Wilhelm Maria Theodor Ernst Richard Graf von Mirbach-Harff (2 July 1871 – 6 July 1918) was a German diplomat . He was assassinated while ambassador to Moscow.
23-614: Born in Bad Ischl in Upper Austria into a Catholic Rhenan aristocratic family, he was a scion of Johann Wilhelm von Mirbach-Harff [ de ] , founder of the Rhineland [ de ] Knight academy . His parents were Ernst Graf von Mirbach and his wife Wilhelmine von Thun-Hohenstein (1851–1929). Mirbach started his diplomatic career in London , where he was Third Secretary at
46-451: A European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for a city to generate considerable cultural, social, and economic benefits, and it can help foster urban regeneration , change the city's image, and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. Multiple cities can be a European Capital of Culture simultaneously. In 1985, Melina Mercouri , Greece 's Minister of Culture , and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with
69-427: A joint bid from Northern Irish cities of Belfast and Derry and the town of Strabane . A new framework makes it possible for cities in candidate countries ( Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Georgia , Moldova , Montenegro , North Macedonia , Serbia , Turkey , Ukraine ), potential candidates for EU membership ( Kosovo ) or EFTA member states ( Iceland , Liechtenstein , Norway , Switzerland ) to hold
92-714: A museum. The Saint Nicholas parish church was first mentioned in a 1344 deed. Bad Ischl is also known for the Konditorei Zauner pastry shop, former k.u.k. purveyor established in 1832, and the small Lehártheater built in 1827. A gondola lift runs from the town up to the Katrin alpine pasture at 1415 m (4643 ft), which offers a panoramic view of the Salzkammergut mountains. The ruins of Wildenstein Castle, which burnt down in 1715, are nearby. The Bad Ischl Cemetery
115-586: A second bullet and both of the assassins leapt out of the window and then drove away in a Cheka car. Mirbach's assassination signaled the beginning of the revolt of the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries in Moscow in 1918. Mirbach was succeeded as German ambassador to Russia by Karl Helfferich . Coincidentally, a later relative, Andreas von Mirbach , would be murdered by the Red Army Faction at
138-506: Is in charge of assessing the proposals of cities for the title according to criteria specified by the European Union. For two of the capitals each year, eligibility is open to cities in EU member states only. From 2021 and every three years thereafter, a third capital will be chosen from cities in countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership, or in countries that are part of
161-528: Is listed by the State of Upper Austria as a protected historical site. Amongst those buried there are the composers Franz Lehár, Rudi Gfaller , and Oscar Straus . European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being
184-546: The European Economic Area (EEA) – an example of the latter being Stavanger , Norway , which was a European Capital of Culture in 2008. A 2004 study conducted for the Commission, known as the "Palmer report", demonstrated that the choice of European Capital of Culture served as a catalyst for cultural development and the transformation of the city. Consequently, the beneficial socio-economic development and impact for
207-940: The Russian -German negotiations in Brest-Litovsk from December 1917 to March 1918. He was appointed German ambassador to Russia in April 1918. Mirbach was assassinated at the German embassy in Moscow by Yakov Grigorevich Blumkin and Nikolai Andreyev at the request of the Central Committee of the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries , who were trying to reignite the war between Russia and Germany. Blumkin entered Mirbach's residence in Moscow using forged papers and shot his victim at point blank range. As Mirbach tried to escape, Andreyev fired
230-584: The West German Embassy siege in Stockholm in 1975. He received the following orders and decorations: This German diplomat–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Russian history –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bad Ischl Bad Ischl ( Austrian German [baːt ˈɪʃl̩] ) is a spa town in Austria. It lies in
253-748: The German Embassy from 1899 til 1902, when he transferred to The Hague . From 1908 to 1911, Mirbach served as the embassy clerk in Saint Petersburg , and then as political councillor for the German military command in Bucharest . In 1915 he became the German ambassador in Greece, before being expelled from Athens in December 1916 when the Entente -leaning government of Eleftherios Venizelos took power. He participated in
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#1732858548038276-641: The United States, Israel or Canada. The Bad Ischl DP camp remained active from 1945 until 1952. Approximately 15% of the city's population was foreign born in 2019. Besides the Kaiservilla , the city offers several health spas and tourist attractions, like the historic Kongresshaus opened in 1875, the new Kurhaus built by Clemens Holzmeister in 1932, as well as the Lehár Villa , the former residence of Franz Lehár , that he acquired in 1912 and today serves as
