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90-503: As can be seen in the annual Hof- und Staats Handbuch, the monarch's Obersthofmeister ranked directly behind the royal family and above all other high nobility. The Obersthofmeister of the monarch had his seat in the Hofburg in Vienna. The tasks of His Majesty's Obersthofmeister's Office in Vienna included the administration of the castles and palaces used by the court, including construction work,

180-629: A Common and Comprehensive Security Model for Europe for the Twenty-First Century" affirmed the universal and indivisible nature of security on the European continent. In Istanbul on 19 November 1999, the OSCE ended a two-day summit by calling for a political settlement in Chechnya and adopting a Charter for European Security . Through its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR),

270-642: A court in the Luhansk People's Republic for "alleged high treason and espionage for the United States." In March 2022, 45 participating States promoted, with the support of Ukraine, the activation of the Moscow Mechanism for the establishment of an independent expert mission on violations and abuses committed in the war of the Russian Federation, supported by Belarus, against Ukraine. The report of

360-640: A form not visible to the viewer. The Redoutensäle reopened in 1998 in the framework of the first Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and became since then part of the Hofburg Congress Centre. Restoration of the roof of the wing gave an opportunity to convert the original loft space into a new amenity called the Rooftop Foyer ( Dachfoyer ). The architect Manfred Wehdorn designed

450-737: A member of the imperial family. In the Knight's Hall ( Rittersaal ), on 15 May 1717 the Empress Maria Theresa was baptised by the papal nuncio Giorgio Spinola, representing Pope Clement XI , with baptismal water containing a few drops from the River Jordan . Next to the Knight's Hall is the Guard Room ( Trabantenstube ), where the duty officer of the Household Guards kept watch over the emperor. The lower section of this wing once accommodated

540-724: A modern interior, completed with a spherical structure for secure conferences and panoramic windows. Besides the roof, he also converted the former courtyard between the Hall of Festivals and the southwest wing of the Swiss courtyard to another space. By 2017 the wing was renovated to house the National Council and the Federal Council while the Austrian Parliament Building is under renovation. Although not physically connected to

630-530: A square outline, with four turrets , and was surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge at the entrance. These oldest sections of the castle today form the Swiss Court ( Schweizerhof ), where there are a gothic chapel ( Burgkapelle ), dating from the 15th century, and the treasury (or Schatzkammer ), affiliated to the Kunsthistorisches Museum which holds, among other things, the imperial insignia of

720-517: A statement expressing concern over the alleged security breach. Russia has accused members of the Mission of working for the Ukrainian SBU and of spying on the pro-Russian separatists. Furthermore, Russia has accused the mission of bias after it reported troop movements from separatist forces, accusing the mission of ignoring similar moves from Ukraine. Russia's foreign minister also has claimed that

810-470: A statue of Athena riding on a quadriga above the main entrance. On the left portion of the roof, he situated Atlas , supporting the celestial globe, flanked by Astronomy and Astrology, and on the opposite side, Gaia with the terrestrial globe, flanked by allegories of Geometry and Geography. The library to the north is located at Joseph Square. More structures and annexes were successively added. Particularly from 1763 to 1769, Nicolo Pacassi connected

900-564: A traditional Maundy ceremony. Later on the Hall of Ceremonies became fully integrated into the New Castle ( Neue Burg ) by 1916. With its 1,000m of floor space, the Hall of Festivals ( Festsaal ) is the biggest hall in the whole of the Hofburg. Although built as a throne room, it was never used as such. The internal works were finished in 1923, but the artwork remained incomplete. The hall has Alois Hans Schramm's three ceiling paintings, dedicated to

990-587: A vehicle with the organization's markings; this prompted allegations that the OSCE was biased in the war and not interested in carrying out its duties of mediating a ceasefire. The organization issued a statement regretting the incident. Moreover, the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk (which is organizationally separate from the Special Monitoring Mission) also received criticism alleging that only two checkpoints on

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1080-468: Is also located here. The Hofburg featured as the main motif on the 20 euro Renaissance commemorative coin . The coin shows the Swiss Gate of the palace. This gate bears Ferdinand I's coat-of-arms and titles. It is flanked by two soldiers of the period as a reminder of the unsettled times which saw Vienna besieged by Turkish armies in 1529, as well as the struggles between Protestants and Catholics during

1170-593: The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence still rankles in Russia. The ongoing Mission to Macedonia is monitoring and supporting the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement that put an end to the 2001 armed conflict in North Macedonia . The current mission to Serbia started after Slobodan Milošević lost his power as President of Serbia and Montenegro in 2000. The mission was mandated to assist

1260-565: The Albertina museum, is also considered a part of the Hofburg because of its structural connections to the Augustinian monastery. In the early 19th century members of the imperial family had their residence here, such as Archduke Albrecht and, later, his nephew, Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen . After the renovation of the Palais in the 1820s by Joseph Kornhäusel , that section became connected to

1350-610: The Amalienburg and the Swiss Court is the Leopoldine Wing ( Leopoldinischer Flügel ) which was first built in the 1660s under Emperor Leopold I and thus named after him. The architect was Filiberto Lucchese, but after the Siege of 1683 by the Turks, the wing was rebuilt by Giovanni Pietro Tencala with an additional floor installed. Through its architecture, this wing still bears a connection to

1440-566: The Armenia–Azerbaijan border . The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. The OSCE mandate in Ukraine expired on March 31, 2022, due to objections by Russia. On April 24, 2022, the OSCE protested the detention of four staff members in Donetsk and Luhansk, without specifying who had detained them. On 20 September, two Ukrainian OSCE staffers were sentenced to 13 years of prison by

1530-787: The Augustinian church and monastery. As the palace expanded, the church and monastery became an integral part of the building. The Augustinian Church was used by the Habsburgs as their court church and also for weddings. This is where Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth , alias Sisi, were married. Behind the Loreto side chapel is located the Hearts' Crypt , a semicircular-shaped annexe separated by an iron door, where 54 hearts of House of Habsburg members are kept in silver urns. The Palais Archduke Albrecht (formerly Palais Tarouca-de Sylva), home of

1620-475: The Hofburg were opened to the public as a convention centre. In the first ten years, the Burghauptmannschaft operated the convention centre; since 1969 a private company (Hofburg Vienna – Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg Betriebsgesellschaft ) has been managing the international congress and events centre. Every year the convention centre hosts about 300–350 events, with around 300,000–320,000 guests. Among

1710-751: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe was criticized from within by the Latvian delegation for lacking transparency and democracy. Spencer Oliver (b. 1938) secretary general of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, who held the post from the organization's inception in 1992 until 2015, faced a challenge from the Latvian Artis Pabriks . According to

1800-686: The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The whole palace complex is under the administration of the governor ( Burghauptmann ), who in turn is part of the Burghauptmannschaft , an office which has been in existence since the Middle Ages under the auspices of the Burgrave . At present the Burghauptmannschaft is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of the Economy. In September 1958, parts of

1890-518: The Reformation . subclade distance 0 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ( OSCE ) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control , the promotion of human rights , freedom of

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1980-463: The Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognised borders with a special status for Transnistria . OSCE promoted a 5+2 format as a diplomatic negotiation platform, which began in 2005, suspended by Russia and Transnistria in 2006 until it started again in 2012, before making slow progress over the next ten years. The process stopped following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as two of

2070-462: The U.S. Department of State stated that OSCE observers enjoyed immunities. In the event, no incidents between OSCE and Texas authorities were recorded during the elections. In April 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the OSCE for reporting that opposition "No" campaigners in the Turkish constitutional referendum had faced bans, police interventions and arrests. Erdoğan said: "Now

2160-402: The centre of Vienna , it was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterwards. It also served as the imperial winter residence, as Schönbrunn Palace was the summer residence. Since 1946, it has been the official residence and workplace of the president of Austria . Since 1279, the Hofburg area has been the documented seat of government. The Hofburg has been expanded over

2250-622: The "eyes and ears of the international community", others have accused the mission of bias towards either Russia or Ukraine. On 27 April 2014, the Girkin group that had taken control in the city of Sloviansk took eight members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) as hostages. The group appointed Vyacheslav Ponomarev as mayor of the city. During the war in Donbas , an OSCE observer allowed Russian separatists to travel in

2340-676: The Blue Book. Stage II was the main working phase and was conducted in Geneva from 18 September 1973 until 21 July 1975. The result of Stage II was the Helsinki Final Act . This was signed by the 35 participating states during Stage III, which took place in Finlandia Hall between 30 July – 1 August 1975. It was opened by the Holy See 's diplomat Cardinal Agostino Casaroli , who

2430-510: The Hofburg as well. Empress Maria Theresia had a 17th-century opera house converted into the dance and concert halls now known as the Redoutensäle , which consists of a small and a large hall. Together with a number of smaller antechambers they form the Redoute Wing. The original plans were drawn up by Jean Nicolas Jadot de Ville-Issey  [ de ] , while the external façades are

2520-764: The Holy Roman Empire ( Reichskleinodien ) and of the Empire of Austria. The Court Music Chapel ( Hofmusikkapelle ) is located inside the Court Chapel ( Hofburgkapelle  [ de ] ) and is where the Vienna Boys' Choir traditionally sing mass on Sundays. The appearance of the Swiss Court dates from the Renaissance , during the reign of the Emperor Ferdinand I . The Swiss Gate entrance ( Schweizertor ) displays

2610-564: The Holy Roman Empire since the ceremonial position of Imperial Arch-Chancellor ( Reichserzkanzler )—whom the Imperial Vice Chancellor represented—had always been filled by the Archbishop of Mainz since the Middle Ages. After the end of the Holy Roman Empire, this wing housed the apartments of Napoleon, The Duke of Reichstadt and later those of Emperor Francis Joseph I. The chancellery, Swiss court, Amalienburg and Leopoldine Wing form

2700-526: The Imperial Library to the other parts of the Hofburg and its other side to the Augustinian Church and he thus created the present Joseph Square ( Josephsplatz ), marked by its almost symmetrical proportions. Of note are the bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Joseph II . Built right before the adjacent Court Library, on the south-east side of Joseph Square, lies the baroque Augustinian Wing with

2790-661: The Inner Castle Court ( innerer Burghof ). In the middle is a bronze statue of Francis I dressed as a Roman emperor, by Pompeo Marchesi . Originally a free-standing structure, the Court Library ( Hofbibliothek ) was housed on the other side of the complex. Charles VI had the main building and the Prunksaal main hall constructed. Today it is under the auspices of the Austrian National Library . Its construction

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2880-762: The Late Renaissance. It is in this wing that the offices of the Federal President are located. The Privy Council Room ( Geheime Ratstube ) is part of the wing. This is where Emperor Franz Joseph I held his opening speeches at the sessions of the Austro-Hungarian Delegation. Here the Archduke Franz Ferdinand , a nephew of emperor Franz Joseph I and heir to the throne, spoke the Oath of Renunciation on 28 June 1900 and in so doing renounced all claims to

2970-535: The Mission of Experts was presented to the OSCE Permanent Council on 13 April 2022 and documented clear patterns of violations of international humanitarian law by the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. OSCE/ ODIHR continues to monitor the violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine. On 2 June 2022, the same 45 participating States invoked again

3060-633: The Moscow Mechanism to establish a new mission of experts to consider, follow up and build upon the findings of the Moscow Mechanism report published in April 2022. The subsequent report, presented on 14 July 2022 to the OSCE Permanent Council, confirmed the outcomes of the previous mission and identified blatant violations of international humanitarian law, mainly attributable to the Russian armed forces, as well as widespread violations of human rights, especially in

