Heinz Fischer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heinz Fischer
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Fischer in 2018
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| President of Austria | |
| In office 8 July 2004 – 8 July 2016 |
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| Chancellor | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Klestil |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Van der Bellen |
| Second President of the National Council | |
| In office 20 December 2002 – 16 June 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Prinzhorn |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Prammer |
| President of the National Council | |
| In office 5 November 1990 – 20 December 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Rudolf Pöder |
| Succeeded by | Andreas Khol |
| Minister of Science and Research | |
| In office 24 May 1983 – 21 January 1987 |
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| Chancellor | |
| Preceded by | Hertha Firnberg |
| Succeeded by | Hans Tuppy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 October 1938 Graz, Reichsgau Steiermark, State of Austria, German Reich (now Graz, Styria, Austria) |
| Political party | Independent (2004–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Social Democratic Party (until 2004) |
| Spouse |
Margit Binder
(m. 1968) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna (PhD) |
| 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 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Austria |
| Branch/service |  Austrian Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1958 |
| Unit | Heerestelegrafenbataillon Army Signal Corps |
Heinz Fischer (born 9 October 1938) is an important Austrian politician. He served as the President of Austria for two terms, from 2004 to 2016. Before becoming president, Fischer was the minister of science from 1983 to 1987. He also led the National Council of Austria, which is like Austria's parliament, from 1990 to 2002. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria until 2004. When he became president, he stopped being an active member of any political party.
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Early Life and Education
Heinz Fischer was born in Graz, a city in Styria, Austria. At the time he was born, Austria had just become part of Nazi Germany.
He went to a high school that focused on subjects like history and literature. He finished school in 1956. After that, he studied law at the University of Vienna and earned a special degree called a doctorate in 1961. This means he became a very knowledgeable expert in law.
In 1963, when he was 25, Fischer spent a year volunteering at a Kibbutz called Sarid in northern Israel. A kibbutz is a special community in Israel where people live and work together. Besides his political work, Fischer also taught at a university. He became a professor of political science at the University of Innsbruck in 1994.
Political Journey
Heinz Fischer was a member of the National Council of Austria, which is Austria's main parliament, starting in 1971. He later became its president from 1990 to 2002.
From 1983 to 1987, he was the Minister of Science. This means he was in charge of science-related matters for the government. He worked in a government that was made up of different political parties working together.
First Term as President
In January 2004, Fischer announced that he wanted to become the next president of Austria. The previous president was Thomas Klestil.
Fischer was elected president on 25 April 2004. He was the candidate for the Social Democratic Party of Austria. He won with 52.4 percent of the votes. He ran against Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who was the foreign minister at the time.
Fischer officially became president on 8 July 2004. He took over the role after the previous president, Thomas Klestil, passed away.
Second Term as President
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In April 2010, Heinz Fischer was re-elected for his second six-year term as president of Austria. He won with almost 79% of the votes.
However, not many people voted in this election. Only about 53.6% of eligible voters participated, which was a very low number for Austria. This meant that about one-third of all people who could vote actually voted for Fischer.
One reason for the low turnout was that polls had predicted Fischer would win easily. Also, the other big political party, the Austrian People's Party, did not put forward their own candidate. Some of their members even suggested that people should cast a blank vote, which about 7% of voters did.
After Being President
After his time as president ended in 2016, Heinz Fischer continued to be involved in important global work. In 2017, he helped create the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens. He started this organization with Ban Ki-moon, who used to be the head of the United Nations.
This organization works to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. These are a set of goals created by the United Nations to make the world a better place for everyone. The center is located in Vienna, Austria.
Personal Life
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Heinz Fischer has said that he is agnostic. This means he believes that it's not possible to know for sure if God exists. He also identifies as a social democrat, which is a political belief focused on fairness and equality.
He married Margit Binder in 1968. They have two grown children.
Even though they were in different political parties, Fischer was good friends with a former politician named Sixtus Lanner.
Fischer enjoys mountaineering, which is climbing mountains. He has also been the president of the Austrian Friends of Nature for many years. This group works to protect nature and promote outdoor activities.
Awards and Honours
Heinz Fischer has received many awards and honours from Austria and other countries for his service and achievements.
Austrian Honours
- 2004: Grand Star of Honour of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. This is a very high award in Austria.
- 2008: Ring of Honour from the Province of Styria.
- 2008: Freedom of the City of Graz.
- 2009: Florianiplakette in gold from the Austrian Federal Fire Association.
International Honours
Fischer has also received important awards from many countries around the world, including:
- Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
- Order of Prince Henry (Portugal)
- Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain)
- Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland)
- Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (Hungary)
- Order pro merito Melitensi (Sovereign Military Order of Malta)
- Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (Norway)
- Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)
- Order of Vytautas the Great (Lithuania)
- Order of Saint James of the Sword (Portugal)
- Order of the White Lion (Czech Republic)
- Order of Merit (Chile)
- Legion of Honour (France)
- Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg)
- National Flag Order (Albania)
- Order of the Condor of the Andes (Bolivia)
- Order of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)
He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Tel Aviv in Israel and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
See also
In Spanish: Heinz Fischer para niños
- List of national leaders
- Politics of Austria
