This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism, which has been instrumental in reaching out to many Austrian Holocaust survivors in the U.S. The Embassy of Austria in Washington D.C. hosted a commemorative event. On this occasion, an anniversary publication was presented. We are also pleased to feature an interview with U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ambassador Douglas Davidson on the occasion of his visit to Vienna.

Moreover, we have included a number of articles on recent art restitution cases, such as the famous Schiele painting, “Portrait of Wally,” which was part of the holdings of the private Leopold Foundation.

Other topics concern recent cultural events and several high-level visits of Austrian politicians to Israel, including that of the Austrian Prime Minister and members of the Austrian government.

I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to all the readers of Jewish News from Austria. During the last four years, I was pleased to provide you with a broad range of articles on topics of interest occurring within the Jewish community in Austria, including social and cultural news, including news on restitution cases which were published in Austrian media sources. I would like to thank the entire team of the Press and Information Service for their continued support and tireless assistance during that time. I would also like to express my thanks to the readers of this online newsletter for their feedback. I'd like to wish my successor Alice Irvin, who will arrive in August, as well as the team of the Press and Information Service, all the best and continued success in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Wolfgang Renezeder
Director of the Press & Information Service
Embassy of Austria