Austria's News in English

Read the latest headlines about other developments in Vienna and Austria

Austrian-Japanese Society Hosts the 5th Japanese Film Days in Vienna

After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Austrian-Japanese Society (ÖJG) will host the fifth "Japannual" Japanese Film Days in Vienna at the Film Casino in Margareten. With over 20 films included this year, the festival brings a broad overview of current film events in Japan to Vienna. Read more about the festival, some of the movies included this year, and how to get tickets.

October 5, 2021

Modigliani in Vienna on the 100th Anniversary of his Death

To mark the 100th anniversary of Amedeo Modigliani’s death, the Albertina Museum in Vienna is honoring him with an exhibition including around 130 works. The exhibition includes works from three continents and some pieces from his counterparts, including Pablo Picasso. Read more about the new exhibition, learn about Modigliani, and view some examples of the works that are now on display.

October 5, 2021

Auschwitz-Birkenau: Austrian Delegation to Visit Largest Mass Murder Site in Human History

At the invitation of the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Piotr M.A. Cywiński and Austrian National Council President Sobotka, an Austrian delegation including President Van der Bellen and Foreign Minister Schallenberg will attend the opening of the new Austrian national exhibition "Distance - Austria and Auschwitz" in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum at the former Nazi concentration camp. Read more about the important new exhibition, who will be attending the opening, and the schedule for the rest of the president's trip to Poland.

October 4, 2021

Long Day of Escape: UNHCR Event in Austria on Refuge, Human Rights and Coexistence

Escape, human rights and peaceful coexistence are the focus of the UNHCR event series "Long Day of Escape", which took place for the 10th time this year.

October 1, 2021

Klimaticket: Austrian Low-Priced Public Transport Ticket Launches on 26 October

After long and intensive negotiations, a "milestone" has now been reached for public transport and climate-friendly mobility throughout Austria, Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler was pleased to announce the launch of the "Klimaticket" (climate ticket) from October 26, 2021. With the ticket, public transport users will in future be able to travel throughout Austria for one year for 1,095 euros. A joint ticket for the entire eastern region (Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland) is also available at 915 euros per year.

October 1, 2021

U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Latest Austrian Approaches

In furtherance of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Austria has created the SDG Dialogue Forum Austria. This new annual event is intended to promote partnerships as described in SDG 17 of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Read about this new event and what Austrian EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler said at its first meeting at the Natural History Museum Vienna.

September 30, 2021

World Expo Dubai: Architecture Award for Sustainable Austria-Pavilion

The Austrian pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai by querkraft architekten consisting of 38 white cone towers has won the first prize in the category "Sustainable Architecture" at the Global Design & Architecture Design Awards 2021.

September 29, 2021

76th UN General Assembly: Contribution and Results from an Austrian Perspective

Throughout the 76th United Nations General Assembly, some of the main issues that the Austrian delegation focused on were sustainable energy and climate change, COVID-19 and vaccinations, and the situation in Afghanistan. Read about some of the contributions and results of the event from Austria's point of view.

September 29, 2021

United Nations Vienna: Newton's Space Sapling Planted

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs was provided with a special apple tree grown from seeds which were taken into space, and the Ambassador of the UK, Corinne Kitsell and UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo planted the sapling which can be seen by visitors to the Space Exhibition at the VIC.

September 28, 2021

New Permanent Representative of Canada to the International Organizations in Vienna Presents Credentials

The new Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations (Vienna), Troy Lulashnyk, presented his credentials to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the Agency headquarters in Vienna and to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), Ghada Waly.

September 28, 2021

Joint Vienna Institute: Patrick Imam Succeeds Holger Flörkemeier

Patrick Imam joined the JVI - Joint Vienna Institute as Deputy Director. Having joined the International Monetary Fund (a party to the Agreement for the Establishment of the JVI) in 2005, he has held positions in the Middle East and Central Asia as well as the African Department (Zimbabwe and Madagascar), the IMF Institute and the Monetary and Capital Markets division. His predecessor Holger Flörkemeier was the JVI Deputy Director for the last four years. On the occasion of his departure, the JVI interviewed him and asked him to share his experience and views on the JVI.

September 28, 2021

Fair for Art Vienna 2021: The Red Carpet for Art

As an important art fair in Vienna's cultural autumn, "Fair for Art Vienna" sends an important signal for the art market and Vienna as an important city of culture. "Fair for Art Vienna" proved last year that a fair of its format can be held safely and successfully thanks to a well thought-out hygiene and health concept. Safety will also be a top priority in 2021.

