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Opening Remarks at "Images of the Marshall Plan: Film,
Photographs, Exhibits, Posters"

by Chargé d'Affaires Scott F. Kilner

austria wirtschaftsservice
Vienna, May 19, 2008

Präsident Lacina, Professor Bischof, Professor Stiefel, Verehrte Gäste, Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to say a few words here this morning. As you can imagine, the Marshall Plan and its consequences for US-Austrian relations have been of high concern to the American Embassy in Vienna for many years. Even today, this continues to be the case, as I will explain in a few moments. So I am particularly pleased that this conference will add new dimensions to our understanding of the visionary concept that was the Marshall Plan.

It has been almost one year since we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the historic speech at Harvard University by U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall, in which he called for the United States "to assist in the return of normal economic health and the revival of a working economy in the world as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist."

His proposal, which came to be called The Marshall Plan, was inspired by Marshall's firm conviction that democracy is possible -- but requires appropriate political, societal and economic conditions in order to flourish. The plan which Marshall inspired stood as a clear departure from revanchist policies after World War One. Thankfully, his approach prevailed and bore bountiful fruit.

Perhaps understandably, economic reconstruction tends to draw the most attention when we look back at the first decades after World War II. However, there was another, fundamentally important outgrowth of Marshall's idea, which might be described as the "Marshall Plan of the Mind."

In Austria, as elsewhere, between 1945 and 1955 a number of Amerika Häuser were opened, first in Salzburg, Linz and Vienna and later on in smaller cities such as Wels, Zell am See, Gmunden, and Bregenz. These Amerika Häuser served as lending libraries, reading rooms, concert halls, movie theatres, and information centers. In addition, book busses and "book suitcases" - portable collections of reading materials -- all helped provide Austrians with reliable information about the United States, promoting a broad understanding of American ideas and society, and helping spread the concept of democracy.

In 1953, underscoring its commitment to this effort worldwide, the Eisenhower Administration created a new, in many ways unique, federal agency. In the years that followed, the United States Information Agency, or USIA as most of us came to know it, played a large role in informing the world about the United States. USIA operated in more than 150 countries until, following the end of the Cold War, it was closed as an independent agency in 1999, with many of its programs integrated into the State Department.

I noticed that in tomorrow's program, one panel will deal with USIS photography in Austria. Many of these photos were taken by staff who first worked for the "Wiener Kurier" and later on for the United States Information Agency. As some of you may be aware, this historical archive of photographs dealing with Austria after World War II, was donated to the Austrian National Library in the 1970s. We at the Embassy are pleased that, in this way, important photographic documents of the post-war era continue to be available to Austrians.

Another successful example, of "a Marshall Plan for the mind," I would argue, has been the Fulbright Program. Just like George C. Marshall, Senator J. William Fulbright also realized that post-war Europe would require assistance if a slide back into instability and extremism was to be avoided. During six formative months in Vienna in the late 1920s, the young Fulbright himself developed an appreciation for the complex dynamics between domestic and international politics. This, along with a belief in the possibilities of dialogue between cultures, would later inspire him to propose the landmark educational exchange program that bears his name.

In Austria, the Fulbright Program continues to flourish; many other separate academic exchange initiatives also function effectively, to the benefit of both of our nations. There is no doubt that the Fulbright program has set worldwide standards for quality educational exchange, standards that have recently been emulated by no less than the European Union for its Erasmus Mundus program.

Today's birthday child, the Center Austria at the University of New Orleans, stands as a living embodiment of the goals put forward by both the USIA and Senator Fulbright. Building on more than two decades of cooperation with the University of Innsbruck, and a Sister City Agreement between the Cities of Innsbruck and New Orleans, the CenterAustria has been one of the most important players in the field of educational exchange between Austria and the United States. The Center and its activities have contributed significantly to fostering mutual understanding between our two countries, and I should like to take this opportunity to thank and commend you, Prof. Bischof, and your co-workers and partners, for all your good efforts.

For two years here in Austria, I wish to note, I had the privilege of working closely with Ambassador Susan McCaw, who also placed great emphasis on educational exchange. Ambassador McCaw, who left Austria this past November, negotiated with the Government of Austria a forward-looking arrangement to redirect a portion of income derived from the still-extant European Recovery Program funds for educational exchange scholarship purposes. (Such funds, you may know, are still used mainly to finance improvements in Austrian economic infrastructure.)

On June 5, 2007, in an historic ceremony at the Belvedere Palace to commemorate Secretary Marshall's speech, Ambassador McCaw and Economics Minister Bartenstein, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a bilateral exchange program using moneys from the Austrian ERP Fund. I am delighted that these funds, which amount to a total of 20 Million Euros, have since become available and will be put to good use for the benefit of Austrian and American youths. At present, the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation is advertising these scholarships in cooperation with a number of Austrian universities, mainly in the sciences, to both Austrian and American students. In addition, for the first time also, Austrian Fachhochschule students, apprentices, as well as exchange students under the auspices of the AFS program, will benefit from the scholarships.

I would like to wish the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation a successful launching of this exciting scholarship program, which has the potential to make a real impact on the Austrian educational scene in the decade ahead. We all greatly look forward to seeing the first grantees travel to begin their studies this coming academic year.

The importance of educational exchange programs - supported in various ways by the CenterAustria in New Orleans, by the Marshall Plan Foundation, by the former USIA, and by the Fulbright Commission - is for me aptly summed up by Senator Fulbright himself:

"I think of these alumni scattered throughout the world, acting as interpreters of their own and other societies -- and as opinion leaders communicating their appreciation of the societies which they visited to others in their own society. In my view, such exchange-of-persons programs are among the most significant activities now going on in the world."

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attention. I wish you all an interesting and successful two days at this conference.

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