Friedhelm Frischenschlager (born 6 October 1943 in

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

) is an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

politician and served in the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

. Originally he was a member of the

Freedom Party of Austria The Freedom Party of Austria (german: Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ) is a right-wing populist and national-conservative political party in Austria. It was led by Norbert Hofer from September 2019 to 1 June 2021.Staff (1 June 2021"Aus ...

before co-founding the

Liberal Forum The Liberal Forum (german: Liberales Forum, LiF) was a centrist, liberal political party in Austria. The party was active from February 1993 to January 2014, when the party merged into NEOS – The New Austria. A member of the Liberal Intern ...

in 1993.

Career

Frischenshlager's political career spanned over 4 decades from the 1970s to 2000s. His career started as a member of the Liberal Party of Austria and deputy of the National Assembly (since 1977). He served as the Federal Minister for Defense (1983–1986) under the administrations of

Fred Sinowatz Alfred Sinowatz (5 February 192911 August 2008) was an Austrian politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), who served as Chancellor of Austria from 1983 to 1986. Prior to becoming Chancellor, he had served as Minister of Education from 19 ...

and

Norbert Steger Norbert Steger (born 6 March 1944) is an Austrian lawyer and former politician for the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). He was the FPÖ party leader from 1980 to 1986, and Vice Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, us ...

. He also served as the party's Deputy Head / Floor Leaders from 1986–1990. On 4 February 1993, Frischenschlager was one of the liberal members in the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), including five members of the National Council of Austria, who left the party and founded the Liberal Forum. The five National members who co-founded LIF are

Heide Schmidt Heide Schmidt (born 27 November 1948 in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany) is an Austrian politician. A lawyer and formerly a prominent member of Jörg Haider's Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), in 1993 Schmidt was one of a group of politicians who, bec ...

, Klara Motter, Friedhelm Frischenschlager, Hans Helmut Moser, and Thomas Barmüller. Frischenshlager also served in the European Parliament (1996–1999), Director of the department of democratization of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2001–2003), and Secretary General of the Union of European Federalists, Brussels (UEF) (since 2005). In 2006, he became Administrative Head of the post graduate Course of Balkan Studies, University of Vienna (post graduate), together with the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM).

Controversy

Frischenschlager (FPÖ) as Defense Minister officially welcomed 24 January 1985 at Graz-Thalerhof airport, former SS-Sturmbannführer Walter Reder, who had flown to Austria for 34 years in prison. in the Italian fortress Gaeta. This gesture of a member of the Austrian government towards the previously released Austrian National Socialist war criminal - Commander one of Battalion of

16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS The 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Reichsführer-SS" (german: 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Reichsführer SS") was a motorised infantry formation in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. The division, during its time in It ...

accused of the

Marzabotto massacre The Marzabotto massacre, or more correctly, the massacre of Monte Sole, was a World War II war crime consisting of the mass murder of at least 770 civilians by Nazi troops, which took place in the territory around the small village of Marzabotto, ...

in October 1944 - sparked international scandal.Barbara Tóth
''Der Handschlag. Die Affäre Frischenschlager-Reder''
Dissertation, Betr.: Prof. Dr. Oliver Rathkolb (Wien 2010), p. 112-168

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frischenschlager, Friedhelm 1943 births Living people Austrian politicians