| 2024 Events |
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| March 2, 2024 A night in Vienna |
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The 22nd Viennese Ball held by the Austria Club of Washington took place on Saturday, March 2, 2024. The Viennese Ball committee under the leadership of Eva Donahoo faced some groundbreaking decisions, leading us to a new venue, new band, and several new items of entertainment. As before, many Zoom meetings were held, and the resulting event was an elegant "Night in Vienna" at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Seattle.
Robert and Anne Rackl and Edmund Kirisits registered the guests, while Karen Kirisits and Pat Donahoo set up the photo corner for guests to take keepsake photographs. The foyer leading to the ballroom was decorated with posters from Vienna and the U.S. and Austrian flags. During seating and again during dinner service, Alsu Shakirova on piano and Andrew Schirmer on violin treated us to a beautiful repertoire of classical music. The Madison Ballroom was filled with tables beautifully set thanks to decorations by Ester and Bob Holmes for an elegant sit-down dinner, and cocktail tables for later guests with dance-only tickets. This ticket category was especially popular with younger guests. The dinner choices were salmon, beef, or vegetarian, delicious by all accounts, with an apple tart for dessert. The Austria Club president Michael Brandstetter gave us a warm welcome in the ballroom and introduced special guests and honorary consuls in attendance. He set the tone for a most congenial atmosphere during the whole event. The Austrian HC for Oregon Birgit Hayden was present and gave a speech relaying the best wishes from the Mayor of Vienna for our ball. She stepped in because our H.C. Eva Kammel had to stay home due to Covid. This was a disappointment to her and to us, after working together for so many months, to not have her be at the event. She had helped us obtain the Damenspenden, that is the traditional gift for ladies at the Balls. She also has been instrumental in our obtaining financial support from the City of Vienna, with the result that the Austria Club did not have to cover a loss from the event. The opening of the ball after dinner consisted of a youthful dance presentation of Polonaise and some quadrille steps as well as a Viennese Waltz, performed by a group of young ladies and gentlemen, led by professional dancers Elena Dovgan and Dmitri Vorobiev, and after rehearsing with our director of dance Nelson Bridwell. Thanks also to Robin Bridwell for the sweet bouquets and her support of the rehearsals and the dance lesson that was held for all interested ball guests. We also thank the SAGA school for use of their facility for the rehearsals. The opening was completed with a wonderful performance of operetta arias by the Opera singer Sophia Emanuel; she sang and acted out the songs in a most charming way with Alsu accompanying her on piano. After this entertainment came the live band: The Birch Pereira and Toby Hanson Band played a variety of ballroom dance music from Waltzes to cha-cha and everything in between. Their lively performance, including vocals by Birch was enjoyed by all and the dance floor was filled with enthusiastic dancers of several generations. Andrew Schirmer even joined the band on violin for a fun surprise. It was a joyful atmosphere and the traditional mixture of dancing and visiting with other ball guests helped us feel the Viennese Gemuetlichkeit. The two intermissions added a professionally Viennese Waltz performance by Elena and Dmitri, as well as recorded Viennese Waltzes for dancing. After the band stopped, there were still a lot of busy feet: Nelson Bridwell called and directed the Fledermaus quadrille, and some Gallop and general merriment ensued on the dance floor giving a lot of dancers the opportunity to dance a "community dance." Midnight arrived and all the volunteer elves cleared out the decorations and while some guests enjoyed an overnight stay at the Renaissance, most headed home. We appreciated the smooth handling of service by the hotel staff and the support we received all throughout planning and during the actual event, ensured by Juergen Oswald, General manager of the Renaissance Hotel and Pieter Koomen, the event manager. The Austria Club really supported this event, and especially the board of the Austria Club Michael Brandstetter, Edmund Kirisits and Robert Rackl became adjunct members of the Viennese ball committee and gave us a lot of help, confidence, and trust to take this leap to a new venue and together we realized many new ideas for our entertainment. Furthermore, we are so grateful to the following supporters: Sabine Jacques stepped forward as a major financial sponsor of the ball and organized a big table at the event. Magrit Baurecht provided us with complimentary professional graphic design services, as seen on the website, flyers and invitations, and the beautiful program that was a hot item at the ball! The ball welcomed many members from the Let's Dance Club and some Arcadian dancers. Several ball guests got tickets early and organized a table with friends. We love to seat everyone at the ball with a fun group so that they will have a wonderful time. The further we can spread the word about the ball, the more guests we see who have experience or connections with Austria, Europe, or just love to have a great formal night out in town. Please remember to tell your friends about