Vienna News

Online Everywhere

Oct 6th, 2014

Our need to be contactable and online "always and everywhere" is increasing really fast. And although this situation is disturbing for many people, it is an undeniable fact that you vacation without sending holiday snaps, browsing for the best...

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Vienna carriage drivers on strike

Jul 21st, 2013

On Saturday, July 20th, a strike of fiakiers, Vienna carriagemen, took place. The protest was aimed against the allegations of animal rights organisations that protested against using horses in tourism. The Stephansplatz, a square renowned for...

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Unique Unicycle to Rock in Vienna

Jun 30th, 2013

A new electric invention, the City-wheel, alowes one to move up to a speed of 16 km/h. The sight of drivers is very unusual; from a distance it looks as if the person hovers above the goround. Much the same is also the driving experience....

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No Kissing, Please!

Apr 3rd, 2013

A private premises located near the train station has published a note reading: "Out of respect for our employees and international guests, we ask that you refrain tenderness in our local". The note has been hung next to the House Rules. Interviewed...

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Sharing is caring: New open bookcase in Josefstadt

Mar 6th, 2013

Artist Frank Gassner introduced Vienna's fith open bookcase in the central district of Vienna-Josefstadt, public service broadcaster ORF reports today. Bibliophiles can now clean out their bookshelfs and take no longer needed novels and the like to...

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Snowman Saves the Day

Feb 25th, 2013

Firemen have praised cops who kept a cool head after they used a snowman to put out a fire threatening to burn down a house at Wiener Neustadt south of Vienna. The three police officers raised the alarm after spotting the fire that had started in two...

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Cozy and Pricey: Kempinski Hotel Breaks Record

Jan 25th, 2013

For those who love luxury - and have the wherewithal - this is just the place. In March, the five-star hostel Palais Hansen Kempinski will open its doors at Vienna Schottenring, listing one of the most expensive rooms in Austria: 15,000 must be...

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The Most Expensive Drink in Austria

Dec 18th, 2012

"Planters elit Jewel", sold at 555 Euro will soon be available at Barkarte des Planter Clubs in 1st district of Vienna. The offer is limited: only 25 glasses of this drink will be served. The record beverage will include champagne and Stolichnaya...

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Gustav Klimt's last studio opens to public

Nov 15th, 2012

Located in residential Hietzing neighborhood of Vienna, one-story garden house inside a Neo-Baroque villa which his studio for the last six years of his life has recently been opened to public. As much as possible, the studio has been made to mimic...

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Grave-robber nabbing composers' teeth?

Jun 29th, 2012

Police are investigating the alleged theft of composers' teeth from the historic Zentralfriedhof cemetery in Vienna. The graves of world famous maestros Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss Junior are among those being investigated. Alarm bells...

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Dalai Lama visits Vienna

May 28th, 2012

The Dalai Lama began an eleven-day visit to Austria on Saturday 26th May, beginning in Vienna, where he was met by crowds of over 10,000. The 76-year-old spiritual leader of Tibet addressed devotees at Heldenplatz, at the heart of the Austrian...

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Vienna restaurant rises in world top 50 list

Apr 30th, 2012

A Viennese restaurant has been voted 11th best on the globe, according to the annual World's Best 50 Restaurants list, organised by the UK's Restaurant magazine. Steirereck, which is located in the city's leafy Stadtpark, made the list for the...

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Exorcist director gets operatic in Vienna

Mar 26th, 2012

Film director William Friedkin, best-known for movies The Exorcist and The French Connection, has launched a lavish opera in the Austrian capital. Appropriately enough, the production has more than a dash of the macabre. Indeed, Friedkin has...

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Vienna prepares for Klimt Year

Dec 29th, 2011

The Austrian capital is preparing to pull out all the stops to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of artist Gustav Klimt. A series of exhibitions is in the pipeline, taking in some of Vienna's most prestigious museums. The painter, who was...

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Before Sunrise Take Three

Nov 22nd, 2011

Actor Ethan Hawke has revealed that a third instalment in the acclaimed Before Sunrise saga is in the pipeline. The first film, which paired Hawke with sultry French star Julie Delpy, saw two young travellers fall in love during a chance...

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Private dicks to patrol Viennese taxis

Oct 30th, 2011

Viennese authorities are hiring private detectives to dob in devious or incompetent taxi-drivers, after two reports revealed that standards left a lot to be desired. An annual survey by ADAC, Europe's largest automobile club, put Vienna second...

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Mozart's piano returns to Vienna after 255 years

Oct 30th, 2011

According to information from tourism officials the piano will be put back in the same room in Vienna where it used be when Mozart possessed it and will be on view for 2 weeks to visitors. Made by Anton Walter, regarded as one of the leading piano...

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Gladiators' school discovered outside Vienna

Sep 26th, 2011

It's still unconfirmed whether Russell Crowe was trained there, but archaeologists have discovered a vast Roman gladiatorial complex on the outskirts of Vienna. Experts hold that this is the most significant discovery of its kind beyond...

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Casino jackpot leads to courtroom joust

Aug 21st, 2011

A man who won 43 million euros at a casino in Bregenz, western Austria, is suing the company after it failed to pay him his jackpot prize. Behar Merlaku, 26, went out for a flutter following the birth of his baby son. As it soon transpired,...

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Austria bids farewell to emperor that never was

Jul 26th, 2011

The last crown prince of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was laid to rest in Vienna on 16th July. Otto von Habsburg, who was 98 when he passed away earlier this month, spent the majority of his life in exile. Cut off from his inheritance by...

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My Father Eric, Nuclear Spy

Jun 16th, 2011

The University of Vienna has hosted an unlikely book launch, recalling the long-hidden exploits of one its former star professors. Scientist Spies, by Paul Broda, explores how both the author's father Engelbert, code-named Eric, and his...

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Man uncovers regal splendours in back garden

May 24th, 2011

A man digging a pond in his back garden in Wiener Neustadt, south of the Austrian capital, has uncovered a hoard of medieval jewellery that may have been commissioned for a royal court. The find has stunned the Viennese art world, with experts...

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Cafe legend turns 100

Apr 18th, 2011

Leopold Hawelka, one of the legends of Vienna's cafe scene, has celebrated his 100th birthday. Politicians, writers, artists and cake-lovers alike all paid tribute this April, and Austria's national post office even rustled up a stamp in the...

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Wine that's music to the ears and palate

Mar 27th, 2011

An Austrian entrepreneur is pioneering wines that have been musically nurtured to give them that extra little something. Marcus Bachmann, a veteran French horn player, has created a special speaker that can be submerged in grape juice as it...

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Museum launches 'Worst of Klimt' contest

Feb 26th, 2011

A Viennese museum has launched an unlikely contest to tie in with the 150th anniversary of painter Gustav Klimt's birth, with a quest to unveil the very worst products connected with the artist. The Wien Museum's 'Worst of Klimt' looks set to...

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Nappy enforcement for Viennese horses

Feb 21st, 2011

Travellers taking a spin in the traditional Viennese 'fiaker' (horse and carriage) will now only be doing so with horses who sport nappies. The crackdown comes after Vienna's residents got fed up with being confronted with piles of horse dung on...

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Pigeon Lover Evicted After Neighbours Fly Into Rage

Jan 20th, 2011

A 56-year-old man has been evicted from his Vienna flat for over-enthusiastically feeding local pigeons. The ruling brings to an end several years of legal wrangling and an angry stream of complaints from neighbours at the housing estate in...

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Panda Named At Vienna Zoo

Dec 30th, 2010

Proud staff at Viennas zoo have given a cub its name, following an internet vote that garnered over 25,000 participants. The cub has been called Fu Hu, which means Happy Tiger in Mandarin. Traditionally, keepers wait one hundred days before...

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Austria Pledges €20 million For Jewish Cemeteries

Nov 19th, 2010

The Austrian government has approved a bill to allot 20 million for the restoration of Jewish cemeteries across the Alpine republic. The move comes after protracted debates about who is responsible for the neglected heritage sites. Ariel...

