Geburtstag: 21. Dezember 1918
Todesdatum: 14. Juni 2007
Kurt Josef Waldheim war ein österreichischer Diplomat und parteiloser Politiker. Er war in der NS-Zeit Soldat und später Offizier der Wehrmacht. Er war von 1968 bis 1970 Außenminister, von 1972 bis 1981 Generalsekretär der Vereinten Nationen und von 1986 bis 1992 Bundespräsident Österreichs. Infolge der Waldheim-Affäre um seine Haltung in der NS-Zeit verzichtete er auf eine zweite Kandidatur.
— Kurt Waldheim
in einem Interview des ORF am 9. März 1986 zu Vorwürfen der Beteiligung an Judendeportationen; zitiert aus: Moshe Zuckermann (Herausg.): Deutsche Geschichte des 20. Jahrunderts im Spiegel der deutschsprachigen Literatur, Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 3-89244-685-7, S. 148
— Kurt Waldheim
Context: As the Secretary General of the United Nations, an organizations of the 147 member states who represent almost all of the human inhabitants of the planet earth. I send greetings on behalf of the people of our planet. We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship, to teach if we are called upon, to be taught if we are fortunate. We know full well that our planet and all its inhabitants are but a small part of the immense universe that surrounds us and it is with humility and hope that we take this step.
Message intended for extraterrestrials recorded onto the Voyager spacecrafts before they were launched into interstellar space.
— Kurt Waldheim
Context: I do not expect miracles or spectacular successes - sound political progress is seldom based in either - but I am convinced that the United Nations provides the best road to the future for those who have confidence in our capacity to shape our own fate on this planet.
[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=l-8zjFmqrWsC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=%22I+am+convinced+that+the+United+Nations+provides+the+best+road+to+the+future+for+those+who+have+confidence+in+our+capacity+to+shape+our+own+fate+on+this+planet.%22+-quotes&source=bl&ots=4qdPUuEgR7&sig=veV7jGeSlmXbDn1FGnWvTky3kSM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjb04WzhLnNAhXBtBoKHbSPAQEQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=%22I%20am%20convinced%20that%20the%20United%20Nations%20provides%20the%20best%20road%20to%20the%20future%20for%20those%20who%20have%20confidence%20in%20our%20capacity%20to%20shape%20our%20own%20fate%20on%20this%20planet.%22%20-quotes&f=false The Challenge of Peace speech], 1980
— Kurt Waldheim
Context: You must not expect the United Nations to accomplish miracles. We are made up of sovereign nations. We can only accomplish what our member nations allow us to accomplish.
quoted in the article The United Nations—How Strong a World Force?, in The Watchtower magazine, September 15, 1974.
— Kurt Waldheim
[http://derstandard.at/2000031874110/Ich-habe-im-Krieg-nichts-anderes-getan-als-meine-Pflicht Waldheim Affair], 9 March 1986
— Kurt Waldheim
[http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/stsg-8 World-service speech], 1978
— Kurt Waldheim
Arnold Schwarzenegger at [http://gawker.com/5803201/an-encyclopedia-of-every-other-awful-thing-arnold-schwarzenegger-has-done 1986 wedding reception]
— Kurt Waldheim
[http://www.uibk.ac.at/zeitgeschichte/zis/library/gehler.html#dok3 Rede des Bundespräsidenten Dr. Kurt Waldheim am Vorabend des 50. Jahrestages des „Anschlusses“ Österreichs an Hitlerdeutschland im Österreichischen Fernsehen]
Often quoted as simply "There is no such thing as collective guilt".
