Kreisky, Bruno

Kreisky, Bruno, b. Vienna, Jan. 22, 1911, d. Vienna, July 29, 1990, jurist and politician (Austrian Social Democratic Party, SPÖ). From 1926 member of the Socialist workers´ youth organisation, 1935-1936 and 1938 imprisoned for political reasons, 1938-1945 in exile in Sweden, 1946-1949 diplomat in Stockholm, 1951-1953 political counsellor of Federal President T. Körner, 1967-1983 Federal Chairman of the SPÖ (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs), 1976-1989 Vice-President of Socialist International, 1953-1959 Staatssekretär at the Federal Chancellery, 1956-1983 member of the Nationalrat, 1959-1966 Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1970-1983 Chancellor: his time in office was characterized by expansion of the welfare state, judicial reforms, democratisation of the universities and initiatives in foreign policy (e.g. Middle East). K. attracted middle-class Catholic voters to the SPÖ and made it the most successful Social Democratic party in Western Europe. Following a series of economic problems, scandals (e.g. Vienna General Hospital, AKH) and personal rivalries (e.g. "Androsch Affair") the SPÖ lost its absolute majority in the Nationalrat in 1983 and K. retired from politics.

Works: Zwischen den Zeiten, 1986; Im Strom der Politik, 1988; Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt, ed. by O. Rathkolb, 1996.

Literature: H. Fischer, Die K.-Jahre, 1994; A. P. Pittler, B. K., 1996; W. Gatty (ed.), Die Ära K., 1997; W. Petritsch, B. K., 2000.