this event, so they don't have to miss out! Austrian Honorary Consul Eva Kammel was part of the organizing committee and had invited several members of the Consular Association. We welcomed: Austrian HC from Portland Birgit Hayden, Hungarian HC Katalin Pearman and Polish HC Teresa Davis, Brazil HC Yara Silva, and Swedish HC Petra Hilleberg. Ukrainian Honorary Consul Valeriy Goloborodko with his wife Solomiya unfortunately could not join us because their family encountered Covid. The ball guests showed their support for Ukraine by sending them a standing ovation. We filled all our seats, and we advise for next year: Get your tickets for the next Viennese Ball early and don't leave it till the last week. We don't want you to miss out on this grand event! Please feel free to email me if you want to be notified about the Viennese Ball 2025! Eva Donahoo Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
| 2023 Events |
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| March 4, 2023 A night in Vienna |
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After two years of pandemic postponements, the Austria Club of Washington was finally able to hold a Viennese Ball in Seattle again. This counts as the 21. Ball held and it had a great response. The Viennese Ball committee under the leadership of Eva Donahoo had been planning this for a long time, many Zoom meetings were involved and many volunteers helped make it an amazing event.
The Nile Country Club was decorated under the planning and guidance of Ester Holmes with the help of many hands and was a very festive framework. A complimentary introduction to waltz was provided in the afternoon, curtesy of Steve Renaud and had great attendance. Registration with Christina Calio and Eva Donahoo and seating by ushers Pat Donahoo and Peter Kammel got everyone to their seat as we filled 21 tables. Damenspenden, that is the traditional Lady's gift at a ball, were enjoyed by the Guests, curtesy of the city of Vienna. Austria club members really supported this event, and we also had members from the Let's dance club and some Arcadian dancers. Several ball guests took it upon themselves to organize 1-2 tables with family and friends. During the opening of the ball, and then again during the dinner we were treated to classical music performed on piano by Alsu Shakirova and on violin by Andrew Schirmer. The selections evoked the flair of a festive evening in Vienna, and we have been lucky to have this duo perform at our ball for several years. Austrian Honorary Consul Eva Kammel was part of the organizing committee and introduced the consular dignitaries: Austrian Consul General Los Angeles Dr. Postl, Hungarian Honorary Consul General Emerita Helen Szablya and Ukrainian Honorary Consul Valeriy Goloborodko with his wife Solomiya. The ball guests showed their support for Ukraine by greeting them with a standing ovation. Consul General Dr. Postl presented HC Eva Kammel with the Decoration of honor in Gold for her services to the Republic of Austria. All the guests enjoyed a buffet dinner with Salmon in lemon butter sauce, beef with burgundy sauce, and several side dishes, a vegetarian option included a portobello mushroom dish. The dessert station was opened later during the dancing. The Pacific Ballroom dance group presented the traditional Polonaise leading up to the Blue Danube. Then the announcement "Alles Walzer!" called everyone to the dance floor. We had great participation in the ball and on the dance floor from all generations. It was great to see varying age groups enjoying themselves during the many opportunities to dance. The Bert Carlson Band has been playing for many years at our Viennese Ball, bringing a mixture of Viennese Waltz, and various other ballroom dance music to keep our feet moving. The two intermissions gave a chance to see two more dance performances, as well as appreciations by Club President Michael Brandstetter: He thanked the Viennese ball committee including Eva and Pat Donahoo, Bob and Ester Holmes, Babette Trenker, Henri and Heleni Koeman, Eva Kammel, and Magrit Baurecht for designing the graphics. He also gave special thanks to the original founders of the Night in Vienna: Sigrid Vierthaler and Rosie Mulholland. More dancing between and after intermissions gave everyone the opportunity to catch up for any missed dancing time during the last three years! A very popular and traditional activity during a ball is also the promenading, meaning walking about and visiting with friends on other tables and I could see many guests enjoying the event for socializing. This made the ball a perfect balance between a formal event yet including some "Gemuetlichkeit". Midnight was the official end and like magic all the helpers came out and took down the decor in record time due to many hands helping: Victor and Anna Eicher, Elana Sabajon, George Kirkwood, Laura Kammel, Julia Kammel, Daniel Krupar, Alex Lewis, and Juergen Schatzer helped the Ball committee and were greatly appreciated. Tip for next year: Definitely get tickets early, so you don't miss out when we have sold out. We want you all at the 2024 Viennese Ball! Eva Donahoo Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
| 2022 Events |
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| May 14, 2022 AC Maifest |
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The Maifest took place at the Shoreline Scottish Rite Center on May 14 afternoon. We had more than 50 persons attending, including a few children.
