de pe net despre kurt

8/7/2019 De Pe Net Despre Kurt

1/26

http://www.answers.com/topic/kurt-waldheim

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Kurt Waldheim

AdsOil For Foodwww.forensicrisk.com

Oil For Food Investigations Investigation Preparation/Response

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

(click to enlarge)

Waldheim, 1971 (credit: UPI)

(born Dec. 21, 1918, Sankt Andr-Wrdern, Austria died June 14, 2007, Vienna) Fourth secretary-

general of the United Nations (1972 81). After military service in the German army before and during

World War II, he entered the Austrian foreign service and served successively as ambassador to Canada

(1958 60) and the UN (1964 68, 1970 71) and as foreign minister (1968 70). Elected to succeed U

Thant as UN secretary-general, he served two terms, during which he oversaw disaster relief in

Bangladesh, Nicaragua, and Guatemala and peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, the Middle East, Angola,and Guinea. Denied a third term, he returned to Austria and ran for president in 1986. His candidacy

became controversial when the dissemination of wartime and postwar documents pointed to his having

been part of a German army unit that had deported most of the Jewish population of the Greek town of

Salonika to Nazi death camps in 1943. Elected nonetheless, he was diplomatically isolated throughout

his term (1986 92).

For more information on Kurt Waldheim, visit Britannica.com.

Oxford Dictionary of Political Biography:

Kurt Waldheim


2/26

Top

Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > Political Biographies

(b. 21 Dec. 1918) Austrian; President 1986 92, Secretary-General of the UN 1972 82 Kurt Waldheim

has the doubtful honour of being the only Austrian President, or indeed politician, since 1945, who is

remembered outside Austria. He is remembered far more for his wartime service than for his service as

UN Secretary-General.

Born in 1918 into a middle-class Catholic family in Lower Austria, Waldheim grew up in a country torn by

political divisions and trying to come to terms with its decline from being a great empire in 1914 to

being a small state in 1918. Waldheim studied law in Vienna with the intention of entering thediplomatic service, but the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938 prevented him realizing this ambition. The

war came and he was called up, serving in the German army as a lieutenant. After recovering from

wounds sustained on the eastern front he was sent to occupied Greece and later Yugoslavia. He was an

intelligence officer on the staff of General Alexander Lhr who, on Hitler's birthday in 1945, presented

his fellow Austrian Waldheim with a War Merit Cross, First Class, with Swords. Lhr was executed after

the war as a war criminal. In his memoirs Waldheim wrote very little about his wartime activities.

As Austria was treated as a victim of Nazi Germany rather than a willing ally it was able to re-establish its

own government and diplomatic service in 1945. Waldheim was accepted for the diplomatic service and

rose rapidly, serving in Paris, Ottawa, at the UN, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs 1968 70. He stood

unsuccessfully as the (Conservative) People's Party candidate for the Austrian presidency in 1971. As a

seasoned diplomat from a small, neutral country he was elected Secretary-General of the UN in 1972,

serving until 1982. On the second ballot, he was elected President of Austria in 1986, being the first non-

Socialist since 1945 to hold this office.

It was during his election campaign that allegations were made about Waldheim's wartime role. He was

accused of being involved in atrocities against civilians including the deportation of Jews to the deathcamps. Although an international commission of inquiry set up by the Socialist government found in his

favour, it believed he had been unwise not to say more about his time in the German army. Simon

Wiesenthal, the famous Nazi hunter, came to the same conclusion. Nevertheless, Waldheim's detractors

were partly successful. He was largely ostracized during his presidency and decided not to seek a second

term.


3/26

Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

Kurt Waldheim

Top

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Biographies

Kurt Waldheim (born 1918) was an Austrian diplomat and politician who served as secretary general of

the United Nations from 1972 to 1982. In 1986 he was elected president of Austria despite a

controversy over his role as a Nazi intelligence officer in World War II.

Kurt Waldheim was born in St. Andr-Wrdern, a village near Vienna, Austria, on December 21, 1918.

His father was a Roman Catholic school inspector and an active Christian Socialist. Waldheim's youth

was spent in a country searching for identity amid domestic turmoil. During his years of schooling at the

Vienna Consular Academy he was nonpartisan politically.

War Record

After graduation in 1936 Waldheim entered the University of Vienna and studied law and diplomacy. In

1938, three weeks after Adolph Hitler annexed Austria, Waldheim joined the Nazi student union, and

later that year he joined the mounted unit of the Nazis' notorious paramilitary force, the Sturm-

Abteilung (S.A.) or "brown-shirts." It was a membership that Waldheim later concealed. When war

broke out, he was drafted into the army, sent to the Eastern front, wounded in the spring of 1941, and

received a medical discharge. According to two autobiographies, The Challenge of Peace (1980) and In

the Eye of the Storm (1986), he then quit active service, returned to Vienna, completed his doctorate in

law in 1944, and married his wife Cissy before the end of the war.

But documents uncovered in the mid-1980s showed that Waldheim remained active in the Germany

army until 1945, assigned as an intelligence officer on the staff of General Alexander Lhr, an Austrian

who was executed in 1947 as a war criminal. Lhr's forces committed atrocities against Yugoslav

resistance fighters and deported 40,000 Greek Jews to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Waldheim

told reporters in 1986 that he was only an interpreter and clerk on Lhr's staff and had no part in war


4/26

crimes, but intelligence reports and eyewitnesses indicated he was aware of the atrocities. After the

war, the Allied war crimes commission ruled that Waldheim should be tried as a war criminal, but he

was among 40,000 suspects whose files were sealed and given to the United Nations and who were

never tried.

Postwar Political Rise

After the war, Austria was considered a victim of a Nazi invasion, and Austrians' complicity in Nazi war

crimes was generally overlooked. Talented and ambitious, Waldheim advanced rapidly in politics. Late in

1945, he took a job in the Foreign Ministry and became involved in negotiations for an end to the Allied

occupation. He became secretary to the Austrian foreign minister and rose quickly through the

diplomatic ranks, serving for three years in Paris. When Austria regained its sovereignty in 1955,

Waldheim was its first delegate to the United Nations. He was Austria's ambassador to Canada (1956-1960), then served four years in high posts in Austria's ministry for foreign affairs (1960-1964), and

returned to the United Nations as Austria's representative (1964-1968), where he was chairman of the

Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (1965-1968).

In 1968, Waldheim became Austria's foreign minister. He lost his job in a change of government and

returned to the United Nations a third time as Austria's ambassador in 1970. In 1971, he made an

unsuccessful bid to become Austrian president as the candidate of the Independent party. Back at the

UN, he became chairman of the safeguards committee of the Atomic Energy Agency.