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Ballerina Who Bares All Gets Severe Dressing Down

Oct 18th, 2010

A ballerina at Vienna's State Opera was sacked and then reinstated after appearing nude in the Austrian edition of Penthouse magazine. Russian-born star Karina Sarkissova took part in a photoshoot sporting only her ballet shoes, a move that...

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John Malkovich to Play Casanova in Vienna

Sep 16th, 2010

Hollywood's most beloved portrayer of psychos and wild cards has now been cast as Casanova in a unique new Viennese enterprise. The production, The Giacomo Variations, is being billed as a hybrid cross between an opera and a play, and will be...

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Museum Pays Millions To Keep Painting

Jul 23rd, 2010

A leading Viennese museum has paid $19 million to hold on to a painting by Expressionist legend Egon Schiele. "Portrait of Wally", which depicts the artist's mistress, has been at the heart of a thirteen-year legal dispute. The painting was...

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Vienna Victorious As World's Most Livable City

Jun 27th, 2010

The Austrian capital has been ranked the world's finest city in a far-reaching survey carried out by London-based investment company Mercer. Some 221 cities were considered in the programme, with factors such as housing, health services, cultural...

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Viennese Fashion Victim Faces Fine

Jun 11th, 2010

A trip to Italy left a bitter taste in the mouth of one Viennese lady this June. Seconds after snapping up an imitation Luis Vuitton handbag on the beach at Tresolo, the pensioner found herself the subject of a police swoop. A 1000 Euro fine was...

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Vienna Airport Revives In Steps

Apr 20th, 2010

Vienna airport resumed flight operations on Monday 19th, amidst the chaos caused by Iceland's volcanic eruption. However, whilst services due east are largely unaffected, the western bound flow of air traffic is still problematic. Europe was...

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Harvey Keitel To Play Saviour of Vienna

Apr 7th, 2010

A big-budget movie about the fabled 1683 Relief of Vienna has been announced by Italian director Renzo Martinelli. Harvey Keitel is to play King Jan Sobieski, the Polish monarch who saved the city from the Turks. Billed under the title of...

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Roll Over Beethoven

Mar 18th, 2010

One of Vienna's most illustrious art museums has caused a rumpus by hosting a swingers club on its premises. The Secession Pavilion, an iconic relic of the fin-de-siecle era and home of Klimt's famed "Beethoven Frieze", has angered right wing...

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Activists Save Piggies' Bacon

Jan 15th, 2010

Austrian animal rights activists have brought a halt to experiments testing pigs ability to survive avalanches. The tests, conducted in the Alps to fathom how long humans could endure in an air pocket, had drawn a hail of condemnation from green...

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Viennese "Basterd" the toast of Hollywood

Nov 18th, 2009

Although reviewers stopped short of declaring Tarantino's latest film, Inglourious Basterds, his greatest work, there was one issue that they were unanimous on: the brilliance of Viennese actor Christoph Waltz. Since scooping the Best Actor Award...

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Austria Approves Same Sex Partnerships

Nov 17th, 2009

Vienna has already shown itself to be a congenial place for gay travellers, winning the "Gay Destination of the Year" award back in 2004. Now, steps have been taken to put same sex partnerships on a similar legal footing to those in several other...

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A Coffee With The Gargoyles

Sep 23rd, 2009

If any city in the world is entitled to host a "Coffee Day" then it must surely be Vienna. And this year, there will be some wonderful one-offs to help us celebrate the caffeine-fuelled cause. On October 1st, coffee-lovers will be able to enjoy a...

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Bruno: A New Ambassador For Austria?

Jul 14th, 2009

Not since The Sound of Music has an Austrian-themed movie won so much media attention. Bruno, about the madcap adventures of an unemployed Viennese fashionista, opened worldwide on July 10th (well not quite worldwide, as Ukraine's Minister of...

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Meinl Muddle

Jun 10th, 2009

Julius Meinl V, head of one of Austria's most prestigious banking and retail dynasties, is pending trial for fraud, in what's being billed as one of the most controversial cases of the decade. Mr Meinl has already endured the indignity of a spell...

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Pam Waltzes Into Vienna

May 18th, 2009

Pamela Anderson was a star guest at this year's Life Ball, the glitzy Viennese shindig that raises money for victims of HIV and AIDS. The annual ball, which was first staged in 1993, has since become one of the most flamboyant European events of...

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The Best Place To Live In!

Apr 28th, 2009

According to "Reuters Life!" the Austrian capital has defeated Zurich and many other beautiful cities in the competition launched to name "the place with the best quality of living". Apparently, Vienna is it! After improving the country's social and...

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Vienna City Marathon

Mar 27th, 2009

In about two weeks, on April 19, around 25,000 runners from over 70 nations will race in the 26th Vienna City Marathon. Every year, over 100,000 viewers gather along the streets to cheer the athletes and to experience the unusual atmosphere. The...

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The Wonderful Mucha In Vienna

Feb 24th, 2009

Vienna is hosting the famous art-nouveau painter Alfons Mucha's work, again. The city is coated with rainbow-colored posters, advertising the event. The exhibition, which is being presented in Unteres Belvedere is already a vast success. Viennese...

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Crisis? What crisis?

Jan 29th, 2009

Although the financial crisis is lurking around every corner, it will not prevent the rich and the famous of the Viennese society from attending the famous Opera Ball. Sadly, "tickets for the 2009 edition have already been sold out" organiser Desiree...

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Just Remember - Don't Stab Yourself!

Dec 12th, 2008

Imagine you're an actor who's supposed to kill himself on-stage. It doesn't seem too challenging, does it? You just use a blunt prop-knife and PRETEND to be stabbing yourself. Then, when the curtain drops down, you get up, the curtain is pulled back...

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Nazi Salute Leaves Tram Driver Unemployed

Nov 5th, 2008

A 35-year-old tram driver was fired from the Vienna Public Transport Company Wiener Linien after greeting his passengers with the well-known "Sieg Heil" salute over the PA system. When asked about the incident, he didn't deny the accusations,...

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Klimt And Co Return

Oct 10th, 2008

Art lovers have a treat to savour as a major exhibition is now open for business. "Gustav Klimt & the Kunstschau" celebrates the centenary of a trailblazing show that rocked the Vienna art world in 1908. That year was in fact Emperor Franz...

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Reflections On A Rollicking Good Cup

Jul 2nd, 2008

The viewing stands have been cleared, and the fans have flown back to their native lands. But the memories of Euro 2008 will live on. Even the English, who for once failed to qualify, were fulsome in their praise of the tournament. Jeremy Wilson,...

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Divine Inspiration

Apr 3rd, 2008

A monastery on the fringe of Vienna has hit the headlines after winning a major deal with Universal Records. Monks from the medieval monastery of Heiligenenkreuz submitted a youtube clip to the US label after hearing of a prize for singers of...

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Snow Takes Tragic Toll

Mar 26th, 2008

Unexpected snowfalls throughout Central Europe claimed a terrible toll in Austria on Tuesday. Over seventy vehicles were involved in a pile-up on the motorway between Vienna and Salzburg. One lady has been confirmed dead, whilst dozens of...

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Rock Fest Reveals Roster

Mar 20th, 2008

The organisers of Nova Rock - one of Europe's biggest rock festivals - have revealed some of the first big name confirmations for this year's shindig. The Verve, The Sex Pistols and Kid Rock are amongst those topping the bill, with a little help from...

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In An Imperial Pickle

Mar 17th, 2008

Otto von Habsburg, son of the last Austrian Emperor, has sparked controversy at an event commemorating the Nazis absorption of Austria in March 1938. The ninety-five-year-old Archduke, who served as a member of the European Parliament for twenty...

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Oscar For Austria

Feb 25th, 2008

Viennese director Stefan Ruzowitzky has won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, beating off favourite Andrzej Wajda. The win is Austria's first success at the Academy Awards. "I hope very much this award will help Austrian filmmakers to...

