New Sitemap Arrangement for Visit-Salzburg.net

Another innovation: The Sitemap was re-arranged. Enjoy!

Salzburg Germany, Salzburg Europe & Salzburg Description: More and more new articles!

Another set of new articles for Visit-Salzburg.net have met the light of the world:

Description - Germany - Europe - Dresses

And, slightly more useful:

Walking Tours - Beer Gardens

Salzburg Art & Culture - and two more

Another set of new articles for Visit-Salzburg.net:

Firstly, some words about arts and culture in Salzburg, divided into several articles:
Main Article on Art & Culture: Music - Architecture - Fine Arts - Literature & Drama - Pop- & Sub-Culture - Customs & Folk Culture

And then there are two more: Gay & Lesbian and somewhat the opposite direction, Christian Sights.

Universities in Austria: Students' protests continue

I have to admit that I did not expect such lasting resistance, for several reasons: I was a delegate to the ÖH (the Austrian Student's Union) myself until 2003 and remember how passive the Austrian students were; I went to the AudiMax in Week 1 of the occupation and saw how hardcore left-wing most of the students there are (certainly not representative for the majority of students); and I know that the conditions in Vienna are considerably worse than at any other university in Austria when it comes to over-use of facilities and stressed faculty.

However, they are still there: The main lecture theatre of Vienna University is still occupied. The good thing about this is, that education is now seriously debated in the media. Whilst the demands of the occupants are absurd (free education, 100% unregulated access to the universities, no tution fee anywhere in the world, etc.), some serious arguments are put forward. And Austria's young people are finally heard - quite an achievement in a country where retired people, farmers, doctors, teachers, unions, trade unions, general civil servants, railway employees, etc. have spent decades in forming an impermeable "insider" shelter.

For a new idea on educational matters sparked by the protests, see this article in today's Presse.

E-Mail from Rohrbach in Upper Austria

A friendly e-mail (in German) from the Mühlviertel for TMC:

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Lieber Herr Mandl!

Ich unterrichte Englisch an den berufsbildenden höheren Schulen in Rohrbach/OÖ. Bei der Suche zum Thema „Clichés and Stereotypes“ bin ich auf Ihre Website gestoßen und finde sie äußerst amüsant und hilfreich. Ich werde sie sicher meinen Schüler weiterempfehlen. Als 17 – 19jährige, die meistens noch nicht über Österreich hinausgekommen sind, haben sie ja großteils keine Ahnung, wie der Rest der Welt uns sieht.

Als „zuagroaste“ Rohrbacherin bin ich auch angenehm überrascht, wie gut unser Städtchen bei Ihnen wegkommt. Viele hätten wohl befürchtet, Rohrbach unter den „crappiest places“ zu finden.

Ich bin auch Gastgeberin bei der internationalen Organisation Servas, d.h. ich beherberge immer wieder kostenlos Gäste aus aller Welt. In Zukunft werde ich diesen als Vorbereitung auf einen Österreich-Besuch auch gerne tourmycountry.com empfehlen.

Zusammenfassend also: Vielen Dank für die tolle Arbeit, die sie da geleistet haben! Und abschließend die Frage, ob Sie mir erlauben, für Unterrichtszwecke Teile Ihrer Website wiederzugeben. Ich habe ja nicht nur Laptop-Klassen, da wäre ein komprimiertes Handout oft hilfreich.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Alexander Wrabetz & Austrian National Broadcast ORF in Trouble

My former employer, the Austrian National Broadcast (ORF) appears to sink deeper in problems as time passes on: Today, the tabloid daily paper Österreich reported a steep decline in viewers that the company seems to be unable of stopping. In addition, there is an increasing number of competitors - the Vienna-based private TV channel ATV just saw its highest number of viewers in the channel's history this week. Private TV channels from Germany, belonging to the Pro7 group, have extended their focus on the Austrian market since 2007, when all households in the country with TV sets could receive the digital "broadcasting". The ORF responds with pay-cuts, removes staff especially among its rather privileged managers via sometimes very golden handshakes and sends staff into early retirement. This is due to severe financial problems: The company reported losses of several dozens of million Euros.

Behind closed doors, ORF staff speculates about losses as high as 100 million Euros since 2007, when the current director Alexander Wrabetz took office. Rumour has it that the company lost a lot of money in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme, via the Vienna-based Bank Medici. Whilst such rumours are without any profound evidence as of now, the highly political ORF will remain a topic of great interest in Austria in the coming year regardless of how the financial situation develops. Especially with regional elections in Vienna coming up, which makes the social democrats increasingly nervous after recent losses. The ORF director is considered a "red" manager and has been politically active for the left-wing VSStÖ during his student days.

Even more information on Salzburg

Here we go, another set of new articles:

Vacation
Train Station
Salzburg in a Day
Salzburg Itinerary
Salzburg for a Week
Nightlife
Parking
Public Transport
Cycling & Bicycles
Guest Houses
PensionSalzburg
Lodging
Opera House
Salzburg Palace
Salzburg River
Salzburg Museum
Salzburg Dome
Old Town (Altstadt)
Salt Mine Tour

Student Protests in Vienna, Christmas Markets in Salzburg

Whilst Vienna University is facing the most extensive student protests the city has seen for many years, Salzburg is gearing up for the Christmas season: The market stands for the many Christmas markets of the city are being built up.

In the skiing areas, the lifts are getting ready for the opening of the season. And even in the city, which is now between seasons, you will still find groups of tourists that come for sightseeing.