299-662: The chosen city are now also considered in determining the chosen cities. Bids from five United Kingdom cities to be the 2023 Capital of Culture were disqualified in November 2017, because the UK was planning to leave the EU before 2023. The European Capital of Culture programme was initially called the European City of Culture and was conceived in 1983, by Melina Mercouri , then serving as minister of culture in Greece . Mercouri believed that at
322-523: The early part of the 19th century brine became medically popular in Continental Europe, Ischl soon turned into a fashionable spa resort – notable guests included Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (1773–1859), Archduke Rudolf of Austria (1788–1831) and Archduke Franz Karl of Austria (1802–1878). The Hotel Post , opened in 1828, was the first one in the whole Salzkammergut area. In 1849 Franz Karl's son, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria chose
345-793: The following day and never returned. The Habsburg-Lorraine family still own the villa, although the grounds and parts of the residence are now open to the public. In the aftermath of the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II , Bad Ischl became the location of a displaced persons (DP) camp for survivors of the Holocaust and of Nazi concentration camps in Eastern Europe. The resident displaced persons were primarily Jews from Poland and other neighboring countries. They received lodging, food, medical care and administrative assistance until able to make other, more permanent arrangements. Many left for
368-793: The idea of designating an annual City of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values. The Commission of the European Union manages the title, and each year the Council of Ministers of the European Union formally designates European Capitals of Culture: more than 40 cities have been designated so far. The current European Capitals of Culture for 2024 are Tartu in Estonia , Bad Ischl in Austria and Bodø in Norway . An international panel of cultural experts
391-506: The imperial family's summer residence; Franz Joseph described it as "Heaven on Earth". The Emperor granted to his mistress Katharina Schratt a nearby mansion, easily reached via a hidden footpath. In the Kaiservilla on 28 July 1914 Franz Joseph signed Austria-Hungary 's declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia , signalling the start of hostilities in World War I . He left Bad Ischl on
414-485: The settlement dates from a 1262 deed, it which it appears as Iselen . In 1419 Archduke Albert V of Austria established the local seat of the Salt Chamber ( Salzkammer [ de ] ) at Wildenstein Castle, and Ischl was granted the privileges of a market town in 1466 by Emperor Frederick III . A first salt mine was opened in 1563, a salt evaporation pond ( German : Saline ) followed in 1571. When in
437-638: The southern part of Upper Austria , at the river Traun in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn , Bad Ischl , Haiden , Jainzen , Kaltenbach , Lauffen , Lindau , Pfandl , Perneck , Reiterndorf and Rettenbach . It is connected to the village of Strobl by the river Ischl, which drains from the Wolfgangsee , and to the Traunsee , into which
460-574: The stream empties. It is home to the Kaiservilla , summer residence of Austro-Hungarian monarchs Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth . In 2024, Bad Ischl will be one of the European Capitals of Culture – the third city in Austria after Graz (2003) and Linz (2009). Humans have lived in the Bad Ischl area since the time of the pre-historic Hallstatt culture ; documentary evidence of
483-412: The time, culture was not given the same attention as politics and economics and a project for promoting European cultures within the member states should be pursued. The European City of Culture programme was launched in the summer of 1985 with Athens being the first title-holder. In 1999, the European City of Culture program was renamed to European Capital of Culture. The European Capital of Culture
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#1732858548038506-600: The town for his summer residence . On 19 August 1853 the engagement between Franz Joseph and Elisabeth of Bavaria ( Sisi ) took place at the Seeauerhaus , Esplanade No. 10, which since 1989 has been the location of the Museum der Stadt Bad Ischl . In 1854, the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie , gave him the Kaiservilla (Imperial Villa) as a wedding present. The villa became
529-470: Was due to be in the UK in 2023. However, due to its decision to leave the European Union , UK cities would no longer be eligible to hold the title after 2019. The European Commission's Scotland office confirmed that this would be the case on 23 November 2017, only one week before the UK was due to announce which city would be put forward. The candidate cities were Dundee , Leeds , Milton Keynes , Nottingham and
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