United Nations Head

In 1972, Waldheim took over from U Thant of Burma as secretary general of the United Nations. His

polished diplomacy and studied neutrality appealed to both the Soviet Union and the United States.

During his eight years as UN leader, he promoted the ideals of world peace, justice, and human rights.

With many new Third World nations gaining admission to the UN, Waldheim sought to lead by

consensus. He put the United Nations back on a sound financial footing by reducing operating costs andgetting dues collected. He led peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus, the Middle East and Vietnam. Waldheim

was praised for initiating talks that ended the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, but later drew the wrath of the

American Jewish community for condemning Israel's 1976 raid to rescue hostages on a hijacked plane in

Uganda. In his second term, Waldheim faced several crises which the United Nations had little power to

resolve, including Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon, the war in Afghanistan, the conflict between

Iraq and Iran, and the Iranian hostage crisis.


5/26

In 1981, Waldheim sought an unprecedented third term, but lost to Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru

despite the backing of the United States and the Soviet Union. He then became special Austrian envoy

to international congresses and a visiting professor of diplomacy at Georgetown University in

Washington, DC (1982-1984).

Controversial President

In 1986, Waldheim campaigned for president of Austria as the candidate of the conservative People's

party, seeking to end 16 years of Socialist rule. During the campaign, the World Jewish Congress and an

Austrian news magazine produced documents revealing Waldheim's Nazi past. Waldheim insisted he

had joined the Nazi groups only because he wanted to protect his family. Many Austrian voters accepted

his explanation that he was the victim of an international smear campaign, and he was elected president

to a six-year term amid an angry eruption of anti-semitism. U.S. Senator Daniel Moynihan called

Waldheim's victory "a symbolic amnesty for the Holocaust."

Israel boycotted his inauguration and recalled its ambassador to Austria. The United States banned

Waldheim as a war criminal. On February 8, 1988, a six-man international commission of prestigious

historians found that Waldheim was aware of Nazi atrocities and did nothing to stop them, though he

did not personally participate in war crimes. Waldheim resisted calls for his resignation and continued to

insist he was innocent. Shunned by almost every world leader, he served out his term but did not runagain in 1992. Waldheim's efforts to clear his name resulted in another autobiography, The Answer,

published in 1996, in which he wrote of his wartime activities: "I did what was necessary to survive the

day, the system, the war - no more, no less."

Further Reading

Much autobiographical material is included in Kurt Waldheim, The Challenge of Peace (1980), while hisThe Austrian Example (1973) cites the neutral role of his own country as a blueprint for world stability

and international exchange. Building the Future Order (1981) contains a synthesis of Waldheim's key

reports and speeches between 1972 and 1980. In 1986 he published In the Eye of the Storm: A Memoir

and in 1996 he answered critics of his Nazi war record with The Answer. A critical look at Waldheim is

contained in "Waldheim and History: Austria Recalls the Anschluss," The Nation (March 19, 1988) and in

"Waldheim: the Historians' Verdict," The Economist (March 12, 1988).


6/26

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Kurt Waldheim

Top

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Columbia Encyclopedia - People

Waldheim, Kurt (krt vlt'hm), 1918-2007, Austrian diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations

(1972-81) and president of Austria (1986-92). He entered diplomatic service after World War II, serving

in France and Canada. When Austria entered the United Nations in 1958, Waldheim was a member of its

delegation. Austria's permanent representative to the United Nations (1964-68), he later served (1968-

70) as Austria's foreign minister and lost (1971) an election for the Austrian presidency.

Elected to a five-year term as UN secretary-general in Dec., 1971, Waldheim attempted, with little

success, to end the Iran-Iraq war and the China-Vietnam war and to gain the release of American

hostages in Iran. He was reelected in 1976 despite Third World opposition, but was blocked from a third

term by a Chinese veto in 1981. He was succeeded as secretary-general by Javier Prez de Cullar.

In 1986 he was elected president of Austria, despite the scandal caused by the revelation that he had

been an officer in a German army unit that committed atrocities in Yugoslavia during World War II. He

consistently denied any knowledge of the atrocities, and an international investigation cleared him of

complicity. Nonetheless, many felt he must have known more than he revealed, and the allegationsovershadowed his diplomatic and political legacy. His tenure as president was marked by international

isolation, and he did not run in 1992.

Bibliography

See his memoir (1986) and autobiography (1999).

Encyclopedia of the Holocaust:

Kurt Waldheim


7/26

Top

Home > Library > History, Politics & Society > Encyclopedia of Holocaust

(b. 1918), Austrian soldier who served in the German Wehrmacht. Despite the fact that Waldheimappeared on the United Nations' list of war criminals, he was elected United Nations secretary-general

in 1971 and president of Austria in 1986.

Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Kurt Waldheim

Top

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > WikipediaKurt Waldheim

9th President of Austria

In office

8 July 1986 8 July 1992

Chancellor Franz Vranitzky

Preceded by Rudolf Kirchschlger

Succeeded by Thomas Klestil

4th Secretary-General of the United Nations

In office

1 January 1972 31 December 1981

Preceded by U Thant

Succeeded by Javier Prez de Cullar

Born 21 December 1918

Sankt Andr-Wrdern near Vienna, German Austria


8/26

Died 14 June 2007 (aged 88)

Vienna, Austria

Nationality Austrian

Political party Austrian People's Party

Spouse(s) Elisabeth Waldheim

(1944-2007)

Children 3

Alma mater Vienna Consular Academy

Profession lawyer, diplomat

Religion Roman Catholicism

Signature

United Nations portal

Kurt Josef Waldheim (German pronunciation: [kt valdham]; 21 December 1918 14 June 2007)

was an Austrian diplomat and politician. Waldheim was the fourth Secretary-General of the United

Nations from 1972 to 1981, and the ninth President of Austria, from 1986 to 1992. While running for

President in Austria in 1985, his service as an intelligence officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II

raised international controversy.Contents

1 Early life

2 Military service in World War II

2.1 Overview

2.2 Service in Yugoslavia and Greece

2.3 Surrender

3 Diplomatic career

3.1 United Nations Secretary-General

4 Presidency of Austria


9/26

4.1 Election and Waldheim Affair

4.2 The International Committee of historians and allegations of Nazi War Crimes

4.3 Term of presidency 19861992

5 Later years and death

6 Media references

7 Further reading

8 References

9 External links

Early life

Waldheim was born in Sankt Andr-Wrdern, a village near Vienna, on 21 December 1918.[1] His father

was a Roman Catholic school inspector of Czech origin named Watzlawick[2] (original Czech spelling

Vclavk) who changed his name that year as the Habsburg monarchy collapsed. Waldheim served in the

Austrian Army (193637) and attended the Vienna Consular Academy, where he graduated in 1939.

