The board of trustees, chaired by President Franz Titschenbacher, has taken up this important topic again, primarily to bring "Europe" closer to our youth. This year, the European Days were able to be held in person from November 18th to 19th, 2022.
A brief recap
Following welcoming remarks by Direktor Dr. Johann Gasteiner, Provincial Councillor Werner Amon, and President Franz Titschenbacher, greetings were offered by Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig, and a keynote address was given by Her Excellency Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. Students from the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, together with moderator Bettina Zajac, provided an overview of the first day and introduced the presentation by Christoph Pfemeter, Managing Director of the Austrian Biomass Association. Dr. Erich Wiesner, owner and CEO of WIEHAG AG, along with Member of the European Parliament Simone Schmiedtbauer and Section Head JohannFankhauser, emphasized the importance of a united Europe, particularly for the agricultural, forestry, and timber industries. Dr. Kurt Weinberger, CEO of the Austrian Hail Insurance Company, addressed the climate crisis. Conference participants had the opportunity to ask the speakers questions on current topics during informal discussions.
“Europe – Neutrality and Security Policy” – a key focus of the European Days, which will likely remain in memory for a long time thanks to a moving presentation by Dr. Vasyl Khymynets, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Austria. Brigadier Heinz Zöllner and Reinhard Wolf (Generaldirektor of RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Aktiengesellschaft) added facts on the important topic of security of supply, and the mayors of Irdning-Donnersbachtal's partner municipalities, Martin Finzel (Municipality of Ahorn) and Sven Gregor (Municipality of Eisfeld), emphasized the importance of municipalities in Europe.
The current topic of “Europe and the energy transition” was addressed and discussed by the speakers Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler, Mag. Josef Landschützer (Managing Director, Energie Steiermark Kunden GmbH.) and the world’s largest pellet manufacturer – Thomas Meth, MSc., MBA (Head of Enviva Biomass Washington).
“Europe in Retrospect” – how did Europe originate and how has it changed? Professor Dr. Michael John (historian and cultural studies scholar, Linz) spoke on this topic, addressing changes that Europe has experienced in recent years. Mag. Gunter Deuber (Head of Raiffeisen Research, Raiffeisen Bank International) offered insights into international and sustainable financing.
“Ecology, economy, and social issues in the harmony of our social order” – University Professor DDr. Michael Lehofer (physician, university lecturer in psychiatry) addressed the social aspect of crises and their impact on humanity. Dr. Hannelore Veit and Dr. Peter Fritz (both journalists and commentators, ORF foreign policy) looked to the future of Europe, thus forming a bridge between past and future.
“Europe and the Eco-Social Market Economy” – DI Dr. hc Josef Riegler, former Vice Chancellor, enriched the European Days with his interesting lecture and introduced Diocesan Bishop Dr. Alois Schwarz and Superintendent Mag. Wolfgang Rehner, who rounded off this excellent event with their thoughts on Europe and an ecumenical service.
Organization
To make such a conference a successful event, a team is needed that contributes to its success together. President Franz Titschenbacher, Dr. Elke Rüscher, Othmar Breitenbaumer, Christian Obenaus (Chairman of the Raumberg-Seefeld Alumni Association), and moderator Bettina Zajac, MA, as the organizing team, would like to thank everyone who contributed to the European Days, especially Direktor Dr. Gasteiner. The technical team led by Kurt Krimberger and Michael Kogler worked diligently to ensure online participation. On-site, in the school building and Grimming Hall, our maintenance staff and cleaning team, along with Bernadette Titschenbacher and the students, did a fantastic job. Culinary delights were also a priority – Reinhard Stieber and Franz Lassacher prepared welcome platters with "RaumberGenuss," and Christina Mayer's team treated the conference participants to regional and homemade delicacies. Thanks also to Ulrike Titschenbacher and the Altirdning farmers for the delicious refreshments during breaks. Many thanks to the Raumberg brass band under the direction of Dr. Helmut Kalss for the wonderful opening, and a big thank you to all the students and colleagues for their cooperation.
Following this great success, the many other topics addressed, and the positive atmosphere, Christian Obenaus described the success of this conference as follows: “…Raumberg-Gumpenstein has never experienced anything like this before” – in this sense, we look forward to the European Days 2023!
Online links and photos for the event can be found here!
This event is supported by:
