Reports of the end of Austria’s post-war idyll have been greatly exaggerated. But this presidential election may finally be the turning point. For the first time, instead of the Social-Democrats (SPÖ) and Conservatives (ÖVP), a right-wing populist Norbert Hofer (FPÖ), and a former Green party leader Alexander Van der Bellen take the stage as presidential candidates. Austria – a...
Breaking its election promises, a Tory government has left expat Britons out in the coldDisenfranchisement is an ugly word. As a UK citizen without a vote in my own country, I feel cheated. I’m a fully paid-up, urban middle class British liberal, tolerant and open-minded, slightly under-done pink in the middle. I even have friends who wear skinny black...
They say it takes a village, but making Vienna shine as one of the most eco-friendly cities worldwide takes all sorts: we spoke to an urban gardener, a corporate eco-advocate, a street cleaner and an environmental activist.By Doina Boev & Benjamin WolfGerhard PauliGardener at the MA 42 Vienna Parks & Gardens
Every time we are tasked to redesign a street, the...
An impressive line-up of big names in venerable venues awaitGoing strong since 1991, this major date on the summer festival circuit starts right as most classical venues close for the summer, drawing world-class talent by the prospect of playing in locations like the Staatsoper, Musikverein or the Rathaus itself. As with other famed Jazz festivals such as Montreaux, the...
It looks easy, being greenIt was less a big lifestyle change, more a series of little tweaks. When my family moved from the U.S. to Austria, the differences in environmental awareness were pretty clear, like basic recycling: In the States we had a catch-all blue container, here we even separate colored from clear glass. Some things were less obvious.“Don’t...
As failed crops, droughts, and extreme weather cause more upheaval we may need to rethink our definitionsAcross 17th century Europe, the temperature suddenly dropped two degrees, in what we now call the Little Ice Age. Crops failed and livestock froze to death; famines claimed millions of lives and soon, whole populations were on the move.Fruit growers in Austria might...
Vienna has a love affair with small suburban gardens, a parallel world of pruning, planting and peace of mindFor many Viennese, crossing the Danube has long meant venturing into uncharted territory, a journey not to be undertaken lightly. Even though rising rents in central Vienna have softened this elitist view of “the other side,” getting off at Donaustadtbrücke in...
Michael Benson’s photo safari through the solar systemWhile a mission to Mars, let alone the rest of the solar system, is still in the realm of science fiction, recent drone fly-bys have given us a better idea of what our galactic neighborhood looks like – provided someone were to actually compile the information into evocative pictures.Fortunately, artist/scientist Michael Benson...