Waldheim's father was active in the Christian Social Party. Waldheim himself was politically unaffiliated

during these years at the Academy. Shortly after the German annexation of Austria in 1938, a 20-year

old Waldheim applied for membership in the National Socialist German Students' League (NSDStB), a

division of the Nazi Party.[3] Shortly thereafter he became a registered member of the mounted corps of

the SA.

On August 19, 1944 he married Elisabeth Ritschel in Vienna; their first daughter Lieselotte was born the

following year. Son Gerhard and daughter Christa followed.

Military service in World War II

Overview

In early 1941 Waldheim was drafted into the Wehrmacht and sent to the Eastern Front where he served

as a squad leader. In December 1941 he was wounded but later returned to service. His further service

in the Wehrmacht from 1942 to 1945 was subject of the international dispute in 1985 and 1986. In

1985, in his autobiography, he stated that he was discharged from further service at the front and for

the rest of the war years finished his law degree at the University of Vienna in addition to marrying in


10/26

1944.[4] Documents and witnesses which have since come to light reveal that Waldheims military

service continued until 1945, and that he rose to the rank of Oberleutnant, and confirmed that he

married in 1944 and graduated with a law degree from the University of Vienna in 1945.

Service in Yugoslavia and Greece

His functions within the staff of German Army Group E from 1942 until 1945, as determined by the

International Commission of Historians,[5] were:

interpreter and liaison officer with the 5th Alpine Division (Italy) in April/May 1942, then,

O2 officer (communications) with Kampfgruppe West Bosnia June/August 1942,

interpreter with the liaison staff attached to the Italian 9th Army in Tirana in early summer 1942,

O1 officer in the German liaison staff with the Italian 11th Army and in the staff of the Army GroupSouth in Greece in July/October 1943 and

O3 officer on the staff of Army Group E in Arksali, Kosovska Mitrovica and Sarajevo from October 1943

to January/February 1945.

By 1943 he was serving in the capacity of an ordnance officer in Army Group E which was headed by

General Alexander Lhr.[6] In 1986, Waldheim said that he had served only as an interpreter and a clerk

and had no knowledge either of reprisals against civilians locally or of massacres in neighboring

provinces of Yugoslavia. He said that he had known about some of the things that had happened, andhad been horrified, but could not see what else he could have done.[4]

Much historical interest has centered on Waldheim's role in Operation Kozara in 1942.[7] According to

one post-war investigator, prisoners were routinely shot within only a few hundred yards of Waldheim's

office,[8] and just 35 km away at the Jasenovac concentration camp. Waldheim later stated "that he did

not know about the murder of civilians there."[8]

Waldheim's name appears on the Wehrmacht's "honor list" of those responsible for the militarily

successful operation. The Independent State of Croatia awarded Waldheim the Medal of the Crown of

King Zvonimir in silver with an oak branches cluster.[9] Later, during the lobbying for his election as U.N.

Secretary General, Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito awarded Waldheim the Order of the Grand Cross of

Yugoslavia.[citation needed]


11/26

Waldheim denied that he knew war crimes were taking place in Bosnia at the height of the battles

between the Nazis and Tito's partisans in 1943.[10] According to Eli Rosenbaum, in 1944, Waldheim

reviewed and approved a packet of anti-Semitic propaganda leaflets to be dropped behind Soviet lines,

one of which ended, "enough of the Jewish war, kill the Jews, come over."[11]

Surrender

In 1945, Waldheim surrendered to British forces in Carinthia, at which point he said he had fled his

command post within Army Group E, where he was serving with General Lhr, who was seeking a

special deal with the British.

Diplomatic career

Waldheim joined the Austrian diplomatic service in 1945, after finishing his studies in law at theUniversity of Vienna. He served as First Secretary of the Legation in Paris from 1948, and in the Ministry

for Foreign Affairs in Vienna from 1951 to 1956. In 1956 he was made Ambassador to Canada, returning

to the Ministry in 1960, after which he became the Permanent Representative of Austria to the United

Nations in 1964. For two years beginning in 1968, he was the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in

Austria serving for the Austrian People's Party, before going back as Permanent Representative to the

U.N. in 1970. Shortly afterwards, he ran and was defeated in the 1971 Austrian presidential elections.

United Nations Secretary-General

After being defeated in his home country's presidential election, he was elected to succeed U Thant as

United Nations Secretary-General the same year. As Secretary-General, Waldheim opened and

addressed a number of major international conferences convened under United Nations auspices. These

included the third session of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (Santiago, April 1972), the

U.N. Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, June 1972), the third UN Conference on the

Law of the Sea (Caracas, June 1974), the World Population Conference (Bucharest, August 1974) and the

World Food Conference (Rome, November 1974). However, his diplomatic efforts particularly in the

Middle East were overshadowed by the diplomacy of then US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger.[12]

On September 11, 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin sent a telegram to Waldheim, copies of which went

to Yasser Arafat and Golda Meir. In the telegram, Amin "applauded the massacre of the Israeli Olympic

athletes in Munich and said Germany was the most appropriate locale for this because it was where

Hitler burned more than six million Jews."[13] Amin also called "to expel Israel from the United Nations

and to send all the Israelis to Britain, which bore the guilt for creating the Jewish state."[14] Among


12/26

international protest "the UN spokesman said [in his daily press conference] it was not the secretary-

general's practice to comment on telegrams sent him by heads of government. He added that the

secretary-general condemned any form of racial discrimination and genocide."[14]

Waldheim was re-elected in 1976 despite some opposition. Waldheim and then-U.S. President Jimmy

Carter both prepared written statements for inclusion on the Voyager Golden Records, now in deep

space.[15] He was the first Secretary-General to visit North Korea, in 1979.[16] In 1980 Waldheim flew

to Iran in an attempt to negotiate the release of the American hostages held in Tehran, but Ayatollah

Khomeini refused to see him.[12] While in Tehran, it was announced that an attempt on Waldheim's life

had been foiled. Near the end of his tenure as Secretary-General, Waldheim and Paul McCartney also

organized a series of concerts for the People of Kampuchea to help Cambodia recover from the damage

done by Pol Pot.[17] The People's Republic of China vetoed Waldheim's candidature for a third term,

and he was succeeded by Javier Prez de Cullar of Peru.