Our entertainment was provided by a trio from Bert Carlson's band, so there was time for dancing and an opportunity to meet in person at last. Decorated by Rosie Mulholland, Juergen Schatzer, and others, the hall was a festive tribute to spring with each table sporting fragrant lilacs. In the large kitchen, Martin Kral headed up a busy team of cooks who prepared a meal of grilled sausages (from Uli's), Sauerkraut, Kartoffelpuffer, a mixed salad, and freshly baked sourdough bread. For dessert there was a mixed frult compote topped by whipped cream, of course. During that serving, Martin presented a video of Maibaum customs in Austria. There was plenty of time for guests to commingle and plan for a summer picnic at a member's home in July. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| February 27, 2022 AC Annual Membership Meeting |
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The Annual Meeting of the Austria Club of Washington took place on February 27, 2022 at the German House in Seattle.
The Outgoing President Rosemarie Mulholland spoke first and said farewell. Rosie also did a remembrance of all the club members we lost in the past two years. And she went over the roster of all presidents past since the beginning of the club. She thanked all the members for their confidence in her, and all the members of the board and committee chairs for their assistance in leading the club for the past 5 years. Then came the turnaround with a procession of well wishes and thank yous for Rosie from the Board, from Helga Jacques the "sunshine lady", from the Austrian Honorary consul Eva Kammel, who read a letter of acknowledgement written by the Austrian Consul General Dr. Postl in Los Angeles. Flowers and gifts were all part of a moving ceremony. The outgoing treasurer Bob Holmes gave a treasurer's report and also reported on the Kronenzeitung and the status of the cookbook. Bob also gave a heads up about plans for a "Sommerball", that would mean holding the Viennese ball on June 25, 2022! Alle anwesenden Mitglieder genossen ein warmes Mittagessen: Wiener Schnitzel mit gruenem Salat und Erdaepfelsalat. Zur Nachspeis gabs Melonenstuecke und Kaesetorte mit Heidelbeeren. Das alleine war schon den Mitgliedsbeitrag wert! After the Lunch the Election chair Eva Donahoo finalized the election to the Board, which had already began online. A show of hands in addition to email votes brought us the new board: President - Michael Brandstetter Vice President - Martin Kral Treasurer - Robert Rackl Secretary - Robert Otto Trustees: Ester Holmes, Ursula Paar, Barbara Swann, Bob Holmes, Edmund Kirisits, Juergen Schatzer We welcomed the new Board and incoming president Michael Brandstetter held a brief speech. Rosie Mulholland conducted a vote from the members present about a bylaws change regarding the timing of membership dues. All members present enjoyed very much visiting with old friends and new friends. We hope that the club will be able to hold more in person events. Keep watch for a Maifest in May 2022, and the Sommerball in June 2022. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
| 2021 Events |
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| December 5, 2021 Weihnachtsfest |
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Right on time, St. Nikolaus (accompanied by Krampus and an attendant) held his meeting with more than 50 attendees-including 9 kids-at the very accessible Masonic Hall in Shoreline.
The afternoon went quickly, because we followed state guidelines in allowing attendance only with vaccination certificate and served purchased foods. The hall not only has updated bathrooms but also a commercial size kitchen. With seasonal decorations and the sounds of Christmas music, it was a memorable afternoon. We served ham and trimmings, properly heated and dispensed quickly by plate right from the kitchen. A half-hour video of Vienna's largest Christmas Market was followed by the appearance of St. Nikolaus; Krampus handed out Krampussackerl to the children who were not at all frightened by his noisy entrance and wild costume. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| October 24, 2021 Austrian National Day |
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Combined with the Austrian-American Day, the national celebration took place on Zoom. Even Consul General of Austria, Dr. Michael Postl, joined us from LA.