3150-422: The ODIHR deployed an assessment mission, made up of participants from six OSCE member states, which observed that year's US presidential election and produced a report. It was the first time that a US presidential election was the subject of OSCE monitoring, although the organization had previously monitored state-level American elections in Florida and California, in 2002 and 2003. Members of OSCE have criticised

3240-442: The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. According to a letter that was sent by Russian OSCE representatives to OSCE Secretary-General Helga Schmid in January 2023, 71 trucks and cars were brought to the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic as "evidence" and criminal proceedings were initiated against former OSCE personnel for espionage. In 2004, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly sent election observers to

3330-413: The OSCE observes and assesses elections in its member states, in order to support fair and transparent democratic processes, in keeping with the mutual standards to which the organization is committed; between 1994 and 2004 the OSCE sent teams of observers to monitor more than 150 elections, typically focusing on elections in emerging democracies. In 2004, at the invitation of the United States Government,

3420-421: The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says if the result is 'yes', that means there are a lot of problems. Who are you? First of all, you should know your place. This is not your duty." On 21 March 2014, the OSCE deployed its Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine at the request of Ukraine's government. The mission has received mixed reviews. While some observers have applauded its function as

3510-452: The Polish King John III Sobieski in the side panels. The hall was also the venue for 1967 Eurovision Song Contest . In 1809, a part of the old bastion adjacent to the palace was demolished in the course of the Napoleonic Wars. All the way up to the present Ring Road , new grounds were laid out, in which the neoclassical main castle gate ( Burgtor ) was integrated. Within the new walls which were erected in 1817, three gardens were made:

3600-509: The Ring Road, with the twin museums ( Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum ) as flanks and terminating at the old Imperial Mews (the Hofstallungen , not to be confused with the much older Stallburg) of Fischer von Erlach. The project was led by Gottfried Semper and later by Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer . The museums were completed in 1891, but construction of the rest of the forum dragged on slowly and conflicted since because of rising costs and no real function could be found for

3690-436: The Russian–Ukrainian border are currently being monitored, which Daniel Baer, the US ambassador to the OSCE at the time, described as "seriously inadequate". The mission has been criticized for taking months to deploy drones to help monitor borders as well as withdrawing them after only several weeks of use due to Russian electronic attacks. Drones have been reintroduced to observe the conflict in 2018. In 2014, an advisor to

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3780-409: The Stallburg (and where the first Austrian parliament sat in 1848) and in the Imperial Chancellery Wing (Reichskanzleitrakt) across from the Leopoldine Wing. The latter was originally planned by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and accommodated, in addition to the Aulic Council ( Reichshofrat ), the offices of the Imperial Vice-Chancellor ( Reichsvizekanzler ), who was the de facto prime minister of

3870-401: The U.S. presidential elections. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's president at the time was Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings . Hastings had previously been impeached for corruption by the U.S. Congress. The OSCE faced criticism of partisanship and double standards due to Hastings's past and the fact that the OSCE's mandate was to promote democracy and the values of civil society. In 2010,

3960-460: The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence wrongly claimed that approximately 80% of the OSCE observers located near Mariupol were Russian citizens and that many had ties to Russian security agencies such as the FSB and the GRU . In reality, one observer out of 17 in Mariupol was a Russian citizen. In total, the mission reports the number of Russian citizens in its ranks as 39 out of 720, or 5,4%. The organization has also been accused of allegedly revealing

4050-399: The architects of the Neue Burg built between 1881 and 1913. The name translates as "Castle of the Court", which denotes its origins when initially constructed during the Middle Ages . Initially planned in the 13th century as the seat of the Dukes of Austria , the palace expanded over the centuries, as they became increasingly powerful. From 1438 to 1583, and again from 1612 to 1806, it was

4140-455: The authorities and civil society with democratic development and human rights protection, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. To promote democratisation, tolerance and the rule of law. The current mission began with the 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum , monitored by OSCE, with a mandate being granted with the objective of assisting and promoting the implementation of OSCE principles and commitments including

