November 25, 1998

Contact:
Press Contact: Yvonne French (202) 707-9191

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DR. FRIEDRICH HOESS TO DELIVER THIRD ANNUAL VIENNA LECTURE

Ambassador Friedrich Hoess, Special Envoy of the Austrian Presidency of the European Union, will deliver the 1998 Vienna Lecture at the Library of Congress on December 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E. A reception will follow the lecture.

This year's lecture, "The Future Shape of Europe: A View from Vienna," is the third in the Vienna Lecture series. The Library's Office of Scholarly Programs, together with the Embassy of Austria, began sponsoring the lecture series in 1996 to focus on Austria's history and people. The 1996 and 1977 Vienna Lectures were delivered by Dr. Heinz Fischer, President of the Austrian Parliament, and Dr. Erhard Busek, Austrian Vice Chancellor Emeritus, respectively.

Dr. Hoess earned his doctorate of law from the University of Vienna in 1995. His distinguished diplomatic career began in 1958 with his appointment as Economic Attaché at the Austrian Embassy in Washington. From 1967 to 1970, he was a member of the private office of Federal Chancellor Dr. Josef Klaus, and subsequently served as Austrian Consul General in Berlin from 1971 to 1974.

Dr. Hoess was appointed Austrian Ambassador to Australia in 1975, and Permanent Austrian Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna in 1979. He became a member of the Austrian Senate (Bundesrat) in 1983, serving as Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

In 1987, Dr. Hoess was appointed Austrian Ambassador to the United States. This was followed by a 1993 appointment as Austrian Ambassador to Germany, a position he held until his retirement from the Austrian foreign service in 1997. In 1998 he was appointed to his current position.

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PR 98-191
11/25/98
ISSN 0731-3527