Eva Kammel was our MC, Michael Brandstetter did a presentation about Austria, and some of us presented videos and talked about Austria's nine state capitals. |
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| August 21, 2021 Mountain Meadow Picnic |
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More than 30 members joined outdoors at Peter Rueckert's mountainside lodge near Darrington, WA.
While the dishes were set up inside the timbered building, tables outside allowed guests to sit and converse with ease. Martin Kral handled grill duties, while Bob Otto managed the beverage table. We adhered to Washington coronavirus mandates, so there was no potluck, but all had a wonderful time in an incomparable Alpine setting. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
| 2020 Events |
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| October 25, 2020 Austrian National Holiday |
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This year that Austrian Club had to think in new ways how to celebrate the Austrian National Holiday. Together with the Honorary Consulate of Austria and the Austrian American Council West, WA Chapter, we organized an online zoom event on October 25. 2020.
In preparation for this event we were asking for contributions from Austrians living in the PNW telling their story about their hometown. The complete and ongoing collection is posted on the Club Website and was also sent per mail to all club members. Some of the essays were presented at the zoom event with about 45 participants, including the Consul General of Austria in Los Angeles, Andreas Launer, and the Honorary Consul of Austria in Seattle, Eva Kammel. Both delivered inspiring speeches in addition to the uplifting remarks from Club president Rosie Mulholland and AC-WA Chapter President Michael Brandstetter. We could also present some musical contributions from longtime friends of the Austrian community and had time to chat after the formal program was concluded. The opportunity to connect with each other at least virtually was very welcomed by the participants. As long as we are isolated from our friends, families, and homeland because of Covid-19, it is especially important to feel our friendship in any form possible. We thank all who contributed to the success of this event. And of course, we hope that next year we can commemorate this special holiday in the "old fashioned" way, namely in person! Pictures of the event can be seen here. The Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles produced a video with special greetings for the Austrian National Holiday: https://vimeo.com/472060422. Submitted contribution from friends of Austria with their reflection on their Austrian roots can be enjoyed here as a downloadable PDF file. Enjoy reading. |
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| February 29, 2020 Viennese Ball |
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The Austria Club of Washington held its 20th Annual Viennese Ball on February 29, 2020 at the Nile Country Club. As a welcome all the ladies received a "Damenspende", which is a traditional gift for the ladies at a Ball. Our honorary consul Eva Kammel was able to obtain these gifts thru the city of Vienna, which is sponsoring our ball. As usual we were serenaded during happy hour and Dinner by Piano and Violin played by Alsu Shakirova and Andrew Schirmer. The Bert Carlson band provided a great variety of music fit for dancing and the dance floor was lively all night long. We really appreciate all our excellent musicians.
The USA Dance team under the direction of Anita Williams lent us their dancing expertise in various ways. An introductory Waltz lesson was offered free of charge from 4-5pm for interested ball attendees. The dance team performed the opening of the ball with the traditional Faecherpolonaise. Before dinner they presented two lovely group dances and a solo, based in music and costumes on the "Sound of Music". In the first Intermission they presented 2 solo dances performed by Don Walker and Sharon Wolf, and during the second intermission Steven Reneaud led the "Fledermaus Quadrille". This is an organized square dance and everyone courageous enough to be on the dance floor got a good round of community and laughter. We are so glad about the contribution of the USA Dance - Seattle Team dancers. Our President Rosemarie Mulholland welcomed everyone for the special 20th Anniversary of the Viennese Ball. Austrian Honorary Consul Eva Kammel introduced and welcomed our honored guests from the Consular corps. We were pleased to welcome the Hungarian Honorary Consul Emerita Helen Szablya, the Canadian Consul General Brandon Lee and guest Giovanna Mingarelli, the Italian Honorary Consul Elisabetta Valentini and her son Alesandro, and the Peruvian Honorary Consul Miguel Velasquez with his sister Gloria, as well as the Lithuanian Honorary Consul Victor Lapatinkas. Eva Kammel reminded everyone that this 20th Anniversary of the Viennese ball was only possible, because all those years ago Rosie Mulholland and Sigrid Vierthaler organized the first ball and kept it going for many years. This was a good time for all present to applaud the founders of this fun event. Of course the Viennese Ball committee members were honored and thanked for