Presidency of Austria

Election and Waldheim Affair

Waldheim had unsuccessfully sought election as President of Austria in 1971, but his second attempt on

8 June 1986 proved successful. During his campaign for the presidency in 1985, the events started that

marked the beginning of what became known internationally as the "Waldheim Affair". Before the

presidential elections, Alfred Worm revealed in the Austrian weekly news magazine Profil that there had

been several omissions about Waldheim's life between 1938 and 1945 in his recently-published

autobiography. A short time later, the World Jewish Congress alleged that Waldheim had lied about his

service as an officer in the mounted corps of the SA, and his time as an ordnance officer in Saloniki,

Greece, from 1942 to 1943.[18] Waldheim called the allegations "pure lies and malicious acts".[19]

Nevertheless he admitted that he had known about German reprisals against partisans: "Yes, I knew. I

was horrified. But what could I do? I had either to continue to serve or be executed."[19] He said that he

had never fired a shot or even seen a partisan.[19] His former immediate superior at the time stated

that Waldheim had "remained confined to a desk".[19] Former Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky

denounced the actions of the World Jewish Congress as an "extraordinary infamy"[19] adding that

Austrians wouldn't "allow the Jews abroad to ... tell us who should be our President."

Part of the reason for the controversy was Austria's refusal to address its national role in the Holocaust

(many including Adolf Hitler were Austrians and Austria became part of the Third Reich). Austria refused

to pay compensation to Nazi victims and from 1970 onwards refused to investigate Austrian citizens

who were senior Nazis.[20] Stolen Jewish art remained public property until well after the Waldheim

affair.[21]


13/26

Because the revelations leading to the Waldheim affair came shortly before the presidential election

there has been speculation about the background of the affair.

Declassified CIA documents show that the CIA had been aware of his war time past since 1945.[22]

Some sources report information about Waldheim's wartime past was also previously published by a

right wing Austrian newspaper during the 1971 presidential election campaign - including the claim of an

SS membership - but the matter was supposedly regarded as unimportant or even advantageous for the

candidate at that time.[23]

It has been asserted that his war time past and the discrepancies in his biography must have been well

known to both superpowers before he was elected UN secretary and there were rumors that the KGB

had blackmailed him during his UN time.[24]

In 1994, former Mossad officer Victor Ostrovsky claimed in his book The Other Side of Deception that

Mossad doctored the file of the then UN Secretary General to implicate him in Nazi crimes. These

allegedly false documents were subsequently "discovered" by Benjamin Netanyahu in the UN file, and

triggered the "Waldheim Affair". Ostrovsky says it was motivated by Waldheim's criticism of Israeli

action in Lebanon.[25] Controversy surrounds Ostrovsky and his writings and some of his claims are

disputed. Many of them have not been verified from other sources, and critics such as Benny Morris and

author David Wise have charged that the book is essentially a novel.[26][27]

The International Committee of historians and allegations of Nazi War Crimes

In view of the ongoing international controversy, the Austrian government decided to appoint an

international committee of historians to examine Waldheim's life between 1938 and 1945. Their report

found no evidence of any personal involvement in those crimes. Although Waldheim had stated that he

was unaware of any crimes taking place, the historians cited evidence that Waldheim must have known

about war crimes.[28]

In an account of the controversy, Simon Wiesenthal stated that Waldheim was stationed 5 miles from

Salonika while, over the course of several weeks, the Jewish community which formed one third of the

population there, was sent to Auschwitz. Waldheim denied any knowledge of this. Wiesenthal states:


14/26

I could only reply what the committee of historians likewise made clear in its report: "I cannot believe

you."[29]

Wiesenthal stated the committee found no evidence that Waldheim took part in any war crimes, but

was guilty of lying about his military record.[30] The International Committee in February 1988

concluded, with regard to Waldheim's ability to do something about the crimes he knew that were going

on in Yugoslavia and Greece:

In favour of Waldheim is, that he only had very minor possibilities to act against the injustices

happening. Actions against these, depending on which level the resistance occurred, were of very

different importance. For a young member of the staff, who did not have any military authority on the

army group level, the practical possibilities for resistance were very limited and with a high probability

would not have led to any actual results. Resistance would have been limited to a formal protest or onthe refusal to serve any longer in the army, which would have seemed to be a courageous act, however

would have not led to any practical achievement. [31]

Term of presidency 19861992

Throughout his term as president (19861992), Waldheim and his wife Elisabeth were officially deemed

personae non gratae by the United States.[32] In 1987, they were put on a watch list of persons banned

from entering the United States and remained on the list even after the publication of the International

Committee of Historians' report on his military past in the Wehrmacht. He also was not invited to, andtherefore did not, visit any other Western countries during his term as Austrian president. Waldheim

therefore concentrated his state visits on the Middle East, the Vatican and some communist states.

Later years and death

After his term ended in 1992, Waldheim did not seek reelection. The same years, he was made an

honorary member of K.H.V. Welfia Klosterneuburg, a Roman Catholic student fraternity that is a part of

the Austrian Cartellverband (CV). In 1994, Pope John Paul II awarded Waldheim a knighthood in the

Order of Pius IX and his wife a papal honor.[33] He died on June 14, 2007 from heart failure. On June 23,his funeral was held at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna and he was laid to rest at the Presidential Vault in

the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery).[34] In his speech at the Cathedral, Federal President Heinz

Fischer called Waldheim "a great Austrian" who had been wrongfully accused of having committed war

crimes. Fischer also praised Waldheim for his efforts to solve international crises and for his

contributions to world peace.[35] At Waldheim's own request, no foreign heads of states or

governments were invited to attend his funeral. Hans-Adam II, the Prince of Liechtenstein, a


15/26

neighbouring country of Austria, was the only one to be present. Also present was Luis Durnwalder,

governor of the Italian province of South Tyrol. Syria and Japan were the only two countries that laid a

wreath. In a two-page letter, published posthumously by the Austrian Press Agency the day after he

died, Waldheim admitted making "mistakes" ("but these were certainly not those of a follower let alone

an accomplice of a criminal regime") and asked his critics for forgiveness.[36]

Media references

W. G. Sebald's novel The Rings of Saturn (1995; English trans., 1998) refers to Waldheim, though not by

name.[37]

As a much-heralded invited guest on Dame Edna Everage's talk show The Dame Edna Experience, a

dignified "Kurt Waldheim" began a grand entrance, except that halfway down the staircase he abruptly

fell through a hidden chute and disappeared: the band's fanfare stopped as Dame Edna explained she

had decided at the last minute to "abort" Dr. Waldheim's appearance because it would have been "too

political." The episode aired 12 September 1987.

A running segment on The Howard Stern Show is called Guess Who's the Jew and features Fred Norris

portraying a Nazi Kurt Waldheim, Jr.[38]

Musician Lou Reed's 1988 "New York" album contains a song called "Good Evening Mr. Waldheim."

Harry Turtledove's 2003 alternate history novel, In the Presence of Mine Enemies, in which Germany

won the Second World War, a "Kurt Haldweim" is the third Fhrer of Germany, and parts of Haldweim's

biography closely parallel Waldheim's.

