The Government Art Collection in Vienna
The Duke of Wellington stares across the room towards a distant Queen Victoria, while Emperor Franz Josef – sash, ‘tache and all – observes impassively. Not the plot of a historical novel, but the...
View ArticleBritish education: major visa reform for post-study visas
I commend a recent British Council blog, written by Education Director Maddalaine Ansell. Ms Ansell writes about the major reform to post-work study visas for international students which the UK...
View ArticleLiverpool-Salzburg crunch match – who’d have thought? Plus: travel advice
Austria has been awarded a fantastic early Christmas present on 10 December. At 1755 local time on Tuesday night Liverpool will visit to play Red Bull Salzburg in the final game of the Champions’...
View ArticleA French pacifist, a British Embassy and a “British Schindler”
It is the summer of 1914 and a political assassination has shocked Europe. Not the one you are thinking of – but one which will lead to a change of name for the street in Vienna on which the British...
View ArticleA tobacco bust in Slovakia
At a nondescript warehouse in Eastern Slovakia, fine tobacco dust fills the air, and the lungs of the workers. The remote building has been sealed carefully to keep any smells and sounds hidden from...
View ArticleNew video: an update for UK nationals in Austria
Video Script: Where are we with Brexit? The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is working its way through Parliament in London. Once confirmed in the UK, it has to be agreed by the European Parliament. The UK...
View ArticleGreat theatres: in London and Vienna
Where in Vienna can you find a portrait of Elizabeth the First, which features also Romeo; Juliet; and the only known self-portrait of Gustav Klimt? A wise person has brought to my attention the...
View ArticleAll eyes on the UK’s tech sector
The UK has one of the world’s largest technology ecosystems with thousands of tech start-ups. As the third largest technology sector in the world, the UK is a global technology leader, with the...
View ArticleHow the British residence in Vienna was rescued: 1945-1950
“It is open to doubt whether this location in Vienna is really suitable for the Minister’s residence… it can in no way be considered a pleasant district in which to live.” How times change! Historic...
View ArticleMy Welsh Great-Grandfather, literature and football
1 March is St David’s Day, named after the patron saint of Wales who died in 589. I’m part-Welsh: my great-grandfather John Derfel (photo above) came from the the town of Llanderfel in north Wales and...
View ArticleAuthors you should read more
I’m looking at my bookshelf at home when I notice a weird similarity to the rogues’ gallery of former British ambassadors to Austria in the embassy. My bookshelf is dominated by male authors. The...
View ArticleMaiden – awesome, inspirational women on the big screen
I recently had co-hosted a special premiere of Maiden, the gripping story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old Briton, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round...
View ArticleGetting 391 British Nationals home safely
A plane approaches London Heathrow, appearing to grow larger as it nears the runway. As British airways flight BA0961 lands safely, a collective sigh of relief is heard at the British Embassy in...
View ArticleWhy now is the time to take global action against COVID-19
Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been shaping the reality of life and work in Austria, the UK and around the world. As we are all trying to do our bit to fight the spread of the virus (stay at home!) and...
View ArticleHow “The adjoining house at the Lustig Prean Gasse” became the British Embassy
“The Ministry of Works may have ideas about office accommodation. I doubt whether it would be possible to extend the existing offices by building in the courtyard. Failing this, it might be possible...
View ArticleCycling in Vienna: diplomatic, healthy and green
The freshly oiled crank purrs like a sewing machine. The sun has come out from behind the clouds, casting a silverish gleam on the Danube. There is a mild breeze. Hundreds of people are cycling on...
View ArticleMaking face masks and jobs in Grimsby
“Two months ago this was just an empty warehouse”, the project manager says. We are entering a building adjacent to the Vienna HQ of Austrian company Hygiene Austria, south of Vienna. Inside, after...
View ArticleOnline Q&A for UK nationals in Austria – Monday 6 July
Do you have questions about how the UK’s exit from the EU affects you? The embassy is running an online Q&A session on Monday 6 July. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team here and colleagues in...
View ArticleCOVID-19 vaccine developed in Austria – produced in Scotland
“When we started to develop our vaccine candidate we needed to push; now there is a massive pull from governments around the world,” says Thomas Lingelbach, CEO of Vienna-based pharmaceutical company...
View ArticleGood news for students in Austria and the UK
The UK education sector is one of the most popular destinations for international – EU and non-EU – students to study abroad. Worldwide, only the US attracts larger numbers. Academics like working in...
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