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Palm Tree Beyond The Pale

Jan 28th, 2008

An 82 feet palm tree with an imperial pedigree is due to be culled in Vienna. The so-called 'Sisi Palm', named after Empress Elisabeth - a tragic figure often likened to Britain's Princess Diana - has been growing for 170 years. The problem...

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Austrian Film Up For Oscar

Jan 23rd, 2008

Viennese director Stefan Ruzowitzky has made it to the short-list for the 2008 Academy Awards. His movie Die Falscher (The Counterfeiters) is one of five nominated pictures for the coveted Best Foreign Language Film award. This year saw an...

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Burlesque Beauty Booked For Ball

Jan 21st, 2008

Her marriage to macabre rock singer Marilyn Manson may have collapsed over Christmas, but burlesque star Dita von Teese has been declared guest of honour at Vienna's otherworldly Opernball. Von Teese, who stole the show in Manson's 'Mobscene'...

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A Doctor A Day Keeps The Taxman Away

Jan 9th, 2008

Police have arrested a 59-year-old man for soliciting bed and board in hospitals for non-existent illnesses. Unbeknownst to the authorities, the wily adventurer had stayed in some 93 hospitals over the last two years, each time under false pretenses....

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Vandals At Viennese Cemetery

Jan 7th, 2008

Vienna's grandest cemetery, the Zentralfriedhof, was subjected to a bout of vandalism in the wake of the New Year. About 101 graves were abused, although the attacks were rather haphazard, and wholesale destruction of tombs was not achieved. ...

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Vienna On The Box

Jan 7th, 2008

In spite of its grand history, Vienna seems to be on TV a lot less than former rivals London and Paris. But this week, the BBC will be redressing the balance, with a double dose of 'Masterpieces of Vienna'. The new series on BBC Four takes us back...

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Art For All!

Dec 14th, 2007

Those in search of more exotic stocking-fillers than the ones found at the Christmas Markets should head to the Museumsquartier this December. A quirky exhibition by young European artists has opened at the Freiraum (quartier21), flying in the face...

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Hitchcock Hits Town

Dec 13th, 2007

An early Christmas present is on the cards for all film aficionados. The Austria Filmmuseum is preparing the country's greatest ever retrospective of Sir Alfred Hitchcock, beginning on December 1st and running all the way to February 4th. ...

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Sad End For Scot

Dec 13th, 2007

A Scot has met a tragic end in Vienna. John McFadzean, a UK official at the UN, fell asleep in a park after a night's revelry. Dipping temperatures proved fatal, and less than three hours later, Mr McFadzean had expired. Police have only just...

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Dastardly Draw For Euro Cup

Dec 3rd, 2007

The placid Swiss city of Lucerne was convulsed by drama on Sunday as UEFA officials executed the Euro 2008 draw. Gasps of incredulity echoed round the room as a 'Group of Death' emerged, squashing several of Europe's top teams into one shooting...

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War Criminal Exposed By Walters

Nov 6th, 2007

British historian Guy Walters has tracked down a wanted Nazi war criminal at a flat in Vienna. Erna Wallisch, 85, served as a prison guard at some of the most notorious concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Europe, including Majdanek and the key...

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Austria Reaps Bitter Fruits Of Turkish-Kurdish Clash

Nov 5th, 2007

Friction between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq sparked a parallel clash in Austria this weekend when a major street fight erupted in Vienna. As many as 80 people were said to be involved in Sunday's altercation, which saw...

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Austria Wins By A Whisker

Oct 19th, 2007

Austria was saved from utter humiliation yesterday when their team managed to pull off a 3-2 victory against the Ivory Coast. Had they lost the match, Austria would have broken their own record of nine consecutive losses. As one of the host...

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Klimt Film Opens In New York

Oct 17th, 2007

Raoul Ruiz's biopic of Gustav Klimt opened in America today, with John Malkovich stepping into the role of troubled artist. However, intriguing as the mix might sound, word is that fans shouldn't hold their breath for a masterpiece. Mr Ruiz has...