September 27, 2021 · Sponsored Content

Studying in Austria: Significant Increase Among Foreign Students in the Corona Winter Semester 2020/21

After declining student numbers in previous years, both the number of foreign students and the number of students with Austrian citizenship increased by 4.6% and 2.6%, respectively, in the Corona winter semester 2020/21. The CEU - Central European University accounts for a good portion of the increase in foreign students. Detailed information on university statistics can be found below.

September 24, 2021

Ibiza Affair Committee Concludes in National Council: How Corrupt are Austrian Politicians?

How corruptible is Austrian politics? This question was explored by the deputies in the National Council session when discussing the recently published final report of the Ibiza-Affair Investigation Committee. Although the report was unanimously acknowledged, the parties were far apart in their conclusions.

September 23, 2021

Doing Business with the United Arab Emirates: World Expo 2020 Opens in Dubai

The World Expo 2020, which kept its name despite being delayed to 2021, is set to begin in Dubai on 1 October. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been a particularly sought-after market for many Austrian companies. Read about the upcoming Expo, the economic relationship between Austria and the UAE, and some of the many Austrian companies that have found success there.

September 23, 2021

American Photography at the Albertina: Trevor Traina Back in Vienna

Former U.S. Ambassador to Austria Trevor Traina was at the opening of the new exhibition "American Photography" at the Albertina Museum in Vienna. Mr. Traina holds one of the largest private collections of photographs in the world, and he loaned some of these pieces to the Albertina for the exhibition. "American Photography" includes photographs from 1945 to the present and focuses on everyday motifs that had previously been considered unworthy of portrayal. Read more about the exhibition and view a selection of photographs included in the exhibit.

September 22, 2021

Van der Bellen at 76th UN General Assembly: "World Stage of Foreign Policy"

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen is in New York attending the 76th UN General Assembly along with Chancellor Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg. On Tuesday, President Van der Bellen attended the "Welcome Reception" with UN-Secretary General António Guterres and the opening of the General Assembly. The President also held talks with the presidents of Costa Rica, Ghana, Guyana, Senegal, and Zambia. Van der Bellen is still scheduled to meet with Secretary-General Guterres, various world leaders, and scientists to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and more. Read about the President's trip so far and what is next on his agenda.

September 21, 2021

Multilateralism at the UN General Assembly: Kurz and Schallenberg in NYC

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg are in New York for the 76th United Nations General Assembly. Their trip includes meetings with various delegations, with an emphasis on the situation in Afghanistan and the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the pair, along with President Van der Bellen, will meet for talks with UN Secretary-General Antońio Guterres. Chancellor Kurz will also address the Council on Foreign Relations and Schallenberg will deliver a speech to the General Assembly. Read more about the details of their trip.

September 21, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: Vienna Once Again Adopts a Special Approach

Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig announced at a press conference that as of October 1, Vienna's regulations will differ from those of the rest of Austria, namely that 2G will apply to night-time catering and larger events. What does this mean?

September 21, 2021

IAEA’s 65th Annual General Conference

IAEA’s 65th annual General Conference (GC) takes place from 20 to 24 September 2021 in Vienna. The meeting draws high level representatives from the IAEA’s 173 Member States.

September 17, 2021

Austrian Development Agency: An Additional 2 Million Euros for Afghanistan

At the United Nations donor conference for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the Austrian Minister for Integration and Women's Affairs Susanne Raab announced that Austria will provide an additional 2 million euros in aid to Afghanistan. The aid is being made available through funds from the Austrian Development Aid Cooperation of the Austrian Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian Foreign Ministry. The conference resulted in pledges of nearly double the amount of money that the UN had set as its goal.

September 16, 2021

100 Speakers of Parliament Meet in Vienna

Over 100 speakers of parliament met at the Austria Center Vienna for the Fifth World Conference of the Speakers of Parliament. President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka spoke about the international community finding internal solutions to global problems. Duarte Pacheco and Martin Chungong, the President and Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), defended democracy and human rights and spoke about the robustness of parliaments during the COVID-19 crisis.

September 10, 2021

Foreign Culture is Central Element of Austrian Diplomatic Soft Power

At the International Culture Conference 2021, Foreign Minister Schallenberg spoke about the importance of foreign culture as an instrument of soft power and diplomacy. He also highlighted some of the various new initiatives and programs to promote foreign culture, such as the "International Music Dialogues," the “On the road again” initiative for visual artists, “Repair of the Future - the Global Casting of Tomorrow,” and more.

