Heinz Fischer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heinz Fischer GColIH OMRI RSerafO GCollSE
Fischer in 2018
President of Austria
In office 8 July 2004 – 8 July 2016
Chancellor	Wolfgang Schüssel Alfred Gusenbauer Werner Faymann Christian Kern
Preceded by	Thomas Klestil
Succeeded by	Alexander Van der Bellen
Second President of the National Council
In office 20 December 2002 – 16 June 2004
Preceded by	Thomas Prinzhorn
Succeeded by	Barbara Prammer
President of the National Council
In office 5 November 1990 – 20 December 2002
Preceded by	Rudolf Pöder
Succeeded by	Andreas Khol
Minister of Science and Research
In office 24 May 1983 – 21 January 1987
Chancellor	Fred Sinowatz Franz Vranitzky
Preceded by	Hertha Firnberg
Succeeded by	Hans Tuppy
Personal details
Born	(1938-10-09) 9 October 1938 (age 84) Graz, Reichsgau Steiermark, State of Austria, German Reich (now Graz, Styria, Austria)
Political party	Social Democratic Party (before 2004; 2016–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (2004–2016)
Spouse(s)	Margit Binder ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Vienna
Awards	Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Order of Prince Henry Royal Order of the Seraphim Military Order of Saint James of the Sword

Heinz Fischer GColIH OMRI RSerafO GCollSE (German pronunciation: [haɪnts ˈfɪʃɐ]; born 9 October 1938) is a former Austrian politician. He took office as President of Austria on 8 July 2004 and was re-elected for a second and last term on 25 April 2010, leaving office on 8 July 2016. Fischer previously served as minister of science from 1983 to 1987 and as president of the National Council of Austria from 1990 to 2002. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), he suspended his party membership for the duration of his presidency.

Early life

Fischer was born in Graz, Styria, which had recently become part of Nazi Germany, following Germany’s annexation of Austria in March 1938. Fischer attended a grammar school which focused on humanities and graduated in 1956. He studied law at the University of Vienna, earning a doctorate in 1961. In 1963, at the age of 25, Fischer spent a year volunteering at Kibbutz Sarid, northern Israel. Apart from being a politician, Fischer also pursued an academic career, and became a professor of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck in 1994.

Personal life

Heinz Fischer is welcomed to ESO’s premises in Santiago.

Arms as knight of the Seraphim

Fischer identifies himself as agnostic and as a social democrat. He and Margit Binder married in 1968. The couple have two grown children.

Despite being members of opposing parties, Fischer was close friends with former ÖVP politician Sixtus Lanner.

He enjoys mountaineering and has been president of the Austrian Friends of Nature for many years.

Honours and awards

National Honours

Federal Order

• 2004 Grand Star of Honour of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria (Austria)

State Honours

• 2008 Ring of Honour of the Province of Styria
• 2008 Freedom of the City of Graz

Awards

• 2009 Florianiplakette of the Austrian Federal Fire Association in gold

Foreign Honours

Foreign Orders

• 1993 Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
• 2005 Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal)
• 2005 Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain)
• 2006 Grand Cross of the Order of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland)
• 2006 Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (Hungary)
• 2006 Collar of the Order pro merito Melitensi (Sovereign Military Order of Malta)
• 2007 Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
• 2007 Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (Norway)
• 2007 Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)
• 2009 Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (Lithuania)
• 2009 Grand Collar of the Order of Saint James of the Sword (Portugal)
• 2009 Grand Collar of the Order of the White Lion (Czech Republic)
• 2012 Collar of the Order of Merit (Chile)
• 2013 Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France)
• 2013 Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg)
• 2014 National Flag Order (Albania)
• 2015 Grand Collar of the Order of the Condor of the Andes (Bolivia)
• 2016 Order of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)

Foreign Awards

• 2008 Honorary Doctorate of Law Faculty of the University of Tel Aviv
• 2009 Honorary Doctorate from the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences