2024-07-25 22:27:45
Whether you call it the “Austria House”, the “Austria House” or, appropriately, the “Maison d’Autriche”: the temporarily converted Montsourie Pavilion in southern Paris will be a centerpiece for Austrian athletes and media during the Olympic and Paralympic Games The main point of contact for representatives to attend games and become fans while promoting Austria to France. The opening was celebrated Thursday night.
The ceremony officially began with the national anthem – as it was said, “as a harbinger of what we hope to hear once or twice more in the coming days”. Unofficially, an hour ago a lot had happened in and around the park pavilion, in front of which the Tyrolean Music Project knew how to connect France and Austria musically in such a vivid way that at least the children were Attracted by colorful music.
After pandemic-related live breaks in Tokyo and Beijing, the Austrian Olympic Committee is pleased with the “continuation of the more than 50-year success story of the Austrian House” and hopes to travel to Austria’s legendary Olympic meeting venues such as the Trinity House 2012 2016 London Olympics or Botafogo clubhouse in Rio de Janeiro 2016. ÖOC Secretary General Peter Mennel also recalled this great story in his opening remarks. He proposed and signed a lease for the historic site, built in 1889 in the 15.5-hectare oasis Parc Montsouris in the 14th arrondissement.
In just three weeks, 20 craftsmen from Austria, ranging from carpenters to electricians, created a special atmosphere here using materials from Tyrol and doubled the usable space of the 300 m² building. Twelve tons of wood (spruce, ash, pine, beech, birch) were used here to extend the classic French architecture with pine living room, terrace and wooden bar.
“The airy local timber building pays homage to the historic protected site – where guests such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre once frequented – and blends into the lively park on the other. and the adjacent pavilion,” Mennell said in advance. “We are already the number one theme in the region.” Austrian cuisine is also expected to be popular in the region, from Kornspitz to Leberkäse.
Seidl Catering in Vorarlberg supplies and services 24 students and their teachers from four Austrian tourism schools. The opening ceremony was attended by State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP), WKÖ Secretary General Karlheinz Kopf and political scientist Peter Filzmaier (author of Olympic books) as well as the “Altwiener Tafelspitz” and “Olympischer Kaiserschmarren”. arrived. Drinks include Jurtschitsch’s Grüner Veltliner and Scheiblhofer’s Big John. No wonder some residents in the APA conversation are looking forward to having a drink here soon.
The terrace is open to the public and the park is a popular leisure center for the whole area, as evidenced by the lively activity in the late afternoon. Children and young people playing on the grass, elderly people chatting on park benches, and joggers running eagerly dominate the scene. “This is a special place, full of life,” Mennell said over the past few days.
At the opening ceremony, the park and pavilion welcomed a particularly large number of Austrian guests. Astrid Stehanig-Staudinger, managing director of the Austrian advertising company, also came. She celebrates “the interplay between city and nature, enjoyment and movement” that “can be felt in every nook and cranny”. The aim is to convey “what defines our Austrian attitude to life”.
To this end, a social media campaign was planned during the Olympics, aiming to show in an interesting way that it is further from Paris to Austria than to the Côte d’Azur (“Étonnamment proche. L’Autriche”) and to have a brand-name electric car Buses run “with DJs and Austrian cuisine”.
“But the focus is on the athletes,” Florian Gosch, ÖOC marketing manager and incoming ÖOC secretary-general, emphasized in an APA interview. “Beyond the competition and the Olympic Village, they should be able to relax here for a few hours, find a place to rest and meet their families and fans.”
Athletes who took advantage of the opportunity during the opening ceremony included rower Magdalena Lobnig and kayaker Felix Oschmotz. He will serve as flag bearer for the red, white and red team at Friday’s opening ceremony, along with judoka Michaela Polleres. The night before, he said he “really didn’t know” what to expect.
That night, Karl Nehammer also came directly to the Austrian Palace after the banquet hosted by French President Macron at the Louvre for state guests from all over the world. The Prime Minister was pleased that it had become “a meeting place as promised”, “not in a safe zone, but also in a way that the French can actually use” and took the time to discuss it with the Olympic team.
(Service – Austria House, Pavillon Montsouris, 20 Rue Gazan, 75014 Paris, www.austria-house.at )
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