September 10, 2021

"Made in Austria": Ambassadors to Serve as Export Promoters

The Austrian government is calling on its diplomats around the world to promote Austria's export and tourism industries abroad to help the economy recover from the COVID-19 crisis. At the opening event of "ReFocus Austria", Chancellor Kurz, Foreign Minister Schallenberg, and Vice-President of the Federal Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) Martha Schultz laid out the government's plan. Read about "ReFocus Austria," what these officials said about it, and watch the video of the opening event.

September 10, 2021

Austrian University Spin-offs at the World Expo in Dubai

The World Expo 2020, which retained its name despite being postponed to 2021, will begin in October in Dubai. Various Austrian university spin-offs will present their innovations that will have positive impacts on climate-conscious behavior. These spin-offs include GREENPASS, REEgain, WoodC.A.R., City Intelligence Lab (CIL), Mostly AI's Mostly GENERATE, and Incremental3D's myPot. Read more about Austria's contribution to the upcoming World Expo and what innovations these spin-offs will be presenting.

September 8, 2021 · Updated: September 8, 2021; 16:16

Forum Alpbach: Reaffirming the Importance of the Conference on the Future of Europe

The EU ministers from five member states signed the "Alpbach Declaration on the Future of Europe" at the European Forum Alpbach. The five ministers were Judit Varga from Hungary, Thomas Byrne from Ireland, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis from Greece, Juan González-Barba from Spain, and Karoline Edtstadler from Austria. The declaration highlights the necessity for cooperation and dialogue to ensure that the EU has a successful future.

September 7, 2021

Schallenberg on Afghanistan: "Clear advance of mistrust toward the Taliban"

The Gymnich Meeting of EU foreign ministers recently took place in Slovenia. One of the main issues discussed during the two days of meetings was the situation in Afghanistan and how to deal with the Taliban going forward. Alexander Schallenberg expressed that there is a deep mistrust of the Taliban, but technical cooperation with them is currently necessary. Read more about what Schallenberg said and watch the video of him taking questions from the press.

September 7, 2021

Women on the Boards of Austrian Listed Companies: Only 14 out of 192

A study shows that women are still significantly underrepresented on the boards of Austrian companies on the Vienna Stock Exchange. The number of female board members in Austria's listed companies has decreased by one woman compared to the beginning of 2021, leaving the total at 14 out of 192. Read more about the details of the study.

September 6, 2021

Ivan Vejvoda Temporarily Succeeds Shalini Randeria as Acting Rector of the IWM

The Vienna based IWM - Institut fuer die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (Institute for Human Sciences) has announced that Permanent Fellow Ivan Vejvoda has been selected to be the Acting Rector of the Institute.

September 2, 2021

Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein in Vienna

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna for bilateral discussions. Some specific issues the pair discussed include Afghanistan, the security situation in Iraq and the Middle East, terrorism, and migration. Read about their meeting and watch their joint press conference.

September 1, 2021

Afghanistan: Austria Discusses Aid with Neighboring States Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan

To discuss cooperation and support on the situation in Afghanistan, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Interior Minister Karl Nehammer initiated a joint video conference with Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbors, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as three European countries, Germany, Denmark, and Greece. The focus of the conversation with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries was on security, migration, and humanitarian aid.

August 31, 2021

40 Years After Terror Attack on City Temple in Vienna - Commemoration of Victims and Heroes

On August 29, 1981, the synagogue in Vienna (City Prayer House - Stadttempel) was shaken by a terrorist attack. It was the bloodiest attack on Jewish life in Austria after World War II. Two Palestinian terrorists killed two people in the attack, and 21 were injured, some seriously.

August 31, 2021

Corona Virus in Austria: Latest Figures

To date, there have been 687,076 positive test results in Austria. As of today, 10,782 people have died as a result of Corona virus across Austria, currently with 1,120 new infections Austria-wide, 122 are being cared for in intensive care units. Read on to get all the latest stats.

August 30, 2021

50th Anniversary: Diplomatic Relations between China and Austria

To commemorate the anniversary of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and Austria, the Austrian Post (Österreichische Post) has now also issued a special postage stamp.

August 30, 2021

The Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Austria-Liechtenstein Turns 100 Years Old

The Chamber of Commerce Switzerland-Austria-Liechtenstein or Handelskammer Schweiz-Österreich-Liechtenstein (HKSÖL) has supported economic relations between the countries for 100 years. They provide professional assistance to companies in these countries and Central and Eastern Europe. The HKSÖL has facilitated a particularly successful economic relationship between Austria and Switzerland. Read more about what the HKSÖL does and the Austro-Swiss economic relationship.

