Welcome to Vienna - Austria and to the 190th edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).
Theme: ‘Austria: In the Embrace of Christmas’
Winner FSC November 2024
Congratulations! ^^
The Host city for this FSC #190-edition is : Vienna - Austria or Wien ( in Austrian language ). It is
the Capital and most populuous city in Austria . Its larger metropolitan area , has a population of
nearly 2.9 million, representing nearly one-third of the country's population. Vienna is the cultural
and economic, and political center of the country, and the 5th-largest city by population in the EU
The city lies on the eastern edge of the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald), the north-easternmost foot
hills of the Alps , that separate Vienna from the more western parts of Austria . It sits on the Dan
ube (Donau) river. The once Celtic settlement of Vedunia, was converted by the Romans into the
castrum (type military fort) then named Vindobona (the province of Pannonia) in the 1st century
It was elevated to a municipium, with Roman city rights, in year 212. This was followed by a time
in the sphere of influence of the Lombards , & later the Pannonian Avars , when Slavs formed the
majority of the region's population. From the 8th century on, the region was settled by the Baiuva
rii. In 1155, Vienna became the "seat" of the Babenbergs , who ruled Austria from 976 until 1246.
In 1221 Vienna was granted city rights. During the 16th century, the Habsburgs , who succeeded
the Babenbergs, established Vienna as "seat" of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, a posit
ion it held until the empire's dissolution in 1806, with only a brief interruption. With the formation
of the Austrian Empire in year 1804 , Vienna became the capital of it and all its successor states.
Etymology: the place was mentioned as Οϋι[νδ]όβονα (Oui[nd]obona) in the 2nd century AD, (Pto
lemy, Geography, II, 14, 3) . The English name Vienna , is borrowed from the homonymous Italian
name . The German name Wien comes from the name of the river Wien , mentioned ad UUeniam
in 881 (Wenia- in modern writing). The city-name in Hungarian (Bécs) likely has a different origin.
In the 1st century , the Romans set up the military camp of Vindobona in Pannonia , on the site of
today's Vienna city center near the Danube , with an adjoining civilian town, to secure the borders
of the Roman Empire. Construction of the legionary camp began around 97 AD. At its peak Vindo
bona had a population of ca 15.000 & was part of a trade & communications network in the land
After a Germanic invasion in the 2nd century the city was rebuilt It served as “seat” of the Roman
government until the 5th century, when the population fled due to the Huns invasion of Pannonia.
The city was abandoned for centuries. Evidence of Romans in the city is plentiful. Remains of the
military camp have been found under the city , fragments also of the canal system , and figurines
Close ties with other Celtic peoples , continued through the ages . Irish Benedictine monks found
ed 12th-century monastic settlements; evidence of these ties persists in the form of Vienna's gre
at Schottenstift monastery once home to many Irish monks. In 976 Leopold I of Babenberg beca
me count of Eastern March , a district centered on the Danube, on the eastern frontier of Bavaria
‘Austria: In the Embrace of Christmas’
‘Austrian Christmas traditions’
Many people in Austria love Advent , the weeks in December that many celebrate leading up to
Christmas. It is when candles light up the evening , & the smell of Vanillekipferl fills the kitchen.
It is when hot 'Glühwein' from the Christmas markets warms cold hands , and roasted almonds
are savoured straight from the bag . Children eagerly open a new window on their Advent calen
dars, and moments of contemplation and silence find their place in everyday life. Families gath
er to celebrate traditions , snow covers the roofs and meadows , and when the fourth candle is
lit on the Advent wreath on the fourth Sunday in Advent, everyone know that Christmas is near
Austria and its people cherish traditions, rituals and customs that have been preserved and pas
sed down through centuries. Some customs are specific to Austria as well. For example “Barba
ratag” , on 4th December , it is dedicated to Saint Barbara . Early in the morning that day people
cut small twigs from cherry trees or forsythias. They are put in a vase, and placed in the house.
If the twig blossoms by Christmas Eve it’s seen as a sign for good luck and health in the follow
ing year . On 6th December Saint Nicholas goes from house to house looking for all the good &
well-behaved children to give them little sweets like nuts , mandarins or chocolate. St. Nicholas
is accompanied by Krampus his beastish scary helper who punishes nasty children with his rod
(this special Germanic tradition, seen too in nearby countries might be controversial elsewhere)
During Christmas time there are temporary Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkt) all over Austria
and Vienna has a very famous Christmas market which you can see pictures of here in this Show
You can drink mulled wine, eat sweet treats ex. gingerbread or sugarroasted almonds. Some mar
kets are also known for traditional handicraft. There's light and Christmas joy that spreads during
this festive period. Every town will also have a large Christmas Tree in the town square. In homes
trees are decorated with gold & silver ornaments & stars made from straw , & families sing carols
In Austria, children don’t believe in Santa Claus but in the Christkind (Christ Child) who delivers pr
esents to children all over the world. In books and paintings it is often pictured as a child with blo
nde locks, wings and halo (to symbolize the newborn Christ). Some families open the window on
the evening of 24th December , so the Christkind can come in . Children, who are waiting outside,
are listening if a bell is ringing-that’s the sign that they can enter the room and discover their gifts
The main Christmas meal is also eaten on 24th December , Christmas Eve. Traditionally, it is fried
carp , but in recent years roast goose and turkey have become more popular. The most important
thing is however for family and friends to be together and share the festive season in peace & joy
The initial district grew into the duchy of Austria. Each succeeding Babenberg ruler expanded the
march east along the Danube , eventually encompassing Vienna, and the lands immediately east.
In 1155, Henry II Duke of Austria, moved the Babenberg family residence with the founding of the
Schottenstift from Klosterneuburg in Lower Austria to Vienna. Now Vienna was the power center
In the late 16th century, Vienna became "seat" of the Habsburg emperors of the Holy Roman Em
pire. In 1804, during the Napoleonic Wars, Vienna became the capital of the newly formed Austri
an Empire. From late 19th century to 1938 the city remained a center of highculture & of modern
rism. A world capital of music , Vienna played host to composers like Brahms & Richard Strauss
After WW2 and the ‘Anschluss’ the city went through a difficult period as Vienna at the start was
divided into different sectors by the US , UK , France , and USSR and supervised by an Allied com
mision . Throughout the modern era Vienna has been among the largest German-speaking cities
in the world. Vienna is host to many major international organizations incl the UN, OPEC & OSCE
In 2001 the city center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The city caters for stude
nts, and has many universities incl. the prestigious University of Vienna . Vienna has been called
the "City of Music" due to its musical legacy, as many famous classical musicians, such as Beet
hoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mahler, Mozart, Schubert, Johann Strauss I and II lived and worked there
Vienna was also home to the world's first psychoanalyst , Sigmund Freud . The historic center of
Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles , including Baroque palaces , and gardens, and the late-
19th-century Ringstraße, which is lined with grand buildings, monuments, and parks. Today, Vien
na is an important location for IT-technology. Tourism is also a big industry with millions visitors
The city has long cultural traditions. Beside music, theatres are plentiful (the Burgtheater is famo
us) incl cabarets/similar events & lots of museums. Vienna has several opera houses incl the Sta
atsoper . The Wiener Konzerthaus is also famous . The city’s most famous pop-artist was the leg
end Falco. Annually the Donauinselfest, the world’s largest open-air music festival, is staged here
Vienna has plenty to offer visitors . Hotels , restaurants , cafes/coffee houses , shopping centres,
parks, modern transportation and many sights incl magnificent churches (Karlskirche & St. Steph
en’s Cathedral foremost) , the Schönbrunn palace & grounds , the Belvedere Museum, the City Ha
ll, Old Town, the Hofburg complex, the National Library & the famous Johann Strauss monument.
The Host venue for FSC #190 December 2024 is: the Wiener Rathaus , the Vienna City Hall in Vie
nna Austria. Designed by Friedrich Schmidt (1825-1891) this prestigious building was erected be
tween 1872 and 1883 & was built in gothic style, with a tower similar to gothic cathedrals. Today
the Rathaus / City Hall is head office of Vienna's municipal administration , the seat of local gove
rnment . More than 2000 people work in the building . Visitors are awed by the magnificent appoi
ntments of the state rooms which frequently provide an atmospheric backdrop to various events
such as press conferences , concerts or balls . The stately building has several levels & the Volks
halle / People's Hall, which can seat a large number of guests , is located on the ground floor , rig
ht below the first floor ballroom. The Volkshalle is used nowadays to host various cultural events
which incl certain conventions and concerts. They are proud to host this evening’s edition of FSC
Our wonderful Hosts this evening are:
Philipp Hochmair , Nadja Bernhard and Lou Asril
Philipp Hochmair is an Austrian theater , film and television actor. He grew up in Vienna where he
discovered his passion for literature, film and theater. He has had a career in movies and the thea
tre. He also performs solo projects and has a band. He is proud to co-host this edition of the FSC
Nadja Bernhard is an Austrian TV journalist , & presenter/anchor . She is widely known as the pre
senter of the ORF news program Zeit im Bild (ZIB). She has worked as a freelance journalist, also
with ORF, several places in the world incl. the USA. She is proud to co-host this edition of the FSC
Lou Asril is an Austrian singer/songwriter. He is a colorful person with his own artistic & stylistic
flare. Numerous music styles have found their way into his work (soul & RnB, pop, hip-hop and el
ectronic music; influences) and he loves exploring. He is proud to co-host this edition of the FSC
And we are now pleased to announce
The Opening Acts
Exclusive International Guest Appearances
Ed Sheeran & Elton John (United Kingdom)
Orion’s Reign ft. Minniva (Greece)
-
’Merry Christmas’
’Canon Rock’
The incredibly historic and beautiful Austrian capital city of Vienna is looking even more spectacular at this time of the year. This is such a terrific choice of host city for our December edition of the contest and feels very fitting. Experiencing a Viennese Christmas now feels like a must for my bucket list 
Our votes have been posted in the private forum.
