Three very important anniversaries will be celebrated in Austria in 2005. The whole nation has been concerned by the three of them, because they have changed nearly everything in the cause of the last six decades in our home country: the end of World War II in 1945, the “Staatsvertrag” (a treaty of five countries) in 1955 and finally the membership into the European Union in 1995.
These anniversaries will be celebrated in Austria in some different kinds of happiness, but also in a serious mood. There is so much to recollect, considering the fact, that many of the former involved are still alive and tell about what has happened.

April 27th, 1945, the so-called “Second Republic” was installed in Vienna, though at this time Hitler was still alive and war had not come to an end yet. It had been some weeks ago, that the allies of USA, United Kingdom, France and Soviet Union had come to free Austria from the Nazi occupation. So a group of Austrian politicians dared the rebirth of a nation, that had not been existing since seven years, being part of the big German Third Reich.

After capitulation of the Nazis, May 8th 1945, the young Republic of Austria would be occupied by the allies for 10 years. These troops helped us to regain democratic infrastructure and system, but there was also lots of evil in it. Especially the first coming Soviet troops were behaving cruelly to the local people. In fact, the Federal President of Austria, Karl Renner (succeeded by Theodor Körner), the Chancellor of Austria, Leopold Figl, and the whole government were not the sovereigns over their own politics. Everything had to be attested by the allies. Confer it to the situation in Iraq, today: there is a local government, but the US still hold their hands over the country helping them to take well-considered steps into freedom. But at that time, mistrust between the USA and the Soviets had been growing, so nobody would like to cede Austria, right in the centre of Europe, to the ideological enemy.

When Josef Stalin died in 1953, the new leaders of the Soviet Union suggested some movement into the problem. Austria itself was longing hard for freedom and the end of foreign occupation. Julius Raab, Chancellor since 1953, Leopold Figl, at that time Secretary of State, Bruno Kreisky, Ludwig Steiner (who is still living in Tyrol!) and some other members of an optimistic delegation obtained that Moscow agreed with the withdrawal of their troops from Austria, if this state itself took over the duty of neutrality and so promised not to join any military organization of the western world. May 15th 1955, the “Staatsvertrag” between the allied nations and Austria was signed at the Palace of Belvedere in Vienna. That day, the whole nation knew that the allies would leave the country in a couple of months. And so they did right into October. Leopold Figl made himself extremely popular, and he still is. He certainly was a strategic genious, impressing the Soviets as a very courageous man as well as by his legendary ability of standing alcohol in hard negotiations.
October, 1955, Austria got free and independent. And it still is, thanks to God, and I hope it will be forever!
 

Yours Walter Dujmovits, jun.