading for an evening in the Theatre 

District or spending a night out downtown. 

thecampbellnyc.com 


A clear case of wanderlust. 

– YOUR ISLAND PARADISE 

| Whether you are a couple or a family – there’s something 

for everyone 

| Wide range of sport and WellFit ® activities 

| Buffets and WellFood ® to suit every taste 

| Sensational diving zones – right in front of the club 

| Relaxed sunset experiences with live music on the beach 

CLUB MALDIVES 

GAAFU-ALIF-ATOLL . MALEDIVEN 

e. g. on 02/12/2017, 1 week in double 

room, full board made by ROBINSON, 

including fl ight from Vienna, per person 

from € 2,575 * 

CLUB NOONU 

NOONU-ATOLL . MALEDIVEN 

e. g. on 18/11/2017, 1 week in double 

room, all-inclusive made by ROBINSON, 

including fl ight from Vienna, per person 

from € 2,629 * 

For advice and bookings, visit your TUI travel agency or www.robinson.com 

* Price per person, including fl ight and transfer, minimum stay: 7 nights; limited availability. 

TUI Deutschland GmbH . Karl-Wiechert-Allee 23 . 30625 Hanover . Germany 


SAVOIR VIVRE WELTMUSEUM WIEN 

14 

Wiener Weltgeschichten 

Viennese world histories 

Das Weltmuseum Wien wird – nach drei Jahren Schließzeit, in denen im Corps de Logis 

in der Neuen Hofburg kein Stein auf dem anderen geblieben ist – Ende Oktober endlich fulminant 

wiedereröffnet. 

The Weltmuseum Wien, which has been closed for three years, during which the Neue Hofburg’s 

Corps de Logis was redone from the ground up, is finally going to be opened once again 

at the end of October. 

Text & Interview: Rois & Stubenrauch 


neu. 


new. 

„Der Orient vor der Haustüre“ 

- einer der 14 neuen 

Säle. 

„The orient right in front of 

your door“ - one of 14 new 

halls. 

PHOTOS: ARGE RALPH APPELBAUM ASSOCIATES/HOSKINS ARCHITECTS, KHM-MUSEUMSVERBAND 

Geschichten, die auf diese 

Weise nur hier in Wien erzählt werden 

14einzigartige 

können, rollt das Weltmuseum Wien in 

seinen, von Grund auf neu gestalteten 14 Sälen auf. 

Basierend auf der weltbedeutenden Sammlung, systematisch 

eklektisch in der Auswahl - wie Museumsdirektor 

Steven Engelsman mit einem Schmunzeln anmerkt. 

Das einstige Völkerkundemuseum zeigt sich 

2017 inhaltlich und technisch rundum erneuert mit 

zeitgemäßem Blick auf die Welt: Die Sammlung des 

berühmten britischen Weltumseglers James Cook 

etwa – eine der frühesten First Contact Sammlungen, 

die man wohl eher in London vermuten würde – 

zeichnet im Saal „Südsee - Begegnungen mit dem 

verlorenen Paradies“ die ereignisreichen Zusammentreffen 

mit den Bewohnern der pazifischen Inselwelten 

nach. Zudem berichten die Stücke aus dem Hofschatz 

des Königreichs Benin, die zu den wertvollsten 

Beständen des Weltmuseums Wien zählen, im Saal 

„Benin und Äthiopien – Kunst, Macht, Widerstand“ 

einerseits von der Pracht der höfischen Kultur Afrikas, 

zugleich aber auch von der kolonialen Aneignung 

des Kontinents. Blüte und Verfall der indianischen 

Kulturen werden im Saal „Ein österreichisches 

Mosaik Brasiliens“ entlang der Sammlungen, die 

anno 1817 in Folge der Heirat von Maria Leopoldine 

von Österreich nach Brasilien, nach Wien gelangt 

sind, aufgefächert. 

Sammlerwahn 

Der Rundgang durch die neuen Säle bewegt sich 

nicht nur geografisch entlang der Kontinente, der 

Saal „Sammlerwahn – Ich leide an Museomanie!“ 

beispielsweise stellt die Thematik der Sammelwut 

der Habsburger in den Fokus. Nicht weniger als 

14.000 ethnografische Objekte brachte Erzherzog 

Franz Ferdinand von seiner zehnmonatigen, auch 

der Knüpfung diplomatischer Kontakte gewidmeten 

Weltreise 1892/93 mit. „Mitten im Saal steht eine Vitrine, 

in der nicht exemplarisch eine Schattenspielfigur 

aus Indonesien ausgestellt ist, sondern 42, um 

den Sammelwahn von Franz Ferdinand zu illustrieren, 

dem es, genauso wie bei der Jagd, offensichtlich 

um die große Zahl gegangen ist“, erläutert Christian 

Schicklgruber, Kurator und stellvertretender Direktor 

des Weltmuseum Wien. Auszüge aus den Reisetagebüchern 

des Thronfolgers werfen ein Licht auf 

die damalige Sichtweise der Welt. 

Viel Stoff für Diskurs bietet der Saal „Im Schatten 

des Kolonialismus“. „Entgegen der verbreiteten Meinung, 

dass Österreich ja nie eine große Kolonialmacht 

war - uns das Thema also gar nichts angeht, 

sind sehr viele Objekte in einem kolonialen Kontext 

zu uns gekommen“, erläutert Kuratorin Claudia Augustat. 

Dabei scheut das Weltmuseum Wien auch 

nicht davor zurück, so kontroversielle Themen wie 

die Restitution von Objekten aus der Sammlung 

oder moderne Sklaverei aufzugreifen. „Eine Aufar- 

beitung des Kolonialismus können wir hier natürlich 

nicht leisten, die profunde Auseinandersetzung mit 

der Geschichte des Hauses jedoch schon“, ergänzt 

Augustat. 

Neue Blickweisen 

Die historischen Sammlungen aus der Kaiserzeit 

bilden nach wie vor die Grundlage der Dauerausstellung 

in den 14 Sälen im Mezzanin – rund um die 

Eingangshalle bespielt das Weltmuseum Wien noch 

einmal 1.500 m 2 Fläche mit Sonderausstellungen, die 

aktuelle Themen aufgreifen und die historischen Bestände 

mit der Gegenwart verzahnen sollen. Weshalb 

Steven Engelsman auch sehr viel an der intensiven 

Zusammenarbeit mit dem Diplomatischen 

Corps liegt, die neben den Ausstellungsprojekten 

auch in künstlerische Interventionen mündet. Wie 

die großformatige Arbeit der neuseeländischen 

Künstlerin Lisa Reihana, die im Augenblick noch auf 

der Biennale in Venedig gezeigt wird, und danach 

für fünf Jahre den Saal „Südsee: Begegnungen mit 

dem verlorenen Paradies“ bereichert. 

Weitere Interventionen, wie Lisl Pongers Fotoarbeit 

„The Master Narrative“, brechen die alten Blickweisen 

auf. Ganz im Sinne des neuen Selbstverständnisses 

des Weltmuseums Wien, das sich nicht mehr 

nur als publikumswirksames Ausstellungshaus sieht, 

sondern als Treffpunkt für Menschen aller Kulturen, 

wie Engelsman betont: „In diesem Sinne ist das 

Weltmuseum Wien zuallererst ein Ort, wo man sich 

trifft, ein Zentrum lebendiger Kultur!“ 

14 presented by the Weltmuseum Wien in 

unique histories, which could only be told 

in this way in the city of Vienna, will be 

their 14 completely redesigned exhibition halls. It is 

based on the internationally renowned collection, 

which is systematically eclectic in the selection, Museum 

Director Steven Engelsman remarks with a 

smirk. The former Museum of Ethnology presents 

itself fully reworked in terms of content and form 

alike in 2017 and also offers a new contemporary 

look at the world. The collection by the renowned 

British explorer and navigator James Cook, which is 

one of the earliest first contact collections that one 

may be more likely to expect in London, marks the 

eventful encounters with the inhabitants of the Pacific 

Islands in the South Seas: Encounters with the 

Paradise Lost hall. Or, perhaps, the pieces the King- 

Oben: Neuer Eingangsbereich 

und Museumsshop. 

Top: The new entrance area 

and the museum shop. 

Unten /below: „Ost- und 

West-Indischer wie auch 

Sinesischer Lust- und 

Stats-Garten“, Erasmus 

Franciscus, Nürnberg 1668. 

Top: The new entrance area 

and the museum shop. 



119


INFO 

SPRUNG IN DIE GEGENWART: 

„Staying with Trouble“. Während 

einer zweimonatigen Residency 

entstandene Arbeiten von Rajkamal 

Kahlon. 

JUMP TO THE PRESENCE. 

“Staying with Trouble“ which was 

created by Rajkamal Kahlon during a 

two month-residency . 

„POP-UP WORLD“ / 

ERZÄHLUNGEN. 

Zur Wiedereröffnung des 

Weltmuseum Wien erscheint 

ein innovatives Buch. 

On occasion of the reopening 

of the Weltmuseum Wien, an 

innovative book will be 

published. 


„THE MASTER NARRATIVE“. 

Lisl Ponger zeigt sechs großformatige Fotoarbeiten. 

Lisl Ponger shows six photo works in large format. 

„CONVERSATIONS“. 

Klanginstallation von Dejan Kaludjerović. 

Sound installation by Dejan Kaludjerovic. 

dom of Benin royal treasure, which count among the 

most valuable items in the Weltmuseum Wien’s inventory, 

retelling the splendour of Africa’s court culture 

in the Benin and Ethiopia: Art, Power, Resilience 

hall, whilst at the same time reporting on the 

continent’s colonial acquisition. The rise and fall of 

the Native American cultures are explored in the An 

Austrian Mosaic of Brazil hall, along with the collections 

that have made it to Vienna as a result of Maria 

Leopoldina of Austria’s marriage to Brazil in 1817. 

Collecting craze 

A stroll through the new exhibition halls does not 

only provide a geographic journey through the continents, 

the Collecting Craze. I Suffer from Museomania! 

hall, for example, focuses on the Habsburg 

Family’s obsession with collecting precious items. In 

1892/93, Archduke Franz Ferdinand went on a 

10-month long exploratory and diplomatic journey 

around the world. He returned with as many as 

14,000 ethnographic objects. ‘Right at the centre of 

the hall, there is a display case that, and this is unusual, 

does not contain one shadow puppet from Indonesia, 

but 42, with the purpose of illustrating 

Franz Ferdinand’s obsession with precious items, 

where, just as it was the case with his hunting endeavours, 

quantity probably mattered more than quality,’ 

explains Christian Schicklgruber, Curator and 

Deputy Director at the Weltmuseum Wien. Excerpts 

from the Archduke’s travel logs cast a light on the 

prevailing view of the world during his time. 

There is plenty of material for discussion in the In 

the Shadow of Colonialism hall. ‘Contrary to the popular 

belief that Austria had never been a great colonial 

power, in other words, that the topic doesn’t 

even concern Austria, there are actually many objects 

that have come to us in a colonial context,’ explains 

Curator Claudia Augustat. And the Weltmuseum 

Wien does not shy away from tackling 

controversial topics such as the restitution of objects 

from the collection or even addressing modern-day 

slavery. ‘A new investigation into colonialism is, of 

course, beyond our reach here, but a profound engagement 

with the history of this establishment is not,’ 

Augustat adds. 

