Thomas Prinzhorn
Encyclopedia
Thomas Prinzhorn is an Austrian industrialist and politician of the national liberal party Alliance for the Future of Austria
(BZÖ). A former member of parliament, he served as one of the three presidents of the Austrian Parliament from 1999 to 2006, first as 2nd president (i.e. first vice president) until 2002 and then as 3rd president (i.e. second vice president). With a personal fortune of around 1,1 billion euro, he's considered Austria's richest politician and the 14th richest Austrian (as of 2006)
Prinzhorn is educated as an engineer at the Technical University of Vienna, where he graduated in 1967 as Diplomingenieur, and subsequently studied business administration at Harvard University
, graduating in 1973. He inherited his father's business empire and became one of Austria's leading industrialists in the 1970s. He served on the board of the Federation of Austrian Industry
from 1978.
In 1996, he was elected as a member of parliament, and became a member of the Freedom Party of Austria
(FPÖ) in 1998. In the 1999 legislative election, he was the top candidate of the FPÖ. He was originally to become a member of the FPÖ-ÖVP coalition government, but his candidacy was rejected by the President, Thomas Klestil
, due to his anti-immigration statements during the election. He instead was elected as one of the three presidents (second president) of the Austrian Parliament. After the 2002 election, he became third president. He left the FPÖ in 2005, and joined the new BZÖ party in 2006.
Alliance for the Future of Austria
The Alliance for the Future of Austria , abbreviated to BZÖ, is a conservative liberal political party in Austria. The party has sixteen seats in the National Council....
(BZÖ). A former member of parliament, he served as one of the three presidents of the Austrian Parliament from 1999 to 2006, first as 2nd president (i.e. first vice president) until 2002 and then as 3rd president (i.e. second vice president). With a personal fortune of around 1,1 billion euro, he's considered Austria's richest politician and the 14th richest Austrian (as of 2006)
Prinzhorn is educated as an engineer at the Technical University of Vienna, where he graduated in 1967 as Diplomingenieur, and subsequently studied business administration at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, graduating in 1973. He inherited his father's business empire and became one of Austria's leading industrialists in the 1970s. He served on the board of the Federation of Austrian Industry
Federation of Austrian Industry
The Federation of Austrian Industry is Austrian employers' organization....
from 1978.
In 1996, he was elected as a member of parliament, and became a member of the Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
(FPÖ) in 1998. In the 1999 legislative election, he was the top candidate of the FPÖ. He was originally to become a member of the FPÖ-ÖVP coalition government, but his candidacy was rejected by the President, Thomas Klestil
Thomas Klestil
Thomas Klestil was an Austrian diplomat and politician. He was elected the tenth President of Austria in 1992 and was re-elected to the position in 1998...
, due to his anti-immigration statements during the election. He instead was elected as one of the three presidents (second president) of the Austrian Parliament. After the 2002 election, he became third president. He left the FPÖ in 2005, and joined the new BZÖ party in 2006.
Personal life
In 1988, he adopted Karl Philipp Ernst Ferdinand Alwig Kilian Schwarzenberg (b. 1979), until then legally the son of Karl zu Schwarzenberg (the current Czech Foreign Minister). The reason for the adoption was that Karl Philipp was the natural son of himself and Princess Therese zu Schwarzenberg, née Countess von Hardegg.External links
- http://www.parlament.gv.at/WW/DE/PAD_03613/