4230-426: The balls held in the Redoutensaele in the framework of the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15. Johann Strauss served as musical director to the court for the balls held here. Over the centuries, various modification has been made the balls in line with changing tastes. On 27 November 1992 the whole wing with the Redoutensäle was seriously damaged by fire. The reconstruction and restoration work lasted five years. While

4320-410: The capital Tbilisi . The Mission's mandate expired on 31 December 2008. Between these dates it was powerless to control the outbreak of the August 2008 Russo-Georgian war . The objective of the mission to Moldova is to facilitate a comprehensive and lasting political settlement of the Transnistria conflict in all its aspects, strengthening the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of

4410-406: The centuries to include various residences (with the Amalienburg and the Albertina ), the imperial chapel ( Hofkapelle or Burgkapelle ), the imperial library ( Hofbibliothek ), the treasury ( Schatzkammer ), the Burgtheater , the Spanish Riding School ( Hofreitschule ), the imperial mews ( Stallburg and Hofstallungen ). The palace faces the Heldenplatz (Heroes' Square) ordered under

4500-445: The collection forms the core of the later Kunsthistorisches Museum from 1889. The residence was converted during the Baroque era to house the imperial horses on the ground floor and is used by the Spanish Riding School ( Spanische Hofreitschule ). St. Michael's Wing was also planned by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, and it serves as the connection between the Winter Riding School and the Imperial Chancellery Wing. However, because

4590-452: The development of a multi-national and multi-ethnic democratic society. The OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission was established by the Permanent Council in October 1998 and shuttered in June 1999 amidst the recalcitrance of the Milosevic regime . The 1999 OSCE Mission in Kosovo took over the work in Kosovo where it concentrates on institution and democracy building, as well as human rights. The OSCE's refusal to police events surrounding

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4680-448: The enormous construction project. In 1913, the south-west wing, the New Castle (Neue Burg), was completed. However, the Imperial Forum was never completed and remains a torso. The New Castle wing today houses a number of museums (the Ephesos Museum , the Collection of Arms and Armour, the Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments, and the Museum of Ethnology) as well as some reading rooms of the national library. The Hofburg Congress Centre

4770-429: The events are conventions and meetings as well as banquets, trade fairs, concerts, and balls. The oldest parts of the palace date from the 13th century and were primarily constructed by the last of the Babenbergers , or by Ottakar II of Bohemia . Before that the castle of the Austrian rulers had been located on the square called "Am Hof", which is near the Schottenstift (Scottish Monastery). The castle originally had

4860-406: The foci of Heroes Square. On 15 March 1938 Adolf Hitler proclaimed from the balcony of the New Castle onto Heroes' Square the " Anschluss " of Austria into the Nazi Third Reich. Following the enlargement of Vienna after the demolition of the city walls in the 1860s, the Hofburg had its last great expansion. An Imperial Forum ( Kaiserforum ) was planned, in which a two-winged structure reaching beyond

4950-461: The greater glory of the Habsburgs, complete with Emperor Franz Joseph's motto "Viribus Unitis" (with united strength). The lower lunettes and octagonal panels are decorated with paintings by Eduard Veith and Viktor Stauffer  [ de ] of famous people from Austrian history, with Maximilian I, Charles V , Ferdinand I, Rudolph II and Ferdinand II of Tyrol to be seen in the ceiling paintings, and Leopold I, Charles VI, Prince Eugene and also

5040-413: The imperial kitchen. Across from the Swiss Gate is the Amalienburg , named after Empress Amalie Wilhelmine , the widow of Joseph I . However, this wing had already been in use for more than a century, constructed as the residence of the Emperor Rudolph II in the style of the late Renaissance . Of note is the small tower with its cupola and the astronomical clock on its façade. The connection between

5130-403: The land area of the Northern Hemisphere . The OSCE is concerned with early warning , conflict prevention, crisis management , and post-conflict rehabilitation. The Organization has its roots in the 1975 Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). Talks had been mooted about a European security grouping since the 1950s but the Cold War prevented any substantial progress until