their tireless efforts throughout the year leading up to the ball: Bob and Ester Holmes (in many functions), Eva Kammel (the HC is making sure that we have an authentic Viennese ball), and Patrick and Eva Donahoo. This year's ball stood under the theme of "commemorating musical geniuses like Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven", 2020 is dedicated to Beethoven who lived a big part of his life in Vienna. And when the Committee called everyone out to the dance floor with "Alles Tanzt", the dance floor was quite crowded, our ball guests definitely come to dance! The Music and many dancers lasted until midnight. Please look at the pictures on this site (see link below) to see a glimpse of the elegance and joy of the ball. Hope to see you (again or for the first time) next year! We organize this event for you, and always hope for a big crowd. And remember: the earlier you get your tickets, the better the chances of getting a table for you and friends to sit together. We want everyone to have a great time! Thanks to the Ball committee, especially Ester for the decor conception. Volunteers like Monika Rockwell, Norbert Hertl, Holly Lund, Gigi James, Bella James, Victor and Anna Eicher and Robert Riemann helped the set up and take down with cheer. Auf Wiedersehn! Eva Donahoo Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
| 2019 Events |
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| December 1, 2019 Weihnachsfeier |
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The Austria Club of Washington held their annual Weihnachtsfeier on December 1, 2019 at the German House. We had 15 children and almost 100 Guests, everybody came in the Christmas spirit. The Hall was beautifully decorated with a large Christmas Tree.The decoration was done by our Board Members who are always ready to help, which I, the President appreciate so very much.
We had a wonderful Gluehwein (hot spiced wine)which was prepared by two of our long time members, Fredy and Helga Jaques, they have done this for many years and it is always very tasty.
After lunch the President announced to the Children that St.Nikolas with the Angels and Krampus were on their way. The Kids were full of excitement and they could hardly wait another minute for their arrival. Finally a loud knock was heard and there they stood by the door, I think that Krampus always scares the kids a little but when they all got a sackerl full of goodies from him and a present from St.Nikolas and the Angels they all ended up happy and satisfied. The Christmas party was a big success and I hope that 2020 will even be better if that is even possible. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| September 29, 2019 Octoberfest |
On September 28,2019 we held the Octoberfest in the German House. The Bonnie Birch Band played wonderful music from 7 to 11 PM. The turnout was way more than expected, we served 110 meals, some guests did not let us know ahead of time that they were coming which made us run out of food. We always plan about 20% more food but it turned out that about 30% more guests came than expected ,but I think that everyone had a great time and nobody complained. The Enzian Schuhplattler Group entertained us with some really nice routines which were enjoyed by all.
Many thanks go to some of our own members who helped with the decorations, they helped in the Kitchen, we had some help behind the Bar and more.I can always depend on the Vierthalers, Ursula Paar, Juergen Schatzer, Bob Otto, Maureen O'Neil, Brigitta Erhard, even Siegi Ranacher helped out, they made my job so much easier, nochmals tausend Dank to all. Man sagt in Deutsch "Viele Haende machen der Arbeit ein schnelles Ende" I hope that the Octoberfest for 2020 will have a big turnout. |
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| May 4, 2019 Maifest |
The Maifest for 2019 was held on May 4,2019 at the Kenmore Community Hall from 1 to 5 PM. The weather was so beautiful that day and everybody was in good spirits. The hall was beautifully decorated which was done the day before by our Volunteers, Bob and Ester Holmes, Ursula Paar and Richard McVey. Martin Kral and myself came to help but they really did not need us they did a good job without our help. We served a buffet lunch to which the club provided the main dish and the guests brought the side dishes, salads and wonderful desserts. We had some very fine kitchen help, Elke Lewis, Erika Dinius, Beate Shue, these ladies are all members of our club and I appreciated their help very much, also our Trustee Ursula Paar, worked very hard in the kitchen. The Happy Hans Band played excellent Maifest Music throughout the afternoon. The Enzian Schuhplattlers brought the Maibaum and they did a wonderful job dancing around the Maibaum along with other beautiful dances. We did not have very many kids there but the ones who came had fun dancing as well. We had a raffle event with really nice items which was put together by our member Maureen O'Neil and a guest by the Name of Ginnie Burton, this event brought in about $200.00 to help offset the costs for the Maifest. Thank you to the members who brought in some nice things for the raffle. Our club events give us a chance to meet and greet members and friends which brings us "Gemuetlichkeit". Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| March 2, 2019 Viennese Ball |
