So what is it about Austria and the rest of the world now?

By YINKA FABOWALE, (who was in Vomperberg, Austria)

The Austria Embassy is almost an innocuous address in Maitama District, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Sharing Number 9 on Usuma Street with the Belgian Embassy, directly opposite the Embassy of Lebanon, the main building, although a massive edifice, is not directly visible from the road, lying some meters back from the gatehouse, a modest off white bungalow, with a shield of green foliage lined along the fairly long wall fence.

I almost picked an argument with my friend, Sanya Adejokun, when he stopped the car in front of the entrance and announced we were at the Embassy, where I had a Visa interview appointment that morning of August 14, 2013, because I spotted the crest of the Embassy of Belgium first, before my eyes caught the slightly smaller white dish beside it that bore the Austrian logo. Golden and big, it sat majestically on the gatehouse with the name “Ambassade van Belgie” boldly etched on it.

But even before I sighted the words: “Ostrreichische Botcschaft”, on the other, I knew my friend could not be wrong, because apart from being an Abuja resident and working in the city for about 13 years, he had been at the Embassy only the previous day to help me pick the Schengen Visa application form for me to fill, as I made my way to Abuja from Ibadan for the appointment.

The modest profile it chose to keep and the fact of its sharing tenancy with a sister European nation abroad may tempt people unfamiliar with Austria’s character to regard it as, perhaps, another one of the small, inconsequential countries in Europe.

Such superficial view seems to have been encouraged by its quiet temper, unlike those of England, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Germany, its more known neighbours whose boisterous capitals and cities have placed on the world map on account of commerce and industrial feats, or as a result of colonial adventure that brought them into early historical contact with other parts of the world that has since then been and continued to be nourished.

Despite not having such historical advantage, which, arguably the others exploited to develop themselves to the heights they now occupy at the expense of their colonies – mostly in Africa, Asia, Australia and Canada, Austria, which bordered Germany on the South, is a silent, great force on the continent and indeed the world, with a resilient economy that rests mainly on agriculture!

Besides, its capital, Vienna, is the headquarters of the global oil  cartel, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Although it produces no oil of its own, the country of about eight million people has many petroleum refineries, besides a vibrant agro-export trade involving beef, cattle and diary products. Its chief markets are North African countries including Morocco and Tunisia. It is also home to the Watten-based crystal manufacturing giant, Swarrosski, which, is said to have concluded plans to set up a plant in Nigeria.

Vienna

Another major prop of the national economy is tourism. Tourists from other European countries and America flocked to the country for skiing during winter when its mountains, adapted for the sport, are covered in snow.

Austria also gave the world one of its epic films – Sounds of Music being the setting of the world- acclaimed movie that told the popular war-time story of the experiences of a family under Nazi-Germany during World War II.

Indeed, Vienna, the nation’s capital is a renowned centre of the best of European classical arts, music, culture and philosophy.

Politically, Austria is a strong, stable democracy. Although it may not count as one of the contemporary major world powers, many people are unaware that it used to be one of the dominant European powers, having preeminence even over Deutschland, which later came to be known as Germany in the 18^th/19th Century.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire and its respected diplomat, Prince Metternich played decisive roles in the affairs of Europe, yielding sway only after the unification of other smaller Germanic states under its arch-rival, Prussia in the 19^th Century.

The rise of Germany under its great statesman and Chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck at the turn of the century and later under Adolf Hitler in the early 20^th Century marked a substantial decline in the enormous power Austria hitherto wielded. The recent global economic meltdown also affected the country, but it has stood resiliently.

I had a lot of good reasons to look forward to a trip to Austria. First as an Advance Level History student in the 80s, one of the two most fascinating 18th/19th century political figures in European History I found intriguing, apart from Napoleon Bonaparte were Bismarck and Prince Metternich of Austria. For me, therefore, it would be exciting to experience the reality of all I had read only in the books and journals.

The prospect became more intriguing to visit the homeland of the famous Austrian female artist, who renounced her citizenship for Nigeria’s, which she adopted as her new home after falling in love with a local deity in the Yoruba heartland, the late Susan Wenger (Adunni Olorisa) the priestess of Osun River goddess in Osogbo, Osun State.

Abd-ru-shin

But, more compelling was my excitement at the opportunity of spending part of my annual vacation in the country, which, still unknown to many, is the earthly base of a Divine agenda destined to affect all mankind. It was here that Abd-Ru-Shin (civil names – Oskar Ernst Bernhardt) the author of In The Light of Truth: The Grail Message lived, wrote and gave mankind His highly beneficial epic work of spiritual enlightenment that clears up all questions about life and existence and the Truth about God and His working in Justice, Love and Perfection.

I count myself among the privileged few across the nations of the world to have come across this work and discovered its significance for humanity of the present time, for in it, I have found the true meaning and confirmation of Christ’s admonition: “Seek and ye shall find”, where treasures of lasting value are concerned. Since coming across this work in the 90s, I have made it the basis of my life for the profound inner bliss it gives and the values of eternity it proffers the one who strives to live according to its teachings.

Although it is, alongside other associated writings, available in 11 international languages including English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Czech, Spanish, Italian and Arabic the original text is in German, a language also spoken in Austria.

From new revelations, it is now known that the language was specially chosen and developed for the mediation of the vast and new knowledge contained in the Message and that the incarnation of the Bringer among the Germanic people was not by accident. Indeed, like the Jewish people of the old, Germans are right in their perceiving that they are special breed.

And by that I do not refer only to their legendary discipline, efficiency, industrial prowess or the claim of being of the purest extraction of the Aryan race (the best race in the world) which, unfortunately, stirred the xenophobic sentiments and triggered the ill -thought attempt at subjugating others that led to and fuelled the Second World War in which Germany was pitched against the rest of the world and in which millions of souls perished.

They are right to the extent that through them enlightenment about Divine Truth, the Will of God and the long predicted judgment that goes hand in hand with purification and winnowing was to come and reverberate across the lands: This makes them the chosen people at this time. And this is a fact, which marching events have and will continue to confirm. And Vomperberg, a modest and sedate community in the mountainous region of Austria, which is the bastion of this mission is poised to refocus world attention on Austria and restore it to its erstwhile enviable place among the comity of nations more than ever before, as it has already started doing.

The writer on Vomperberg