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The Story of Notre Dame


America - Europe

A Transatlantic Diary 1961 - 1989

Klaus Lanzinger


Innsbruck, November 18, 1977

Dr. Kurt Schuschnigg (1897-1977)

The former Federal Chancellor of Austria Dr. Kurt Schuschnigg passed away quietly in the village of Mutters near Innsbruck. He was 80 years old. Dr. Schuschnigg personified dignity and distinction. By profession a lawyer, he had entered politics early in life: 1927-33 representative of the Christian Social Party in the Nationalrat, the Lower House of the Austrian Parliament, 1932-34 Minister of Justice and Education, and from 1934 to March 12, 1938 last Federal Chancellor of the free Austria before annexation. It is still an open question whether, in March of 1938, Dr. Schuschnigg should have accepted the ultimatum for his resignation or whether he should have offered resistance instead.

At the end of the Second World War Kurt Schuschnigg was liberated by American troops from the concentration camp. In 1948 he emigrated with his family to America. He taught political science at the University of St. Louis in Missouri. In 1956 he was naturalized as U.S. citizen. Dr. Schuschnigg returned to Austria in 1967 and spent the last years of his life withdrawn in Mutters.

Innsbruck, November 19/20, 1977

Anwar Sadat before the Knesset

As the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had accepted the invitation of Menachem Begin to come to Jerusalem, the world could watch over this weekend an event, which just a short time ago would have been inconceivable. Anwar Sadat was welcomed in Israel with jubilation. He addressed the Knesset and presented his peace proposals. Begin and Sadat held out the prospect for a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt. With this journey, Sadat has shown great courage, farsight as well as his readiness for taking risks. Will it bring the long hoped-for peace in the Middle East?


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