Some 4,000 Austrian cultural events and projects were planned and carried out in more than 80 countries during the year 2000, the overwhelming majority with participation of private and public partners at home and abroad. There was a concentration on the reform countries of East-Central Europe, the European Union and the United States, but longer-term goals include an expansion of cultural activities in the Russian Federation and Israel. This regional concentration was supplemented by increased activity in South-Eastern Europe, where Austrian cultural policy is in a position to contribute to the stabilisation of this crisis region.

The events of 2000 demonstrated clearly that the dissemination of information on Austrian history and identity is one of the most fundamental functions of cultural policy abroad. In addition to the geographical concentration, cultural planning over the next few years will also concentrate on a number of themes: Europe and the "European values"; working with the positive images of Austria (e.g. as a land of music); 20th-century Austrian history; Austria as partner of Central European neighbours; and the contribution of cultural policy to the stabilisation of the Balkans. The presentation of Austrian cultural creativeness in 2000 concentrated on 20th-century literature and music and on the liberal arts. Austria's chairmanship of the OSCE provided an opportunity to use concrete projects (e.g. renewal of history teaching in the Balkans, multicultural events, etc.) to promote security and cooperation.

One highlight of the coming year 2001 will be the opening of the new building for the Austrian Cultural Institute in New York, for which a programme series is in preparation. Entitled Transforming Modernity, it will run for several months. The opening of the new Austrian Embassy in Berlin in June 2001 will be accompanied by a cultural programme illustrating the historical and cultural aspects of Austria's bilateral relations with Germany.

Music Projects

The 100th anniversary of the birth of the composer Ernst Krenek was marked by lectures, symposia and a travelling exhibition. Classical musical projects were supported, especially in non-European countries, because Austria's tradition as a land of music can often be used to awaken interest in other branches of the arts and innovative cultural creation. Support was also given to international concert tours by the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, the Klangforum Wien and the Vienna Art Orchestra. Jazz, cross-over music and similar projects are becoming more important due to the quality of Austrian performers. Long-term effects can be achieved through a combination of master classes and concert performances, when Austrian technique, style and interpretation are communicated to performing musicians.

Literature and Theatre Projects

Contemporary Austrian drama and Viennese theatre around 1900 remain in high demand internationally. The most popular dramatists in these categories are unquestionably Thomas Bernhard and Arthur Schnitzler, but works by younger authors are also being produced on major European stages. The remarkable success of Austrian drama on French stages over the past years is now being repeated in the countries of East-Central Europe, mostly with Austrian financial assistance. Numerous Austrian dance and puppet theatre groups received invitations to international festivals.

Authors' readings and the presentation of new literary works took place in all regions. Financial support from Austria enabled publishers in English- and French-speaking countries as well as in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Korea to bring out works by Austrian authors outside the German-language region. The Federal Chancellery subsidises translations and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs provides guarantees of purchase and distributes the books to libraries, schools and other educational establishments. Austrian publishers and authors also receive support to enable them to attend international book fairs and literary festivals.

The Austrian Cultural Institute in London held a festival in the spring of 2000 entitled Dreamscapes on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the publication of Sigmund Freud's Traumdeutung, emphasising the comprehensive effect of his teaching in all areas of art and science. The Cultural Institute in Warsaw presented a festival of South-East European culture in autumn, highlighting the historical and current contacts between Austria and the region.

The Fine Arts

The emphasis here was on graphic arts relating to the history of the 20th century. One example was the exhibition in Pisa under the title "When Freedom is at Stake - Austria between 1918 and 1938". This analysis of the artistic production of the inter-war period illustrated not only the works of already famous artists, but also those of emigrants and concentration camp victims, etc. An exhibition on the architect and designer Friedl Dicker-Brandeis was mounted in several locations in cooperation with the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Los Angeles. A photo exhibition by Alisa Douer on the Vienna Heldenplatz 1848-1989 toured the United States. An exhibition on Austrian exile literature for children and young people was presented in Russia, France and Belgium.

