Newsletter: Austrian Billionaires: The Death of Ferdinand Piëch and the Donations of Heidi Horten

Wealthiest Austrian Deceased

Ferdinand Karl Piëch, former manager and major shareholder of Porsche Automobil Holding, died at the age of 82 after a visit to a restaurant. He was head of Volkswagen for almost ten years, later becoming Chairman of the Supervisory Board. He retired from the Group in 2015.

Donor List of the Austrian People's Party: Heidi Horten Biggest Donor

The Austrian Conservatives (ÖVP) recently published the donations to the Federal Party from 2018 and from the first 7 months of 2019. The billionaire and art collector Heidi Goëss-Horten donated a total of 931,000 euros during these 19 months. A total of 2.76 million euros was donated to the party during this period. Here you can find out who the other major donors are.

Ban Ki-moon at the Forum Alpbach: Promoting the SDGs in Europe with a Global Mindset

Delivering a keynote, Chairman Ban Ki-moon encouraged all national leaders to act as global leaders with a global citizenship mindset, which he said is a truly crucial asset for every individual to have in order to achieve sustainable development in a global society.

Defence Minister Starlinger Emphasises Importance of Interdisciplinary Cooperation in Defence Policy

Austrian Defence Minister Thomas Starlinger reports on cooperation between his department and various institutes in the field of security and defence policy.

European Forum Alpbach: Promoting the SDGs in Europe

At the European Forum in Alpbach, Tyrol, experts, diplomats and politicians discussed the promotion of UN sustainability goals in Europe.

Ikea Logistics Centre Vienna Completed: €70 Million Investment Volume

One year after the start of construction work, the Ikea logistics centre with 43 loading gates has been completed. To date, Ikea has invested more than 70 million euros in the site. The site will have a total of 150 employees.

Pfizer Invests 50 Million Euros in Lower Austria

Pfizer is expanding its site in Orth an der Donau by investing 50 million euros in the construction of new laboratories for an international quality control center for vaccines, the construction of modern office space and the modernization and expansion of the existing production infrastructure. Pfizer already produces two vaccines for worldwide export in Orth an der Donau.

Lower Austria as a Business Location Presents Itself at the Alpbach Business Talks

Also this year Lower Austria presented itself at the economic talks of the Forum Alpbach as an innovative business location through its business agency ecoplus and as an outstanding culinary region through the initiative "Thus tastes Lower Austria".

Paul Lendvai Celebrating His 90th Birthday

The Austrian journalist, author and presenter Paul Lendvai, who was born in Budapest, turned 90. He is considered a knowledgeable authority on Eastern and Southeastern Europe.

New Meinl Bank to Pay 36 Million Euro to Damaged European Land Investors

The legal successor to Meinl-Bank, AAB Anglo Austrian Bank AG, will pay around EUR 36 million to settle the claims of the remaining investor proceedings of approx. 4,000 investors of the former MEL Meinl European Land. Simultaneously, AAB starts a repositioning in which the credit business and the payment transactions are to be reduced, while the advisory business and investment banking are to be focused on.

Geopolitical Talks: American Diplomacy in a Disordered World

Former US Deputy Secretary of State William Joseph Burns will talk about "American Diplomacy in a Disordered World" at the Institute for Human Sciences Vienna.

Slovakia's First Female President Comes to Austria

The newly elected Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová visits Vienna for an official visit and is welcomed there by the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. The visit will also include a meeting with Federal Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein.

Amerika Haus: Rushan Abbas About Concentration Camps in Xinjiang, China

Rushan Abbas, a Uighur American whose family members have been detained in China, spoke at the Amerika Haus Wien about various human rights violations against Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province. In her presentation "China’s Concentration Camps in a Muted World" she pointed out, that far West China’s Uyghur people, a minority Muslim group, face a high-tech police state, cultural genocide, and mass detainment in modern concentration camps.

USA and Austrian Ministry of the Interior Intensify International Cooperation

During his meeting with the Austrian Minister of the Interior, Wolfgang Peschorn, the US Ambassador to Austria, Trevor Traina, spoke among other things about the continuation of cooperation in the fields of organised crime and counter-terrorism.

Hope and Despair: Vienna Humanities Festival 2019

The fourth Vienna Humanities Festival is an urban salon with leading figures from the worlds of academia, art and culture. In nearly 40 events participants negotiate the burning questions of our time.