Many personalities with Austrian heritage have made fundamental contributions to the development of California. The “Austrian Wall of Fame”, a permanent photo exhibition created on the occasion of the Austrian Consulate General’s 50th anniversary, pays tribute to some of those great countrymen and –women.

On October 24, 2019, Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner and his wife Gudrun Faudon-Waldner welcomed more than 600 guests at the Embassy in Washington, DC, to celebrate the #AustrianNationalDay and to bid farewell.

From October 2 to 5, 2019, Lower Austrian Government Member Martin Eichtinger, responsible for housing, labor and international relations, visited Washington, DC, for talks on public healthcare, eHealth, health IT, big data analytics and telehealth applications.

The 43rd Annual Conference of the German Studies Association (GSA) took place in Portland, OR from October 3-6, 2019. Founded in 1976, The GSA is the premier multi- and interdisciplinary association of scholars focused on German, Austrian, and Swiss history, literature, culture studies, political science, and economics. The conference brings together over 1,000 scholars to present and discuss the latest research in over 150 panel sessions.

The 74th General Assembly of the United Nations took place in New York City during September 2019, and Austria was represented in high-level meetings by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg, and Federal Minister for the Environment Maria Patek.

As one of the largest Austrian gatherings in North America, the Austrian Research and Innovation Talk – ARIT is hosted annually by the Office of Science and Technology Austria – OSTA with the key goal to connect Austrian scientists based in North America with their peers, as well as with the Austrian STI landscape. From September 13-14, 2019, the 2019 ARIT drew Austrian scientists and innovators from all over North America to New York City.  The ARIT was opened this year by Iris Eliisa Rauskala, the Austrian Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research, as well as Wolfgang Waldner, Austria’s Ambassador to the United States. #ARIT

The newly arrived Austrian Memorial Servants in Los Angeles paid their inaugural visit to Consul General Andreas Launer on September 24, 2019. The three young citizens are supporting the important work of the USC Shoah Foundation​, the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust​ and the Museum of Tolerance​, respectively, until June 2020. The Consul General congratulated Jonathan Dorner, Fabian Prach and Stephan Stropp on their important assignment in these important local institutions. Under the Holocaust Memorial Service program young Austrians can serve – in lieu of military service – in organizations focused on Holocaust remembrance around the world.

Over 130 executives of Austrian subsidiaries in the United States, Canada and, for the first time, in Mexico gathered in New York City for the 12th edition of the business conference #AustriaConnect. The two-day event, hosted by the Austrian Trade Commission, took place on September 12 and September 13, 2019, at the New York Academy of Sciences. The theme of this year’s conference was “Making Decisions When There Is So Much Noise”.

On September 23, 2019, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Johannes Peterlik presented the “Grand Decoration of Honor” bestowed by Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen to the Austrian-American Jewish business consultant Fred Schneider for his outstanding work in Holocaust Education. #NeverForget #AskWhy

On September 14, 2019, the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division hosted a memorial ceremony to honor World War II veterans of the 6th Army Group and 6th Corps, who participated in combat in Italy, Southern France, Germany and Austria. The 3rd Infantry Division was particularly involved in the peaceful liberation of Salzburg in May of 1945. The Austrian Embassy was represented by Political Counselor Günther Salzmann and the Austrian Defense Attaché, Major General Jürgen Ortner.

The Hon. John Mirisch, Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, was awarded with the Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. On September 4, 2019, Consul General Andreas Launer presented the high national accolade to the politician in a decoration ceremony at the Austrian Residence in Los Angeles. #StrongerTogether

The book and corresponding exhibition Towards the American Century: Austrians in the United States (also currently on display inside the Embassy’s atrium) were presented at the University of New Orleans on August 22, 2019.

From July 16 to 18, 2019, the U.S. Department of State organized the second major conference on the right to freedom of religion or belief (FORB) after 2018, with over 100 governments and 1.000 members of civil society and religious groups attending.

Towards the American Century: Austrians in the United States – Exhibition Opening, Book Signing and Summer Reception

On July 18, 2019, Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner officiated the exhibit opening and corresponding book presentation entitled “Towards the American Century: Austrians in the United States”,” followed by a summer reception at the Embassy.

On June 6, 2019, representatives from the Austrian Embassy participated in this year’s Capital Pride Parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York and to march in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community around the world.

Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner visited San Diego, California, as part of the U.S. State Department’s "Experience America"  program from June 16 to 18, 2019. The program included meetings with prominent business and community leaders, as well as local entrepreneurs.

On June 20, 2019, the United States Holocaust Museum, the Documentation Center of the Austrian Resistance, and the Austrian Embassy organized a joint symposium entitled “Fleeing the Nazis: Austrian Jewish Refugees to the United States.”

On  June 3, 2019, Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner received a high-ranking delegation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), led by immediate past AJC-President Stanley M. Bergman for an extensive exchange of views on historic and present matters of Austrian, U.S. and world politics. The Ambassador’s dinner is a tradition to further mutual understanding and friendship on the occasion of the annual AJC Global Forum in Washington, DC.

On June 22, 2019, Thorsten Eisingerich, the Director of the Austrian Embassy’s Press & Information Service, attended the Race Across America (RAAM) Awards Banquet in Annapolis, MD to present the first place finisher’s trophy to fellow Austrian Christoph Strasser for his sixth win of the “world’s toughest endurance race” (The New York Times) from the West to the East Coast (completed in only  8 days, 6 hours and 51 minutes).

On June 12, 2019, executives from the Austrian companies Constantia Flexibles, Ebner Furnaces, klickerr, Miba, and voestalpine joined U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump to sign the Trump Administration’s Pledge to America's Workers.