15 Facts About Heinz Fischer

Heinz Fischer GColIH OMRI RSerafO GCollSE is a former Austrian politician.

Heinz Fischer 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.

Heinz Fischer was born to a Jewish family in Graz, Styria, which had recently become part of Nazi Germany, following Germany's annexation of Austria in March 1938.

Heinz Fischer attended a grammar school which focused on humanities and graduated in 1956.

Heinz Fischer studied law at the University of Vienna, earning a doctorate in 1961.

In 1963, at the age of 25, Heinz Fischer spent a year volunteering at Kibbutz Sarid, northern Israel.

Apart from being a politician, Heinz Fischer pursued an academic career, and became a professor of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck in 1994.

Heinz Fischer was a member of the Austrian parliament, the National Council, from 1971, and served as its president from 1990 to 2002.

In January 2004 Heinz Fischer announced that he would run for president to succeed Thomas Klestil.

Heinz Fischer was elected on 25 April 2004 as the candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party.

Heinz Fischer polled 52.4 per cent of the votes to defeat Benita Ferrero-Waldner, then foreign minister in the ruling conservative coalition led by the People's Party.

Heinz Fischer was sworn in on 8 July 2004 and took over office from the college of presidents of the National Council, who had acted for the president following Klestil's death on 6 July.

Around a third of those eligible to vote voted for Heinz Fischer, leading the conservative daily Die Presse to describe the election as an "absolute majority for non-voters".

Heinz Fischer identifies himself as agnostic and as a social democrat.

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