Kurt Waldheim

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (September 2024)

Kurt Waldheim
Waldheim in 1981
4th Secretary-General of the United Nations
In office 1 January 1972 – 31 December 1981
Preceded by	Thant
Succeeded by	Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
President of Austria
In office 8 July 1986 – 8 July 1992
Chancellor	Franz Vranitzky
Preceded by	Rudolf Kirchschläger
Succeeded by	Thomas Klestil
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 19 January 1968 – 21 April 1970
Chancellor	Josef Klaus
Preceded by	Lujo Tončić-Sorinj
Succeeded by	Rudolf Kirchschläger
Personal details
Born	(1918-12-21)21 December 1918 Sankt Andrä-Wördern, Lower Austria, Republic of German-Austria
Died	14 June 2007(2007-06-14) (aged 88) Vienna, Austria
Political party	ÖVP
Spouse	Elisabeth Ritschel ​ (m. 1944)​
Children	3
Alma mater	Vienna Consular Academy University of Vienna
Profession	Lawyer diplomat
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Federal State of Austria (1936–1937) Nazi Germany (1941–1945)
Branch/service	Austrian Armed Forces German Army
Rank	Oberleutnant
Unit	5 Alpine Division Pusteria Kampfgruppe West 9th Army 11th Italian Army Army Group E
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Iron Cross 2nd Class Medal of the Crown of King Zvonimir
Kurt Waldheim's voice Waldheim's recorded greeting for the Voyager Golden Records Recorded 1977

Part of a series on
Conservatism in Austria
Ideologies Austrian nationalism Christian democracy Conservative corporatism Green conservatism Liberal conservatism
Principles Austrian culture Catholic social teaching Class collaboration Clericalism Duty Family values Imperialism Monarchism Organicism Political Catholicism Subsidiarity Tradition
History Austria-Hungary Austrian Civil War Austrian Empire Carlsbad Decrees Congress of Vienna Federal State of Austria Habsburg monarchy Ibiza affair
Intellectuals Berger Burger von Gentz von Hayek Höbelt von Hofmannsthal von Kuehnelt-Leddihn Mannheim Müller Schoeck Spann von Vogelsang
Literature Sex and Character (1903) Envy: A Theory of Social Behavior (1966)
Politicians von Coudenhove-Kalergi Dollfuss Figl von Gentz von Habsburg Haider von Hohenwart Kickl Klaus Kurz Nehammer Schuschnigg von Metternich de Paula Maria Raab Rosenkranz Seipel Schüssel Stadler Starhemberg Strache Taaffe von Vogelsang Waldheim
Activists Dichand Feigl Schönfeld Sellner Tschugguel
Parties Active Alliance for the Future of Austria Austrian People's Party Christian Party of Austria Freedom Party of Austria Defunct Catholic People's Party Christian Social Party Fatherland Front The Reform Conservatives Team Stronach
Organisations Black-Yellow Alliance Heimwehr Identitäre Bewegung Österreich Viennese Association of Academics
Media Kleine Zeitung Neues Volksblatt Salzburger Nachrichten Tiroler Tageszeitung Wiener Zeitung Österreich
Related topics Austrian nobility Conservatism in Germany German nationalism in Austria Pan Germanism Remigration Überfremdung
Conservatism portal Austria portal
v t e

Kurt Josef Waldheim (German: [ˈkʰʊɐ̯t ˈvalthaɪm] ^ⓘ; 21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian politician and diplomat. Waldheim was the secretary-general of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981 and president of Austria from 1986 to 1992. While he was running for the latter office in the 1986 election, the revelation of his service in Greece and Yugoslavia during World War II, and of his knowledge of Nazi atrocities as an intelligence officer in Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht,^[1] raised international controversy.^[2]