The grass is perfect. Rows of tombstones stand in rows. Two Austrian musicians play “The Last Post”.
I was honoured recently to attend Remembrance Day commemorations at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Klagenfurt, in Austria. The cemetery contains 589 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. Most died on Austrian territory as prisoners of war, or were airmen who were shot down or crashed.
In addition to visiting the ceremony, and meeting representatives of the British community who travelled to Klagenfurt for the event, I took the opportunity to meet Landeshauptmann Peter Kaiser, well known as a triathlete (23 marathons and five iron man competitions) as well as for his political leadership of the province. I also called on Mayor Maria-Luise Mathiaschitz for a briefing on the city.
In both meetings I noted the continuing strength of the British economy, together with the strong political and economic links between the UK and Austria. I developed these themes further in a call on the Wirtschaftskammer, or Chamber of Commerce. I noted not only the €7 billion of Austrian investment in the UK, but also the stream of announcements since June by (amongst others) Nissan, Apple, Softbank and ING Bank, of investments in, or moves to, the UK.
I also visited Klagenfurt Airport to discuss the possibilities for re-starting direct flights between Klagenfurt and UK airports. Klagenfurt must have one of the most beautiful runways in the world, with snow-capped mountains marching along the horizon. Indeed, the whole province of Carinthia is a “hidden gem” with its scenery, swimming lakes and good weather (being on the dry side of the Alps makes a difference, apparently). All my interlocutors were also keen to extol “Kasnudeln”, Kärnten’s trademark dish.
British tourists are welcome!
Finally, I visited the Kleine Zeitung, one of Austria’s most-read newspapers with a historic base in Carinthia. In a wide-ranging discussion, we talked about the affection in which the British forces stationed in Carinthia from 1945-55 are still remembered.
Since I last lived in Vienna in the 1980s, travel to Carinthia has been revolutionised by new motorway connections. New train routes are planned. The region now offers a terrific combination of accessibility and beauty. I look forward to future visits, including to the evocative Klagenfurt military cemetery.