August 27, 2021

Lavrov in Vienna: Tensions Following the Establishment of the Crimea Platform

In the first official bilateral visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to Vienna since 2009, Sergey Lavrov met with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The working talks included tense issues like the annexation of Crimea, human rights in Russia, Afghanistan, and the refugees on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. However, they all expressed interest in continued dialogue and finding areas for cooperation between Austria, the EU, and Russia.

August 26, 2021

Covid Package of Measures for a Successful Start of the School Year 2021/22

Children and young adults, who have already had to do without many things in the past two years, are starting the new school year with a safety concept that is based on four pillars. Large-scale school closures and shift teaching are no longer an option in the new school year. But what will attendance look like in the new school year?

August 25, 2021

Van der Bellen Appeals for the Acceptance of Afghans

In his speech at the opening of the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen appealed for the acceptance of refugees from Afghanistan. Despite Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's concerns about accepting refugees, the president argued that there is a legal, moral and political obligation for the EU to offer protection to those forced to leave their country.

August 25, 2021

Central European University: Shalini Randeria Succeeds Michael Ignatieff

Professor Shalini Randeria has been elected to succeed Michael Ignatieff as the sixth rector and president of Central European University (CEU). Professor Randeria is the first woman to hold this position in CEU's history. Read more about Professor Randeria's election, her previous academic and professional experience, and Professor Ignatieff's tenure at CEU.

August 25, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: Vienna Reduces Validity for Access Tests

The validity of Corona tests will be significantly reduced in Vienna. The reason for this is the increasing numbers due to the delta variant.

August 24, 2021

The Fourth Corona Wave in Austria: Admission to Discos and Nightclubs Only for the Vaccinated?

Unvaccinated people in Austria will soon no longer be able to party. Because the fourth wave with rising infection numbers rolls over the country, the government plans hard measures for the autumn to be expected.

August 23, 2021

These Are Austria's Most Popular Lakes

Lake Constance is the most popular Austrian swimming lake on Instagram. Lake Wörthersee came in second, while Tyrol's Achensee, the newcomer to the podium, came in third. Read which other Austrian public bathing lakes took the 4th to 20th places.

August 18, 2021

Miss Europe: The Most Beautiful Woman in Europe to be Crowned in Vienna

Some 30 beauties from 21 nations, including three finalists from Austria, are vying for the title of "Miss Europe".

August 17, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: The New Corona Regulations for Vaccinated Persons

If you wish to visit a hotel or pub in Austria, or use a service provider such as a hair salon, partial vaccination is no longer sufficient. Since August 15, only when fully immunized is a vaccination considered proof of a low epidemiological risk. What are the details of the new regulation?

August 16, 2021

Vienna International Centre - Live-Ticker Coronavirus Situation: Several New Positive COVID-19 Cases, 380 Cases in Total

The Vienna International Centre (VIC, UNO City) and the Vienna International Centre Medical Service are reporting new positive COVID-19 cases. The total number of VIC personnel who have tested positive is 380. Below you can see the latest updates of the four main Vienna-based United Nations organizations (United Nations Office at Vienna/UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Industrial Development Organization and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization), as announced by UNIS and provided by the Vienna International Centre Medical Service. Regular updates on the number of cases of are no longer issued

June 25, 2020 · Updated: August 9, 2021; 17:25

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial: Austria Calls for Disarmament

On the 76th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg called for nuclear disarmament. They highlighted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), signed earlier this year, as a good starting point.

August 5, 2021

Danube Limes to Become a World Heritage Site

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include a section of the Danube Limes located in present-day Austria, Bavaria and Slovakia in the list of World Heritage Sites under the name Frontiers of the Roman Empire - Danube Limes (Western Segment).

August 1, 2021 · Updated: August 2, 2021; 09:38

Peace in Hard Times: Global Peace Photo Awards Ceremony

After canceling the event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Peace Photo Awards Ceremony 2020 was recently held in Baden. The Global Peace Photo Awards Ceremony 2021 will be held later this year. These awards honor the images that best capture the theme of peace each year. Read about the ceremony and who won the awards for 2020.

July 30, 2021

Restitution of Austrian Citizenships to Shoah Survivors and Descendants

One Holocaust survivor and 5 descendants of victims of Nazi terror received Austrian citizenship at the Consulate General in New York City. The restitution of 4,621 Austrian citizenships based on the new special procedure has already been successfully completed.

July 27, 2021

Von der Leyen Meets With Alexander Schallenberg and Karoline Edtstadler

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and the Constitution Karoline Edtstadler at the Salzburg Festival.

July 27, 2021