Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Far-right calls for overhaul of compulsory schooling in Austria, measles cases on the rise, and more news from Austria on Friday.
Far-right calls for overhaul of compulsory schooling in Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is advocating for a significant overhaul of the country's education system, aiming to replace the current nine-year compulsory schooling with a more "flexible" approach. At a press conference led by Freedom Party education spokesman Hermann Brückl, the party unveiled its new education program, emphasising educational goals achievable outside of traditional public schools and within a shorter timeframe.
Brückl expressed concern about what he described as longstanding neglect of individuality and performance in Austrian education policy, attributing this to an excessive focus on "egalitarianism". He highlighted issues such as inadequate support from authorities and a lack of proficiency in the German language, which he argued not only hinder academic performance but also contribute to conflicts, bullying, and violence in schools.
Under the FPÖ's proposed education program, compulsory German language instruction before school entry, along with measures to improve school conflict management, would be mandated. Brückl criticised what he deemed overly burdensome curricula and asserted that reevaluating immigration policies is necessary to address these challenges.
Central to the FPÖ's vision is the distinction between compulsory education and compulsory schooling. While public schools would remain pivotal in the educational landscape, Brückl said that achieving educational goals should take precedence over the location of learning. Students who fulfil these goals in a shorter timeframe, potentially within eight years instead of the current nine, would no longer be required to complete the entire compulsory schooling period.
When questioned about monitoring the achievement of educational goals, Brückl indicated that details are still being worked out. However, he underscored the need for a more flexible approach recognising individual student progress.
Furthermore, the FPÖ proposes implementing robust conflict management strategies, including enhanced teacher training and clear protocols for removing disruptive students. Brückl advocated for the establishment of "time-out classes" as a means of addressing disciplinary issues effectively.
READ ALSO: Fact check: Does the far-right in Austria really want to ban sweatpants in schools?
Costumes to alcohol: What are the workplace rules in Austria for Carnival?
From dressing up (by choice or employer request) to your days off and work Carnival parties, here's what you need to know about the holiday in Austria.
Austria rebuts heirs' Nazi loot claims for Schiele paintings
Orders to hand back artworks by Austrian painter Egon Schiele to the American heirs of their former Jewish owner have forced some of Austria's top museums to deny claims that some of their holdings were Nazi loot.
The latest in a series of legal bids targets works from the vast art collection of Fritz Gruenbaum, an Austrian Jewish cabaret performer and outspoken critic of the Nazis, who perished in the Holocaust.
His collection comprised over 400 pieces, including 81 by the Expressionist master Schiele. According to Austrian newspaper Der Standard, it would now be worth an estimated €500 million.
Twelve Schiele pieces from the collection are housed in two Viennese museums -- the Leopold Museum has ten paintings and drawings, including Dead City III (1911), while the Albertina has the remaining two.
Gruenbaum's descendants have been demanding their return for more than two decades, saying the Nazis looted them.
The Austrian government insists the state obtained them in good faith.
"Despite meticulous research over the years, no evidence was found that Fritz Gruenbaum's collection was confiscated" by the Nazi authorities, Austria's culture ministry said in an email sent to AFP. "On the contrary, the evidence suggests that the collection was still in the family's possession after the end of the Nazi regime," it added.
In 2010, a special commission recommended that it should not return the artworks.
The government said Gruenbaum's sister-in-law Mathilde Lukacs sold dozens of works to a Swiss art dealer in the 1950s. The dust settled -- until several lawsuits in the United States came to a different conclusion.
America's Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act from 2016 extended the statute of limitations for recovering Nazi-looted artworks, allowing Gruenbaum's heirs to return to the courts. Aiming to win restitution, they first pursued several Schiele drawings exhibited in the United States.
They said Gruenbaum's collection was stolen by the Nazis and essentially auctioned or sold abroad to fund the Nazi Party. In 2018, a New York judge ruled in their favour.
