Austria–Colombia relations


Austria – Colombia relations are foreign relations between Austria and Colombia. Diplomatic relations were established in 1920, but Austrian honorary consulates already existed in Bogotá and Barranquilla since about 1870. Austria operated an embassy in Bogotá till August 2012, since then affairs are handled by the Swiss embassy. However five honorary consulates remain in operation in Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, Medellín and San Andrés. Colombia has an embassy in Vienna.
In February–March 1980, Austrian Ambassador Edgar Selzer was held hostage in the Dominican embassy siege in Bogotá.

Bilateral agreements

The two countries have one agreements in force from over 25 years ago and one understanding of protocol:
The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber has a marketing office in Bogotá, subordinate to the Austrian Trade Commission in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2003, bilateral trade between Austria and Colombia totaled US$24.44 million.

Cultural ties

The famous botanist and physician Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin conducted research trips to the region between 1755 and 1759, which took him to the Atlantic coast of Colombia. Karl Brunner is considered the founding father of modern urban planning in Bogotá, where he served in the 1930s. Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff was one of the founding fathers of cultural anthropology and ethnology in Colombia. The architect Fritz Blodek designed more than 150 buildings for housing and industrial use, especially in Medellín. The bookseller and journalist Hans Ungar created a Central Library with the axis of the intellectual and cultural life of Bogotá.