New perspectives 

The historical collections from the Imperial Era 

continue to make up the foundation of the permanent 

exhibition of the 14 halls in the mezzanine, 

PHOTOS: KHM-MUSEUMSVERBAND, RAJKAMAL KAHLON, LISL PONGER, DEJAN KALUDJEROVIĆ, SUZY STÖCKL 

Froschkönig, 1994 © Illustration Horst Sambo, Kastner & Partners in Frankfurt, Red Bull GmbH Fuschl am See 

around the entry hall, the Weltmuseum Wien continues 

to use an area of around 1500 m 2 to present special 

exhibitions that tackle contemporary issues and 

connect the museum’s historical content with the 

present. And that is also why Steven Engelsman cares 

a lot about the intensive collaboration with the Diplomatic 

Corps, which has not only resulted in exhibition 

projects but also in artistic interventions. This 

includes the large-format project by the artist Lisa 

Reihana from New Zealand, which is currently being 

displayed at the Biennale in Venice, after which it 

will enrich the South Seas: Encounters with the 

Paradise Lost hall at the Weltmuseum Wien for five 

years. 

Additional interventions, such as Lisl Ponger’s 

photo piece, The Master Narrative, crack open old 

ways of looking at things. In the spirit of the Weltmuseum 

Wien’s new self-image, which no longer sees 

itself as just an exhibition centre for the public, but as 

a meeting point for people of all cultures, Engelsman 

emphasizes: ‘In this sense, the Weltmuseum Wien is, 

primarily, a place where people meet and a centre for 

vivid culture!’ 

www.karikaturmuseum.at 

Open-Air Eröffnungsfest 

Weltmuseum Wien mit André 

Heller, 25.10.2017. 

Open-air opening celebration 

Weltmuseum Wien with André Heller 

Tag der offenen Tür, 26.10.2017. 

Open day 

INFO: 

weltmuseumwien.at 

„Als junger Mensch besuchte ich häufig 

das Wiener Völkerkundemuseum, um das 

sogenannte Fremde zu erleben. Es war mir 

ein Staunen, ein Trost, eine wunderbare Inspiration 

und die Ermutigung später einmal 

selbst ein Expeditionswesen zu werden, um 

mir selbst und der Welt auf den Grund zu 

gehen. Endlich wird nun das Weltmuseum 

Wien, in Inhalt und Form klug verwandelt, 

wiedereröffnet. Welche Freude! “ 

‘When I was young, I frequently visited the Museum 

of Ethnology in order to experience the socalled 

foreign. It was a source of astonishment, 

of solace, of inspiration and of encouragement to 

embark upon my own travels to explore both the 

world as well as myself. On the 25th of October 

2017, the long slumber will finally come to an end 

and the Museum of Ethnology will be reopened, 

smartly transformed in both content and form, 

with the much more appropriate name Weltmuseum. 

What a delight!’ 

André Heller 

Verleiht Flüüügel. 

30 JAHRE 

CARTOONS 

VON RED BULL 

28.05.17–11.03.18


SINCE 1707 

INFO 

NACHGEFRAGT | ENQUIRED 

WIENMUSEUM 2017 

HIGHLIGHTS 

Schausammlung in 14 

Sälen | Display collection 

in 14 halls 

ab 27.10.2017. täglich außer 

Mittwoch 10 - 18 Uhr; 

Freitag 10 - 21 Uhr. 

From 27/10/2017. Open daily, 

except Wednesday, 10:00 to 

18:00; Friday 10:00 to 21:00. 

Sonderausstellungen 

ab 25.10.2017. 

Special exhibitions 

from 25/10/2017. 

Rajkamal Kahlon: 

„Staying with Trouble“ 

Lisl Ponger: 

„The Master Narrative“ 

Dejan Kaludjerović: 

„Conversations“ 

„Sharing Stories“ / Dinge 

sprechen 

„Pop-Up World“ / 

Erzählungen 

Kulturpatenschaften 

Culture partnerships 

Die Patenschaft für eines der 

einzigartigen Objekte der 

neu konzipierten 

Schausammlung des 

Weltmuseum Wien zu 

übernehmen, ist auch 

weiterhin möglich. Cercle 

Diplomatique darf sich stolz 

Kulturpatron eines 

australischen Bumerangs 

aus der ehemaligen 

Sammlung Erzherzogs Franz 

Ferdinand von Österreich- 

Este nennen. 

You can continue to sponsor 

one of the many unique 

objects of the newly 

conceptualised permanent 

exhibition of the 

Weltmuseum Wien. Cercle 

Diplomatique proudly calls 

itself the culture patron of 

an Australian boomerang 

from Archbishop Franz 

Ferdinand’s former 

collection. 

Steven Engelsman 

Direktor Weltmuseum Wien | Director Weltmuseum Wien 

Steven Engelsman studierte in Utrecht Mathematik und Wissenschaftsgeschichte und leitete mehr als 20 Jahre lang das Museum für 

Völkerkunde in Leiden. 2012 wurde Steven Engelsman zum Direktor des Weltmuseums Wien bestellt. 

Steven Engelsman studied Mathematics and History of Science in Utrecht and has led the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden for more than 

20 years. In 2012, Steven Engelsman was named the Director of the Weltmuseum Wien. 

Was darf sich das Publikum vom neuen Weltmuseum Wien 

erwarten? 

Wir zeigen eine großartige Perlenkette von Geschichten, die man so 

nur in Wien erzählen kann. 14 Säle mit absolut einzigartigen Objekten 

und absolut einzigartigen Geschichten über Österreich und die Welt - 

warum diese Sammlungen nach Österreich gekommen sind, was sie so 

wichtig macht. Und wir haben einen der besten Ausstellungsdesigner 

der Welt – Ralph Appelbaum – gewonnen, für uns die Einrichtung zu 

gestalten. Da sind wir schon sehr stolz darauf! 

Die Bestände des Weltmuseums Wien reichen sehr weit zurück 

in der Zeit. Gibt es auch Objekte, die Sie gerne zeigen würden, 

die aber aus Gründen der Fragilität nicht präsentiert werden 

können? 

Der Penacho de Moctezuma (Federkopfschmuck, Azteken, frühes 16. 

Jahrhundert) ist sicherlich das fragilste Stück der Sammlung, doch 

selbst dieses können wir zeigen - das ist technisch zwar sehr 

aufwändig, aber möglich. Es gibt natürlich einige tolle Objekte, die im 

Depot verbleiben müssen. Die rund 3.000 Objekte, die die 

Kuratorinnen und Kuratoren für die Dauerausstellung ausgewählt 

haben, sind auf jeden Fall eine fantastische Auswahl! 

Wie meistert das Weltmuseum Wien die Balance zwischen den 

ausgedehnten Beständen aus der Kaiserzeit und den 

Ansprüchen der Gegenwart? 

Das Erbe der Monarchie, diese ganz einzigartigen Sammlungen, die uns 

weltberühmt machen, sind die Rechtfertigung der Existenz des Hauses. 

Wir thematisieren aber auch wichtige Fragen von heute: Einerseits die 

kolonialen Ursprünge des Hauses - im Saal „Welt in Bewegung“ 

wiederum geht es um Migration. Neben den 14 Sälen der Dauerausstellung 

bespielen wir zudem 1.500 m 2 mit Sonderausstellungen. Und wir 

haben außerdem eine Reihe von künstlerischen Interventionen im 

Haus, etwa von Lisl Ponger oder Dejan Kaludjerović. Das sind starke 

Statements von heute, die wir da zeigen. 

Wie definieren Sie die Aufgaben des Weltmuseums Wien in 

einer globalisierten Welt am Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts? 

Die Repräsentation anderer Kulturen sehen wir heute nicht mehr als 

unsere Aufgabe, das war das Völkerkundemuseum. Das Weltmuseum 

Wien versteht sich als Treffpunkt für Menschen aller Kulturen, wo es 

um Wertschätzung und Begeisterung für kulturelle Vielfalt geht! 

What can the public expect from the newly designed exhibition 

halls? 

We present a fantastic chain of histories that could only be told in this 

way in Vienna. We will present 14 halls with absolutely unique objects 

and unique stories from Austria and all over the world —and show why 

these collections have come to Austria and what makes them so 

important. We got one of the best exhibition designers in the world 

– Ralph Appelbaum – to design the interior for us. We are especially 

proud of that! 

The inventory of the Weltmuseum Wien reaches far back into 

time. Are there any objects that you would like to show but 

cannot due to fragility issues? 

The Penacho de Moctezuma (feather headdress, Aztecs, early 16th 

century) is surely the most fragile piece in the collection, but we are still 

able to present it, which may be very demanding from a technical point 

of view, but it’s doable. But of course, there are a few great objects that 

must stay in the inventory. However, the 3,000 objects that the 

curators have chosen for the permanent exhibition are, without a 

doubt, a fantastic selection! 

How does the Weltmuseum Wien manage the balance between 

the extensive inventory from the Imperial Era and contemporary 

tastes? 

The heritage of the monarchy alone, these very unique collections that 

have made us famous around the world, justify the existence of our 

establishment. We do, however, also explore contemporary issues: On 

the one hand, the colonialist origins of the establishment – in the Welt 

in Bewegung (World in Motion) exhibition hall, we explore the topic of 

migration. We also make the leap into the present by offering 1500 m 2 

of special exhibitions next to our other 14 halls. And we also have a 

series of artistic interventions, such as Lisl Ponger or Dejan 

Kaludjerović. In other words, we’re presenting several contemporary 

statements. 

How do you define the mission of the Weltmuseum Wien in a 

globalised world at the beginning of the 21st century? 

We no longer consider the representation of other cultures as our 

mission; that was the former Museum of Ethnology. The Weltmuseum 

Wien sees itself as a meeting point for people of all cultures, where 

everything revolves around appreciating and being astonished by our 

world’s cultural diversity. 

PHOTO: KHM_MUSEUMSVERBAND 

The leading Auction House in the Center of Europe 

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Auction Week October – Old Master and 19th Century Paintings 

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Palais Dorotheum, Vienna 

Tel. +43-1-515 60-570 

Dorotheum International 

Brussels, London, Düsseldorf, Munich, Milan, Rome, Paris, Prague, Tel Aviv 

www.dorotheum.com 

INFO: 

weltmuseumwien.at 


SAVOIR VIVRE MUSEUM VISIT 

120 Jahre am Puls der Zeit 

120 years of keeping pace with the times 

Secession, Wien | Vienna 

Text & Interview: Rois & Stubenrauch 

DIRECTOR’S TALK 

INFO 

Jugendstil-Ikone: Das markante 

Wiener Secessionsgebäude 

mit seiner goldenen Blätterkuppel. 

Art nouveau icon: The striking 

building of the Vienna Secession 

with its cupola of golden leaves. 

Mit Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser und Josef 

Hoffmann unter den Gründungsmitgliedern, 

war die Vereinigung bildender 

KünstlerInnen Wiener Secession die Keimzelle des 

Wiener Jugendstils. Heute zählt das 1898 von Joseph 

Maria Olbrich gestaltete, unverwechselbare Secessionsgebäude 

mit seiner goldenen Blätterkuppel zu 

den bedeutendsten Jugendstilbauten – und ist weltweit 

das älteste unabhängige, der zeitgenössischen 

Kunst gewidmete Ausstellungshaus. Gustav Klimts 

berühmter „Beethovenfries“, der im Untergeschoss 

der Secession ausgestellt ist, entstand 1902 für eine 

Ludwig van Beethoven gewidmete Ausstellung. Der 

monumentale Wandzyklus mit seiner allegorischen 

Darstellung menschlicher Sehnsucht nach dem 

Glück gilt als eines der Hauptwerke des Jugendstils. 

With Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser and Josef 

Hoffman among its founding members, 

the Vienna Secession, Association of Visual 

Artists quickly became a breeding ground for the Viennese 

Art Nouveau movement. Today, the unmistakable 

Secession building, originally designed in 1898 by 

Joseph Maria Olbrich, is considered among the most 

significant Art Nouveau constructions, with its golden 

leafy dome, and is the oldest independent exhibition 

house dedicated to contemporary art in the world. Gustav 

Klimt’s famous “Beethoven Frieze”, exhibited in the 

basement of the Secession, came to be as part of a programme 

in 1902 dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven. 

The monumental “Wandzyklus”, with its allegorical depiction 

of the desire for bliss, is considered among Art 

Nouveau’s most important pieces. 

PHOTOS: SECESSION / OLIVER OTTENSCHLÄGER; COURTESY NICOLE EISENMAN, SUSANNE VIELMETTER LOS ANGELES PROJECTS UND ANTON KERN GALLERY NEW YORK; 

COURTESY TONI SCHMALE UND GALERIE CHRISTINE KÖNIG / JOHN MCKENZIE, TONI SCHMALE. 

Herwig Kempinger 

Der markante Jugendstilbau der Secession und Klimts 

Beethovenfries sind touristische Highlights Wiens, andererseits 

fährt die Secession ein sehr ambitioniertes Ausstellungsprogramm 

internationaler Gegenwartskunst. Wie ist dieser 

Spagat zu schaffen? 

Ich sehe das nicht als Spagat. Vielmehr bin ich der Meinung, dass 

hervorragende Kunst aus jeder Zeit auch immer sehr gut mit 

zeitgenössischer Kunst zusammenleben kann. Wichtig ist bei 

beiden die Qualität und nicht das Alter. 

Worin sehen Sie das Bahnbrechende in Klimts Beethovenfries? 

Sicherlich in der Übersetzung von Musik in visuelle Inhalte. Mit 

lauten und leisen Passagen und auch Pausen gestaltet Klimt ein 

Kunstwerk, das auch die Leere als Form erlaubt. 

Wie positioniert sich die Secession mit ihren 12 bis 15 

jährlichen Ausstellungen in der Wiener Museumslandschaft 

und im internationalen Kontext? 

Die Secession ist eine unabhängige Institution, die seit ihrer 

Gründung vor 120 Jahren sehr erfolgreich von Künstlern geführt 

wird. Dies allein macht uns in Wien schon einzigartig. Wir zeigen 

relevante internationale Kunst, die meist noch nie in Österreich zu 

sehen war. Dabei legen wir Wert auf eine entsprechende 

Choreographie der unterschiedlichen medialen Ausdrucksformen 

von jungen experimentellen Positionen und älteren etablierten 

Künstlern aller Geschlechter. Das alles findet zudem im 

Präsident der Wiener Secession, Vereinigung bildender KünstlerInnen | President 

of the Vienna Secession, Association of Visual Artists 

Herwig Kempinger arbeitet als Künstler in den Bereichen Malerei, Fotografie, Film und Skulptur. Von 1984 - 1994 war er Lektor für 

Medienkunst an der Hochschule für angewandte Kunst Wien. Seit 2013 ist Herwig Kempinger Präsident der Vereinigung Bildender 

KünstlerInnen Wiener Secession. 

Herwig Kempinger works as an artist in the fields of painting, photography, film and sculpting. Between 1984 and 1994, he was a Media Arts reader at 

the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Since 2013, Herwig Kempinger has been the President of the Vienna Secession, Association of Visual Artists. 

architektonisch bedeutendsten Ausstellungshaus des Landes 

statt. International gesehen sind wir auf jeden Fall unter die 

besten unabhängigen Institutionen für zeitgenössische Kunst 

einzuordnen. 

Ihre Position wurde in der Vergangenheit u.a. von Gustav 

Klimt und Josef Hoffmann besetzt – wie gehen Sie als 

gegenwärtiger Präsident der Künstlervereinigung mit 

dieser mächtigen Vergangenheit um? 

Die hohe Reputation und die Geschichte einer Institution sind 

Verpflichtung, einen relevanten Beitrag zu ihrer Zukunft zu leisten. 

Eine große Vergangenheit darf nicht einschüchtern, sondern muss 

motivieren. 

The striking Art Nouveau style of the Secession and Klimt’s 

Beethoven Frieze are among Vienna’s touristic highlights, but 

the Secession also maintains a very ambitious exhibition 

programme for contemporary art. What helps you maintain 

this balancing act? 

I don’t see it as a balancing act. I am much rather of the opinion that 

excellent art from any period can live in harmony with contemporary 

art. Here, quality plays a much bigger role than age. 

What do you think makes Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze so 

groundbreaking? 

Surely it is the translation of music into visual content. Using both loud 

as well as quiet tones, Klimt crafts a piece of art that also permits 

emptiness to act as a form. 

What role does the Secession, with its 12 to 15 exhibitions a 

year, play in Vienna’s museum environment as well as in the 

international context? 

The Secession is an independent institution that has been successfully 

led by artists since its inception 120 years ago. We often present 

relevant international art that has never been seen before in Austria. 

Here, we also place particular emphasis on a corresponding 

choreography of young experimental approaches as well as older, more 

established artists of all genders. All of this takes place in the 

architecturally most significant exhibition house in the country. 

Internationally, we can certainly be counted among the best 

independent institutions for contemporary art. 

Your own position was held in the past by Gustav Klimt and 

Josef Hoffman, among others — how do you, as the current 

President of the Association of Visual Arts, deal with the 

reputation of these great predecessors? 

The reputation and history of an institution mean the responsibility to 

contribute to its future. A great history should not intimidate, but 

motivate. 

CONTEMPORARY ART 

Aktuelle Ausstellungen 

14.9.-5.11.2017: 

Current exhibitions 

Nicole Eisenman 

Hauptwerke und neuere 

Arbeiten der in New York 

lebenden Malerin. 

Key works and new pieces by 

the New York based painter. 

Toni Schmale 

Die Wiener Künstlerin 

thematisiert in ihren Installationen, 

Performances, Skulpturen 

und Animationen Geschlechterkonstruktionen. 

The Viennese artist uses her 

installations, performances, 

sculptures and animations to 

explore gender constructions. 

Chadwick Rantanen 

In Skulpturen, Installationen und 

ortsspezifischen Interventionen 

funktioniert der in Los Angeles 

lebende Künstler Gebrauchsgegenstände 

und industriell 

hergestellte Massenprodukte 

um. 

The Los Angeles based artist 

uses everyday objects and 

industrially manufactured mass 

products and reconfigures them 

into sculptures, installations and 

location-specific interventions. 

Künstlerbücher, in limitierter 

Auflage zu den jeweiligen 

Ausstellungen publiziert, sind im 

Museumsshop erhältlich. 

Books about the respective 

artists, which are published on a 

limited basis, can be purchased 

in the museum shop. 

Gustav Klimt 

„Beethovenfries“ 

Permanente Präsentation 

“Beethoven Frieze” 

Permanent exhibition 

Führungen jeden Samstag, 

14 Uhr in Deutsch. 

Guided tours every Saturday, 

11 a.m. in English. 

Klimt trifft auf Contemporary Art/Klimt 

meets contemporary art: Nicole Eisenman, 

Achilles Heel, 2014 (links/left); 

Toni Schmale, the good enough mother, 

2017 (Mitte/middle) 

Gustav Klimt, Beethovenfries/ Beethoven 

Frieze, 1902 (großes Bild oben und 

rechts/ big picture on top and right). 

Links/ left: 

Toni Schmale, 

feuerbock, 2015. 

INFO: 

SECESSION 

Friedrichstraße 12 

1010 Wien 

secession.at 



SAVOIR VIVRE AMBASSADORS OF MUSIC 

Culture Talk Julia Fischer 

Die deutsche Stargeigerin und Artist in Residence der Wiener Symphoniker der Spielzeit 2017/18, Julia Fischer im CD- 

Exklusivinterview über musikalisches Vertrauen, das Leben als „Wunderkind“ und Mendelssohn-Bartholdys Violinkonzert. 

Julia Fischer, the German star violinist and the Wiener Symphoniker’s Artist in Residence for the 2017/18 season, talks about 

musical trust, life as a “prodigy“ and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s violin concerto in E minor, in this exclusive CD-interview. 

Interview: Rois & Stubenrauch 

INFO 

PERSONAL DETAILS 

PHOTOS: DECCA / FELIX BROEDE, KASSKARA; BBC CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU 

Was hat Sie bewogen, die Einladung zum Artist in 

Residence der Wiener Symphoniker für die Saison 

2017/18 anzunehmen? 

Meine Zusammenarbeit mit den Wiener Symphonikern geht bis 

ins Jahr 2006 zurück, insofern mag ich das Orchester sehr 

gerne und schon sehr lange sehr gerne! Philippe Jordan, ihr 

Chefdirigent, ist ein sehr geradliniger, ehrlicher Musiker ohne 

Mätzchen. Ich mag ihn sehr, es geht ihm wirklich um die Sache, 

um die Musik. Wenn alle Seiten bereit sind, die Äußerlichkeiten 

wegzulassen, kann man wirklich hohe Kunst zustande bringen. 

Sie werden als „die große Intellektuelle unter den 

Geigenvirtuosen der Gegenwart“ beschrieben – eine 

Charakterisierung mit der Sie sich identifizieren können? 

Ich glaube schon, dass es Musiker gibt, die weniger intellektuell 

an Musik herangehen. Ich lese und denke viel über die Werke 

nach, die ich spiele. Ich bin auch intuitiv, aber ich finde, alles, 

was man musikalisch tut, muss Sinn und Verstand haben! Die 

Konzertbesucher sollen ein emotionales Erlebnis haben, aber in 

der Vorbereitung ist die intellektuelle Arbeit essentiell. 

Seit Ihrem gefeierten internationalen Debüt mit 19 

gelten Sie als Weltstar – wie gehen Sie mit den hohen 

Erwartungen an Sie um? 

Erwartung von anderen – die interessieren mich gar nicht! 

Natürlich habe ich extrem hohe Erwartungen an mich selbst. 

Wenn ich abends auf die Bühne gehe, habe ich selbstverständlich 

im Kopf, wie das im Idealfall ablaufen soll. Aber ich hatte 

nie den Eindruck, ich müsse irgendwelche Erwartungen von 

Außen erfüllen. 

Es gab nie den Druck von Seiten Ihrer Eltern, Sie müssen 

das Wunderkind sein? 