In a 1988 ice hockey film entitled Hockey, The Lighter Side, former New York Rangers goaltender John

Davidson is explaining his fictional goaltender school and as hockey highlights play he exclaims, "You'llhave more shots taken at you than Kurt Waldheim".

In episode 3, series 2 of The Million Pound Radio Show, Andy Hamilton announces next week's special

guest as Waldheim, "although he'll deny [his appearance on the show] in 40 years time."

In an episode of The New Statesman, aired in 1989, Alan B'Stard (Rik Mayall) attempts to blackmail an

aged former Nazi officer, who complains that, "it's not fair; I 'm living here in the tripe capital of Europe,

while Kurt Waldheim is President of Austria- and he was beneath me!"

Further reading

Bassett, Richard (1988). Waldheim and Austria, Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-013019-5

International Commission of Historians (1993). The Waldheim Report. Copenhagen: Museum

Tusculanum, University of Copenhagen. pp. 224 p. ISBN 87-7289-206-4.

Waldheim, Kurt (1985). In the eye of the storm: the memoirs of Kurt Waldheim. London: Weidenfeld

and Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-78678-4.


16/26

Waldheim, Kurt. Die Antwort (The Answer).

Waldheim, Kurt. The Austrian Example.

Waldheim, Kurt. The Challenge of Peace.

Waldheim, Kurt. Building the Future Order.

References

^ Former UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim dies at 88 - Haaretz - Israel News

^ Kurt Waldheim, The Daily Telegraph, 15 June 2007.

^ Report of the International Historical Commission of 8 February 1988, section on "Membership in

National Socialist Organizations", as cited for example in

http://nationalsozialismus.at/Themen/Umgang/waldheim.htm

^ a b "Kurt Waldheim: Austrian head of the UN who as president of his country was later tainted by

charges of complicity in Nazi atrocities". The Times (London: News Corporation). 15 June 2007.

Retrieved 13 October 2008.

^ see page 39 of The Waldheim Report. Submitted 8 February 1988 to Federal Chancellor Dr. Franz

Vranitzky

^ Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), Die Trger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-

Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5

^ Kandell, Jonathan (15 June 2007). "Kurt Waldheim". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2010.

""Waldheim took part in, and was decorated for, Operation Kozara, a large-scale antipartisan operation

involving mass reprisals at the rate of 100 executions for every German killed and mass deportations

to concentration camps.""

^ a b Casey, Dennis (1 May 2005). "Kurt Waldheim: man of mystery.". Spokesman Magazine.

^ Letter from Europe: Vienna, 20 June: The New Yorker

^ "Kurt Waldheim". The Daily Telegraph (London). 15 June 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2010.

^ Rosenbaum, EM with Hoffer W, Betrayal: The Untold Story of the Kurt Waldheim Investigation and

Cover-Up St. Martin's Press, 1993, ISBN 0-312-08219-3, p. 338

^ a b BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Obituary: Kurt Waldheim

^ Israeli-Ugandan Relations in the Time of Idi Amin by Arye Oded, Jewish Political Studies Review 18:3-4

(Fall 2006)


17/26

^ a b

http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=5&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=625

&PID=1631&IID=1643&TTL=Israeli-Ugandan_Relations_in_the_Time_of_Idi_Amin

^ Voyager - Spacecraft - Golden Record

^ "Discipline and Devotion", TIME, 28 May 1979 article. Accessed 1 December 2008.

^ CBC.ca - Arts - Music - Charity Begins

^ See Section "Military Service" above

^ a b c d e Serrill, Michael S.; William McWhirter, Wayne Svoboda (7 April 1986). "Sequels Running Out

of Answers". Time (magazine). Retrieved 13 October 2008.

^ Efraim Zuroff, "Worldwide Investigation and Prosecution of Nazi War Criminals, 20012002," Simon

Wiesenthal Center, Jerusalem (April 2002).

^ http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,545392,00.html

^ Historical Analysis of 20 Name Files from CIA Records http://www.archives.gov/iwg/declassified-

records/rg-263-cia-records/rg-263-report.html

^ WSWS obituary [1]

^ "Kurt Waldheim". The Independent (London). 15 June 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2010.

^ Victor Ostrovsky (1994). The Other Side of Deception: A Rogue Agent Exposes the Mossad's Secret

Agenda. HarperCollins (New York).

^ "18 June 2008 meeting - Victor Ostrovsky, Former Mossad Officer". AFIO. June 2008.

^ Connolly, Kate (2 May 2001). "CIA knew about Waldheim's Nazi past". The Guardian (London).

Retrieved 7 May 2010.

^ Simon Wiesenthal "The Waldheim Case" in Contemporary Jewish Writing in Austria edited by Dagmar

Lorenz. pp 81-95, University of Nebraska press

^ Simon Wiesenthal "The Waldheim Case" in Contemporary Jewish Writing in Austria edited by Dagmar

Lorenz. page 91, University of Nebraska Press

^ Kurt Waldheim | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

^ James L. Collins Jr. u.a.: Bericht der internationalen Historikerkommission, Schlussbetrachtung, 8.

Februar 1988. (translated from German)

^ "Waldheim, ex-UN leader and Nazi, buried in Austria". Reuters. 23 June 2007.


18/26

^ "Waldheim's Wife Gets a Papal Award". The New York Times. 22 August 1994. Retrieved 14 June 2007.

^ "Former Austrian president whose term was marred by wartime service buried", Associated Press

(International Herald Tribune), 23 June 2007.

^ http://www.hofburg.at/show_content2.php?s2id=855 Speech of President Heinz Fischer (official text)

^ http://activepaper.tele.net/vntipps/WaldheimVermaechtnis.pdf

^ http://www.buzzwords.ndo.co.uk/mellor/ringsofsaturn.html

^ Howard Stern.com

http://www.bookrags.com/biography/kurt-waldheim/

Enciclopedia Biografie Mondiale pe Kurt Waldheim

Kurt Waldheim (n. 1918) a fost un diplomat i politician austriac care a servit ca secretar general al

Organizaiei Naiunilor Unite 1972/82. n 1986 el a fost ales presedinte al Austriei, n ciuda unei

controverse pe rolul su ca un ofier de informaii naziste din al Doilea Rzboi Mondial.

Kurt Waldheim a fost nscut n St Andr-Wrdern, un sat de lng Viena, Austria, pe 21 decembrie,

1918. Tatl su a fost romano-catolic inspector colar i un activ cretin Socialist. tineri Waldheim a

fost petrecut ntr-o ar n cutarea identitii pe fondul turbulenelor de pe piaa intern. n timpulanilor si de colarizare la consulare Viena Academia a fost el nepartizana politic.

