On 12 March 1949, two months before the signing, in London, of the Statute of the Council of Europe, the Austrian weekly newspaper Die österreichische Furche compares the ideological positions of the federalists and the unionists with regard to the practical details involved in the establishment of the United States of Europe.

On 5 May 1949, in London, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom sign the Statute of the Council of Europe.

On 4 November 1949, meeting in Paris at the French Foreign Ministry, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe considers that it would be premature for Austria to accede to the Council of Europe insofar as the country has not regained full sovereignty.

On 4 November 1949, meeting in Paris at the French Foreign Ministry, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopts a resolution which postpones Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe until the Austrian State Treaty is signed and occupation forces withdraw from Austrian territory.

On 11 June 1951, Eduard Ludwig, Chairman of the Austrian Parliamentary Council of the European Movement and envoy extraordinary of the Austrian Government to the Council of Europe, sends a letter to Jacques-Camille Paris, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, in which he outlines, in particular, the possibility of Austrian delegates, in their capacity as experts, being involved in the meetings of the Committees of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

On 6 May 1953, Eduard Ludwig, Austrian envoy extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, sends a letter to Jacques-Camille Paris, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, informing him of the decision taken by Karl Gruber, Austrian Foreign Minister, to appoint him as Permanent Representative of the Austrian Government to the Council of Europe.

On 22 December 1951, commenting on Paul-Henri Spaak’s resignation as President of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Austrian weekly newspaper Die österreichische Furche emphasises the need for European countries to make some sacrifices with regard to national sovereignty and the national economy in order to achieve unity in Europe.

In November 1952, in an article for the journal Österreichische Monatshefte, Eduard Ludwig, representative of the Austrian Parliament at the Council of Europe, emphasises the importance of the Council of Europe as a platform for discussions on European integration.

On 15 December 1953, several MPs, led by Bruno Pittermann and Barthold Stürgkh, submit to the Austrian National Council a draft resolution in which they argue for Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 1 March 1956, in the Austrian National Council, the MPs Ernst Fischer, Lujo Toncic-Sorinj, Herbert Kraus, Bruno Pittermann and Helfried Pfeifer comment on the report drawn up by the rapporteur, Karl Czernetz, on Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

In his memoirs, Lujo Toncic-Sorinj, former Austrian Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, recounts the efforts made by some Austrian political leaders in the early 1950s to promote Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 8 December 1951, the Committee on General Affairs of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe adopts a motion which proposes that Austria should be invited to accede to the Council of Europe.

On 1 February 1956, Per Fischer, Secretary of the General Affairs Committee of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, sends a memorandum to the Registrar of the Assembly in which he outlines the attitude of Austria towards the Council of Europe.

On 4 February 1956, Ernst Paul, German Member of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe and of its special committee responsible for overseeing the interests of the European nations which are not represented in the Council of Europe, sends a letter to his compatriot, Karl Wistrand, Member of the Consultative Assembly, in which he suggests that Austria be officially invited to accede to the Council.

On 28 February 1956, Léon Marchal, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, sends a letter to Guy Mollet, French President of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, in which he emphasises that the Committee of Ministers wishes to invite Austria to accede to the Council of Europe.

On 1 March 1956, Léon Marchal, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, sends a letter to the members of the Standing Committee in which he outlines the procedure for Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe and specifies the number of seats to be allocated to Austria when it becomes a full member of the Council.

On 8 March 1956, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopts a resolution which invites Austria to accede to the Council of Europe and establishes, in particular, the number of seats to be allocated to Austrian representatives in the Consultative Assembly.

On 8 March 1956, Léon Marchal, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, sends a letter to Eduard Ludwig, Minister Plenipotentiary and official Observer of the Austrian Government at the Council of Europe, in which he outlines the procedures for Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 9 March 1956, Léon Marchal, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, sends a letter to Guy Mollet, French President of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, in which he outlines the positive opinion of the members of the Standing Committee regarding Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 16 April 1956, during its Eighth Ordinary Session, the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe welcomes the Austrian representatives and invites them to take their seats in the Chamber.

On 16 April 1956, Gaetano Martino, Italian Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the 18th session of the Committee of Ministers, welcomes Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 16 April 1956, at the 18th session of the Committee of Ministers, Leopold Figl, Austrian Foreign Minister, welcomes Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe and emphasises his country’s wish to participate in the reconstruction of a Europe now at peace.

In 1956, following Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe, Eduard Ludwig, Minister Plenipotentiary and official Observer of the Austrian Government at the Council of Europe, calls for an increase in the number of seats allocated to the Austrian representatives in the Consultative Assembly.

Photo of the official ceremony held on 16 April 1956 in front of the Maison de l’Europe in Strasbourg to mark Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 16 April 1956, in Strasbourg, Gaetano Martino (right), Italian Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, congratulates Leopold Figl (left), Austrian Foreign Minister, on Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe.

On 16 April 1956, the day on which Austria accedes to the Council of Europe, Leopold Figl, Austrian Foreign Minister, and Bruno Kreisky, Junior Minister, attend a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for the first time.

On 16 April 1956, the day of Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe, Leopold Figl, Austrian Foreign Minister, and Bruno Kreisky, State Secretary, attend a meeting of the organisation’s Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg for the first time.

On 17 April 1956, the Austrian daily newspaper Wiener Zeitung comments on Austria’s accession to the Council of Europe and reports on the events which marked the official ceremony that took place in Strasbourg the previous day.

On 25 September 1973, with a view to the forthcoming meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the Austrian Franz Karasek, rapporteur for the Political Committee of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, submits a report on the importance of freedom of expression and on the role of the artist in European society.

On 28 September 1973, following the report of 25 September by Franz Karasek and referring to the observance of decisions taken by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe adopts a resolution on the importance and the protection of the cultural activities of minorities and on stepping up cultural exchange in Europe, condemning, in particular, violations of freedom of expression in the countries of Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union.

On 13 December 1974, Franz Karasek, Austrian Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Education of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, submits a report in which he condemns the inadequacy of the results achieved after a quarter of a century of European cultural cooperation.

On 28 March 1977, with a view to the preparatory meeting to be held in Belgrade on 15 June on the implementation of the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the Austrian Franz Karasek, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Education of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, proposes the convening of a meeting between the Western European States in the Council of Europe in order to define a common position on sections three and four of the third basket vis-à-vis the Eastern European countries.

On 10 December 1980, Franz Karasek, Austrian Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, delivers an address in Vienna on the implications of European education and the importance of instilling an awareness of Europe in young people.

Lujo Toncic-Sorinj, Austrian Secretary-General of the Council of Europe from 16 September 1969 to 16 September 1974.

On 29 September 1969, the Austrian Lujo Toncic-Sorinj, recently appointed Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, outlines to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe the objectives of his mandate over the next few years.

Franz Karasek, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe from 1 October 1979 to 1 October 1984.

On 3 October 1979, the Austrian Franz Karasek, recently appointed Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, makes a statement to the Parliamentary Assembly in which he outlines the activities of the Council of Europe for the next few years.

In an address delivered in 1980, Franz Karasek, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe from 1979 to 1984, emphasises the need for complementarity between the Council of Europe and the European Communities. The member states of the Council of Europe, whether or not they are Member States of the European Communities, remain united by the principles of democracy and human rights.

Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 1 September 1999 to 31 August 2004.

On 22 September 1976, in Strasbourg, Karl Czernetz (right), Austrian President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, welcomes the Socialist MP José Manuel de Medeiros Ferreira (left) at the ceremony held to mark Portugal’s accession to the Council of Europe.

Peter Schieder, Austrian President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 21 January 2002 to 23 January 2005.