5220-446: The locations of Ukrainian troops to Russian forces during the conflict. On 1 December 2014, the mission was in the area to "facilitate a local ceasefire and monitor the repair works on a power station", that it "heard an exchange of artillery fire between unspecified parties", and that "artillery rounds were impacting at approximately 1km to the east of the SMM's position; therefore the SMM left due to security concerns". Furthermore,

5310-403: The many titles of Ferdinand I and the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece are painted on the ceiling. An adjoining section of the Swiss Wing houses the Radetzky Apartments. In recognition of his services in the Italian campaign during the revolutionary year of 1848, the Emperor Franz Joseph I permitted the worthy Field Marshal Radetzky to live in these apartments, even though he was not

5400-471: The mission failed to pay sufficient attention to human and minority rights within the Government-controlled areas of Ukraine. Furthermore, he criticised that the mission did not clearly attribute ceasefire violations to either side. An OSCE Needs Assessment Team was sent to Armenia between 21 and 27 October 2022 following the Armenia–Azerbaijan border crisis . The request was made by the government of Armenia . The OSCE sent international experts to monitor

5490-437: The old Imperial Court Theatre ( Burgtheater ) stood in the way, these plans remained unrealized until Ferdinand Kirschner built the wing from 1889 to 1893, utilizing a slightly altered plan. After the completion of St. Michael's Square, two sculpted fountains were installed on the façade of the wing: Power at Sea by Rudolf Weyr and Power on Land by Edmund Hellmer . The wing is named in reference to St. Michael's Church on

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5580-401: The opposite side. The walls of the Marble Hall in front of the Hall of Ceremonies date back to the 16th century and theoretically belong to the Leopoldine Wing, but the scagliola for the interior was changed around 1840 to match the appearance of the newer Hall of Ceremonies. During the imperial period it was used as a dining room and for balls for the children at court. The Hall of Ceremonies

5670-435: The organisation for being in a position where Russia, and sometimes Belarus, can veto all OSCE decisions, Moscow has, for a number of years, not allowed the approval of the organisation's budget, the organisation of official OSCE events or the extension of missions. In November 2023 they vetoed the appointment of Estonia as chairman from 2024. The OSCE Mission to Georgia was established in November 1992 with its headquarters in

5760-545: The parties were then at war with each other. In December 2022 Russia blocked the renewal of the annual mandate by limiting it to a six month period, repeated again in June 2023 to another six month period. The Bosnian War concluded in 1995 with the Dayton Agreement with the ongoing OSCE Mission being mandated to helping to secure lasting peace and therefore to build a stable, secure, and democratic state through building sustainable democratic institutions, strengthening good governance and human rights principles, and supporting

5850-405: The picture is an individual incident that should not be abused to cast a shadow on the reputation of other mission members." The OSCE reported that the monitors were no longer with the OSCE special monitoring mission. In April 2017, an OSCE vehicle struck a mine, which killed one SMM member and injured two. Two armoured vehicles were on patrol near Luhansk when one struck the mine. The dead man

5940-483: The politico-military and human aspects of security and stability. Before the U.S. presidential elections of November 2012, the OSCE announced its intention to send electoral observers to Texas and to other U.S. states . This prompted the Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott to send letters to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to the OSCE, threatening to arrest OSCE officials if they should enter electoral premises in Texas and break Texas law . In reply,

6030-573: The press , and free and fair elections . It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna , Austria , and its institutions. It has observer status at the United Nations . The OSCE had its origins in 1975: its predecessors came together during the era of the Cold War to form a forum for discussion between the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc . Most of its 57 participating countries are in Europe , but with some members in Asia or in North America . The participating countries comprise much of

6120-473: The private Imperial Castle Garden ( Burggarten ), Heroes Square ( Heldenplatz ) as a large open, green area, and the People's Garden ( Volksgarten ) with the Temple of Theseus ( Theseustempel ). Along with the Burgtor , it was designed by Peter von Nobile . The Hall of Ceremonies and the Neue Burg make up the backdrop of the square. Equestrian statues of the two most important Austrian field marshals, Prince Eugene of Savoy and Archduke Charles , stand at