Record de rzboi


19/26

Dup absolvire n 1936 Waldheim a intrat la Universitatea din Viena i a studiat dreptul i diplomaie. n

1938, dup trei sptmni de Adolph Hitler anexat Austria, Waldheim a aderat la Uniunea student

nazist, i mai trziu n acel an el a intrat n unitatea montat al nazitilor "for paramilitar notorii,

Sturm-Abteilung (SA) sau" maro-tricouri. " A fost un membru care Waldheim mai trziu ascuns. Cnd a

izbucnit rzboiul, a fost recrutat in armata, trimis pe frontul de Est, rnii n primvara anului 1941, i a

primit o descrcare de gestiune medical. n conformitate cu dou autobiografii, Challenge de Pace(1980) i n ochii Storm (1986), a renuntat apoi serviciu activ, sa ntors la Viena, terminat doctoratul n

drept n 1944, i sa cstorit cu soia sa Cissy nainte de sfritul anului rzboi.

Dar documente descoperite n mijlocul anilor 1980 a artat c Waldheim a rmas activ n armat

Germania pn n 1945, desemnat ca ofier de informaii cu privire la personalul de generalul Alexander

Lohr, un austriac care a fost executat n 1947 ca un criminal de rzboi. Forele Lohr a comis atrociti

mpotriva lupttorilor rezistenei iugoslave i deportai 40.000 de evrei greci n lagrul de concentrare de

la Auschwitz. Waldheim a declarat reporterilor c n 1986 el a fost doar un interpret i functionar cu

personalul Lohr i nu a participat la crime de rzboi, dar rapoartele de inteligen i martori oculari au

indicat el a fost contient de atrociti. Dup rzboi, Comisia Aliat de crime de rzboi a decis c

Waldheim ar trebui s fie judecat ca un criminal de rzboi, dar el a fost printre 40000 suspeci ale cror

dosare au fost sigilate i dat Organizaiei Naiunilor Unite i care au fost niciodat nu a ncercat.

Politice postbelice Rise

Dup rzboi, Austria a fost considerat o victim a unei invazii naziste, i complicitatea austrieci ", n

crimele de razboi naziste a fost, n general, trecute cu vederea. Talentat i ambiios, Waldheim avansat

rapid n politic. Trziu n 1945, el a luat un loc de munc n Ministerul de Externe i a devenit implicat

n negocierile pentru un capt ocupaiei aliate. El a devenit secretar al ministrului de externe austriac i

a crescut rapid prin rndurile diplomatic, servind timp de trei ani n Paris. Cnd Austria a rectigat

suveranitatea n 1955, Waldheim a fost delegat la primul su Naiunilor Unite. El a fost ambasadorul

Austriei n Canada (1956-1960), apoi a servit patru ani n posturi nalte n lucrarea Austria pentru afaceri

externe (1960-1964), i a revenit la Organizaia Naiunilor Unite n calitate de reprezentant al Austriei

(1964-1968), unde a fost preedinte al Comisiei pentru utilizarea panic a spaiului cosmic (1965-1968).

n 1968, Waldheim a devenit ministru de externe al Austriei. El a pierdut locul de munc ntr-o

schimbare de guvern i a revenit la Organizaia Naiunilor Unite a treia oar ca ambasador al Austriei n

1970. n 1971, el a fcut o ncercare nereuit de a deveni preedinte austriac calitate de candidat al

partidului Independent. napoi la ONU, el a devenit preedinte al comisiei a garaniilor Ageniei Energiei

Atomice.


20/26

eful Organizaiei Naiunilor Unite

n 1972, Waldheim a preluat de la U Thant din Birmania ca secretar general al Organizaiei NaiunilorUnite. diplomaia lui lustruite i neutralitatea studiat apel att la Uniunea Sovietic i Statele Unite. n

timpul su de opt ani ca lider al ONU, el a promovat idealurile pcii n lume, justiie i drepturile omului.

Cu multe noi naiuni Lumea a treia obinerii admiterii la ONU, Waldheim a cutat s conduc prin

consens. El a pus Naiunilor Unite pe baze financiare solide prin reducerea costurilor de exploatare i

obinerea de taxe colectate. El a condus eforturile de meninere a pcii n Cipru, Orientul Mijlociu i

Vietnam. Waldheim a fost ludat pentru iniierea discuiilor care a pus capt rzboiului din 1973 arabo-

israelian, dar mai trziu a atras mnia a comunitii evreieti americane pentru condamnarea lui Israel

1976 raid la salvare ostatici pe un avion deturnat n Uganda. n al doilea mandat, Waldheim cu care se

confrunt mai multe crize care a Organizaiei Naiunilor Unite a avut puterea de a rezolva, inclusiv

ocuparea de ctre Israel din sudul Libanului, rzboiul din Afganistan, conflictul dintre Irak i Iran, precum

i criza ostaticilor iranian.

n 1981, Waldheim a solicitat un termen fr precedent al treilea, dar a pierdut la Javier Perez de

Cuellar din Peru, n ciuda sprijinul Statelor Unite i Uniunea Sovietic. El apoi a devenit trimisul special

austriece la congrese internaionale i profesor invitat al diplomaiei de la Georgetown University din

Washington, DC (1982-1984).

Preedintele controversate

n 1986, Waldheim a militat pentru preedinte din Austria calitate de candidat al Partidului Popular

conservator, care doresc s pun capt celor 16 ani de regul Socialiste. n timpul campaniei, World

Congresului Evreiesc i o revist de tiri austriac a prezentat documente care dezvluie trecutul nazist

lui Waldheim. Waldheim a insistat el a aderat la grupurile de nazist doar pentru c el a vrut s protejeze

familia. Muli alegtori austriac acceptat explicaia lui c el a fost victima unei campanii frotiu

internaional, i a fost ales preedinte pentru un mandat de ase ani, pe fondul o eruptie furios de anti-

semitism. Senatorul american Daniel Moynihan numit victoria lui Waldheim "o amnistie simbolice

pentru Holocaust."

Israel boicotat inaugurarea sa i a rechemat ambasadorul de Austria. Statele Unite ale Americii interzis

Waldheim ca un criminal de rzboi. La data de 08 februarie 1988, o comisie de ase om internaionale


21/26

de istorici de prestigiu a constatat c Waldheim a fost contient de atrocitile naziste i nu a fcut nimic

s-i opreasc, dei el nu a participat personal la crime de rzboi. Waldheim a rezistat solicit demisia i a

continuat s insiste c era nevinovat. Evitati de aproape fiecare lider mondial, el a ispit pedeapsa, dar

nu a alerga din nou n 1992. Waldheim eforturile pentru a terge numele lui a dus la un alt

autobiografia, Rspuns, publicat n 1996, n care el a scris despre activitile sale din timpul rzboiului:

"Am fcut ceea ce era necesar pentru a supravieui zi, sistemul, rzboi - nu mai mult, nici mai puin . "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1934744.ece

De la The Times

15 iunie 2007

Kurt Waldheim

seful austriac al ONU, care, ca preedinte al rii sale mai trziu a fost ptat de acuzaia de complicitate

la atrocitile naziste

cariera lui Kurt Waldheim l-au dus la nlimi de diplomaiei internaionale n calitate de secretar-

general al Naiunilor Unite 1972 - 1982 i, ulterior, el a devenit preedinte al Austriei, un birou a ocupat

1986-1992. Dar, pn n momentul alegerii sale la preedinia unei umbre a fost deja nceput s cad

peste record sale din timpul rzboiului, i acest lucru a fost s creasc mai ntunecat ca documentele

aprut pe care a artat c el nu a avut, ca el a susinut mereu c, a fost rnit la nceputul rzboiului i a

revenit ulterior la viaa de student la Viena.