Nein, überhaupt nicht. Ich hätte auch einfach sagen können, ich 

höre heute auf. Den Wunsch, dass ich Geigerin werden möchte, 

habe ich selbst sehr deutlich formuliert. Wenn man mich mit 

vier oder fünf gefragt hat, habe ich als Antwort gegeben: Ich 

bin Geigerin! Bei meinen Auftritten hat meine Mutter auch nie 

gesagt: „Pass´ auf diese oder jene Passage auf und bitte keine 

falschen Noten und immer freundlich lächeln!“ Sie hat stets nur 

gesagt: „Und jetzt geh´ raus und habe Freude auf der Bühne!“ 

Das Publikum wird Sie auch am Konzertflügel erleben 

– zusammen mit Philippe Jordan geben Sie die Fantasie 

in F-Moll für Klavier zu vier Händen von Franz Schubert. 

Ein Stück, das eine große Vertrautheit mit ihrem 

musikalischen Partner voraussetzt. 

Die Vertrautheit, die man bei so etwas braucht, die hat man 

gleich oder gar nicht, die kann man nicht üben. Es gibt diesen 

gemeinsamen Herzschlag. Ich bin sehr stolz, dass Philippe 

Jordan bereit ist, mit mir vierhändig Klavier zu spielen. 

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdys Violinkonzert steht 

ebenfalls am Programm. Was macht dieses Werk zum 

richtungsweisenden Klassiker? 

Erstmal gehört es zu den schönsten Werken, die geschrieben 

wurden! Für mich steht Mendelssohn total ebenbürtig neben 

Mozart. Die Revolution, dass sofort die Geige einsetzt – dass 

nicht mehr zuerst das Orchester die Themen vorstellt, hat 

dieses Stück zum Klassiker gemacht. Und ich freue mich extrem 

darauf, es in Wien zu spielen. 

What made you accept the invitation to become the Wiener 

Symphoniker‘s Artist in Residence for the season 2017/18? 

My collaboration with the Wiener Symphoniker goes all the way 

back to the year 2016, so I quite like the orchestra and have 

been liking it for a while, too! Philippe Jordan, the Chief 

Conductor, is a very straightforward, honest musician who 

doesn’t fool around. I am quite fond of him. He really cares 

about music. When all parties are ready to leave appearances 

and superficial things behind, that’s when truly great art is 

created. 

You are described as ‘the great intellectual among 

contemporary violin virtuosos’ – can you relate to this 

description? 

I do believe that there are musicians that have a less 

intellectual approach to music. I read and think a lot about the 

pieces that I play. I’m also intuitive, but I think that when you 

do something musically it should make sense and follow certain 

logic! The audience sitting in the concerto should have an 

emotional experience, but during preparation intellectual work 

is indispensable. 

You started playing the violin when you were three years old 

and since your much-celebrated international debut at 19 you 

have been considered an international star – how do you deal 

with the high expectations? 

The expectations of others don’t interest me at all! But I have 

very high expectations of myself, of course. When I go out on 

the stage in the evening, I naturally have a plan of how things 

should go down in the ideal case. But I was never under the 

impression that I was obligated to fulfil any external 

expectations. 

You never felt pressure from your parents to be the prodigy? 

No, not at all, I could easily have said, today I quit. The desire to 

become a professional violinist was entirely my own. When 

people asked me what I wanted to be when I was four or five, I 

gave them a clear answer: I’m a violinist! During my shows, 

my mother never told me to watch this or that passage and not 

to play any wrong notes and to please keep on smiling. She 

would always just say: Now go out and enjoy yourself on the 

stage! 

The audience will also get to experience you at the grand 

piano – together with Philippe Jordan, you will play Fantasia 

in F minor for piano four-hands by Franz Schubert. 

This is a piece that requires great trust in your musical partner; 

you either have or don’t have the kind of trust that is needed 

for such an endeavour. You can’t learn it. There is this shared 

heartbeat. I am very proud that Philippe Jordan is prepared to 

play the piano four-hands with me; I wasn’t expecting it. 

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s Violin Concerto is also part of 

the program. What makes this piece such a significant 

classic? 

First of all, it is among the most beautiful pieces ever written! 

To me, Mendelssohn is absolutely on par with Mozart. The 

revolution to use the violin straight away – that the orchestra 

doesn’t introduce the themes first – has made this piece a 

classic. And I’m very much looking forward to playing it in 

Vienna. 

Fischer, Jordan, Wiener 

Symphoniker 

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, 

Brahms 

17.11.2017, Fridays@7, Wiener 

Konzerthaus 

Fischer, Jordan, HABE 

Quartett 

Schubert, Bruch, Dvorák 

18.11.2017, Wiener Konzerthaus 

Fischer, Jordan, Wiener 

Symphoniker 

Beethoven, Mendelssohn- 

Bartholdy, Mahler 

19.11.2017, Wiener Konzerthaus 

juliafischer.com 

wienersymphoniker.at 

Julia Fischer, geboren in München, begann im Alter von drei Jahren mit dem 

Geigen- und kurz darauf mit dem Klavierspiel. Ihr internationales Debüt gab die von 

der Süddeutschen Zeitung als „Jahrhunderttalent“ geadelte Musikerin mit 19 in der 

Carnegie Hall in New York, mit 23 wurde sie die jüngste Professorin Deutschlands. 

In der Saison 2017/18 ist Julia Fischer Artist in Residence der Wiener Symphoniker. 

Julia Fischer, born in Munich, began playing the Violin at the age of three — 

shortly afterwards, she started playing the piano. The young musician, named by 

the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper as ‘The Talent of the Century’, gave her 

international debut at Carnergie Hall in New York at the age of 19, at the age of 23 

she became the youngest professor in Germany. For the season 2017/18, Julia 

Fischer will be the Wiener Symphoniker’s Artist in Residence. 



SAVOIR VIVRE ARTS 

Kultur-Highlights Herbst 2017 

Cultural highlights autumn 2017 

Text: Evelyn Rois 

Heißer Kunstherbst 

Exciting art autumn 

viennacontemporary 2017: Gil 

Heitor Cortesão, Ola 

Kolehmainen. 

Zauberflöte: Sophie 

Karthäuser ist in der Rolle der 

Pamina zu erleben. 

Magic Flute: Sophie Karthäuser 

can be experienced in the role 

of Pamina. 


Deutschsprachige Oper im Fokus | German-language opera in the spotlight 

Wiens jüngstes Opernhaus, das Theater an der Wien, arbeitet sich diesen Herbst an den 

Meilensteinen der deutschsprachigen Oper ab: Mozarts Zauberflöte unter der musikalischen 

Leitung von René Jacobs macht im September den Anfang – Wozzek von Alban Berg mit 

Star-Bariton Florian Boesch in der Titelpartie folgt dann im Oktober. Eine völlig neu entwickelte 

Ring-Trilogie, die Richard Wagners epochalen Opernzyklus an drei Abenden aus der Perspektive 

von Hagen, Siegfried und Brünnhilde aufrollt, feiert im November Premiere. Spannend! 

Vienna’s youngest opera house, the Theater an der Wien, is working its way through the many 

milestones of German operatic history: Mozart’s The Magic Flute under the musical leadership of 

René Jacobs is launching in September, Wozzeck by Alban Berg with the celebrity baritone Florian 

Boesch in the title role follows in October. A completely new Ring Trilogy, which unpacks Richard 

Wagner’s epic opera series on three evenings from the perspectives of Hagen, Siegfried and 

Brünnhilde, premieres in November. Exciting! 

theater-wien.at 

PHOTOS: MOLINAVISUALS / HARMONIA MUNDI; GIL HEITOR CORTESÃO / CARBON 12; OLA KOLEHMAINEN / GALLERY TAIK PERSONS; PICCININI / ARNDT ART AGENCY; KHM-MUSEUMSVERBAND; ELECTRIC CHURCH 

Ab Mitte September verdichtet sich in Wien das Kunstgeschehen regelmäßig zu einem wahren Ausstellungsmarathon: Angefangen mit dem Galerienfestival curated by_vienna (15.09.- 

14.10.2017; curatedby.at), über Österreichs wichtigste Messe für Gegenwartskunst viennacontemporary in der Marx Halle (21.-24.09.2017; viennacontemporary.at) und ihrer wilden 

Schwester Parallel Vienna, die dieses Jahr die Alte Sigmund Freud Universität in Erdberg bespielt (19.-24.09.2017; parallelvienna.com), über die Vienna Design Week mit Gastland Rumänien 

(29.9.-8.10.2017; viennadesignweek.at), bis zur vom Dorotheum initiierten Vienna Art Week mit ihren zahlreichen Spielorten (13.-19.11.2017; viennaartweek.at), jagt ein Pflichttermin den 

nächsten. 

Beginning in mid-September, Vienna’s art scene seems to be taking on the form of an exhibition marathon: Starting with the Galerienfestival curated by vienna (15/09 – 

14/10/2017; curatedby.at), Austria’s most important fair for contemporary art viennacontemporary at the Marx Halle (21/-24/09/2017; viennacontemporary.at) and its wild 

sibling Parallel Vienna, which will take place at the old Sigmund Freud University Vienna in Erdberg this year (19/-24/09/2017; parallelvienna.com), the Vienna Design Week 

with Romania as a guest country (29/09/ – 08/10/2017; viennadesignweek.at), all the way to the Vienna Art Week, initiated by the Dorotheum auction house, with its many 

locations (13/-19/11/2017; viennaartweek.at), one unmissable event follows the next. 

Unfurled, Patricia Piccinini. 

Terra Incognita 

Kunst aus Australien, Südostasien 

und der Pazifikregion ist in unseren 

Breitengraden (noch) eine große 

Unbekannte. Terra Incognita nennt 

sich denn auch die Ausstellung in 

der BROTKunsthalle der Galerie 

Ernst Hilger an der Absberggasse 

im 10. Bezirk, die im Rahmen von 

curated by_vienna 2017 vom 

15.9.-28.10.2017 sechzehn 

spannende Positionen aktueller 

Gegenwartskunst aus dieser Region 

nach Wien bringt. 

Art from Australia, Southeast Asia 

and the Pacific Region remains 

relatively unknown around here. 

Terra Incognita is thus the title of 

the exhibition in the BROTKunsthalle 

of the Ernst Hilger Gallery at 

Absberggasse in the 10th district, 

which will bring 16 exciting pieces 

from the region’s contemporary art 

scene to Vienna between 15/09 and 

28/10/2017 as part of curated by 

vienna 2017. 

hilger.at 

Selbstbildnis, um 1638. 

Unten: „Das Pelzchen“, 

um 1636/1638. 

Self portrait, around 

1638. 

Below: “The Fur“, 

around 1636/1638. 

Opulenter Rubens Rausch | 

Opulent Peter Paul Rubens 

Das Kunsthistorische Museum Wien feiert im Herbst 

den bedeutendsten flämischen Barockmaler Peter 

Paul Rubens: Die große Schau „Kraft der Verwandlung“ 

vom 17.10.2017 bis 21.01.2018 vereint dabei den 

großartigen Wiener Bestand wie „Das Pelzchen“ mit 

70 internationalen Leihgaben zu einem spektakulären 

Ensemble. 

This autumn, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien 

celebrates the most significant Flemish Baroque 

Painter Peter Paul Rubens. The large exhibition, The 

Power of Transformation, between 17/10/2017 and 

21/01/2018, unites great Viennese pieces such as 

‘The Fur’ together with 70 international loan pieces 

into one spectacular ensemble. 

khm.at 

Gabriel on tour 

Elf Kurzgeschichten rund um den 

Erzengel Gabriel, untermalt mit 

spektakulären Visuals, elektronischen 

Beats und einem live 

gespielten Streichensemble unter 

Klassik-Stargeiger Yury Revich – 

Mastermind und Star-DJ Sergio 

Manoel Flores verwandelt sakrale 

Kirchenräume zu eindrucksvollen 

Bühnen für ein einzigartiges, 

90-minütiges Klangerlebnis. 

Premiere ist am 28. und 29.09.2017 

in der Wiener Kirche am Hof. 

Eleven short stories about the 

archangel Gabriel, accentuated with 

spectacular visuals, electronic beats 

and a live string ensemble under the 

celebrity classic violinist Yury 

Revich, mastermind and celebrity, 

DJ Manoel Flores transforms sacred 

church interiors into impressive 

stages for a unique, 90-minute-long 

auditory experience. Premiere is on 

28/ and 29/09/2017 at the Kirche 

am Hof, Vienna. 

electric-church.at 

Yury Revich, Sergio Manoel Flores. 


SAVOIR VIVRE ARTS 

Clara Jumi Kang. 

Portrait Rudolf IV., um 1360. 

Portrait Rudolph IV, around 1360. 

Tango Operita! 

Große Gefühle, sehnsüchtige Bandoneon-Klänge und natürlich 

temperamentvolle Tango-Tanzeinlagen: „Una Noche en Buenos Aires“ 

zaubert argentinische Leidenschaft auf die Bühne des Theater Akzent in 

Wien. Unter der musikalischen Leitung von Pablo Boggiano bringt ein 

hochkarätiges Ensemble von 4.10. bis 6.10.2017 die beiden Tango-Opern 

„Maria de Buenos Aires“ von Astor Piazzolla und Martin Palmeris „Mateo“ 

zur Aufführung. 

Strong emotions, longing bandoneon tunes and, of course, fiery tango 

dance moves: Una Noche en Buenos Aires casts the spell of Argentinian 

passion onto the stage of the Theater Akzent in Vienna. Under the 

musical leadership of Pablo Boggiano, a top-notch ensemble will bring 

the two tango operas, Maria de Buenos Aires, by Astor Piazzolla and 

Mateo, by Martin Palmeries, to life. akzent.at 

ARNULF RAINER 

DIE FARBEN DES MALERS 

MAI – OKTOBER 2017 

Täglich von 10 bis 17 Uhr 

Josefsplatz 5, 2500 Baden 

www.arnulf-rainer-museum.at 

Korea Connection 

Gleich zwei koreanische Orchester sind diesen Herbst im Brucknerhaus in Linz zu hören: Einmal das 

Tongyeong Festival Orchestra – das bereits 2016 begeisterte – beim Brucknerfest 2017 am 29.09. mit 

Werken von Maurice Ravel und dem koreanischen Komponisten Yun Isang. Solistin ist die deutsch-koreanische 

Stargeigerin Clara Jumi Kang. Am 25.10.2017 tritt dann das Gwangju Symphony Orchestra erstmals im 

Brucknerhaus auf. 

Not one but two Korean orchestras will perform at the Brucknerhaus in Linz this autumn: the first is the 

Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, which already performed and impressed in 2016, at the Brucknerfest 2017 on 

29/09 with works by Maurice Ravel and the Korean composer Yun Isang. The soloist is the German-Korean 

celebrity violinist Calara Jumi Kang. On 25/10/2017, the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra will deliver its 

Brucknerhause debut performance. 

brucknerhaus.at 

Dommuseum reloaded 

Das Dommuseum der Erzdiözese Wien öffnet, nach langer 

Umbauphase, am 7.10.2017 seine von Boris Podrecca neu 

gestalteten und zum Stephansplatz hin geöffneten Räume. 

Die Höhepunkte der Sammlung umspannen sieben 

Jahrhunderte – vom berühmten Portrait Herzog Rudolfs IV. 

aus dem Jahr 1360, über Klassiker der österreichischen 

Avantgarde aus der Sammlung Otto Mauer, bis zu aktuellen 

Arbeiten. 

After a long reconstruction phase, the Cathedral Museum 

Vienna is reopening its doors on 07/10/2017, completely 

redesigned by Boris Podrecca and now facing Stephansplatz. 

The highlights of the collection cover seven centuries, 

from the famous portrait of Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria from 

Otto Mauer’s collection, to more contemporary works. 

dommuseum.at 

PHOTOS: MARCO BORGGREVE; DOM MUSEUM WIEN; WILHELM VON STARCK; MAH GENÈVE / BETTINA JACOT DESCOMBES 

Hodler revisited 

Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918) war mit seiner äußerst erfolgreichen 

Ausstellung 1904 in der Secession wichtiger Impulsgeber der Wiener 

Moderne von Klimt bis Kokoschka. Das Leopold Museum zeigt nun vom 

13.10.2017–22.01.2018 eine umfangreiche Retrospektive des Schweizer 

Nationalmalers, Exponenten des Jugendstils und Wegbereiter des 

Expressionismus. Der Bogen spannt sich von Hodlers reduzierten 

Landschaftsbildern über expressive Portraits bis zu seinen allegorischen 

Figurengruppen. 

With his exceptionally successful exhibition at the Secession in 1904, 

Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918) was the most important contributor to 

the rise of the Viennese Modernist movement from Klimt to Kokoschka. 

The Leopold Museum now presents an extensive retrospective of the 

Swiss national painter, art nouveau representative and expressionist 

pioneer from 13/10/2017 to 22/01/2018. The event reaches all the way 

back to Hodler’s reduced landscapes, his expressive portraits to his 

allegorical figure groups. leopoldmuseum.org 

Genfersee mit Mont-Blanc, 1918 

Lake Geneva with Mont Blanc, 1918 

Berühmte Wiener Palais – 

ihre Geschichte, ihre Bewohner 

Blick ins Buch ... 

€ A/D 25,– ISBN 978-3-99050-097-2 

Erhältlich im Buchhandel oder unter amalthea.at 


SAVOIR VIVRE CITY APARTMENTS 

Wohnkomfort auf Zeit 

Temporary living comfort 

MULTIFUNKTIONELL. | MULTIFUNCTIONAL. 

„Wohnen, Leben und Arbeiten in Einklang“ lautet das Konzept 

von room4rent Serviced Apartments. 

‘Residing, living and working in harmony’ is the concept behind 

room4rent Serviced Apartments. 

Mit oder ohne Concierge, am Stadtrand oder mitten im Zentrum: Der Wohntrend 

„Servicierte Apartments“ wird immer beliebter. 

With or without concierge, on the edge of the city or right in the centre: The trend 

of serviced residential apartments is becoming increasingly popular. 

Text: Michaela Hocek 

PHOTOS: RENÉE DEL MISSIER, LUKAS ILGNER, BEIGESTELLT 

Wiens Attraktivität in der Welt – sei es als 

Arbeits-, Studien- oder Urlaubsort – ist 

ungebrochen. Der Wohnbau kann kaum 

Schritt halten mit der demografischen Entwicklung. 

Umso erfreulicher ist es, dass immer mehr Anbieter 

von servicierten Apartments den Anforderungen von 

neuen Strukturen am Arbeitsmarkt und dem steigenden 

Mobilitätsverhalten gerecht werden. Die Vorteile 

liegen auf der Hand: Das Einleben in einer neuen 

Stadt gelingt schneller. Die Formalitäten sind minimal, 

der Ein- und Auszug unkompliziert. Zusatzangebote 

wie Wellness, Fitness, Wäscheservice verschönern 

den Alltag. Nicht selten werden sonst oft 

unerschwingliche Penthouse-Wohnungen zum Zuhause, 

wie bei „Singerstraße 21/25“, das bereits seit 

Oktober 1995 besteht. 

Hohes Potenzial 

Bereits das vierte room4rent-Apartmenthaus in 

Wien wird „Hoch 33“ im Stadtviertel Monte Laa sein 

(Eröffnung 2018). Der Blick über die Stadt wird von 

Loggia, Balkon oder Terrasse aus genossen, der Concierge 

dient als Kommunikationsdrehscheibe. Geschäftsführerin 

Helga Mayer erklärt die Idee hinter 

room4rent: „Mit unserem Konzept treffen wir genau 

die Anforderungen von modernen, temporären 

Wohnbedürfnissen. Wir freuen uns sehr, dass wir 

erfolgreich eine breite Zielgruppe erreichen und attraktive 

Standorte in Wien schaffen. Wir bieten 

komfortable Lösungen für Wohnen auf Zeit zu leistbaren 

Konditionen. Gerade für jene, die schnell verfügbare, 

kostengünstige und provisionsfreie sowie 

möblierte und servicierte Apartments für einen Zeitraum 

ab zwei Monaten bis zu zwei Jahren suchen. 

Der steigende Bedarf im Business-Segment hat uns 

vergangenes Jahr ein eigenes Buchungstool für Firmen 

entwickeln lassen, das ein optimales Eingehen 

auf unterschiedliche Gegebenheiten, Bedürfnisse 

und Wünsche von Firmenkunden ermöglicht.“ 

Rund 350 Wohnungen an drei Standorten (Citygate, 

Messeecarrée Nord, Storchengasse im 15. Bezirk) 

stehen zur Verfügung. 

Feine Selektion 

In kleinerem Umfang operiert Klaus Biedermann 

mit dem Projekt „Top Apartments Vienna“. Der 

Quereinsteiger war in seiner früheren Karriere als 

Musiker, DJ und Musikproduzent tätig. „Ich habe 

damals hunderte Reisen weltweit gemacht, die dabei 

gewonnenen Erfahrungen sind in die Top Apartments 

Vienna eingeflossen. Mir sind kleine Details, 

wie Audio-Kabel, schöne Abendbeleuchtung per 

LED, die farblich individuell eingestellt wird und 

Boxspringbetten wichtig.“ Die Spezialisierung auf 

russische Gäste mit russischsprachiger Vollbetreuung 

ist ein weiteres spannendes Detail. Eine beliebte 

Anlaufstelle für Architekturbegeisterte sind die 

Apartments von „LiV‘iN Residences Wien-Parlament 

by Fleming‘s“ im 8. Bezirk. Logiert wird in einem 

Gründerzeithaus aus dem Jahr 1900. 

Der Wohlfühlfaktor wird durch das charmante 

Zusammenspiel von Jahrhundertwendearchitektur 

und modernem Design gesichert. Stuckverzierte Decken 

und edle Möbel bieten das perfekte Ambiente 

für Kurz- und Langzeitaufenthalte. Die großzügigen 

Arbeitsbereiche schätzen Geschäftsreisende besonders. 

Martin Sperl, Hoteldirektor des Fleming’s Selection 

Hotel Wien-City, nennt weitere Vorteile: „Ein 

Gefühl wie zu Hause mit geringem administrativen 

Aufwand und der Möglichkeit eines kurzfristigen 

„Wir gehen auf moderne, 

temporäre Wohnverhältnisse 

ein.“ 

‘We strive for modern, contemporary 

living conditions.’ 

Helga Mayer 

Geschäftsführerin room4rent 

Managing Director room4rent 


Traumhafter 

Ausblick. 

Amazing view. 

Seit Oktober 1995 erfreut sich 

Singerstrasse 21/25 nicht 

zuletzt dank traumhafter 

Dachterrassen mitten in der 

Wiener Innenstadt großer 

Beliebtheit. 

