1951

After a pause of so many years, after tragic misery, Vienna invites, for the first time again, to its Festival. It is to be a manifestation which shows that the town outlasted all the distress and, moreover, that the town will be one of the most important cultural centres of Europe again, that it will be, what it has been for about a thousand years. Its artists, its opera-house and theatres, its orchestras, ballets and choirs, winning fame with each starring tour, are, in this town, a matter of course, a possession, a wealth of every day. Its historical and modern collections, its buildings and monuments represent immortal values. Its applied arts, its fashion and handicraft are, all over the world, as much appreciated as its skill and gracefulness in sport. The gaiety of the early summer days lingering over the landscape and gardens, will blend with the artistic temperament and hospitality Of Viennese people. The harmony of all forces and gifts will certainly show all the treasures of Vienna, and, at the same time, it will be a Festival offering to Vienna and to its guests real enjoyment of life and a new faith in the future.