Austrian social-democratic statesman, Federal Chancellor of Austria from 1970 to 1983. A major figure of European social democracy, he profoundly modernized Austrian society and played an active role on the international stage, particularly in the Middle East.
Bruno Kreisky(1911 — 1990)
Bruno Kreisky
Autriche, Cisleithanie
5 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born in 1911 in Vienna into a Jewish family, he fled Austria after the Anschluss of 1938 and went into exile in Sweden
- Foreign Minister of Austria from 1959 to 1966
- Federal Chancellor of Austria from 1970 to 1983, leading the country's first majority social-democratic government
- Carried out major social reforms: reduction of working hours, expansion of education, reform of family law
- Played an active diplomatic role in the Middle East and was a leading figure of the Socialist International; died in 1990
Works & Achievements
Expansion of the welfare state: shorter working hours, longer paid holidays and strengthened social protection.
Abolition of tuition fees and free provision of textbooks, opening up university to children from working-class backgrounds.
Establishment of legal equality between spouses and modernization of family law, breaking with an old patriarchal order.
Austria abolished capital punishment in all circumstances, a step forward that Kreisky firmly supported.
Pioneering dialogue with the PLO and mediation for the recognition of Palestinian rights, making Austria a diplomatic player.
An autobiographical account in which Kreisky retraces his journey from exile to the chancellery and sets out his vision of social democracy.
Anecdotes
Born into a Jewish family in Vienna, Bruno Kreisky was arrested several times for his socialist activism before the war. After the annexation of Austria by the Nazis in 1938, he was forced to flee and found refuge in Sweden, where he lived in exile alongside other European social democrats such as Willy Brandt.
Chancellor from 1970 to 1983, Kreisky was so popular that this period was nicknamed the “Kreisky-Ära” (the Kreisky era). He won three consecutive elections with an absolute majority, a rare feat in a parliamentary democracy, and Austrians familiarly called him “Kaiser Bruno” (Emperor Bruno).
A Jew himself, Kreisky took a highly critical stance toward Israeli policy and was one of the first Western leaders to engage in dialogue with Yasser Arafat and the PLO. This led to heated verbal clashes with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal.
In 1975, terrorists took hostage the ministers gathered for an OPEC conference in Vienna. To save the hostages' lives, Kreisky agreed to negotiate and to let the hostage-takers leave by plane, a pragmatic and much-debated decision that illustrated his governing style.
Kreisky profoundly modernized Austria: under his governments, working hours were reduced, higher education became free, family law was reformed in favor of equality between spouses, and the death penalty was definitively abolished.
Primary Sources
We want to democratize Austrian society in all its spheres, so that every citizen can take part in the decisions that affect them.
Exile in Sweden was for me a school of social democracy; there I learned what a state in the service of all its citizens could be.
You do not make peace with your friends, you make it with your adversaries; that is why we must talk with the Palestinians.
Key Places
Kreisky's birthplace and the capital where he held power; he also died here. Under his chancellorship, Vienna became a hub of international diplomacy.
Kreisky's place of exile after the 1938 Anschluss; here he discovered the Scandinavian social-democratic model that inspired his reforms.
Seat of the Austrian government where Kreisky led the country from 1970 to 1983.
Site of the 1975 hostage crisis, where Kreisky negotiated the release of the ministers held by an armed commando.
Resting place of Bruno Kreisky, among Austria's great figures.
Typical Objects
Kreisky was often photographed pipe in hand, an object that became an attribute of his thoughtful, composed public image.
A great communicator, Kreisky made extensive use of radio and television to speak directly to the Austrian people.
A symbol of the three absolute-majority election victories that marked the Kreisky era and the vitality of Austrian democracy.
A former minister of foreign affairs, Kreisky turned Vienna into a place of international dialogue and mediation, notably in the Middle East.
Represents Kreisky's diplomatic commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, a central issue of his foreign policy.
The classic attire of the 20th-century European statesman, which Kreisky wore in the exercise of his official duties.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
An early riser, Kreisky began his day with a careful reading of the Austrian and international press, of which he was a voracious consumer. He placed great importance on staying informed before heading to the Chancellery on the Ballhausplatz.
Afternoon
His afternoons were paced by government meetings, negotiations with the social partners, and the reception of foreign heads of state or diplomats. He devoted a great deal of time to foreign policy matters.
Evening
In the evening, Kreisky often took part in radio or television interviews, or welcomed journalists and intellectuals for long discussions. A great talker, he enjoyed debating late into the night.
Food
His cuisine was that of the 20th-century Viennese bourgeoisie: Wiener Schnitzel, soups, slow-cooked dishes, and pastries such as the Sachertorte. Viennese coffee readily accompanied his conversations.
Clothing
While in office, he wore the classic dark suit and tie of the European statesman. The pipe in his hand completed his image of a calm and thoughtful intellectual.
Housing
Kreisky lived in Vienna, in a bourgeois apartment, and worked at the Chancellery palace on the Ballhausplatz, in the historic heart of the Austrian capital.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Réformes sociales et réduction du temps de travail
1970-1983
Gratuité de l'enseignement et démocratisation de l'éducation
années 1970
Réforme du droit de la famille
1975-1978
Abolition définitive de la peine de mort
1968-1970
Politique active au Proche-Orient
années 1970-1980
Mémoires (Im Strom der Politik)
1988
