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Members of the Federal Government - return to Government 'main'
Wolfgang SCHÜSSEL
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Wolfgang
Schüssel was born in Vienna on June 7th 1945.
Following his elementary schooling, he attended a well-known classical
grammar school in Vienna (the "Schottengymnasium") where he
acquired his secondary school diploma in 1963. He went on to
study at Vienna University and received a Doctorate in Law in
1968.
Dr. Schüssel was secretary of the parliamentary group of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) from 1968 to 1975; from 1975 to April, 1991 he was Secretary General of the Austrian Business Federation, a sub-organization of the People's Party. On April 24th 1989 Dr. Schüssel became Minister for Economic Affairs in the coalition government formed by the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the People's Party under Chancellor Franz Vranitzky. At the 30th Party Congress of the ÖVP, Dr. Schüssel was elected national leader of the Party on April 22nd 1995. On May 4th 1995 Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel was sworn in as Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in Franz Vranitzky's fourth government. He held the same posts in Chancellor Vranitzky’s fifth Cabinet. In Chancellor Klima's first government, from January 28th 1997 to February 4th 2000, Dr. Schüssel was again Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs. On February 4th 2000 Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel was sworn in as Federal Chancellor.
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Franz
MORAK Federal Chancellery
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Franz Morak
was born on May 25th 1946 in Graz. In 1964 he began his studies to
become an actor and director at what is today the University of Music
and the Performing Arts in Graz. As of 1967 he attended the seminar of
Max Reinhardt in Vienna. After playing in Düsseldorf, he became a
member of the Vienna Volkstheater in 1968. His performance in Peter
Turrini's "Rozznjogd" (Rat Hunt) and Wolfgang Bauer's "Massaker
im Hotel Sacher" (Massacre at the Hotel Sacher) earned him a first
success. In 1974 he was invited to play at the Burgtheater where he made
his debut in Edward Bond's "The Sea". In 1991 he was awarded
the Kainz Medal for his outstanding performance, playing the part of
Kasimir Dachl in Johann Nestroy's "Heimliches Geld, heimliche Liebe"
(Secret Money, Secret Love). In 1980 he became a rock singer, appearing
together with Peter Wolf and Christian Kolonovits. In 1982 he gave his
first rock concert on the stage of the Burgtheater and has so far
produced five LPs/CDs with his own songs. Since 1990 Franz Morak has
also been active as a director. He made his debut with Felix Mitterer's
"Sibirien" (Siberia) at the Akademietheater and was also
responsible for the film version. He directed Carol Oates' "The
Eclipse" in 1992, "Mixed Feelings" at the Theater in der
Josefstadt in 1994 and Jeff Baron's "Visiting Mr. Green" at
the Theater im Rabenhof in 1999. From 1986 to 1992 Franz Morak was the
speaker of the ensemble of the Vienna Burgtheater. Since October 1994 he
has been a member of the National Assembly and cultural spokesman for
the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) as well as a member of the Governing
Board of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). On February 4th
2000 Franz Morak was sworn in by Federal President Dr. Thomas Klestil as
State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery.
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Susanne
RIESS-PASSER Services & Sports
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Susanne Riess-Passer
was born on January 3th 1961 in Braunau am Inn, Upper Austria. After
finishing grammar school in 1979, she studied law and business
administration at Innsbruck University where she graduated as Doctor of
Law in 1984. From 1983 to 1984 she did her practical training at the
Innsbruck Regional Court and afterwards worked at a law firm until 1985.
From 1985 to 1986 she was in charge of press reports at major sports
events. From 1987 to 1993 she held the position of national press
officer for the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). Since 1993 she has worked
as an adviser on international affairs for the FPÖ and has managed the
affairs of the Office of the party's national leader since 1996. From
1991 to 1998 Dr. Riess-Passer represented the FPÖ in the Federal
Assembly, being elected chairwoman of her party's parliamentary group in
1993. Since 1994 Dr. Riess-Passer has been deputy national leader of the
Party. From 1995 to 1996 she was a member of the European Parliament.
She has been the FPÖ's executive national leader since 1996. From March
to October 1999 she was a member of the Tyrol State Parliament, and from
October 1999 to February 10th 2000 had a seat in the National Assembly.
On February 4th 2000 Dr. Susanne Riess-Passer was sworn in by Federal
President Dr. Thomas Klestil as Vice-Chancellor.