Since October 1995, 

Singerstrasse 21/25 

has become increasingly 

popular, not least because of 

the amazing roof terraces in the 

centre of Vienna’s city centre. 

room4rent 

SERVICED APARTMENTS 

• temporary living 

• 3 x in Vienna 

• completely furnished 

• Concierge-Service 

• starting at EUR 805,-/month 

• free of commission 

www.room4rent.at/en


ABSEITS DER INNENSTADT. | BEYOND THE CITY CENTRE. 

Im Derag Livinghotel Kaiser Franz Josef in Wien-Döbling wohnt man im Grünen mit eigenem Balkon 

und fühlt sich rasch wohl. 

In the Derag Livinghotel Kaiser Franz Josef in Wien-Döbling, you get to live surrounded by lush greenery 

and will quickly feel at home. 

Serviced Apartments – 

Nicht daheim und doch 

zu Hause 

Maximale Flexibilität und 

minimaler administrativer 

Aufwand sind das 

Geheimnis des Erfolgs der 

modernen Wohnform für 

Auslandsaufenthalte – egal, 

ob aus beruflichem oder 

privatem Anlass. 

A maximum of flexibility and 

a minimum of administrative 

expenditures are the secret 

to success for modern ways 

of living abroad - whether 

for professional or private 

reasons. 

Appartement-Hotel an der 

Riemergasse 

riemergasse.at 

DERAG Livinghotels 

deraghotels.de/hotels/wien 

LiV‘iN Residence by 

Fleming’s 

basedinvienna.at 

My Place Premium 

Apartments 

my-place.at 

room4rent 

room4rent.at 

Singerstrasse 21/25 

singerstrasse2125.at 

TAV Top Apartments Vienna 

top-apartments-vienna.com 

VCA Vienna City Apartments 

schottenring33.com 

Bezugs sind heutzutage unerlässlich. Zusätzlich besteht 

die Möglichkeit, Einrichtungen wie Fitnessbereich, 

Sauna und Dampfbad des gegenüberliegenden 

Fleming’s Selection Hotel Wien-City kostenfrei zu 

nutzen oder dort das tolle Frühstück zu genießen.“ 

Mehr Wohnraum 

Auch Alfred Krammer, Geschäftsführer der Vienna 

City Apartments kennt die Bedürfnisse seiner 

Gäste genau: „Ein eigenes Apartment in der Wiener 

Innenstadt, in unserem Fall lautet die Adresse Schottenring 

33, bietet neben zentraler Lage und ausgezeichneter 

Verkehrsanbindung und Infrastruktur 

vor allem eines: mehr Raum. Er wird bewusst als 

Luxus erlebt und mit mehr Privatsphäre verbunden. 

Viele Gäste schätzen aber auch den persönlichen 

Kontakt mit dem Manager bei unserem VIP Checkin, 

wo wir in sehr komprimierter Form speziell abgestimmte 

Informationen und Empfehlungen geben – 

aus erster Hand und von echten Wienern.“ 

In diese Kerbe schlägt auch Andreas Hölzl, General 

Manager der Derag Livinghotels Wien: „Unsere 

Räumlichkeiten sind wesentlich größer als klassische 

Hotelzimmer. In Döbling haben die Apartments zudem 

eigene Balkone. Unsere Häuser liegen bewusst 

dort, wo der Wiener auch selbst gerne wohnt. Im Gegensatz 

zu einer Mietwohnung hat man flexible Buchungsbedingungen. 

Es fallen keine Kosten für Makler, 

Kaution, Reparaturen oder Amtswege an. Hohe 

MITTEN IM ZENTRUM. | RIGHT IN THE CENTRE. 

Die zentrale Lage des Derag Livinghotels an der Oper lässt den 

Gast im Nu das Lokalkolorit sehen und spüren. 

The central location of the Derag Livinghotel at the opera will make 

any guest feel like a local from the start. 

Standards geben zusätzlich das Gefühl von Sicherheit.“ 

Die Derag Livinghotels bieten inkludiert Shuttle-Service, 

Ticketkauf für kulturelle und musikalische 

Veranstaltungen, Restaurant-Reservierungen, 

Städteführungen, Brötchenservice, Wäscherei und 

vieles mehr. Man merkt es schon: In servicierten 

Apartments steht das Gefühl, zuhause zu sein, an 

oberster Stelle. 

Vienna‘s allure in the world – whether as a 

work, study or holiday destination – continues 

to soar. Residential construction can barely 

keep up with the demographic changes. Which is why 

it is so great that more and more providers of serviced 

apartments are beginning to address the emerging 

structures on the labour market and the increasing 

need for mobility. The advantages are clear: Settling 

into the new city becomes so much easier. The formalities 

are kept to a minimum, moving in and out is 

uncomplicated. Extra offers, such as spa, gym, and 

laundry service make everyday life easier. This often 

turns exorbitant penthouse apartments into real homes. 

Just like “Singerstrasse 21/25“, which has been 

around since 1995. 

High potential 

Hoch 33 is set to become the fourth room4rent 

apartment building in Vienna in the Monte Laa district 

(opening 2018). The view of the city can be enjo- 

PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN BEHNKE, MAXIMILIAN SYDOW, FRANZ HELMREICH, BEIGESTELLT 

A Steinway 

yed via the loggia, balcony or terrace, the concierge 

acts as a communication hub. General Manager Helga 

Mayer explains the idea behind room4rent: ‘With our 

concept, we’re meeting modern, temporary residential 

needs. We’re very happy that we are successfully 

reaching such a broad target group and thereby create 

attractive locations across Vienna. We offer comfortable 

solutions for short-term living at affordable rates. 

Especially for those looking for quickly available, 

affordable and commission-free as well as furnished 

and served apartments for a time span of two months 

to two years. The growing demand from the business 

sector has led us to create a booking tool for companies 

last year which allows us to optimally accommodate 

various circumstances, needs and wishes from 

business customers.’ Around 350 apartments are 

available at three different locations (Citygate, Messeecarrée 

Nord, Storchengasse in the 15th district). 

Fine selection 

Klaus Biedermann operates on a smaller scale with 

his Top Apartments Vienna project. The newcomer 

CAN TRANSFORM EVERY ROOM 

i N TO A CONCERT HALL. 

Including yours. Contact us for more information regarding 

our unique pianos, grand pianos and offers to mark 

„20 years Steinway in Austria“: 01-512 07 12. 

UNKOMPLIZIERTER AUFENTHALT. | UNCOMPLICATED STAY. 

Die vollausgestatteten Apartments von LiV‘iN Residences Wien-Parlament by Fleming‘s vermitteln 

ein Gefühl wie zu Hause mit geringem administrativem Aufwand. 

The fully furnished apartments by LiV’in Residences Wien-Parlament by Fleming’s provide a feeling of 

being at home with little administrative effort. 

STEi N w AY i N A u STRi A 

1010 wien, opernring 6-8 

tel: +43 1-512 07 12 

www.steinwayaustria.at 



Specialized areas 

Refractive Surgery 

LASIK/LASEK/PRK 

Laser Cataract Surgery 

Refractive Lens Exchange 

KAMRA Inlay 

Presbyopia Treatment 

2RT Laser Treatment of early AMD 

Floater Laser Treatment 

E-Eye Laser Treatment of Dry Eye Sydrom 

Minimally invasive Glaucoma Treatment 

PERSÖNLICHER KONTAKT. | PERSONAL CONTACT. 

Viel Raum, maßgeschneiderter Service und dennoch 100 % 

Privatsphäre erlebt der Gast bei Vienna City Apartments. 

Plenty of space, custom-tailored service and 100% privacy are what 

await the guests of Vienna City Apartments. 

ERFOLGREICHER QUEREINSTEIGER. | THE NEWCOMER. 

Seine reiche Reiseerfahrung und hoher Wohnkomfort stecken in 

den Top Apartments Vienna von Klaus Biedermann, der als 

Musiker und DJ lange Zeit weltweit im Einsatz war. 

His rich travel experiences and high residential comfort standards 

have become part of Top Apartments Vienna by Klaus Biedermann, 

who used to work around the globe as a musician and DJ. 

contact data 

Goldenes Quartier 

Seitzergasse 6 

1010 Wien 

Tel. +43 (0)1 9048889 

www.sehkraft.at 

„Der Service und 

Mehrwert, den wir 

bieten, übertrifft vielfach 

jenen in Hotels. “ 

‘The service and value 

that we offer exceed 

those of hotels.’ 

Alfred Krammer 

Geschäftsführer Vienna City 

Apartments 

General Manager Vienna City 

Apartments 

used to work as a musician, DJ and music producer. 

‘Back then I travelled very, very frequently and my experiences 

from that time have gone into creating Top 

Apartments Vienna. I really care about small details, 

like audio cables, nice LED evening lights that can be 

individually customised in terms of colour, as well as 

our box spring beds.’ The focus on Russian guests and 

Russian-language care and support are an additionally 

exciting factor. The LiV’in Residence Wien-Parlament 

by Fleming’s in the 8th district is a popular 

point of contact for architecture enthusiasts. You get 

to lodge in an historical building from the year 1900. 

Comfort is ensured by the charming interplay between 

century-old architecture and modern design. 

Stucco-decorated ceilings and fine furniture create the 

perfect atmosphere for short and long stays. Business 

travellers particularly appreciate the generous workspace. 

Martin Sperl, Hotel Director of the Fleming‘s 

Select Hotel Wien-City, adds additional advantages: 

“Feeling like you are at home with little administrative 

effort and the possibility of short-term accommodation 

are indispensable today. Furthermore, guests can 

use the facilities of the Fleming’s Selection Hotel 

Wien-City across the street, such as the gym, sauna 

and steam bath, completely free of charge.“ 

More living space 

Alfred Krammer, Managing Director of the Vien- 

na City Apartments, is similarly well-versed when it 

comes to the needs of his guests: ‘One’s own apartment 

in Vienna‘s city centre, in our case the address is 

Schottenring 33, offers more than just a central location 

and excellent public transport connections and 

infrastructure: There‘s also more space. This is a true 

luxury that also offers more privacy. However, many 

guests also appreciate the personal contact with the 

manager at our VIP check-in, where we can provide 

specially tailored information and recommendations 

in a very condensed form — from real Viennese locals.“ 

Andreas Hölzl, General Manager at Derag Livinghotels 

Vienna, has a similar approach: “Our accommodations 

are significantly bigger than classic 

hotel rooms. In Döbling, the apartments have their 

own balconies. Our buildings are consciously located 

where the locals feel at home too. In contrast with a 

rental apartment, you have flexible booking conditions. 

There are no fees for agents, you don’t have to 

pay a deposit or cover repairs or register with the authorities. 

High standards also add a feeling of security.“ 

The Derag Livinghotels offer included services 

such as shuttle service, ticket purchases for cultural 

and musical events, table bookings, city tours, breakfast 

bread service, laundry and much more. It doesn‘t 

take too long to figure it out: When it comes to serviced 

apartments, the feeling of being at home is the 

number one priority. 

