Organs of the National Fund

Committee

The Committee decides on the award of payments within the scope of its authorisation (Sec. 4 (1) item 4 of the National Fund Law). The Chairperson of the Committee or his/her deputy must report to the Board of Trustees at every meeting of the Board on the decisions it has issued since the last meeting.

The Committee consists of the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees or a representative designated by him/her in the capacity of Chairperson, another member designated by the Board of Trustees in the capacity of Deputy Chairperson, three other members to be appointed by the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees with the approval of the Main Committee of the National Council as well as one expert delegated by the President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, two persons with an scientific or scientific-artistic reputation in the field of contemporary history, museum education or (specialised) didactics delegated by the Austrian University Conference and one person delegated by the Austrian National Committee of the International Council of Museums (Sec. 5 (1) of the National Fund Law).

The Committee is headed by the President of the National Council. Dr. Heinz Fischer (SPÖ) held this position from the establishment of the National Fund in 1995 until the year 2002, followed by Dr. Andreas Khol (ÖVP) from December 2002 until October 2006, Mag. Barbara Prammer (SPÖ) from October 2006 until August 2014 and Doris Bures (SPÖ) from September 2014 until November 2017, Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) from November until December 2017, from December 2017 until October 2024 Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) and from October 2024 until April 2025 Dr. Walter Rosenkranz (ÖVP). Peter Haubner has been the Chairperson of the Comittee since April 2025.