Ambassador Victoria Kennedy traveled to Eisenstadt last week for an inaugural visit to the State of Burgenland. The day started off with a call on the mayor of Eisenstadt, Thomas Steiner, where a variety of topics were being discussed. Next the Ambassador visited the “Bergkirche,” the burial place of Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, where she was greeted by Father Dr. Wessely and a septet of musicians from Burgenland military.
The Ambassador then used the opportunity to view the anniversary exhibit “Our Americans” at Landesmuseum Burgenland, where moving stories of Burgenlanders who emigrated to the United States are told. On this part of her visit, the Ambassador was joined by a group of high school students from Theresianum-Eisenstadt, with whom she enterered into a stimulating conversation about the relationship between Austria and the United States while responding to their questions about U.S. society, culture, and the political system.
A call on Governor Hans Peter Doskozil at his office provided an opportunity for the Ambassador and the governor to exchange views on a variety of topics including climate change, energy matters, and the strong cultural ties between Burgenland and the United States. The day concluded with visits to the Burgenland Energie windfarm in Weiden and the Püspök windfarm in Gols, where the Ambassador was able to witness Burgenland’s efforts in becoming energy self-sufficient. Ambassador Kennedy was enthusiastic about her visit and expressed an interest in returning. See our photo gallery of the visit
