Five Decades of Contemporary History: Heinz Fischer Presents His Impressive Life's Work at Schönbrunn
Before a full house at the historic Schönbrunn Palace Theater, former Federal President Heinz Fischer offered insights into his rich political career. The book presentation focused on a newly published, five-volume collection of speeches—and a powerful plea for principle and context in politics.
Heinz Fischer presented “Politics Needs a Conscience” at the Schönbrunn Palace Theater. / Picture: © SPÖ Bildung/Christian Bader
A place steeped in culture and tradition provided a fitting setting for a retrospective on more than half a century of Austrian politics: More than 100 guests gathered at the Schönbrunn Palace Theater, where former Federal President Heinz Fischer presented his comprehensive collection, “Politics Needs a Conscience—Speeches 1971–2025”. The event was co-hosted by the SPÖ Federal Education Department and the Vienna Education Academy.
A Monumental Work on the History of the Republic
Published by Czernin Verlag, the work is impressively documented: It brings together a total of 832 speeches spanning over 4,500 pages, divided into five volumes in a slipcase. The selection of texts spans Fischer’s entire career—from his early years as a member of the National Council and SPÖ parliamentary group secretary in the 1970s, through his roles as Minister of Science and President of the National Council, to his two terms as Federal President and the years that followed his departure from the highest office of state.
Both groundbreaking milestones—such as the reforms of the Kreisky era—and the end of the Cold War and the evolution of Austrian memory policy are reflected in the records.
“Viewing Speeches in the Context of Their Time”
In a discussion moderated by historian Flavio Schily, Heinz Fischer spoke with former Federal Minister Hilde Hawlicek about contemporary history and the milestones of the past decades. Fischer emphasized above all the need to never evaluate political statements in isolation: “It is important to always view these speeches within their political and social context at the time.” It is precisely this interplay between the occasion and the social context that makes the collection a valuable document of contemporary history. In addition to Czernin Verlag, the former Federal President also expressed his gratitude to his wife, Margit Fischer, for her decades of support.
Hilde Hawlicek, for her part, reflected on her long-standing personal bond with Fischer. They had been close friends even before their shared stints in top-level politics, and in addition to their hard political work, the two are united above all by a wealth of personal memories.
A Bridge Between Generations
The hosts of the political education event emphasized the importance of this living history lesson. Gerhard Schmid (Chair of the SPÖ Federal Education Committee and Third President of the Vienna State Parliament) underscored that political education thrives on direct dialogue: Engaging with one’s own history and passing on experiences to younger generations are indispensable. Wolfgang Markytan, Executive Director of the SPÖ Federal Education Department, also emphasized that history becomes most tangible precisely when eyewitnesses share their experiences firsthand.
Following the panel discussion, numerous visitors took the opportunity to engage in personal conversations, take photos, and have the freshly printed volumes signed.