PHOTOS: MONI FELLNER, PHG@VIENNA.AT, BEIGESTELLT 

WORLD CLASS EYE SURGERY IN VIENNA 

sehkraft are the worldwide Leading Experts in Eye Surgery 

OUR PASSION, EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE FOR YOUR EYES 

sehkraft is one of the most prestigious and experienced eye clinics worldwide and famous for individual 

state-of-the-Art solutions for a life without glasses or contact lenses, improved visual performance, highend 

laser-assisted Cataract surgery as well as the prevention and treatment of early stages of AMD. Led by 

internationally renowned ophthalmic surgeon Matthias Maus, sehkraft it is equipped with the very latest 

technology and employs an unmatched team of experts. Worldwide, no other center can match this setting. 

Matthias Maus and his team have been constantly involved in the development of new laser platforms, Premium 

Intraocular Lenses (IOL) and diagnostic devices since the early nineties. This situation guarantees, 

that sehkraft always is first and has continuous access to the most advanced technology and a permanent 

innovative advantage over other refractive and cataract surgery centres worldwide. 

The experienced and highly skilled team is composed of over 50 employees in an exceptional constellation; 

it includes ophthalmologists, optical engineers, Masters of Science in vision, professional optometrists and 

specialized medical assistants. Every year, more than 100 international ophthalmologists from all over the 

world are trained by this sehkraft team. 

Find us on facebook / 

sehkraft Augenzentrum Wien 

Therefore not only the world’s best ophthalmic surgeons from all over the world (i.g. USA, China, Ireland, 

Japan, Australia) come to sehkraft to experience first class medical care for their own eyes but also send their 

difficult patients to Vienna to get a special treatment by Matthias Maus. 


sehkraft is also the number one choice of Olympic Gold Medal Winners and world champions like Fabian Hambüchen, 

Jonas Reckermann and is also the official eyecenter of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) 

of Germany.

SAVOIR VIVRE LIFESTYLE 

Eleganter Herbst 

Elegant autumn 


Kosmopolitisch 

Cosmopolitan 

Wer auf der Suche nach ausgesuchter Designermode, exklusiven Accessoires und außergewöhnlichem Schmuck für Damen und Herren ist, ist bei Alexis Fernández González 

richtig. In seinem Runway-Store hat er sich auf die Auswahl kosmopolitischer internationaler und österreichischer Gustostücke spezialisiert. Liebhaber maßgeschneiderter 

Herrenschuhe werden beispielsweise die Modelle von Lukacs Laszlo lieben. 

Those on the lookout for selected designer fashion, exclusive accessories and exceptional jewellery for both ladies and gents, have come to the right place with Alexis 

Fernández González. He offers a fine selection of international and Austrian gems in his runway store. Aficionados of tailored men’s shoes will fall in love with the pieces by 

Lukacs Laszlo. runwayviennat.at 

Körperbetonter Look 

Figure-focused look 

Individuelle Patina 

Individualised patina 

Der deutsche Taschenhersteller Bree hat mit der Serie „Stockholm“ ein besonders schönes Herbstmodell 

designt, das durch das exklusiv entwickelte Leder jeder Tasche ihren eigenen Charme verleiht. Es ist nachhaltig 

gegerbt, wird in einer traditionsreichen Ledermanufaktur gefertigt und in puristischem Design finalisiert, was 

den natürlichen Farben ihre besondere Wirkung verleiht. 

The German bag manufacturer Bree has designed a particularly beautiful autumn piece for their new 

Stockholm series. Each and every bag is endowed with its own charm as a result of the exclusively processed 

leather. It is tanned sustainably, produced in a traditional leather manufactory and finalised with a pure design 

that gives the natural colours their special glow. bree.com 

„Magic Forest“ und „Wild One“ sind die Leitmotive der 

aktuellen Herbst-/Winterkollektion von Airfield. Das 

khakifarbige Jerseykleid ist eines der Modelle, die mit 

raffinierter Schnittführung eine körperumschmeichelnde 

Silhouette schaffen. Die hellen Linien an Schultern, 

Kragen und Ausschnitt sind Ausdruck der unaufgeregten 

Detailverliebtheit, die das modische Fingerspitzengefühl 

des Labels unter Beweis stellen. 

´Magic Forest´and´Wild One´are the two leading motifs 

of Airfield’s current autumn and winter collection. The 

khaki-coloured jersey dress is one of several pieces 

boasting a figure-flattering silhouette. The light lines 

around the shoulders, the collar and the neckline are an 

expression of the passion for detail and demonstrate the 

brand’s stylish sophistication. 

airfield.at 


Urban reisen 

Urban travelling 

Absolut Kurztrip- und 

businesstauglich ist die 

Kollektion „Alpha 2“ von Tumi. 

Die robuste Reisetasche ist aus 

dem speziellen, patentierten 

„FXT Ballistic Nylon“ gefertigt. 

Praktische Fächer wie das 

separate Vorderfach sorgen 

unterwegs für sofortigen Zugriff 

auf schnell Benötigtes. 

Tumi’s Alpha 2 collection is the 

perfect solution for quick 

holidays and business trips. The 

sturdy travel bag is made from 

the special and patented FXT 

Ballistic Nylon. Practical 

compartments, such as the 

separate front pouch, provide 

easy access to all your travel 

necessities. 

tumi.com 

Bereit zum Abtauchen 

Ready to dive 

Ein robustes Stahlgehäuse, das ultralesbare 

Zifferblatt, die drehbare Hightech-Keramik-Lünette 

und COSC-Zertifizierung zeichnen die „Superocean 

44 Spezial“ von Breitling aus, mit der man bis in 

1.000 Meter Tiefe abtauchen kann. Besonders schön 

ist die Variation mit blauem Zifferblatt. 

The robust steel case, the super readable watch face, 

the rotatable high-tech ceramic bezel and the COSC 

Certification are what define the Superocean 44 

Special watch by Breitling, which you can use while 

diving up to 1,000 metres. The model with the blue 

face is simply gorgeous. breitling.com 

Charakterstark 

Strong character 

Eine Damenuhr, die ebenso feminin wie 

unverkennbar ist und mit Mondphasen- 

Komplikation und ästhetischer Balance 

überzeugt: „Cat’s Eye Celestial“ von 

Girard-Perregaux. Das blau-glitzernde 

Zifferblatt harmoniert mit guillochierten 

Perlmutt-Details und dem Alligator- oder 

Roségold-Armband. 

A ladies’ watch that is as feminine as it is 

distinctive, with a lunar phase feature 

and clear aesthetic appearance: Cat’s 

Eye Celestial by Girard-Perregaux. 

The shiny blue watch face 

creates a perfect harmony with 

its guilloche nacre details and 

the alligator or rose gold 

wristband. 

girard-perregaux.com 

Eigene Schmucklinie | Own jewellery line 

Mit „edition bleu“ präsentiert Uhrmachermeister Hübner eine eigene 

Schmucklinie mit unkonventionell geformten Stücken und wohlüberlegtem 

Steinbesatz. 18 Karat Weißgold und Diamanten im Brillantschliff 

stehen im Fokus und sind die Schmuckempfehlung von Andrea 

Daum-Hübner und Astrid Stüger-Hübner, weil diese exklusive 

Kombination perfekt zu jedem Anlass passt und auf sympathische 

Weise die Persönlichkeit der Trägerin unterstreicht. 

With edition bleu, master watchmaker Hübner has introduced their own 

jewellery line with unconventionally formed parts and a carefully 

thought-out selection of gems. 18-carat white gold and brilliant-cut 

diamonds are the focus here. Andrea Daum-Hübner and Astrid 

Stüger-Hübner have made the watch their jewellery of choice, as this 

exclusive combination perfectly matches any occasion, thus pleasantly 

emphasizing the wearer’s own personality and style. zeit.at 



SAVOIR VIVRE LIFESTYLE LIVING 

Genuss und Wohnkomfort 

Enjoyment and comfort 


Multifunktionelle Leichtigkeit 

Multifunctional lightness 

Platz für ein entspanntes Nickerchen oder geselliges Zusammensitzen mit 

Freunden und Familie: Das neue Anreihsofa „hs.420“ von Rolf Benz ist für jede 

Situation gerüstet. Der feine Holzrahmen und das filigrane Fußgestell tragen die 

Sofavarianten mit neu entwickeltem Rückenteil. Dieser lässt sich auffalten und 

mehrstufig nach hinten falten. Bei abgeklappten Seitenteilen erwächst im Nu ein 

Querlieger. 

As a space for a relaxing nap or for a cosy get-together with family and friends: 

The hs.420, the new sectional sofa by Rolf Benz, is perfectly suited for any event. 

The fine wood frame and the filigree pedestal hold the various sofa options with 

the newly developed back parts. The back can recline to different positions. Fold 

the side parts all the way down and in a matter of seconds you’ve got yourself a 

daybed. 

rolf-benz.com 

Home Spa 

Die selbst auflösenden Aroma-Duschtabs von Waltz 7 verwandeln jedes 

Badezimmer in eine duftende Wellness-Oase. Das in Wien beheimatete 

Unternehmen arbeitete 18 Monate an der Produktentwicklung. Das 

Ergebnis sind mit ätherischen Ölen versetzte Presslinge, die in den 

Noten „Inspiring Lemongrass“, „Energizing Mint“, „Inspiring Limette“ 

und „Relaxing Lavender“ das Duschen zum Erlebnis machen. 

The dissolving aroma showering tabs by Waltz 7 transform any 

bathroom into a fragrant wellness oasis. The Vienna-based company 

took 18 months to develop this new product. The result is a pellet 

containing essential oils that will — with scents like Inspiring 

Lemongrass, Energizing Mint, Inspiring Limette and Relaxing Lavender 

— take your shower beyond a soothing experience. waltz7.com 

Design District 1010 

Ein Pflichttermin für Design-Liebhaber: Drei Tage lang wird die Wiener City zum begehbaren Showroom. 80 nationale und 

internationale Premiummarken (z.B. Grünbeck, Minotti, Fitz Hansen, Leo Schulmeister) aus den Bereichen Interieur, Lifestyle, HiFi, 

Kunst und Accessoires zeigen in der Hofburg und diversen “Design-„Grätzeln“ wie Börseviertel und Ringstraße die neuesten Trends. 

An unmissable spot for those passionate about all things design: For three days, the Vienna city centre will transform into a walk-in 

showroom. 80 domestic and international premium brands (such as Grünbeck, Minotti, Fitz Hansen, Leo Schulmeister) in the areas 

of interior design, lifestyle, HiFi, art and accessories, will show off the newest trends in the Hofburg as well as various other spots 

throughout the centre, such as the Börseviertel and Ringstraße. 

design-district.at 

Eventtipp 

Design District 1010 

6. bis 8. Oktober 2017 

Wiener Hofburg 

Öffnungszeiten: 

Freitag und Samstag 

von 10-19 Uhr, Sonntag 

von 10-18 Uhr 

PHOTOS: BEIGESTELLT

SAVOIR VIVRE LIFESTYLE LIVING 

Heißes Startup 

Hot start-up 

Otto Wilde Grillers setzen neue 

Maßstäbe beim Grillen. Der 

O.F.B. (Over-Fired Broiler) mit 

separat regelbaren Brenneinheiten 

und flexibler Höhenverstellung 

ist ein Infrarot-Gasgrill 

made in Germany, der über 

900˚C erreicht. Er verleiht 

Steaks außen eine köstliche 

Kruste und sorgt innen für 

saftig-zarte Verhältnisse – und 

das in nur drei Minuten. 