Since then, one restitution after another followed, with some museums, such as New York's Museum of Modern Art, returning them voluntarily and others waiting for a court order.
In late January, US authorities said they had been able to return ten artworks "looted by the Nazis" to Gruenbaum's descendants, valued at a minimum of €11 million.
In December 2022, the heirs filed a complaint against Austria in New York, accusing the country of having "unjustly and unlawfully enriched" itself "at the expense" of the descendants.
The Austrian government's position that there was no evidence the paintings were looted includes the works that have "recently been voluntarily restituted in the US," the culture ministry email said. It says even those artworks reached the art market legally via Lukacs.
In other cases, the Alpine country of 9.1 million inhabitants has returned about 15,800 artworks to the heirs of their former Jewish owners. The stakes are exceptionally high for the Leopold Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Schiele's work.
Opened in 2001, the museum is the brainchild of visionary collector Rudolf Leopold.
He began buying up paintings by Schiele and the Austrian symbolist master Gustav Klimt in the aftermath of World War II when they had been largely forgotten.
In 2016, it returned two Schiele drawings to the descendants of Jewish art collector Karl Maylaender, who was deported from Austria in 1941. The Albertina also returned five drawings from the same collection in 2011. In one of the most spectacular legal battles, an American claimant sought five masterpieces by Klimt from Austria's Belvedere Museum.
The museum was forced to return the works, and they were later auctioned off for a record sum of €328 million.
READ ALSO: Artwork stolen by Nazis to be returned to heirs of Austrian Jewish cabaret star
Measles cases on the rise
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) has reported a troubling increase in measles cases, particularly affecting Vienna. Over the past week, Vienna recorded 11 new measles cases, contributing to 24 cases since the beginning of the year. This infection surge has prompted heightened alerts in kindergartens and schools, with authorities urging vigilance and emphasising the importance of vaccination.
Measles presents with symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinct red rash, typically appearing a few days after initial symptoms. Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, rapid identification and preventive measures are essential to contain its spread.
To address the growing outbreak, educational institutions in Vienna have issued warnings to staff, parents, and guardians, reiterating the need for vaccination.
Several factors contribute to the rise in measles cases, including infections imported from abroad and disruptions in vaccination schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting vaccination gap has left segments of the population, particularly unvaccinated infants, vulnerable to measles outbreaks.
According to the Ministry of Health data, approximately 8 percent of children aged 2 to 5 in Austria were unvaccinated in 2022. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, administered in two doses starting from 10 months of age, is crucial in preventing measles outbreaks. Efforts to catch up on missed vaccinations, even in adulthood, are underway, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of immunisation.
READ ALSO: Which groups are most vaccine-hesitant in Austria?
Austria opens probe into Ukraine central bank ex-chief
Austrian anti-corruption prosecutors said Wednesday they were investigating Ukraine's former central bank chief for alleged breach of trust and money laundering after he sought asylum, claiming "political persecution".
A key player in efforts to ensure Ukraine's financial and economic stability following Russia's invasion of the country, Kyrylo Shevchenko stepped down as head of the bank in October 2022 and sought asylum in Austria. But a representative of the Austrian public prosecutor's office told AFP on Wednesday: "We are investigating a breach of public trust and money laundering" against Shevchenko, confirming Austrian media reports.
Shevchenko, 51, said on Facebook that President Volodymyr Zelensky pressured him to print money to prop up the local currency after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. He says his refusal to do so prompted his arrest on "trumped-up" embezzlement charges.
He announced he was stepping down in October 2022 for health reasons after heading Ukraine's central bank for two years. According to the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, Vienna rejected Kyiv's extradition request due to the ongoing war.
Appointed in 2020 after his predecessor resigned, citing political pressure, Shevchenko was considered Zelensky's preferred candidate.
Any changes at the head of the central bank are closely followed by Ukraine's Western allies, whose financial support has been vital to propping up the country's economy even before the war.