The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg was the venue for exhibitions of paintings by Christian Ludwig Attersee and Xenia Hauser. Other exhibitions of contemporary Austrian artistic works were held in Zagreb and in several locations in the United States. One special project, to run in Paris from January to April 2001 as a means of promoting cultural exchange and dialogue between Austria and France, was an exhibition of paintings from the period 1905 to 1930 by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Herbert Böckl and Richard Gerstl under the title La Vérité Nue.

Film and Audio-Visual Media

2000 was another successful year for Austrian films, with productions like "Die Fremde" by Götz Spielman, "Geboren in Absurdistan" by Houchang Allahyari, "Heimkehr der Jäger" by Michael Kreihsl, "L & R" by Edgar Honetschlager and "Der Überfall" by Florian Flicker shown at the international festivals, that are important for commercial success. Other highlights included a Peter Patzak Festival in Cairo and a conference on Austrian film making at the Ben Gurion University in Israel, at which "Ternitz Tennessee" by Mirjam Unger was premiered.

Austrian film weeks were held in the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, Hungary and the United States. Austria also participated in 45 film festivals organised by the European Union in countries in all five continents. The Austrian film "Nordrand" by Barbara Albert was awarded second prize at the MAX film festival in Hong Kong. The Foreign Ministry's videotheque was expanded to include numerous contemporary Austrian documentary and feature films in order to meet the demand, especially from foreign universities. Vienna was chosen as the location for the international production "Bride of the Wind", a film about Alma Mahler-Werfel.

International Youth Cooperation

On 30 June and 1 July 2000, the US embassy in Vienna, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and the Austrian Bundesjugendring, held a Balkan youth conference on the theme of "Southeast Europe 2000; Young Minds, New Priorities". Those participating included over 100 young people aged 18 to 30 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo) and Macedonia, as well as young Austrians and Americans. The conference discussed current problems in the Balkan region, with an emphasis on tolerance, pluralism, minority rights, economic reconstruction and international investment in the region. On 6/7 May, the 55th anniversary of the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp, the Jugendring held an international youth rally under the title "Youth Against Old Times". More than 140 young people from all over Europe, but mainly from the neighbouring countries, took part in this widely publicised event, which was subsidised by the Ministry.

International Sport

Vienna's application to house the planned International Anti-Doping-Agency was submitted in October 2000, and in November was selected as one of the short list of six potential locations. A final decision will be made in 2001. In December the towns of Schladming and Graz submitted a joint application to stage the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2005. Both applications were supported by the Foreign Ministry, which was also involved in preparations for the Summer Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney.

Cultural Promotion

The Foreign Ministry's support for cultural activities is basically provided for projects that have a high current value and assist in providing solutions to socio-political problems. The budgetary framework in 2000 was ATS 5.7m (€414,235), which was expended on 97 individual projects. Once again, international conferences to further dialogue between the world religions were main recipients of support. Others included events in connection with the commemoration of the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp, and the Choir Olympiad in Linz.

As in previous years, subsidies were provided for German language tuition in the historic Austrian emigrant settlements in Brazil and Peru, for St. George's College in Istanbul, and for cultural activities by the German-speaking minorities in Slovenia, Croatia and Romania. In the Balkans, support was given for the development of neighbourly relations by the Austro-Bosnia-Herzegovinan Kulturni Centar, for the Balkan newspaper project, and for restoration work on the sacred art treasures in Sarajevo. Other subsidies were given to the Egon Schiele Centre in Krumau (Czech Republic) for the development of its infrastructure, the College d'Europe in Bruges, and the Austrian participants in the international student competition for juridical argumentation, which is under the patronage of the European Court of Justice.