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Benita FERRERO-WALDNER
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Benita Maria Ferrero-Waldner
was born on September 5th 1948 in Salzburg, where she acquired her secondary
school diploma at a grammar school in 1966. She went on to
study at the University of Salzburg and received a Doctorate in Law in
1970. Dr. Ferrero-Waldner worked in business in Germany as an export
manager from 1971 to 1978; from 1978 to 1981 she was sales manager for
Europe for a New York company before moving back to her original German
employer, where she was assistant to the management until 1983. After a
short period at the Austrian Embassy in Madrid, she passed the Foreign
Office entrance examination in June 1984 and joined the diplomatic
service. From September 1984 to January 1986 she worked in several
departments of the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Vienna. She
pursued her career as a First Secretary at the Austrian Embassy in
Dakar, in the Development Aid Department of the Foreign Ministry and as
Councilor for Economic Affairs at the Austrian Embassy in Paris, where
she was also deputy Head of Mission and Chargé d'affaires ad interim.
From February 1993 to December 1993 Dr. Ferrero-Waldner, holding the
rank of Minister plenipotentiary, was Deputy Chief of Protocol of the
Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. On January 1st 1994 she was
appointed Chief of Protocol of the United Nations in the Executive
Office of the UN Secretary General in New York. Dr. Benita Maria
Ferrero-Waldner was sworn in on May 4th 1995 as State Secretary in the
Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Chancellor Vranitzky's fourth
government. She remained in the Cabinet in Mr. Vranitzky’s fifth
government. She retained her post of State Secretary in the Federal
Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Chancellor Klima's first Government from
January 28 th1997 to 4 February 2000. In Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel's
first government, Dr. Ferrero-Waldner took office as Federal Minister
for Foreign Affairs on February 4th 2000.
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Martin BARTENSTEIN
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Martin Bartenstein
was born on June 3rd 1953 in Graz, Styria. He took his secondary school
leaving certificate in 1971 at a well-known classical grammar school
("Akademisches Gymnasium") in Graz. After a summer term at
Miami University (Ohio, USA), he studied chemistry at Graz University
and received his Doctorate in 1978. In 1980 Dr. Bartenstein was named
sole managing director of the Bartenstein family company, Lannacher
Heilmittel GmbH, a pharmaceutical firm. In 1986 he became chief
executive of Genericon Pharma GesmbH and in 1990 he joined the board of
directors of the Pharmavit AG, Budapest. In 1988 Dr. Bartenstein was
made federal chairman of the Austrian Union of Young Industrialists, and
he has been the the Austrian People's Party's spokesman on industry
since 1991. Dr. Bartenstein, who is also a deputy regional party
chairman of the Styrian People's Party, has been a member of the
National Assembly for the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) since 5
December 1991. On November 29th 1994 Dr. Martin Bartenstein was sworn in
as State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Public Trans-portation in
Franz Vranitzky's fourth govern-ment ("Vranitzky IV"). On May
4th1995 Dr. Martin Bartenstein took his oath of office as Federal
Minister for Environmental Affairs in Vranitzky fourth government. He
retained his post in Chancellor Vranitzky’s fifth Cabinet. In Viktor
Klima's government ("Klima I") Dr. Bartenstein was Federal
Minister for Environmental Affairs, Youth and the Family from 28th
January 1997 to February 4th 2000. Dr. Martin Bartenstein took office as
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs on February 4th 2000 in Chancellor
Schüssel's government ("Schüssel I").
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Mares ROSSMANN
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Mares Rossmann
was born on December 29th 1953 in Villach, Carinthia. After attending
the college for tourism in Klesheim, she studied business management at
the Karl Franzens University in Graz. From 1993 to 1994 Mares Rossmann
represented the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) in the Graz municipal
council. At the same time she became a member of the governing board of
the Graz Tourism Association. From October 1994 to January 1998 she
represented the FPÖ in the National Assembly. From January 1998 to
February 2000 Ms. Rossmann held the position of city councillor of the
state capital of Styria, Graz, with special responsibility for the
economy, tourism, market and food control, canal construction and
veterinary medicine. On February 4th 2000 Mares Rossmann was sworn in by
Federal President Dr. Thomas Klestil as State Secretary in the Federal
Ministry for Economic Affairs.
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Karl-Heinz GRASSER
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Karl-Heinz Grasser
was born in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, on January 2nd, 1969. After finishing
grammer school in Klagenfurt, he studied applied business administration
at the University of Klagenfurt. He graduated as Master of Social and
Economic Sciences in March 1992. At an auditing firm, he completed the
prescribed 6 months of practical training. As from March 1992,
Karl-Heinz Grasser was with the parliamentary group of the Austrian
Freedom Party (FPOe), responsible for European integration and tourism.
