Austrian politician and diplomat (1918-2007) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kurt Josef Waldheim (21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian diplomat and conservative politician. He was Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, and President of Austria from 1986 to 1992.
Kurt Waldheim | |
|---|---|
| |
| 9th President of Austria | |
| In office 8 July 1986 – 8 July 1992 | |
| Chancellor | Franz Vranitzky |
| Preceded by | Rudolf Kirchschläger |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Klestil |
| 4th Secretary-General of the United Nations | |
| In office January 1, 1972 – January 1, 1982 | |
| Preceded by | U Thant |
| Succeeded by | Javier Pérez de Cuéllar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 21, 1918 Sankt Andrä-Wördern near Vienna, Austria |
| Died | June 14, 2007 (aged 88) Vienna, Austria |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Political party | Austrian People's Party |
| Spouse(s) | Elisabeth Waldheim |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
Waldheim published an autobiography. During his campaign to become president in 1986, it became public that some statements in that biography were not true. These were about his past. Waldheim was an officer for Germany in the Second World War. He became an oberleutnant in the Wehrmacht. Waldheim participated in Operation Kozara in 1942.[1] According to one post-war investigator, prisoners were often shot within only a few hundred meters of Waldheim's office[2] and 35 kilometres (22 mi) away at the Jasenovac concentration camp. Waldheim later said, "he did not know about the murder of civilians there".[2]
A commission of several historians looked at the issue. They decided Waldheim had behaved as he should have done. They said he had not committed any war crimes. However, in his role of an officer, he must have known about the deportation of about 40.000 Jews into concentration camps. These transports were against the law. Thus, he was not allowed to travel to the United States any more.
In 1990, he had a success: Saddam Hussein held several foreigners as hostages at the start of the Second Gulf War. When Waldheim heard this, he went to Baghdad. Through talks he got Hussein to release the Austrian and the Swiss hostages. Both countries are neutral.
On June 14, 2007, Waldheim died of heart failure.[3]
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