6210-423: The region, furthering economic cooperation and obtaining humanitarian improvements for the populations of the communist bloc . The recommendations of the talks, in the form of "The Blue Book", gave the practical foundations for a three-stage conference called the "Helsinki process". The CSCE opened in Helsinki on 3 July 1973 with 35 states sending representatives. Stage I took only five days to agree to follow

6300-455: The reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I , as part of what was planned to become the Kaiserforum  [ de ] but which was never completed. Numerous architects have executed work at the Hofburg as it expanded, notably the Italian architect-engineer Filiberto Luchese, Lodovico Burnacini and Martino and Domenico Carlone, the Baroque architects Lukas von Hildebrandt and Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach , Johann Fischer von Erlach , and

6390-458: The report states that the "SMM team in the JCCC was in constant contact with the SMM team in Staromikhailivka". No mention of a wounded observer is made. On 27 October 2015, a suspended OSCE monitor confirmed he had been a former employee of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate . The suspended SMM stated that he had no trouble receiving the position and neither the OSCE nor Ukraine's Security Service thoroughly checked his background. Following

6480-447: The report the OSCE issued a comment stating the monitor had been fired due to violations of the organization's code of conduct. On 6 April 2016, photos of OSCE monitors attending the wedding of a Russian separatist emerged. The wedding had taken place in June 2015. The OSCE expressed regret over the incident, issuing a statement saying "The unprofessional behaviour displayed by the monitors in

6570-412: The rest of the complex, the imperial mews ( Stallburg ) of the Hofburg were originally built as a residence for the then crown prince, Maximilian . It is said that Ferdinand I did not wish to house his son under his roof, as Maximilian had veered towards Protestantism. This structure later accommodated the art collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm , the art-inclined brother of Emperor Ferdinand III , and

6660-510: The right to form, join and participate effectively in non-governmental organizations, which seek the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms." The Moscow Mechanism was agreed in 1991. The fall of the Soviet Union required a change of role for the CSCE. The Charter of Paris for a New Europe , signed on 21 November 1990, marked the beginning of this change. The process

6750-459: The rules of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the incumbent general secretary can only be replaced with a full consensus minus one. Pabriks called the rules "quite shocking from the perspective of an organization that's monitoring elections". The six official languages of the OSCE are English , French , German , Italian , Spanish and Russian . A unique aspect of the OSCE is the non-binding status of its constitutive charter. Rather than being

6840-748: The seat of the Habsburg kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire , and thereafter until 1918 the seat of the Emperors of Austria . Since then, the palace has continued in its role as the seat of the head of state and is today used by the Austrian Federal President. It is also the permanent home of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and also houses the Vienna Office of

6930-494: The smaller Kleiner Redoutensaal was faithfully restored, for the interior of the larger Grosser Redoutensaal a design competition was held, which was won by the Austrian artist Josef Mikl . He created a number of oil paintings based on literary quotations taken from Ferdinand Raimund , Johann Nepomuk Nestroy and Elias Canetti . His 404 m ceiling painting incorporates 34 handwritten verses of Karl Kraus ' poem "Youth", albeit in

7020-527: The supervision of the k.k. Court theater ( Hofburgtheater and Hofoper in Vienna), and especially the politically relevant planning of the ceremonial (e.g. speech and table arrangements, order of priority of the carriages) for formal appearances by the monarch and the preparation of invitations to the audience of the ruler. This position only ended upon the death of the monarch or the Oberhofmeister himself. When

7110-609: The talks at Dipoli in Espoo began in November 1972. These talks were held at the suggestion of the Soviet Union which wished to use the talks to maintain its control over the communist states in Eastern Europe , and President of Finland Urho Kekkonen hosted them in order to bolster his policy of neutrality . Western Europe , however, saw these talks as a way to reduce the tension in