Otto Wilde Grillers is setting 

new standards when it comes to 

grilling. The O.F.B. (Over-Fired 

Broiler) with separately 

configurable heating and flexible 

height adjustment is an infrared 

grill, made in Germany, which 

can reach temperatures of up to 

900˚C. Steaks are crispy on the 

outside and deliciously juicy and 

tender on the inside—all that in 

just three minutes! 

ottowildegrillers.com 

NEW! 

24-hour online booking 

www.zwd.at 

IMPLANTOLOGY | FULL CERAMICS | PROPHYLAXIS 

Designelement Klimaanlage 

Air conditioner as designer piece 

Die Kollektion „Tiroch Art“ des österreichischen Unternehmens Klima Klement 

macht mit individuellen Klimaanlagen aus einem in der Regel rein zweckmäßigem 

Gerät, ein designlastiges Wohnaccessoire. Airbrushkünstler Knud Tiroch 

setzt in G-Rave-Technik Wünsche hinsichtlich Motiv, Farbe, Logo oder auch 

Graffiti um. 

The Tiroch Art collection, by the Austrian company Klima Klement, turns an 

otherwise purpose-driven appliance into a designer living accessory. Airbrush 

artist Knud Tiroch uses G-Rave technology to implement requests pertaining to 

motifs, colours, logos or even graffiti. 

klimaklement.at 

Stilsicheres Interior 

Stylish interior 

Hochwertige Stoffe, die eine einfache und dennoch luxuriöse Umgestaltung 

ermöglichen, lassen repräsentative Räumlichkeiten entstehen, in denen man sich 

gleichzeitig wohlfühlt. Eine breite Auswahl an Raffinesse verheißenden Motiven, 

inklusive hochprofessioneller Beratung, bietet Viktor Steinwender. 

High-quality fabrics that allow for simple yet luxurious redesigns, help create 

customised spaces that promise a state of peace and well-being. Viktor 

Steinwender offers a wide selection of smart motifs and top-notch professional 

consultation. 

viktorsteinwender.at 


A BEAMING SMILE 

AND HEALTHY TEETH 

ENRICH YOUR LIFE! 

The Zahnklink Wien Döbling is a modern dental clinic 

specialising in implantology and complex dental 

restoration. In our clinic, you are greeted by a highly 

qualified team and a friendly atmosphere. State-of-the-art 

treatment methods, the very latest dental technology with 

the utmost precision and prompt appointments ensure a 

bright smile. 

We offer 

• Emergency treatments 

• Dental implants 

• Restorative dentistry 

• Cosmetic dentistry 

O P E N I N G H O U R S : MO - FR, 8.00 am - 4.00 pm 

Your advantages 

• Dentistry and aesthetics at the highest level 

• In-house technical laboratory 

• Innovative treatment methods 

• Highly qualified, motivated team 


C O N T A C T : Zahnklinik Wien Döbling, Sieveringerstraße 17, 1190 Vienna, +43 1 320 97 97, office@zwd.at, www.zwd.at

SAVOIR VIVRE HEALTHCARE 

Fokus Gesundheit 

Focus Health 


Mit ausgezeichneter ärztlicher Betreuung und höchsten medizinischtechnischen 

Standards nimmt Wien einen renommierten, internationalen 

Platz in Sachen Privatmedizin ein. 

In terms of excellent healthcare and top-notch medical and technical 

standards, Vienna is becoming a renowned and international player 

when it comes to private medicine. 


Wiener Privatklinik. 

Personalisierte Krebsbehandlung: 

Das neue WPK Cancer 

Center bietet erstmals in einem 

österreichischen Privatspital 

ein umfassendes Programm 

von Diagnose, Behandlung und 

Nachsorge an. 

Personalised cancer treatment: 

For the first time in an Austrian 

private clinic, the new WPK 

Cancer Center provides an 

extensive diagnosis, treatment 

and follow-up care program. 


PHOTO: KARLHEINZ FESSL 

DDer Gesundheitsstandort Österreich punktet 

mit angesehenen Privatkliniken und spezialisierten 

Ärztezentren. Die sehr hohe Reputation 

der medizinischen Kompetenz und 

innovativen Technologien wird von der internationalen 

Klientel geschätzt. Man ist auf die präventive, korrektive 

und postoperative Medizin sowie Betreuung 

von schweren Erkrankungen wie beispielsweise 

Krebs bestens vorbereitet. 

Interdisziplinäre Vorteile 

Neu eingereiht in den Reigen der hochqualifizierten 

Institutionen hat sich das „RC Radiology Center“ 

in der Wiener Lazarettgasse 25. Hier treffen Patienten 

auf modernste Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin. 

Interdisziplinäre Kooperation wird täglich gelebt. 

Die Vorzüge erläutert Dr. Martha Hoffmann, Leiterin 

des PET/CTS und der Nuklearmedizin des Radiology 

Centers: „Wir sind das einzige private Institut, 

das alle radiologischen und nuklearmedizinischen 

Möglichkeiten unter einem Dach anbietet – inklusive 

der nötigen Hybridgeräte. Die Verbindung der 

beiden Fachgebiete PET/CT und SPECT/CT ist unsere 

Stärke. Außerdem sind wir für unsere Patienten 

sichtbar und ansprechbar. Wir machen nicht nur 

Untersuchungen auf bestem technischem Standard 

und ausführliche, prompte Befunde, sondern erklären 

auf Wunsch die Untersuchung. Wir zeigen auf, 

was den Patienten erwartet und was er sich vom Ergebnis 

erwarten darf. Hybridbefunde (PET/CT, 

SPECT/CT) werden immer von zwei Fachärzten der 

jeweiligen medizinischen Disziplin gemeinsam erstellt 

und freigegeben.“ Man richtet sich im Radiology 

Center an alle Patienten, die prompte Termine 

benötigen, gute Qualität erwarten, ein angenehmes 

Ambiente und persönliche Betreuung wünschen 

und sich rasche Befunderstellung erwarten. Angeboten 

werden praktisch alle Untersuchungen und interdisziplinäre 

Kontakte. Hoffmann hebt einige Beispiele 

exemplarisch hervor: „Wir sind in der Lage 

mit gut funktionierenden Kooperationen rasch zu 

reagieren, z.B. in der Brustdiagnostik, wo im Anlassfall 

nach suspekter Mammographie innerhalb eines 

We clear 

cases to allow 

timely therapy 

Radiology Nuclear Medicine PET/CT MRI 

You breast health is our concern 

A clear and safe diagnostic statement 

about your breast health within one day 

with state of the art medical imaging 

technology and superior clinical know 

ledge – combined with seamless individual 

support across the diagnostic pathway: 

We are at your service. 

– Clarification of incomplete 

mammography reports (BIRADS 0) 

– Biopsy of lesions reported to be 

suggestive of cancer (BIRADS 4 and 5) 

– Staging and follow-up examinations 

of breast cancer during therapy 

– Imaging diagnostics and therapy of 

lymphoma and other malignancies of 

the lungs, colon, skin or thyroid gland 

– Mammography, radiography, 

sonography 

– MRI, bone density measurement 

– PET/CT, scintigraphy, bone scan 

Call us +43 (0)1 408 12 82 

or use the callback service 

www.radiology-center.com/rueckruf-service

SAVOIR VIVRE HEALTHCARE 

PREMIQAMED GROUP. 

Die Wiener Häuser Privatklinik Döbling, die im heurigen Sommer ihr 

30-jähriges Bestehen feierte, und Confraternität in der Josefstadt, 

sind Aushängeschilder des Gesundheitsspezialisten. 

The Vienna establishments Privatklinik Döbling, which celebrated its 

30th anniversary this summer, and Confraternität in Josefstadt, are 

the health specialist’s flagships. 

ZAHNKLINIK WIEN 

DÖBLING. 

Spezialisierung auf 

Implantologie, Gebissaufbau 

im Leerkiefer und sonstige 

schwierige Fälle mit 

Augenmerk auf natürliches 

Aussehen. 

Specialising in implantology, 

empty jaw dentitions and 

other difficult cases, with 

special attention to natural 

aesthetics. 

Tages ein MRT, eine Biopsie und die Vorstellung 

beim entsprechenden Facharzt erfolgt. Auch in der 

Prostataabklärung von der Bildgebung bis zur Biopsieplanung 

gibt es eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit 

Spezialisten der Urologie. Orthopädische oder rheumatologische 

Fragen können durch die Kombination 

von MRT, Röntgen und Knochenszintigraphie 

verlässlich beantwortet werden. Häufig kommt es 

auch zur unkomplizierten, kompletten Schilddrüsenabklärung 

(inkl. Sonographie, Szintigraphie, Labordiagnostik, 

Biopsie, Therapie). Der gemeinsame 

Standort mit der Wiener Privatklinik ist von großem 

Vorteil.“ 

Zahnspezialist mit neuem Standort 

Die Zahnklinik Wien Döbling in der Sieveringer 

Straße 17 ist Anlaufstelle für Menschen, die auf der 

Suche nach Experten mit dem Schwerpunkt Implantologie 

sind. Unter der kompetenten Leitung von 

Primarius Dr. Ernst Kolb setzt man beispielsweise 

auf Vollkeramik ohne Metalluntergerüst. „Das ist ästhetisch 

und biologisch besser verträglich. Licht 

dringt besser durch, was für ein natürliches Aussehen 

der Implantate sorgt“, so Kolb. „Unsere Stärken 

liegen in Großsanierungen. Wir übernehmen gerne 

schwierige Fälle, wie z.B. den Gebissaufbau im Leerkiefer. 

Wir bieten Patienten Alternativen zu unbeliebten 

Totalprothesen an und achten darauf, dass 

die Beißkraft wie bei natürlichen Zähnen erhalten 

bleibt und kein Kieferschwund mehr befürchtet werden 

muss.“ Die Serviceleistungen der Zahnklinik 

Wien Döbling sind umfangreich. Patienten erreichen 

das Ärzteteam montags bis freitags ganzjährig. 

Es ist immer ein Ansprechpartner vor Ort und auch 

das klinikinterne Labor trägt zur direkten Kommunikation 

zwischen Zahntechniker und Patienten bei. 

Bewährte Institutionen mit Weltruf 

Spricht man vom Gesundheitsstandort Wien sind 

drei weitere renommierte Häuser impliziert: Die 

Wiener Privatklinik mit den Schwerpunkten Sportmedizin 

und Traumatologie, kardiovaskuläre Medizin, 

Orthopädie, periphere Nervenchirurgie (Millesi 

Center), allgemeine Chirurgie, Gastroenterologie 

und Hepatologie, interventionelle Radiologie und 

Mikrotherapie ist nicht zuletzt für das WPK Cancer 

Center mit innovativen Methoden der Krebsdiagnostik 

und individuellen Behandlung bekannt. Die 

PremiaQaMed Group, die mit der Privatklinik Döbling 

und der Confraternität in der Josefstadt zwei 

Häuser mit umfangreichem Leistungsspektrum betreibt, 

ist ein weiterer Garant für nachhaltigen Erfolg 

moderner Medizin. Mit mehr als 140-jähriger Tradition 

kann das Rudolfinerhaus aufwarten, das die 

Schwerpunktfächer interne Medizin, Chirurgie,

CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 03/2017

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