With reporting by AFP.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Comments
See Also
Far-right calls for overhaul of compulsory schooling in Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is advocating for a significant overhaul of the country's education system, aiming to replace the current nine-year compulsory schooling with a more "flexible" approach. At a press conference led by Freedom Party education spokesman Hermann Brückl, the party unveiled its new education program, emphasising educational goals achievable outside of traditional public schools and within a shorter timeframe.
Brückl expressed concern about what he described as longstanding neglect of individuality and performance in Austrian education policy, attributing this to an excessive focus on "egalitarianism". He highlighted issues such as inadequate support from authorities and a lack of proficiency in the German language, which he argued not only hinder academic performance but also contribute to conflicts, bullying, and violence in schools.
Under the FPÖ's proposed education program, compulsory German language instruction before school entry, along with measures to improve school conflict management, would be mandated. Brückl criticised what he deemed overly burdensome curricula and asserted that reevaluating immigration policies is necessary to address these challenges.
Central to the FPÖ's vision is the distinction between compulsory education and compulsory schooling. While public schools would remain pivotal in the educational landscape, Brückl said that achieving educational goals should take precedence over the location of learning. Students who fulfil these goals in a shorter timeframe, potentially within eight years instead of the current nine, would no longer be required to complete the entire compulsory schooling period.
When questioned about monitoring the achievement of educational goals, Brückl indicated that details are still being worked out. However, he underscored the need for a more flexible approach recognising individual student progress.
Furthermore, the FPÖ proposes implementing robust conflict management strategies, including enhanced teacher training and clear protocols for removing disruptive students. Brückl advocated for the establishment of "time-out classes" as a means of addressing disciplinary issues effectively.
READ ALSO: Fact check: Does the far-right in Austria really want to ban sweatpants in schools?
Costumes to alcohol: What are the workplace rules in Austria for Carnival?
From dressing up (by choice or employer request) to your days off and work Carnival parties, here's what you need to know about the holiday in Austria.
Austria rebuts heirs' Nazi loot claims for Schiele paintings
Orders to hand back artworks by Austrian painter Egon Schiele to the American heirs of their former Jewish owner have forced some of Austria's top museums to deny claims that some of their holdings were Nazi loot.
The latest in a series of legal bids targets works from the vast art collection of Fritz Gruenbaum, an Austrian Jewish cabaret performer and outspoken critic of the Nazis, who perished in the Holocaust.
His collection comprised over 400 pieces, including 81 by the Expressionist master Schiele. According to Austrian newspaper Der Standard, it would now be worth an estimated €500 million.
Twelve Schiele pieces from the collection are housed in two Viennese museums -- the Leopold Museum has ten paintings and drawings, including Dead City III (1911), while the Albertina has the remaining two.
Gruenbaum's descendants have been demanding their return for more than two decades, saying the Nazis looted them.
The Austrian government insists the state obtained them in good faith.
"Despite meticulous research over the years, no evidence was found that Fritz Gruenbaum's collection was confiscated" by the Nazi authorities, Austria's culture ministry said in an email sent to AFP. "On the contrary, the evidence suggests that the collection was still in the family's possession after the end of the Nazi regime," it added.
In 2010, a special commission recommended that it should not return the artworks.
The government said Gruenbaum's sister-in-law Mathilde Lukacs sold dozens of works to a Swiss art dealer in the 1950s. The dust settled -- until several lawsuits in the United States came to a different conclusion.
America's Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act from 2016 extended the statute of limitations for recovering Nazi-looted artworks, allowing Gruenbaum's heirs to return to the courts. Aiming to win restitution, they first pursued several Schiele drawings exhibited in the United States.
They said Gruenbaum's collection was stolen by the Nazis and essentially auctioned or sold abroad to fund the Nazi Party. In 2018, a New York judge ruled in their favour.
Since then, one restitution after another followed, with some museums, such as New York's Museum of Modern Art, returning them voluntarily and others waiting for a court order.