From 1993 to 1994, Karl-Heinz Grasser held the post of secretary general
of the FPOe. In 1994 he became second deputy governor of Carinthia,
responsible for tourism, trade and industry, economic assistance, road
and bridge construction, building construction and transport. In 1996 he
was appointed FPOe district party chief of Klagenfurt/City. As
vice-president of the joint application committee of Carinthia, Friuli-Julia-Venetia
and Slovenia he supported Carinthia as the venue of the Olympic Games in
2006. On June 10th, 1998, Karl-Heinz Grasser resigned from the
Carinthian regional government and from all duties in the Freedom Party.
On August 1, 1998, he assumed a position in the private sector. On
February 4th, 2000, Karl-Heinz Grasser was sworn in by Federal President
Thomas Klestil as Federal Minister of Finance.
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Alfred FINZ
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Alfred Finz was born on October
7th 1943 in Vienna. After finishing grammar school in 1962, he did his
national service in the federal armed forces. In July 1963 he joined the
Federal Chancellery. In April 1966 he switched to the Court of Audit.
From 1971 to 1975 he studied law at the University of Vienna where he
graduated as Doctor of Law in 1975. In 1980 Dr. Finz was promoted deputy
chief of division at the Court of Audit, and in 1987 he became head of
one of the Court's audit divisions. From 1991 to 1995 he worked as
deputy head of an audit department within the Court and on March 1st
1995 he was appointed head of the Court's central department. From March
1995 to February 2000 Dr. Finz also worked in the General Secretariat of
the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions. On
February 4th 2000 Dr. Alfred Finz was sworn in by Federal President Dr.
Thomas Klestil as State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
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Ernst STRASSER
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Ernst Strasser
was born on April 29th 1956 in Grieskirchen (Upper Austria). After
finishing grammar school, he studied law in Salzburg where he graduated
as Doctor of Law in 1981. Having completed his studies, Dr. Strasser was
appointed secretary of the executive office of the Austrian Farmers'
Federation, an organization affiliated with the Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP). From 1983 to 1985 he was legal adviser to the Upper Austrian
Federation of Full and Part-time Farmers in Linz and later became the
organization's executive secretary. In 1987 Dr. Strasser was called to
Vienna to take the post of private secretary to the Federal Minister for
Agriculture and Forestry. In 1989 he was appointed deputy head of the
Vice-Chancellor's Office and chief of staff of the office of the party's
national leader. From 1990 to 1992 Dr. Strasser worked in the private
industry. From 1992 to 1998 he held the position of managing director of
the Lower Austrian People's Party. Since 1993 Dr. Strasser has been a
member of the Lower Austrian Parliament and is Lower Austria's
representative in the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation's Governing
Board. Since 1998 he has been chairman of his party's group in the Lower
Austrian Parliament. On February 4th 2000 Dr. Ernst Strasser was sworn
in by Federal President Dr. Thomas Klestil as Federal Minister of the
Interior.
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Dieter BÖHMDORFER
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Dieter Böhmdorfer
was born in Trutnov, Czech Republic, on 11 May 1943. Since 1945, he has
been living in Austria where he went to primary and grammer school.
After taking the final examination in 1961 and completing military
service, he studied law at the University of Vienna. After graduating in
1967, Dr. Dieter Böhmdorfer worked in the law firms of Dr.Harald
Eggstain, Dr.Harald Ofner and Dr.Karl Leutgeb as a pupil barrister.
After passing the bar examination, he was admitted to the bar
association in 1973. Between 1987 and 1989, Dr. Böhmdorfer was a member
of the supervisory board of the Austrian Airlines Luftverkehrs AG, from
1991 to 1998 he served on the supervisory board of the Vienna Airport
Corp. Since 1991, he has been with the ERP Loan Commission. Since June
1999, Dr. Böhmdorfer has been a member of the general managing board of
the Carinthian Landesholding. On 29 February 2000, Dr. Dieter
Böhmdorfer was sworn in by Federal President Dr.Thomas Klestil as
Federal Minister of Justice.
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Herbert SCHEIBNER
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Herbert Scheibner
was born on April 23rd 1963 in Vienna. After finishing a
science-oriented grammar school, he studied law and business
administration at Vienna University and Vienna Economics University from
1982. In 1993 he did his national service in the armed forces and has
been a member of the militia in a Vienna infantry battalion since 1996.
Since 1999 he has been an NCO holding the rank of sergeant. From 1987 to
1988 Scheibner worked as a free-lance insurance broker. In 1988 he was
put in charge of political education programmes in the Austrian Freedom
Party's (FPÖ's) General Secretariat and was also appointed office
manager of the Secretariat. Since 1994 he has been chief executive of
the Freedom Party's Academy. From 1987 to 1990 Scheibner worked as a
district councillor for the FPÖ in the Vienna districts of Rudolfsheim
and Fünfhaus. From 1989 to 1993 he was national chairman of the FPÖ's
youth movement. In 1990 Scheibner was elected to the FPÖ's national
executive and also became a member of the Austrian National Assembly.
From 1992 to 1995 he was the FPÖ's Secretary-General. Since 1993 he has
been his party's spokesman on defence and chairman of the National
Assembly's Defence Committee. In 1994 he became a delegate to the North
Atlantic Assembly and in 1995 a member of the Austrian delegation to the
Council of Europe. In 1996 Scheibner was delegated to the WEU's
Assembly. In April 1999 the FPÖ's parliamentary group elected him their
chairman. On Februar 4th 2000 Herbert Scheibner was sworn in by Federal
President Dr. Thomas Klestil as Federal Minister of Defence.
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Wilhelm MOLTERER
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Wilhelm Molterer
was born into a farming family on May 14th 1955 in Steyr (Upper
Austria). After completing his primary and lower secondary education, he
was adopted by Josef und Cäcilia Molterer. He attended the Agricultural
College in St. Florian from 1969 to 1974, and it was there that he took
his matriculation examination. He went on to study sociology and
economics at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, where he took his
Master's degree in 1980. During his university years Molterer was
chairman of the Austrian Union of Students at the University of Linz. He
was employed as a tutor and assistant in the Department of Agricultural
Policy at the University of Linz from 1979 until 1981. From 1981 to 1984
Wilhelm Molterer worked as an adviser on economic policy for the
Austrian Farmers’ Federation, an organization affiliated with the
Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). From 1985 to 1987 he was employed by
the State Government of Upper Austria, where he worked in the office of
Provincial Councillor Leopold Hofinger. At the same time he was
municipal councillor in the Upper Austrian community of Sierning. On
January 21st 1987 he took on the post of private secretary to Josef
Riegler, who was Minister of Agriculture at the time, and later became
chief of staff in the office of Minister of Agriculture Franz Fischler
on April 24th 1989. From 4 December 1989 to 30 November 1993 Mr.
Molterer was Chief Executive Officer of the Austrian Farmers’
Federation. He became a member of the National Assembly for the ÖVP in
October 1990, and he took on the post of ÖVP General Secretary on
December 1st 1993. On November 29th 1994 Wilhelm Molterer was sworn in
as Federal Minister for Agriculture and Forestry in Chancellor Vranitzky’s
fourth Cabinet. He retained his post in Mr. Vranitzky’s fifth Cabinet.
From January 28th 1997 to February 4th 2000 Mr. Molterer was Federal
Minister for Agriculture and Forestry in Chancellor Klima’s
government. On February 4th 2000 Mr. Molterer took office as Federal
Minister for Agriculture and Forestry in Wolfgang Schüssel's government
("Schüssel I").
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Herbert Haupt
was born on 28 September 1947 in Seeboden (Carinthia). After finishing
his secondary education in Spittal an der Drau, he did his national
service in the federal armed forces. In 1966 he began to study
veterinary medicine in Vienna. In 1975 he graduated as Master of
Veterinary Medicine. As a student, Mr. Haupt joined the Ring
Freiheitlicher Studenten (RFS), a student union with affiliations to the
Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). Since 1975 Mr. Haupt has been in private
practice as a veterinarian in Spittal an der Drau. From 1988 to 1994 he
was veterinary director of the municipal slaughterhouse in Spittal an
der Drau. From 1978 to 1999 Mr. Haupt was district chairman of the FPÖ
in Spittal an der Drau. With some interruptions, he was a member of the
Spittal local council from 1981. In 1997 he became Second Deputy Mayor.
