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TwitterFarewell to Dr Erich Kussbach
It was with great sorrow that we learned that Ambassador Hon. Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Erich Kussbach, LL.M. (Yale), Member of the Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution from 2001 to 2021, passed away on 10 July 2026 at the age of 95.
Erich Kussbach’s life was profoundly shaped by the events of the 20th century. His father, the lawyer Dr Franz Kussbach, helped numerous Jewish colleagues and friends flee the German occupation of Hungary and narrowly survived Dachau concentration camp and a “death march” towards the end of the war himself. Erich Kussbach made a remarkable escape from the Soviet occupiers during the 1956 Hungarian Uprising when he spontaneously decided to join a group of medics on a medical evacuation flight to Austria.
In 1963, he joined the Austrian diplomatic service, with his postings including Bern, New York, West Berlin and Strasbourg. He was especially proud of his role as Ambassador to Hungary, a position that was particularly meaningful to him due to his personal history and strong connections to that country. In addition, Erich Kussbach was honorary professor of international humanitarian law at the University of Linz, as well as being a professor of international law at the Catholic Pázmán Péter University in Budapest.
From 2001 to 2021, Kussbach served on the Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution at the General Settlement Fund, which examined applications for the restitution of property seized during the Nazi era. He carried out this responsibility-laden role in an honorary capacity for two decades, until the Arbitration Panel was dissolved in 2021 after completing its tasks.
For the Chairman of the Arbitration Panel, Emeritus Professor Dr Josef Aicher, Ambassador Kussbach was the ideal choice for this challenging role. He commented: “Not only his ability as a diplomat to find consensus, honed over decades of professional experience, but also his expertise as a legal scholar and his commitment to finding fair solutions were of inestimable value and had a decisive influence on our work.” Professor MMag. Dr August Reinisch, LL.M., the third member of the Arbitration Panel, recalls with great gratitude the years of collegial collaboration with Erich Kussbach and the valuable insights he gained from the latter's experience and knowledge: “He lived a fulfilling life. Over the many years of our work together, I was able to learn a great deal from him.”
Ambassador Kussbach’s wide-ranging achievements were highly recognised throughout his life. Most recently, in December 2025, he was awarded the Golden Medal of Honour for Services to the City of Vienna at Vienna’s City Hall as an expression of gratitude and appreciation for his extraordinary commitment to seeking justice for the victims of National Socialism.
At the National Fund, where the General Settlement Fund and Arbitration Panel were established, and amongst his former colleagues, the news of Ambassador Kussbach's passing was received with deep sadness. Our work with him was always marked by enormous mutual respect and we will remember him for his warmth, humour and dedication.
The Managing Director of the National Fund, Mag. Judith Pfeffer, MA, paid tribute to Ambassador Kussbach, acknowledging his long-standing role as a valuable and important ally of the Fund and the staff of the Arbitration Panel. “I am grateful that he was awarded the Golden Medal of Honour of the City of Vienna last year – a high mark of recognition for his many years of service and his contribution to coming to terms with the Nazi era in Austria.”
Professor Mag. Hannah M. Lessing, Managing Director of the National Fund and long-standing Secretary General of the General Settlement Fund, remembers Ambassador Kussbach as an outstanding lawyer and an extraordinary individual: “It was a great privilege to work with him. He displayed in his professional conduct the highest standards of integrity, a strong sense of justice and a profound sense of human warmth. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife, Waltraud, and his family. We shall remember Ambassador Kussbach with gratitude. May his memory always be a blessing.”