heinz Nußbaumer, ‘Grand Master of Journalism’ and Chronicler of World history, Dies at 82
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Austria has lost a towering figure in journalism with the passing of Heinz Nußbaumer, who died at the age of 82 on the weekend of February 24th, as announced by Die Furche on Monday.For over six decades, Nußbaumer served as a pivotal voice in Austrian media, renowned for his insightful reporting, extensive network of global contacts, and unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity.
A career Spanning politics,Diplomacy,and Faith
Nußbaumer’s career was remarkably diverse,beginning with a role as press officer for future Chancellor Josef Klaus in 1962. He then transitioned to journalism,joining the Salzburger Volkszeitung in 1964 before being brought to Vienna by the legendary Hugo Portisch to work for Kurier in 1966. The two journalists forged a friendship that lasted over half a century, with Nußbaumer later encapsulating Portisch’s legacy as a call to “Learn from history; fight against prejudice; educate to be tolerant.”
In 1971, Nußbaumer assumed leadership of Kurier’s foreign policy department, a position he held for nearly two decades. During this time, he conducted groundbreaking interviews with a remarkable array of world leaders, including Saudi Arabia’s King Feisal, the Shah of persia, Egypt’s presidents Nasser and Sadat, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, US President Ronald Reagan, US Secretary of state Henry Kissinger, the Dalai Lama, India’s Indira Gandhi, and british Prime minister Margaret Thatcher. These interviews garnered significant international attention and cemented his reputation as a leading foreign policy journalist.
A Legacy of Ethical Journalism
Throughout his career, Nußbaumer consistently championed the highest standards of journalistic quality, ethics, and freedom.He believed in the importance of “more courage and humility” and “more resistance to trivialization, quota pressure and external impositions.” His final role as editor of Die Furche,from 2003 until the end of February 2023,and as a columnist for the publication as 2008,allowed him to continue shaping public discourse.Upon his departure, he acknowledged the challenges facing the media landscape, citing a “flood of data that has become uncontrollable,” the “manipulation tools of populism,” and a “dramatic loss of trust in traditional media.”
Recognition and awards
Nußbaumer’s contributions to journalism were widely recognized through numerous awards.He received the Karl Renner Prize in 1974 and 1986, the Leopold Kunschak Prize in 1990, and the Rene Marcic Prize in 2000 for his commitment to quality and ethics. In 2005, the Archdiocese of Vienna bestowed upon him the Order of St. Stephen in Gold. He was also honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Concordia press club (2017), the industry magazine Der Österreichische Journalist (2019), and the Hans Ströbitzer Prize (2023).
Beyond his journalistic work, Nußbaumer was a prolific author. His biography of Ayatollah Khomeini, Revolutionary in the Name of Allah, became an international bestseller. His later work, My Little Big World. Encounters – Experiences – Memories,published in 2011,offered a compelling glimpse into his remarkable career and the ancient events he witnessed.
As Die Furche noted,with Nußbaumer’s passing,Austria has lost a “grand master of journalism and a chronicler of world history.” Editor-in-chief Doris Helmberger-Fleckl described him as “an expert on the Middle East like no other,” who possessed a unique ability to contextualize world events within a broader historical framework. ORF boss Roland Weißmann hailed him as a “defining personality in the austrian media landscape,” while archbishop Franz Lackner lamented the loss as a blow to critical thinking within the church. Nußbaumer’s legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire generations of journalists to pursue truth,integrity,and a deeper understanding of the world.