Academic Activities

Symposia, workshops and lectures were initiated and financed world-wide as a means of integrating Austrian academic activities into the international framework. The themes ranged from linguistic philosophy and Austrian exile literature to water management, environmental technology, architecture, history, cultural policy and much more. While international contacts in the natural and technical sciences usually take place directly between individual Austrian and foreign institutions, these contacts are encouraged and fostered by events such as the annual Schrödinger Lectures in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Relations with neighbouring countries are intensified by events like the bilateral dialogue conference with Slovenia on mutual images and prejudices, or the conference of Central European cultural attachés in Bratislava on the theme of Culture for Enlargement. A series of events in Moscow was dedicated to psychotherapy for children and young people. For some years now, training courses for museum managers have been held in several Russian cities under Austrian direction.

Austrian Studies Abroad

A number of foreign universities have departments or chairs of Austrian studies which cooperate with the relevant Austrian institutions. They present Austrian culture, economy and politics in the host countries as well as European themes relating to Austria, thereby strengthening Austria's integration into international scientific and cultural community. They include among others the Chair of Central European Studies with Special Reference to Austria at the University of Leyden, the Canadian Centre for Austrian and Central European Studies at the University of Alberta, the Centre for Research on Robert Musil at Saarbrücken University, the Center for Austrian Studies at the University of Minnesota, the Cardinal König Chair at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Visiting Austrian Professorship at Stanford University, and the Schumpeter Chair at Harvard University. The new Center for Austrian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem commenced its activities in March 2000 with a symposium on the Austrian identity in the 20th century. The joint official opening will take place in 2001.

Austrian Libraries

The first Austrian Libraries were founded in Central and Eastern European countries more than ten years ago, since when they have proved highly successful as providers of Austrian literature as well as information on Austrian history and culture, mostly in the university cities of the reform countries. With the opening of two more, in Priština (Kosovo/Yugoslavia) and Shkoder (Albania), they numbered 44 at the end of 2000 with further openings planned for 2001. They each have stocks of around 5,000 volumes together with periodicals and audio-visual material, which are regularly supplemented and updated. Recent additions have included literature for children and young people as well as information about the European Union for the candidate countries. The host universities and other institutions make the premises and personnel available while the Foreign Ministry provides the stock and trains the staff in Austria. There was a budget of ATS 6m (€437,755) for stock replenishment in 2000 as well as ATS 250,000 (€18,168) for other book donations to departments of German in universities around the world.

Language Courses

Since 1997 the Österreich Institut GmbH, which is owned by the Republic of Austria and located in Vienna, has operated the German language courses established by the Foreign Ministry in Milan, Bratislava, Warsaw, Cracow and Budapest. The courses in Teheran are operated directly by the Ministry through the Austrian Cultural Institute there. The Österreich Institut's activities include the compilation of a unified curriculum for all its branches, the implementation of a concept for the further training of teachers of German as a foreign language, the development of teaching material, and the publication of the quarterly magazine Österreich Spiegel: Zeitung für den Deutschunterricht with current information on Austria and teaching material. In the academic year 1999, the total numbers taking part in these courses increased to 7,406, comprising 2,910 in Warsaw, 1,751 in Cracow, 1,223 in Budapest, 828 in Bratislava and 695 in Milan.

Austrian Lecturers and Teachers Abroad

In 2000 a total of 140 Austrian lecturers taught German language and literature in 26 countries in 5 continents. The appointments, which are organised by the association "Österreich Kooperation", are subsidised by Austria for periods of up to four years. There are Austrian schools in Budapest, Guatemala, Istanbul and Prague, where teachers work to the Austrian school curriculum. At the end of 2000, a total of 178 primary and secondary teachers were seconded to these and other German-language schools around the world. In addition, teachers are seconded to the bilingual schools in Slovakia (2), Hungary (5) and the Czech Republic (2). Eleven Austrian educational advisers assist with the organisation and reform of teaching and teacher training in Belgrade, Bratislava, Brno, Bucharest, Budapest, St. Petersburg, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana and Zagreb.