7200-560: The territories under effective control of the Russian Federation. The Russian delegation was not invited to the 29th OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2022 where the delegates considered the ramifications and regional security challenges created by Russia's continued war against Ukraine. There were calls to assess the reparations that Russia should be accountable for. Since the start of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has seized €2.7 million worth of armored vehicles that were previously part of

7290-522: The throne for his descendants. A dynastically necessary act as his intended marriage was to be morganatic, due to the unequal rank between him and his future wife . The lower section of this wing as well as that of the Amalienburg served as the enormous wine cellar for the Hofburg. An additional father-son collaborative project resulted in the Winter Riding School ( Winterreitschule ) across from

7380-558: The title of Oberhofmeister. This title also appeared at other princely courts and also at smaller dynasties in Germany. The office of Obersthofmeister gradually gained everywhere the importance of a state office, comparable to a cabinet minister. Hofburg The Hofburg ( German: [hoːf.buʁk] ) is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria . Located in

7470-568: The unified Austrian Empire was reorganized into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867, a second Oberhofmeister was installed at the royal court in Budapest. An example of a very influential Oberhofmeister is Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo (1908–1917), who had a strong influence over his cousin, the aging Franz Joseph I. The monarch's wife, had her own court with an Oberhofmeisterin (or senior lady-in-waiting). The crown prince and other long-standing archdukes were also entitled to employees with

7560-571: The work of Nicolò Pacassi and Franz Anton Hillebrandt  [ de ] . The Redoutensäle soon became the setting for the cultivated style of baroque entertainment. The name is derived from the French word " redoute ", meaning an elegant masked ball , and such balls were also held there. The audience was treated to music by Joseph Haydn and Niccolò Paganini and Franz Liszt . The premiere of Beethoven 's 8th Symphony took place there in 1814. The well known saying "The Congress dances" derives from

7650-603: Was an American paramedic, while the injured included a woman from Germany and a man from the Czech Republic . On 18 July 2018, the German broadcaster ARD reported that Russian intelligence services had received inside information about the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine from a staff member of the OSCE. The insider information consisted of observers' preferences in alcohol and women, their financial situation, and their contacts in Ukraine. The OSCE issued

7740-447: Was begun by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and finished by his son Joseph Emanuel in 1735. The large Prunksaal hall contains the book collection of Prince Eugene of Savoy , an enormous ceiling fresco by Daniel Gran , and statues of emperors by Paul Strudel making this part of the Hofburg its most significant in artistic terms. The exterior decoration with attic style figures was executed by Lorenzo Mattielli in 1726. He placed

7830-463: Was built for Emperor Francis II/I by the Belgian architect Louis Montoyer at the beginning of the 19th century. Because of its additional nature, it formed a clearly visible protrusion at right angles to the Leopoldine Wing for almost a hundred years, and was therefore also called the "Nose". With its ornate coffered ceiling and 26 crystal chandeliers, which once held 1,300 candles, the Hall of Ceremonies

7920-515: Was capped by the renaming of the CSCE as the OSCE on 1 January 1995, in accordance with the results of a conference held in Budapest in 1994. The OSCE now had a formal secretariat, a Senior Council, a Parliamentary Assembly, a Conflict Prevention Centre, and an Office for Free Elections, which later became the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. In December 1996, the " Lisbon Declaration on

8010-523: Was grand. The 24 Corinthian columns are done in scagliola technique, in which painted gypsum resembles marble. In this hall Napoleon I asked for the hand of Archduchess Marie Louise , the daughter of Emperor Francis II/I. This was also where court balls were held and later also speeches from the throne . and where the exclusive Ball at the Court was held. On Maundy Thursday , the emperor and empress invited twelve poor old men and women to have their feet washed in

8100-579: Was the chairman of the conference. The concepts of improving relations and implementing the act were developed over a series of follow-up meetings, with major gatherings in Belgrade (4 October 1977 – 8 March 1978), Madrid (11 November 1980 – 9 September 1983) and Vienna (4 November 1986 – 19 January 1989). The Copenhagen commitment was written "to ensure that individuals are permitted to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including

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