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At that time, the Austrian perception of the problems of international human rights was determined by the crimes of dictatorial regimes in Central and South America, the communist bloc and the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe process, the Apartheid system in South Africa and the under-developed southern hemisphere, and the North-South conflict.
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Bruno Kreisky had been imprisoned by both the Dollfuß regime in 1935 for 15 months and by the National Socialists in 1938 for another five months. He was eventually forced into exile in Sweden, from where he returned only in 1951. These experiences marked his political opinions, especially in relation to dictatorial regimes, human rights' abuses and regarding people seeking asylum. |
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| Bruno
Kreisky in exile in Sweden |
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| Bruno Kreisky |
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| These experiences were reflected in Kreisky's policies on the great issues of his time: the East-West conflict and Détente and development aid policies. They were also shown in his engagement for individuals in Eastern Europe and Latin America. |
Criminal Identification Department photo 1935. |
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„In
awareness of the responsibility I bear, and in its broadest
sense, I have come to the conclusion that it is necessary,
without hate and without design, to intervene in the internal
affairs of other states.“
13 September, 1971, Bruno Kreisky, conference of the international
council of Amnesty International. |
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To emphasize the independent and non-partisan character of the foundation, companies and institutions which were not allied to the Social Democratic camp in Austria also contributed to raising the capital for the Foundation. € 700,000 (ATS 10 million) was collected in two tranches. The Foundation is still presently financed substantially from returns on this capital and from private contributions. Austrian tax regulations require that the foundation distributes 50% of prize money within Austria.
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Bruno
Kreisky with friends Olof Palme and Willy Brandt
in the
garden at Armbrustergasse 15 in Vienna.
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While Bruno Kreisky exercised no influence over the establishing of the Foundation, the composition of the first international and independent jury most definitely did reflect the international network of Kreisky as a statesman. International personalities such as the German journalist and resistance fighter Countess Marion Dönhoff, professor Herwig Büchele, SJ, as well as statesmen and personal friends of Kreisky such as Willy Brandt, Olof Palme and Roland Dumas, were also prominent jury members. This emphasized the Foundation's readiness in its awards to honour special merit in the area of protecting and supporting economic and social human rights.
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