Se pare ca incontestabil c un tnr ofier el a servit personal pe inteligenta armata german n

Iugoslavia i Grecia, i a avut ca rezultat a fost mult mai aproape de represalii naziste mpotriva

partizanilor din aceste dou ri dect el ar fi la nceput recunosc. Cu toate acestea, de ani de zile n

urma rzboiului, n timp ce el sa mutat de la un post important la altul, el a fost evaziv n legtur cu

detaliile de serviciu rzboiul su, admind doar de grade, atunci cnd a aprut dovezi greu, c el nu a

fost complet deschis despre sale cariera militar n timpul acestor ori.


22/26

Caritabil, Waldheim ar putea fi privit ca o figur public care a fost fcut pentru a purta vina dintr-o

generaie. Dar ar fi fost mai uor s simpatizeze cu el pe aceast scorul dac ar fi fost personal un om

mai atractiv i mai puin ambiios. Desigur, adevrul tulburi despre "ani lips" din viaa sa a fost n

picioare internaionale povara Austria-a lungul anilor preediniei lui Waldheim.

Kurt Waldheim a fost nscut n St Andr-Wrdern n decembrie 1918, imediat dup Imperiul Austro-

Ungar prbuit i cu aliaii victorios din primul rzboi mondial de planificare reamenajarea a frontierelor

din Europa Central i Balcani.

Waldheim a studiat dreptul la Universitatea din Viena i a devenit ofier n rezerv al armatei austriece.

Dup Anschluss a fost chemat n armata german i a nceput cariera militar pe care el a fost s fac

att de mult s mascheze.

n anii de mai trziu al doilea rzboi mondial, ca ofier n sud-estul Europei, Waldheim a servit cu privire

la personalul serviciilor secrete germane, la centrul de operaiuni elabora mpotriva partizanilor

iugoslavi. Informaiile care au trecut pe biroul su a dus la represalii slbatice n satele suspectai de

complicitate patrioilor. Sediul aceeai amenajat, de asemenea, de transport maritim de multe mii de

evrei din Grecia i Iugoslavia la lagrele de concentrare germane. Waldheim a luat parte la, i a fost

decorat pentru, Operaiunea Kozara, o operaiune la scar larg antipartisan implic represalii n mas -

la rata de 100 de execuii pentru fiecare german ucis - i deportrilor n mas n lagre de concentrare.

El sa alturat austriac de externe Service n 1945 i a jucat un rol n aranjamentele delicate prin care

Austria, apoi ocupat de Uniunea Sovietic pe de o parte, i puterile occidentale cu privire la

independena alt parte, realizate. El a fost observator permanent austriac la ONU ministru

plenipoteniar, 1955-1956, n Canada, 1956-1958, i ambasadorul Canadei, 1958 - 1960.

De la 1960-1964 el a fost director general pentru afaceri politice la Ministerul Afacerilor Externe, i1964-1968, Austria, Reprezentant Permanent al ONU. El a fost ministru federal al Afacerilor Externe,

1968-1970, perioada mbrind ocupatiei sovietice de Czechslovakia. La acel moment Waldheim a

ordonat uile al Ambasadei Austriei la Praga s fie nchis mpotriva cehilor care solicit azil, un fapt el a

negat n ani mai trziu, pn cnd dovezi produs n cursul unui interviu televizat obligat-l s-l

recunoasc.


23/26

Aa cum a fost apoi artat, Waldheim ar fi bine pledat n mod rezonabil c o astfel de stat mic, expuse

ca Austria nu ar putea permite s infuria Uniunii Sovietice, i c acest lucru a guvernat decizia sa. Dar el

s-au refugiat n loc ntr-o memorie defectuoasa, care au "uitat" incidentul. Acesta a fost doar tactici,

cum ar trage de timp ca anchetatorii sa nfuriat mai trziu atunci cnd prezena sa n vecintatea de

crimele de razboi naziste venit prima oar la lumin.

n 1971 el a fcut prima sa campanie pentru preedinia austriac, i dei nu a vzut c numirea sa, la

scurt timp dup aceea, ca Secretarul General al ONU ca o compensaie de montare. Alegerea executiv

de top al ONU are ntotdeauna datorate mai mult de considerente de echilibrul de putere n organizaie

dect de capacitatea. Un punct de vedere al numirii sale a fost faptul c membrii Consiliului de

Securitate Waldheim ales n asigurarea de mediocritatea lui, i c biroul n sine a fost n mod deliberat s

fie declasate.

Cu toate acestea, dei, uneori, Waldheim a fost un om dificil de a lucra pentru - nu n ultimul rnd

pentru temperamentul su cald - conducerea sa a organizaiei practic imposibil de gestionat ONU a fost

destul de impresionant pentru Consiliul de Securitate s-l realege pentru nc cinci ani n 1976. El a fost,

mai presus de toate, un muncitor neobosit.

O mare parte din atenia lui a fost inevitabil concentrat pe Orientul Mijlociu, unde a fost responsabil

pentru crearea forelor de meninere a pcii n Sinai, pe Platoul Golan i n sudul Libanului. El a fost, de

asemenea, activ n ncercarea de a se obin o reconciliere ntre India, Pakistan i Bangladesh dup

rzboiul din 1971, i a aranjat relief masiv internaionale de dup calamitile naturale din Bangladesh i

Sudan.

Atunci cnd ostaticii americani au fost confiscate de regimul revoluionar iranian Ayatollah Khomeini de

la Ambasada SUA din Teheran, el a fost gobetween n cele din urm de succes n cadrul negocierilor

sinuos pentru eliberarea lor, la un moment dat a face o vizit deosebit de riscant la oraul n sine. El a

artat curaj moral prea, dup masacrul de la Jocurile Olimpice Munchen in 1972, insistnd c Adunarea

General se adresa la terorism.

