Posh pigeon loft reopened

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Lifestyle

A Viennese tourism body has spent more than 270,000 Euros on the renovation of a pigeon loft, it has emerged.The city’s Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und BetriebsgesmbH – which manages Schönbrunn Palace, its gardens and the adjacent zoo – said today (Fri) it had invested 272,000 Euros on the refurbishment of the baroque dovecot.Schönbrunn Zoo director […]

Mariahilfer Straße may become pedestrian area

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Lifestyle

Vast parts of Vienna’s busiest shopping street could become car-free zones in the next few years, Social Democratic (SPÖ) Vienna traffic councillor Rudolf Schicker has announced.Schicker said today (Weds) experts were set to check which parts of the Mariahilfer Straße – which divides the city’s Mariahilf and Neubau districts – could be freed from traffic. […]

More marriages so far this year

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Lifestyle

The number of Austrians tying the knot is on the rise, new figures have shown.Statistik Austria announced today (Fri) there had been 16,588 marriages in the first six months of this year, up by 5.9 per cent compared to the same period of 2009.The number of weddings soared most significantly in capital Vienna (7.5 per […]

UK had 20 Adolfs since WWII

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Lifestyle

At least 20 babies born in the United Kingdom after World War Two were named Adolf, new research has shown.British family tree organisation Findmypast.co.uk announced today (Weds) that more than 20 newborns were given the same name as Austrian-born Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.The agency said the most recent registration occurred in 2005, adding that 320 […]

Majority fear severe sickness, says poll

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Lifestyle

A majority of Austrians fear suffering from a serious disease, according to research.Insurer Generali said today (Weds) its latest poll found that 54 per cent of Austrians were afraid of catching a life-threatening illness.The same share of the 1,372 people interviewed admitted being worried about a rise in living costs and a cutback of social […]

Austria beats Turkey as heatwave lingers on

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Lifestyle

Austrian towns registered higher temperatures than Turkish holiday hotspots around midday today (Mon), according to Austrian meteorologists.Experts at Vienna’s Centre for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) said weather stations in Neusiedl am See at Lake Neusiedl, Burgenland, and St. Andrä im Lavanttal in Carinthia registered 35 degrees centigrade.They said this was more than temperatures reached in […]

German triumph serves up top TV figures

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Lifestyle

More than one million Austrians tuned in as Germany proceeded in the Football World Cup last night (Weds).Official figures presented today show that 873,000 Austrians followed national broadcaster ORF’s live coverage of the final group D matches Germany vs. Ghana (1-0) and Australia vs. Serbia (2-1).Around 223,000 Austrian TV consumers meanwhile watched German station ARD’s […]

Life Ball scores with Becker

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Lifestyle

Boris Becker will attend this year’s Life Ball, it was announced today (Thurs).Organisers of the HIV/AIDS awareness event – set to take place at Vienna City Hall on 17 July – said the German tennis legend and his wife Lilly will be among star guests.They added former US President Bill Clinton and “Sister Act” star […]

Former Ambassador Hochleitner turns 80

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Lifestyle

Former Austrian Ambassador Erich Peter Hochleitner celebrates his 80th birthday today (Thurs).The Vienna-born international law expert represented Austria in Cairo, Brussels, London and Lisbon before heading international development projects of the foreign office.Hochleitner, who started working in diplomatic services in 1956, also acted as Austria’s Ambassador to NATO. He retired in 1996.

Natascha Kampusch writes autobiography

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Lifestyle

“Cellar Girl” Natascha Kampusch is writing her autobiography, it has emerged.A spokesman for the 22-year-old confirmed today (Tues) that the book called “3096 Tage” (3,096 Days) will be released in September.Kampusch was kidnapped on her way to school in Vienna at the age of ten in 1998 and managed to escape the clutches of pervert […]