Scholarships and University Cooperation

Austrian scholarships to university students are administered by the Austrian Academic Exchange Service (ÖAD). The Austrian universities have the highest proportion of foreign students in Europe at 13.4 per cent of the total. Of these, some 42 per cent come from Germany and Italy. Student mobility has increased dramatically since the introduction of the European Credit Transfer System, which simplifies the recognition of periods of study in other countries. Around 26 per cent of Austrian graduates have spent periods of study abroad, the most popular destination being the United States. The inter-university Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS), which has been extended until 2004, simplifies cooperation with Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. 2000 was the 50th anniversary of Austria's participation in the US Fulbright Program, in which more than 3,100 Austrians and 2000 Americans have participated. Over 100 Austrians studied in the United States in 2000 under this programme. The 10-member bilateral Fulbright Commission has a number of partnership agreements with Austrian universities and other leading research institutions. The existing network of international partnership agreements was augmented in 2000 by the activities of the ASEA-UNINET, a system of cooperation between universities in East Asia and Europe.

The European Union

The European Union has had its own competence for cultural affairs since the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. This is not intended to replace the responsibility of Member States for cultural affairs, but - with due regard for the subsidiarity principle - to support those cultural activities with a European dimension. This is done through the 5-year (2000-2004) Culture 2000 framework programme that was first activated in 2000. Austria was successful in having 9 projects accepted out of 32 entered, for which EU financial support totalling €1,479,950 was granted. Austria campaigned to have the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe included in this programme, even before entry to the Union.

The follow-up process to the 1998 conference on Multiculturalism and Multiethnicity in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and its "Vienna Declaration" continued with the symposium on "Culture and Neighbourhood - Contacts, Conflicts and Comparisons" at Klagenfurt University on 29/30 May. Another contribution, presented by Austria to the plenary session of the tenth UN Conference on Crime Prevention in Vienna in April, was the Vienna Conclusions on Global Ethics. This document was the result of a conference on global ethics held in Vienna in 1999 on the initiative of Minister for Foreign Affairs Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

Multilateral Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation

Austria is a member of the governing bodies of a range of international organisations for scientific cooperation. These institutions include the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) in Brussels; the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva; the European Space Agency (ESA) in Paris; the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT); the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC); and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), which is based at Laxenburg, near Vienna; and the EUREKA European high-technology initiative. Austria supports the admission of non-EU states to the COST organisation in the interests of all-European cooperation as well as advocating the formulation of the European Space Strategy.

One of the main tasks of the high-ranking EUREKA Group was to draft the Guidelines EUREKA 2000-plus, which lay down specific measures of support by individual member states for international research and development. Since the founding of EUREKA in 1985, Austrian partners have participated in around 13 per cent of the approximately 2000 projects that have been submitted. This corresponds to a financial volume of some ATS 3,000m (€ 218m). Around 80 per cent of the Austrian project participants are small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), in which Austria plays an active part, held one of its two governors' meetings in Vienna, and participated in the organisation of the international symposium in Vienna on "The Role of the Individual in Europe and Asia". Under the auspices of the Central European Initiative, the Ministry supported the Amber Road project in Lower Austria for the cultural and tourist development of the historic route linking the Baltic and the Mediterranean.

Cultural Agreements

The cultural agreement with Slovakia entered into force on 1 September 2000. Negotiations on a similar agreement with China reached a successful conclusion in October. On the other hand, there was no further progress on the agreement with Slovenia. The already negotiated text could not be initialled due to the fact that it needed approval by the Foreign Relations Committee of the Slovenian Parliament which could not be passed prior to the elections of October 2000. Implementation talks on the basis of existing agreements were held with Russia and Finland, which led to the compilation of new work programmes covering several years. An agreement was reached with Mexico that the question of the Aztec feather headdress in the Museum of Ethnology Vienna would be remitted to a group of Austrian and Mexican experts for examination during 2001.