The Austria Club of Washington held its 19th Annual Viennese Ball on March 02, 2019 at the Nile Country Club and we were happy to have an increased attendance this year to appreciate the beautiful setting and all the preparations that had gone into this event. Musical performances ranged from Piano and Violin by Alsu Shakirova and Andrew Schirmer, to classical songs performed by the German Vocal Arts Institute director Christine Menschner. The band for dancing was as usual the Bert Carlson band. We really appreciate all our excellent musicians. The USA Dance team under the direction of Anita Williams participated in the event in various ways. An introductory dance lesson was offered free of charge from 4-5pm for interested ball attendees. The dance team performed the traditional Faecherpolonaise for the Opening of the Ball. During the first intermission, they presented two lovely group dances and two solos, and in the second intermission Steven Reneaud led the "Fledermaus Quadrille", giving everyone a chance to participate on the dance floor. Our emcee Eva Kammel welcomed everyone and our honored guests the Hungarian Honorary Consul Katalin Pearman and the Honorary Consul Emerita from Hungary Helen Szablya. The Nile Club catering did an excellent job with the dinners and tasty desserts; what a treat to sit in your finery and listen to live music with your dinner. When the call rang out after the polonaise "Alles Tanzt!" the dance floor filled up quickly and you could see the crowd enjoy themselves. The Austria Club President Rosie Mulholland was in attendance and we really appreciate her support and cooperation with the Viennese Ball committee, to help make this event a success. It must be mentioned that she and Sigrid Vierthaler got the Ball Tradition started 19 years ago in Seattle! We thank our Viennese Ball committee members: Bob and Ester Holmes- they are very involved in many ways, including finances, and we owe Estēr especially for the decor. Honorary Consul Eva Kammel always looks out for us to be authentic to Viennese traditions and keeps in contact with the City of Vienna and obtains their sponsorship e.g. Damenspende. Pat and Eva Donahoo help fill in with PR and where help is needed. We couldn't go without the volunteer student helpers Holly Lund and Ava Denby who help with decorations and with the greeting of Guests. We also thank our ushers: Gunter Vierthaler, Juergen Schatzer and Pat Donahoo. The Music and many dancers lasted until midnight. Please look
at the pictures on this site to see a glimpse of the elegance and
joy of the ball. When you read this, please make a note to come
to next year's ball! And remember: the earlier you get your
tickets, the better the chances of getting a table for you and
friends to sit together. See you next year for the 20th Annual
Ball – that will be extra special! |
| 2018 Events |
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| December 3, 2018 Christmas Party |
| The Christmas party was held on December 3,18 at the German House. We had close to 100 Guests plus about 15 kids everybody came in the Christmas spirit. The hall was beautifully decorated by our trusted Board members who transformed the hall into a beautiful place to see, it was done with so much love by all, everybody who walked in remarked on how pretty it was. The Board consists of a group of dedicated individuals who never seem to tire and they are right there when needed, I appreciate them so very much. A couple of our members made an awesome Gluehwein (hot spiced wine) which went over in a big way, I heard people say that they never had a better one ,thank you to” Fred and Helga Jaques” you are the best. After we had a social hour, were people walked around talking to each other meeting and greeting old and new friends, the President ask people to find their seat because a wonderful pot luck lunch was going to be served and what good food it was. Next the President announced to the kids that St.Nicolas with the Angels was going to come in a little while but in the meantime we watched some overhead pictures of Austrian Christkindl markets which had been brought in by Martin Kral they were very interesting. The children were waiting full of excitement for St.Nicolas to come when all of a sudden there was a big commotion outside the door when St.Nicolas appeared with not only the Angels but also Krampus came along and Krampus is a very scary guy he even scares me. I think St.Nicolas told him to behave himself and not scare the kids too much. The Children got a Sackerl full of goodies from Krampus which made all of them feel better and then of course came the wonderful packages from St.Nicolas and what happy Kids we had. After Krampus, St.Nicolas and the Angels left we served wonderful desserts ( the Austrians are such great bakers)and during all of this we sang Christmas songs accompanied by the Bonnie Birch Trio who also entertained us for the rest of the afternoon. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| November 11, 2018 100 Year Republic of Austria Celebration |
| On November 10, 2018, we commemorated the Centennial of the Founding
of the Republic of Austria, with Prof. David Large form the Austria