Dou puncte de vedere de performanele sale la ONU evoluat treptat ca perioada sa de administrare a

progresat. Primul a fost c el a fost un intrigant ego-maniac pregtit s fac ceva pentru avantaje

personale sau aprecieri publice. Cellalt a fost c el a fost un lider statesmanlike care, n cuvintele lui

Kipling, inut capul n timp ce totul despre el s-au pierdut lor.


24/26

Waldheim ar fi dorit un al treilea mandat la ONU, dar atunci cnd un veto din China a blocat propunerea

i membrii permaneni ai Consiliului de Securitate sa uitat n alt parte el a petrecut urmtorii doi ani,

1982-1984, ca profesor de clieni Diplomaia la Universitatea din Georgetown , Washington. ntorcndu-

se acas dup aceasta, el a lansat campania de-al doilea pentru preedinia Austriei. Alegerea a fostdatorat n 1986. Ca parte a campaniei sale, el a publicat, n 1985, o autobiografie, n ochii Storm. Acest

lucru sa dovedit a fi un ostatic de avere, din moment ce adversarii si din Austria au devenit suspecte din

contul de bland a avut la acel moment dat a serviciului su de rzboi. The sondare a nceput.

Aa cum au fost produse documentele din dosarele - unele dintre ele suspecte, dar altele de

nregistrare n mod clar activitile Waldheim, ntre 1942 i 1944 - n lume au privit cu creterea spaim

la un om care, cum a ajuns s par, a fost de via o minciun pe scena internaional. Mai presus de

toate, cei care au crezut c Naiunile Unite au n continuare un rol onorabil s joace n meninerea pcii

n lume simit trdat.

Waldheim de auto-aprare a urmat un model de uitare i evaziune ca dovezile mpotriva lui acumulate.

n primul rnd, el a spus c el nu a fost n Balcani, la toate, c serviciul lui cu armata german sa ncheiat

n mod eficient atunci cnd a fost rnit pe frontul rusesc n decembrie 1941, i c i-a petrecut restul

rzboiului n calitate de student n Viena.

Cnd acest lucru a fost infirmat, el a admis c a fost parte din personalul armatei germane Grupa E, nIugoslavia, dar a susinut c a fost doar ca un interpret. Apoi, el a fost obligat s admit c el a fost un

ofier de informaii, dar a spus c treaba lui era doar de a transmite informaii i c nu tia de atrocitile

care informaiile rezultate inch n cele din urm, el a recunoscut c el a tiut despre unele de lucrurile

care s-au ntmplat, i a fost ngrozit, dar nu a putut vedea ce altceva ar fi putut face. (Comandantul

Grupului de Armate E, generalul Lohr a fost judecat i executat pentru crime de rzboi de dup rzboi.)

Waldheim nu a fost lent pentru a aminti lumii, ca muli austrieci au fcut, c, atunci cnd ara lor a fost

preluat de ctre Hitler, n Anschluss din 1938, naiunile occidentale stat deoparte. Deci, a argumentat el,

aceasta sa mbolnvit americani high-minte i britanicii s judece austriecii o jumtate de secol mai

trziu. Dar acest lucru a ridicat numai problema de msura n care austriecii connived cu nazitii. Unii

austrieci, chiar i cei care nu sunt nc nscui atunci cnd nazitii au fost mrluind prin sud-estul

Europei, ntrebat dac ei ar fi fost de via colectiv o minciun. Muli alii au reacionat violent mpotriva

a ceea ce ei considerau a fi insulte i s-au adunat n spatele Waldheim.


25/26

Dar, odat ales n condiii de siguran, Waldheim a considerat c un vot democratic a fost un rspuns

decisiv la dumanii si. Ca un bun romano-catolic el ar putea "ierta toate distorsiunile i minciuni".

Cu toate acestea, de cutare a fiierelor de rzboi a continuat, iar n anul urmtor Guvernul SUA l-au

plasat pe lista celor ale cror nregistrri le-a fcut rzboi nedorite n Statele Unite. Dintr-o data,

Preedintele-ales al unui stat suveran, democratic a gsit el nsui ostracizat de mare parte din

comunitatea mondial.

Guvernul austriac simit obligat s acioneze, i acesta a stabilit o comisie de ase istorici militari - din

Elveia, Germania, Belgia, Israel, Statele Unite i Marea Britanie - pentru a investiga acuzaiile. Comisia a

constatat nici o dovad c Waldheim a fost un criminal de rzboi, dar a respins o parte din preteniile

sale de ignoran de tratament naziste de partizani. La aproximativ n acelai timp, un raport separat,

emis de Ministerul Apararii din Marea Britanie n 1989, Waldheim eliminat de complicitate n moartea aunui numr de comando britanice, capturat i ucis de ctre unitatea de informaii su n largul coastei

greceti n 1944. Cu toate acestea, chiar i dup toate acestea exonerare sentimentul c a rmas

cunoscut Waldheim a avut mult mai mult dect a dezvluit. Doar o mn de diplomai strini n Viena

chemat s plteasc respect lor la nceputul preediniei sale.

Adesea Waldheim a dat impresia, prin aciunile sale de ingrijire puin ceea ce comunitatea

internaional gndul de a rii sale. n anul 1990, prin care zboar ctre Bagdad i personal pledoarie

pentru eliberarea de 96 de austrieci blocai n Irak de ctre invazia lui Saddam Hussein din Kuweit, el

prea s rup rndurile cu o coaliie conduse de occidentali, care se pregtete s pedepseasc

agresiune irakiene.

Dar n cele din urm izolare total Austria prea nesustenabile. Ca urmare Waldheim a decis s nu

candideze din nou n 1992. Percepia c preedinia lui au deteriorat n picioare Austria a fost

intensificat trei ani mai trziu cnd ONU a srbtorit aniversarea de 50 de ani din New York. nc un

strin indezirabil n ochii de Statele Unite, fostul secretar-general a fost refuzat permisiunea de a

participa la ceremonie. A fost o pilula amara pentru a nghii, ceea ce implic aa cum a fcut c

aciunile Waldheim i evaziunilor a adus ruine pe acest forum internaionale, precum i ca pe propria saar.

n pensionare Waldheim a rspuns criticilor din trecutul su prin publicarea Die Antwort (rspuns) n

1996. Printre crile anterioare au fost The Example austriac (1971), The Challenge de Pace (1977) i

Ordinul de constructii Future (1985).


26/26

Kurt Waldheim este supravieuit de sotia sa Elisabeta, care sa cstorit n 1944, i de un fiu i dou fiice.

Kurt Waldheim, Secretarul General al Organizaiei Naiunilor Unite, 1972-1981, i preedinte al Austriei,1986-1992, sa nscut pe 21 decembrie 1918. El a murit pe 14 iunie 2007, n vrst de 88.