InvestorsCircle at Summer Theatre in Reichenau
- EUR 15,000 collected at an exclusive benefit performance
- Proceeds from the evening to go to the Initiative Against Pulmonary Hypertension
The InvestorsCircle of Bank Austria Creditanstalt (BA-CA) invited its members to the summer theatre festival at Reichenau an der Rax on Sunday for this year's benefit gala. Reichenau, which in the years around 1900 was one of the most popular summer resorts near Vienna, is now home to one of Austria's top summer theatre festivals. The 383 guests who attended the exclusive performance of a dramatisation of Stefan Zweig's novel "Rausch der Verwandlung" donated some EUR 15,000 in aid of the Initiative Against Pulmonary Hypertension.
Guests included Hans Leodolter, member of parliament and mayor of Reichenau, Prof. Otto Biba, director of the archive of the Society of the Friends of Music in Vienna, Colonel Karl-Peter Daferner from the Military Command Lower Austria and Dr. Johann Fontanesi, president of the Lions Club Vienna Arte.
Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna on 28 November 1881 as the son of a wealthy Jewish textile manufacturer. He published his first volume of poetry "Silberne Saiten" in 1901 while still a student. This was followed in 1904 by his first volume of novellas, "Die Liebe der Erika Ewald", and his first drama "Tersites" in 1907. "Vier Geschichten aus Kinderland" and "Erstes Erlebnis" brought him to the attention of a wider audience. From 1919 to 1934 he lived in Salzburg, where he wrote most of his famous biographies, stories and essays such as "Marie Antoinette", "Baumeister der Welt" and "Amok". In 1934 he withdrew to London. After spending several months in New York in 1940, Stefan Zweig moved to Brazil in August 1941. His autobiography "Die Welt von Gestern" and "Schachnovelle" had already been completed, but his biography of Balzac was still only a fragment when on 23 February 1942, together with his second wife, he "parted from life of my free will and in my right mind"..
The "Rausch der Verwandlung" is set in the early 20th century. Christine, a girl from a poor family, is invited by her wealthy aunt to stay with her at a luxury hotel in Switzerland, where she gets to know the good life. Surrounded by new friends, admired by many men she experiences the intoxication of change. Upon returning home Christine is told of the death of her mother. She visits her sister in Vienna where she meets Ferdinand, a young man who seems to be just as lonely as she is. Both of them want to enjoy a time in their lives free of financial cares. Ferdinand starts to make a plan ...
The Initiative Against Pulmonary Hypertension was founded in April 2005 by Gerry Fischer, the deputy chairman of the Children's Primary Pulmonary Hypertension research society and father of the ten year old PPH patient Maleen, and the BA-CA. The aim of this initiative is to finance a research laboratory to develop efficient approaches to treating pulmonary hypertension. A lack of experience means that pulmonary hypertension is only rarely diagnosed. Consequently from the perspective of the pharmaceutical companies there are too few patients to make researching this neglected disease worthwhile. This is where the work of the Initiative Against Pulmonary Hypertension sets in! (For further information see www.meilensteine.at)
The InvestorsCircle is the club for wealthy private banking customers of BA-CA. In addition to the latest investment information, the club also offers its members special events in the fields of art and culture, wellness and sports. Co-operation agreements with a wide range of renowned companies from the sports, wellness, travel and retail industries as well as the arts, cultural and business sectors mean that the InvestorsCircle is able to offer its members selected advantages and special offers. Exclusive travel for members completes the range of special services. In addition, the InvestorsCircle also carries out humanitarian work.
Enquiries: Bank Austria Creditanstalt Press Office Austria
Tiemon Kiesenhofer, Tel. +43 (0)5 05 05 ext. 52819
E-Mail: tiemon.kiesenhofer@ba-ca.com