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Viennale 2007

Oct 7th, 2007

The countdown has begun. Vienna's International Film Festival will kick off on Friday October 19th, and there's a scintillating celluloid selection in store. Directors, producers, actors and die-hard film fanatics will be descending on the Austrian...

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Ear's How To Be A Weightlifter

Oct 3rd, 2007

We've all watched in awe as a raging Russian held aloft a weight that was equal to that of a blue whale. How do they do it? Well, Zafar Gill, a focused fellow from Pakistan has put even the Russians to shame by hoisting a 62 kilograms weight using...

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Eccentric Vandal Strikes Vienna

Sep 26th, 2007

A barefoot man in an orange dress was arrested on Sunday after breaking into a branch of the Austrian Education Ministry. When police arrived at the scene, they found that the office had been enthusiastically ravaged, with all loos blocked and...

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Subway Fiend Dices With Death

Sep 19th, 2007

A twenty-eight year old man was arrested on Monday for violent behavior at a Viennese subway station. The man is said to have attacked an elderly gentleman, breaking his glasses, and when bystanders tried to intervene, he threw three of them onto the...

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Pope's Pleas For Environment

Sep 12th, 2007

The Pope reiterated his concerns for the environment on Sunday as he concluded his pilgrimage to Austria. In a mass at Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral the pontiff encouraged Austrians to contemplate the fragile gifts of creation: Sunday is also...

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Pope Benedict Flies To Vienna

Sep 7th, 2007

As Pope Benedict XVI began the seventh international trip of his pontificate, flood warnings were declared in Austria as rains refused to abate. A native German-speaking Pope is a novelty for Austrians, but Pope Benedict will be lucky to receive...

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Bogus Cops Cash In On Tourists

Sep 3rd, 2007

Four Romanian men have been arrested in Vienna for fleecing unwitting tourists. The ruse, which resembled that of an Ealing Comedy, was perhaps not so funny for the victims, although original nonetheless. The Romanian robbers dressed up as...

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Diamonds (And Lederhosen) Are Forever

Aug 27th, 2007

Will P Diddy soon be strolling down Fifth Avenue decked out in diamond-studded lederhosen? Shrewd gamblers might not be reaching for their wallets yet for this fashion prediction, but pairs of jeweled lederhosen are on the market. Christian...

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Panda Birth Sparks Cautious Celebration

Aug 24th, 2007

The birth of a giant panda is a major event in any zoo, especially a European one - not for twenty-five years has a successful birth occurred. Indeed, even in the wild, it is estimated that only 1600 pandas roam the forests of today's China. And...

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Pig Pandemonium

Aug 22nd, 2007

It's already bad enough to be driven to an abattoir by a lorry-driver who loves bacon sandwiches, but a herd of pigs had to endure a triple indignity when the vehicle carrying them crashed twice on an Austrian motorway. 192 pigs emerged blinking...

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Treasure From The Trash Can

Aug 20th, 2007

A medieval cross that was looted from a Polish Princess during World War II turned up in a trash can in rural Austria. The painted cross, which is estimated to be worth some 800,000 dollars, was untraced for over 60 years. However, a lady from Zell...

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Divine Dictums Direct To Your Phone

Jul 31st, 2007

The Vatican is embracing the mobile phone revolution in its plans for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Vienna. Beginning this week, the Holy See is providing a free service that sends excerpts from the Pontiff's sermons to faithful readers across...

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Ice Cream For Dogs

Jul 25th, 2007

With Central Europe in the throes of a heat wave, cooling off has become big business. This week we've seen penguins at the zoo pecking at fish-flavoured ices and tigers licking gigantic lollies. Now a Viennese vendor has come up with a novel idea...

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Untying The Knot

Jul 25th, 2007

Monty Python would have loved the idea, but Vienna's Divorce Fair is in fact no joke. Billed under the slogan 'A New Start', the fair is due to be held during the weekend of October 27th-28th. So just what should one expect from a divorce fair?...

