GuentherZ 2012-05-09 0009 Wien11 Zentralfriedhof Gruppe40 Margit Fischer

Margit Fischer (née Binder; born 28 June 1943) is the wife of

Heinz Fischer Heinz Fischer Order of Prince Henry, GColIH Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, OMRI Royal Order of the Seraphim, RSerafO Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, GCollSE (; born 9 October 1938) is a former Austrian politician. He took off ...

, former president of Austria. Fischer was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her parents, Otto and Anna Binder, were social democrats and Jews and fled to Sweden during the Nazi regime. Mrs Fischer speaks

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

fluently. In 1949, her family returned to Austria. She attended grammar school in Vienna and began studying arts at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...

. In 1968, she married Heinz Fischer, a social democratic politician. In 2004, her husband was elected Austrian president and she became the first lady of Austria. The couple have two children: Philip (born 1972) and Lisa (born 1975).

Functions in Austria

* Former Vice-President of ''Rettet das Kind Österreich'' (Save the Children Austria) (1992-1998) * Former President of ''Verein zur Gründung und zum Betrieb einer Erlebnisausstellung zu den Naturwissenschaften'' (Association for the creation and operation of an interactive exhibition about the natural sciences) (1993-2000) * Chairperson of ''Österreichischer Frauenrat'' (Austrian Women's Council) (since 1995) * Chairperson of ''Science Center Netzwerk'' (Science Center Network Society) (since 2005)

Awards

* 2006 - — Grand Cross of Merit Order pro merito Melitensi of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

* 2007 - - Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...

* 2007 - — Commander Grand Cross of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star ( Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of t ...

* 2009 - — Grand Cross of the Order of Saint James of the Sword * 2013 - — Grand Cross of the

Order of Adolphe of Nassau The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau (french: Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire d’Adolphe de Nassau) is an order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for meritorious service to the Grand Duke, the Grand-Ducal House ...

References

1943 births Living people Austrian Jews Swedish Jews Swedish expatriates in Austria Spouses of presidents of Austria People from Stockholm Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star {{Poli-bio-stub