Studies Program at UC Berkeley giving the keynote speech, spanning
the arc of history from the first Chancellor Dr. Karl Renner to today’s
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Almost 100 people, including several Honorary Consuls of neighboring countries, joined at the German House. This engaging and informative event was made possible by the generous support by the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles, the Honorary Consulate of Austria in Seattle, and the Austria Club of WA. Many thanks to the Austria Club for all the volunteer work and support that make these events possible. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| October 21, 2018 Austrian National Day Celebration |
| This year the Austria Club in cooperation with the Honorary Consul
of Austria Eva Kammel celebrated the Austrian National Holiday in
a different fashion. As close as possible to the actual holiday (October 26) we celebrated on October 21st at the Seattle International Film Festival theatre in the Seattle Center. Thanks to advance planning and organization by Eva Kammel with the support by Yvonne Behrens from the Portland German Film Festival and Beth Barrett from SIFF we were able to have a private screening of the very touching movie “Farewell to Europe”. It is about the escape and difficult time in exile of the famous Austrian author Stefan Zweig. This was made into an event with a reception beforehand at the SIFF theatre, with hors d’oeuvres and wine. It allowed members and invited guests to visit and mingle. A gathering at a nearby pub rounded out the festive day. We enjoyed the delicious bites at the reception from Rosie Mulholland, Sigrid and Gunter Vierthaler, Ursula Paar, Patrick and Eva Donahoo and Eva Kammel. The help from our “student volunteers” Holly, Ava and Sara made the event run smoothly and was much appreciated. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| September 22, 2018 Oktoberfest |
| The Octoberfest was held on September 22,2018 at the Kenmore Community
Hall and what a turnout it was we had a full house. Many people came to the door who did not let us know that they were going to come therefore we ran a little short with the dinner items but at the end it all worked out just fine. The Schuhplattlers did some really nice performances they kept people entertained. The Bert Carlson Band played wonderful dance music and lots of people were on the dance floor swinging their hips and dancing legs to the music. People came from far away like Tacoma, Camano Island, Stanwood, Kingston, Port Townsend, Marrowstone Island and it did not bother them that it was raining hard and I am sure it was hard to see on the road’s, I would like to thank all of them for being with us for such a fun night. We also had a raffle table with some really nice items , Hanse’s delicatessen in Burien gave us a $ 25.00 gift certificate for their store and Bavarian Meats gave us a foot long Salami, people were really happy to win these items, we also had some beautiful old Beer Steins from Bavaria, bottles of Wine and other nice items.The club always makes a little money with these donated items and that really helps, thank you to the individuals who donated something. Thank you for the interest you show in the Austria Clubs Festivities we love to see all of you. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| May 5, 2018 Maifest |
| The Austria Club of Washington celebrated its 2018 Maifest on May
5th at the Kenmore Community Hall.We enjoyed the Happy Hans Band
playing for us with some wonderful Maifest Music they also played
some group dances to have singles and novice dancers come on the
dance floor and they did and what fun it was to watch these young
people have such a good time. We also had the Schuhplattlers group come and dance for our enjoyment they did the beautiful Maitree dance along with some very artistic performances by the group. The club provided the Weisswurst and Leberkaese which came from our friend Jan who had the Pannonia Smokehouse in north Seattle but has moved to Stanwood recently which makes it a little more complicated because Martin Kral our Vice President had to drive up to Stanwood to pick it up. Our members brought wonderful side dishes yummy Salads and heavenly Desserts. We had some trusted Volunteers along with a couple of paid individuals who all worked very hard to put this function together and it turned out just great. We put a silent auction together which was organized by Helga and Fredy Jaques people donated some wonderful stuff like Loden Jackets Dirndls beautiful blouses and much more and our guests bought lots of items which helped the club a lot. It was good that the weather was pretty nice otherwise we would have had a problem because we had the Auction outside in the garden alongside the hall, the Good Lord looked out for us because it stayed pretty dry all afternoon, it was a very nice and enjoyable Maifest. Our club events give us a chance to be in touch, follow traditions with wonderful atmosphere and friendship which can be described with one word and that is”Gemuetlichkeit” Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| February 24, 2018 18th Viennese Ball at the Nile Country Club |
| The Austria Club Viennese Ball on February 24 was a beautiful evening.
Ladies dressed in beautiful gowns reminiscent of the colors of spring
and handsome gentlemen in tuxedos, some even with black top hats.
As the guests walked in, they were welcomed by violin and piano music
performed by Alsu Shakirova and Andrew Schirmer,as well as classical
arias were performed by opera singers Christine Menschner (soprano)and
Jesse Nordstrom (tenor) what wonderful talents in our midst! The President welcomed our guests along with the honored guests, who included Helen Szablya of Hungary and Consul General of Peru, Miguel A. Velasquez, she thanked all those who made this evening so beautiful, including Bob and Ester Holmes and Ester’s two sisters who decorated the hall. The President also thanked the Ball Committee (Eva Donahoo, Eva Kammel, Monica Rockwell and the Hertl’s)and a special thank you was extended to the Volunteers who helped to make this event so special. We also thanked the City of Vienna who provided us with a letter from the Mayor and they also sent some beautiful Damenspende (this was a very pretty Bracelet for each of the Ladies) we were very much recognized by Vienna as an American City who keeps up with the Austrian traditions. Northwest Caterers prepared an elegant three course menu, the food was excellent during dinner we were entertained by Alsu and Andrew. Following dinner the USA Dance Team under the direction of Anita Williams performed the “Faecher Polonaise” and after that the evenings dance music under the direction of “Bert Carlson and Co” played beautiful Viennese Waltzes along with music from around the world. During the first intermission the USA dance team performed four dances with such elegance .During the second intermission the dance team helped the audience to do the “Fledermaus Quadrille” which was so much fun. It seemed like everyone was on the dance floor to join in. All in all our 18th Viennese Ball was a success and now we are looking forward to the 19th Ball which is already in the planning stages for March 2nd 2019 so please come and join us. Pictures of the event can be seen here. |
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| January 28, 2018 AC Annual Membership Meeting, German House |
| Thanks to all members who attended the annual Membership Meeting
on January 28,2018. We had to have our meeting earlier than usual due to scheduling problems but it worked out well.We had about sixty members attend which made it into a good meeting because everybody present was involved in the business portion of the meeting. As usual at this occasion we take a moment to remember members who passed away during the last year.We had lost our dear Friend Helmut Stieglitz who had cooked for our functions on many occasions and he also found the best wines to serve he will be dearly missed. Jean and Fred Mitterndorfer did their usual wonderful job making up a picture gallery of club events during 2017 as well as an updated “loving memory book” The President reviewed the activities and events of the club during the past year, and took a look into the upcoming events for 2018.There always seems to be a fun event coming up.Take a look at the club website www.Austriaclubwa.com and you can look at reports and photos of past events, so even if you were not able to attend one or the other you can always get some information and you can definitely find out what’s coming up in order to mark your calendar. We had a report by Vice-President Martin Kral on the Kronenzeitung and also on the new Cookbook project.The Treasurer Robert Holmes gave a report on the clubs finances which appeared to be in good order.Our membership chair Nancy Hertl informed us that we had 29 new and rejoin members which is a good number for one year. We elected most position on the board and I can hereby introduce the Board for 2018. Rosemarie Mulholland president and Robert Holmes treasurer (continuing their two year term) Martin Kral Vice-President, Robert Otto Secretary,and Trustees Sigrid Vierthale, Ursula Paar and Ester Holmes(all elected for a one year term). I like to thank everybody for their spirit of volunteerism. Next year all positions are up for election and perhaps people from the membership would be interested to serve on the board come forward and talk to the President if you’re interested. We voted for a $500.00 donation to the Sterntalerhof in Austria,this is an organization that helps kids who are very ill often terminal this way they can spend some wonderful time with other kids in the same situation and with their parents and siblings. We all enjoyed a wonderful meal of Paprika Huhn with Spaetzle and Rotkraut followed by delicious Cheesecake with Strawberry sauce the meal was catered by the Hungarian Bistro in Mukilteo,the club also served good wine and coffee .Bonnie Birch and Nick Heiting played during our meal and also until the party was over.Some of our members took to the dance floor and everybody had a good time.It was a lovely afternoon and one would call it “sehr gemuetlich” Pictures of the event can be seen here. |