From 1995 to 1997 Mr. Haupt was also executive regional chairman of the
FPÖ for Carinthia. Currently Mr. Haupt is a member of all the leading
bodies of the Carinthian Freedom Party as well as a member of the
managing board of the national FPÖ. In 2000 he joined the FPÖ's
national party executive. Herbert Haupt was first elected to the
Austrian National Assembly in 1986. From November 1994 to January 1996
he was one of the two deputy speakers of the National Assembly. On 24
October 2000 Herbert Haupt was sworn in as Federal Minister for Social
Security and Generations by Federal President Thomas Klestil.
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Reinhart WANECK
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Reinhart Waneck
was born on October 16th 1945 in Vienna. After finishing grammar school,
he studied medicine at Vienna University where he graduated as Doctor of
Medicine in 1971. After completing his internship and specialist
training in Vienna and Upper Austria, he studied at universities in
Germany, Sweden and the United States in the Seventies. In 1985 Reinhart
Waneck qualified as a university lecturer for radiology and was
appointed associate professor in 1994. Being nominated by the Vienna
Medical Club, Dr. Waneck represented the Vienna Medical Council on the
Austrian Medical Committee, a non-party organisation. He is also
spokesman of the Vienna Medical Council for senior doctors of hospitals
run by religious orders. Since May 1985 he has been head of the
department of radiology in the hospital of the Sisters of Charity of
Saint Vincent de Paul. He was the hospital's medical director from 1995
to 1999. Dr. Waneck is the author of over a hundred publications in
German, English and French that appeared in Austrian and foreign medical
journals. He is a member of several medical associations in Austria and
abroad. On February 4th 2000 Univ.Prof. Dr. Reinhart Waneck was sworn in
by Federal President Dr. Thomas Klestil as State Secretary in the
Federal Ministry for Labour, Health and Social Affairs.
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Elisabeth GEHRER
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Elisabeth Gehrer
was born on May 11th 1942 in Vienna. After her elementary education, she
attended a grammar school and a teacher training college in Innsbruck,
Tyrol. She worked as a teacher in Hart im Zillertal, Tyrol, from 1961 to
1964, and then for two years in the elementary schools of Lochau and
Bregenz-Augasse, Vorarlberg. In 1980 Ms. Gehrer became city councilor
for music in schools and regional cooperation in the state capital of
Vorarlberg, Bregenz. In 1981 she took over the chair of the Bodensee
(Lake of Constance) regional planning council. In 1983 she was elected
local chairwoman of the women's movement of the Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP) in Bregenz. In 1984 Ms. Gehrer was elected to the Vorarlberg
State Parliament for the People's Party; this was followed in 1989 by
her election as Vice-President of the Vorarlberg Parliament. In 1989 she
was made leader of the ÖVP's city representatives' group in Bregenz. In
1990 the State Parliament elected her to become a member of the
Vorarlberg government with special responsibility for schools,
continuing education, science, women, youth, the family, local
development and development aid. In January 1994 she became head of the
women's movement in the People's Party in Vorarlberg and Executive
President of the Vorarlberg School Board. Elisabeth Gehrer was sworn in
on May 4th 1995 as Federal Minister for Education and Cultural Affairs
in Franz Vranitzky's fourth government. She retained her post in
Chancellor Vranitzky’s fifth Cabinet. From January 28th 1997 to 4
February 2000 Ms. Gehrer was again Federal Minister for Education and
Cultural Affairs in Chancellor Klima's government ("Klima I").
In Wolfgang Schüssel's government ("Schüssel I") Elisabeth
Gehrer took office on February 4th 2000 as Federal Minister for
Education and Cultural Affairs.
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Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology
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Monika Forstinger
was born on 15 July 1963 in Schwanenstadt, Upper Austria. After
attending primary and secondary school in Laakirchen and a practical
professional training college in Bad Ischl, she studied landscape
planning at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Vienna from 1982
to 1988. She took a doctorate in 1997. From 1988 to 1990 she worked as
an assistant at the Institute for Water Management in Vienna and from
1990 to 1991 she was employed by the Upper Austrian state government as
an official of the Gmunden district agricultural authority. In September
1991 Ms. Forstinger joined an industrial company, SCA Laakirchen AG,
where she worked in the environmental and PR departments and as one of
the company's executives. In 1993 she became a member of the board of
directors of the anti-pollution unit of the Laakirchen area and chief
executive of a company for waste disposal and energy utilisation. On 31
October 1997 Ms. Forstinger took a seat in the Upper Austrian regional
parliament where she was active in the standing committees for
economics, environment, EU and legal reform. On 14 November 2000, Ms.
Forstinger was sworn in by Federal President Thomas Klestil as Federal
Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology.
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