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Salzburg: No Go for 2014

Jul 9th, 2007

Wednesday was a bitter day for Salzburg, as news broke that the city will not host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The picturesque Austrian city, famed for its associations with Mozart and The Sound of Music, had reached the final voting stage alongside...

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Hands Off My Meteorite!

Jul 9th, 2007

A Bavarian court ruled on Friday that an amateur German astronomer can hang on to a chunk of meteorite that was found in Austria, much to the dismay of the Austrian Town Council of Reutte. Karl Wimmer, a Bavarian physicist, discovered the...

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Arnie Is Back

Jun 26th, 2007

There was a hint of a rapprochement this weekend when Arnie 'The Oak' Schwarzenegger made a surprise visit to his native Austria. The Terminator star had gone from hero to zero back in 2005 over his controversial stance towards capital punishment....

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Football In The Freezer

Jun 12th, 2007

Austria and Switzerland, host nations for next year's European Cup, played an otherworldly game on Friday to celebrate one year's countdown to the 2008 competition. In what must be one of the chilliest five-a sides in history, Austria and...

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A Booty'ful Day In Vienna

Jun 6th, 2007

It seems that it's a case of 'all's well that ends well' in Vienna this week. A Stradivarius violin worth four million dollars that was nabbed a fortnight ago has been returned to its rightful owner, Mr. Christian Altenburger, an acclaimed Viennese...

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Life Ball Rocks Vienna

May 28th, 2007

White tie went out the window this weekend as thousands of glam queens gallivanted up the red carpet for Vienna's famed Life Ball. Now in its fifteenth year, the stupendous party drew a colourful mix of celebrities and fancy dress aficionados in what...

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Waldheim's Last Word

May 18th, 2007

Austrian news sources have revealed that former President Kurt Waldheim left a final address to the world. The controversial statesmen, who passed away on Thursday aged 88, sparked a wave of controversy in the mid-80's when allegations surfaced of...

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Easyjet Will Fly To Vienna

May 18th, 2007

Low-price airline Easyjet has unveiled plans to fly to Vienna. A service between London Luton and Vienna will begin on October 29th, and the first batch of tickets has already gone on sale. The news will be greeted with joy by England's football...

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City Library Launches Erotic Hotline

May 8th, 2007

How does one go about raising money for the renovation of a hallowed national monument? Organise a sponsored marathon? Launch a plea on prime-time television? Get some musicians to rally together for a fund-raising concert? Well, they're all tried...

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The Congress Uncorked

Apr 30th, 2007

A new book has just been published about one of the most colourful episodes in Vienna's history. Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna lifts the lid on the shenanigans of the famed peace conference of 1814-15. Author...

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Sacher-torte Turns 175

Apr 16th, 2007

Austria's most distinguished cake celebrated its 175th birthday on Thursday with a special party in central Vienna. The sacher-torte, originally launched in 1832, has won thousands of aficionados across the globe, as well as prompting a fair amount...

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Fabled Faberge Eggs Stolen

Apr 16th, 2007

Over a million dollars worth of Faberge eggs have been stolen from a palace in Vienna. The jewel-encrusted treasures, which were celebrated in the James Bond classic Octopussy disappeared late Tueday night from the baroque Harrach Palace. Police...

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Bunnies Block Motorway

Apr 16th, 2007

The main motorway between Vienna and Budapest was brought to a standstill on Monday when several thousand rabbits escaped from a lorry. The M1 motorway was officially closed due to the incident, which happened when a lorry crashed some 25 miles...

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A Weaker Brew For 2008?

Apr 3rd, 2007

Are the Austrians losing their nerve about Euro 2008, or are they just being sensible? Austrian authorities are trying to cut a deal with breweries to sell a low-alcohol beer during the tournament. At places such as Rathausplatz in Vienna, huge...

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Euro 2008: Austria Warms Up

Mar 29th, 2007

Austria got her first taste of Euro Cup action last night during a friendly match against the French. Thankfully, the result has no bearing on the coming championship, as Austria qualifies automatically alongside co-hosts the Swiss. The Austrians...

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