In late January, US authorities said they had been able to return ten artworks "looted by the Nazis" to Gruenbaum's descendants, valued at a minimum of €11 million.
In December 2022, the heirs filed a complaint against Austria in New York, accusing the country of having "unjustly and unlawfully enriched" itself "at the expense" of the descendants.
The Austrian government's position that there was no evidence the paintings were looted includes the works that have "recently been voluntarily restituted in the US," the culture ministry email said. It says even those artworks reached the art market legally via Lukacs.
In other cases, the Alpine country of 9.1 million inhabitants has returned about 15,800 artworks to the heirs of their former Jewish owners. The stakes are exceptionally high for the Leopold Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Schiele's work.
Opened in 2001, the museum is the brainchild of visionary collector Rudolf Leopold.
He began buying up paintings by Schiele and the Austrian symbolist master Gustav Klimt in the aftermath of World War II when they had been largely forgotten.
In 2016, it returned two Schiele drawings to the descendants of Jewish art collector Karl Maylaender, who was deported from Austria in 1941. The Albertina also returned five drawings from the same collection in 2011. In one of the most spectacular legal battles, an American claimant sought five masterpieces by Klimt from Austria's Belvedere Museum.
The museum was forced to return the works, and they were later auctioned off for a record sum of €328 million.
READ ALSO: Artwork stolen by Nazis to be returned to heirs of Austrian Jewish cabaret star
Measles cases on the rise
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) has reported a troubling increase in measles cases, particularly affecting Vienna. Over the past week, Vienna recorded 11 new measles cases, contributing to 24 cases since the beginning of the year. This infection surge has prompted heightened alerts in kindergartens and schools, with authorities urging vigilance and emphasising the importance of vaccination.
Measles presents with symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinct red rash, typically appearing a few days after initial symptoms. Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, rapid identification and preventive measures are essential to contain its spread.
To address the growing outbreak, educational institutions in Vienna have issued warnings to staff, parents, and guardians, reiterating the need for vaccination.
Several factors contribute to the rise in measles cases, including infections imported from abroad and disruptions in vaccination schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting vaccination gap has left segments of the population, particularly unvaccinated infants, vulnerable to measles outbreaks.
According to the Ministry of Health data, approximately 8 percent of children aged 2 to 5 in Austria were unvaccinated in 2022. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, administered in two doses starting from 10 months of age, is crucial in preventing measles outbreaks. Efforts to catch up on missed vaccinations, even in adulthood, are underway, reflecting a growing awareness of the importance of immunisation.
READ ALSO: Which groups are most vaccine-hesitant in Austria?
Austria opens probe into Ukraine central bank ex-chief
Austrian anti-corruption prosecutors said Wednesday they were investigating Ukraine's former central bank chief for alleged breach of trust and money laundering after he sought asylum, claiming "political persecution".
A key player in efforts to ensure Ukraine's financial and economic stability following Russia's invasion of the country, Kyrylo Shevchenko stepped down as head of the bank in October 2022 and sought asylum in Austria. But a representative of the Austrian public prosecutor's office told AFP on Wednesday: "We are investigating a breach of public trust and money laundering" against Shevchenko, confirming Austrian media reports.
Shevchenko, 51, said on Facebook that President Volodymyr Zelensky pressured him to print money to prop up the local currency after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. He says his refusal to do so prompted his arrest on "trumped-up" embezzlement charges.
He announced he was stepping down in October 2022 for health reasons after heading Ukraine's central bank for two years. According to the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, Vienna rejected Kyiv's extradition request due to the ongoing war.
Appointed in 2020 after his predecessor resigned, citing political pressure, Shevchenko was considered Zelensky's preferred candidate.
Any changes at the head of the central bank are closely followed by Ukraine's Western allies, whose financial support has been vital to propping up the country's economy even before the war.
With reporting by AFP.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.