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Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer
The Austrian Federal
President, University Professor Dr. Heinz Fischer was born at Graz on
October 9, 1938. He is married to Margit Fischer and has 2 children,
Philip and Lisa. After attending classical grammar school in Vienna, he
studied law and political science at the University of Vienna from 1956
onwards, obtaining his Doctor of Law degree in 1961.
From 1963 to 1975 Dr. Fischer was secretary, and from 1975 to 1983 executive chairman, of the Socialist (Social Democratic) Group in the Austrian Parliament and from 1971 to 2004 Member of the National Council, which activity was interrupted when he served as Federal Minister of Science and Research from 1983 to 1987.
In November 1990 Dr. Fischer was elected President of the National Council, to which function he was re-elected three times, holding the office for twelve consecutive years until December 2002, when he was elected Second President of the National Council. He retired from this office on June 16, 2004, having been elected President of the Republic of Austria on April 25, 2004.
Between 1992 and 2004 Dr. Fischer was Deputy Chairman of the Party of European Socialists (PES), which position allowed him to gain considerable experience in international affairs.
Dr. Fischer has been a member of numerous important bodies such as the National Security Council and the Foreign Affairs Council of the Republic of Austria. From 1995 to 2002 he was President of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism. Amongst other positions he held in the course of his career, mention should be made of his functions as Deputy Chairman of the Austrian Convention, long-time President of the Austrian Friends of Nature, and President of the Austrian University Extension Association.
In the course of his academic career, Dr. Fischer in 1978 became Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck, where he was appointed Full Professor in 1994. He is the author of numerous books and smaller publications in the fields of law and political science, including "Das politische System Österreich" (The Austrian Political System), "Die Kreisky-Jahre" (The Kreisky Era), "Reflexionen" (Autobiography), and "Wende Zeiten. Ein österreichischer Zwischenbefund" (Times of Change. An Austrian Interim Diagnosis).
Dr. Fischer is also co-editor of the Austrian "Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft" (Journal of Political Science), the quarterly "Journal für Rechtspolitik" (Journal of Law Policy) and "Europäische Rundschau".
On April 25, 2004, Dr. Heinz Fischer was elected Federal President of the Republic of Austria, and sworn in before the Federal Assembly in the Reichsrat Hall of the Austrian Parliament Building on July 8.
Author of many books and articles in the field of law and political science, e.g. "The Austrian Political System", "The Kreisky-Era", "Reflexionen" (autobiography)
