News Briefs: December/January 2009 - 2010

Austria’s “Soko Ost” Learns from the FBI

The Austrian police can learn a lot from New York City cops, according to Franz Lang, director of the Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt). Following a visit to the United States, Lang told Austrian daily Die Presse:

“They are struggling with similar problems as the police in the eastern part of Austria.” As here, East Coast criminals in the U.S. often come from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, and use many of the same methods.

The New Yorkers had set up a special investigation team similar to Austria’s “Soko Ost” (“Special Investigation Team East”), and reported that crime prevention was often most effective when teaming up officers with different areas of responsibility.

Lang intends to introduce some of these methods to Austria’s police. At the moment, the Federal Armed Forces (Bundesheer) are supporting the police in eastern border areas, with 1,500 soldiers positioned in affected regions in Burgenland and in Lower Austria. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of the Interior, 86% of Burgenland’s residents say the support makes them feel safer, and would like it to continue.

Plan for Austrian Holocaust Archive Fails

A group of academics have ended their support towards an Austrian Holocaust studies center, due to independent research having been ceased.

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies started their provisional operations in January, with the goal to offer around 8,000 files of the late “Nazi Hunter,” Simon Wiesenthal and sections of a massive archive belonging to the Jewish Community Vienna to researchers. Unfortunately for independent researchers, former officials at the institute reveal that the Jewish Community Vienna has limited access to the archives.

Private Law professor at the University of Salzburg, and the current Executive Committee Chairman at the institution, Georg Graf, reveals that he regrets the resignation of members, saying he is under the impression that the resigned board members based the decisions on the absence of factual information. There is a risk of the institute’s independence being revoked according to the board members, says Graf.

Christmas Spending Down, Except for Books

Austrians will spend €16 less on Christmas presents this year than in 2008, or about €272 a person over the holiday season.

According to an October survey by Ernst & Young of 500 individuals over the age of 18 throughout Austria, men will be the primary savers, spending only €279 on gifts this year compared with an average of €322 last year. Women’s spending, by contrast, will remain about the same, or an average of €267.

Austrians are still among the top spenders, however, compared to other European countries. The Germans are expected to spend no more than €226, and the parsimonious Swiss are expected to disburse only €177, nearly €100 less than the Austrian average.

The study also reveals that book store sales will grow this year: Besides gift vouchers (56%), a full 61% of Austrians intend to buy books this year, followed by toys (60%) and clothes (46%). A third (37%) of the survey respondents indicated that they would like to give gifts of sweets and other food, which is about 9% more than in the previous year.

The Lucky Dragon Goes Home

Fu Long, the beloved giant male panda at Vienna’s old imperial zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn since Aug. 23, 2007, has been sleeping 18 hours a day, eating his daily meals and cavorting on the obstacle course set up for him.

However, after roughly two years of being the main attraction at the zoo as the only endangered animal of its species to be naturally born in Europe (since the birth of Chu-lin in Madrid in 1982), Fu Long has headed home to China. The cub’s parents were first loaned to Austria under the agreement that Fu Long would be sent home.

Chinese for “Lucky Dragon,” Fu Long left Austria on Nov. 18 for Bifengxia, according to the Zoo officials. Bifengxia is the natural preserve established for pandas in China, located some 90 miles from Chengdu in southwest China, according to the Austrian daily, Der Standard.

A shy animal, Fu Long had stayed hidden for many months raising keepers’ concern for his health. When the panda finally crept out of his nest, his emergence was greeted with joyous relief that took a special place in the memories of the adoring public.