Heinrich Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein (*16 January 1927 – 6 May 2024, Graz, Styria) was an Austrian diplomat, who has also been active in the academic world and cultural policy.
After attending elementary and secondary school (1934–45) Heinrich Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein studied law at the University of Graz. Following graduation as doctor of law he practiced at courts and legal firms in his home town.
In 1952 Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein became secretary of the European Youth Campaign of the European Movement and later as a Fulbright scholar - Fulbright Program - studied economics at the University of California at Berkeley (1954/55).
In 1956 he entered the Austrian diplomatic service and was appointed to the embassy in The Hague as attaché. He acted as deputy head of delegation at Austria’s mission to the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community in Luxembourg (1960–67). Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein opened Austria’s embassy to Luxembourg as chargé d'affaires.
As director of the Department for Economic Integration in the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (1967–71) he was responsible for European integration and the Danube Commission and led negotiations on the steel chapter of the free trade agreement between EFTA and the European Communities.
In the years 1971-78 Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein was Austrian ambassador to Finland. In this capacity he headed the Austrian delegation at preparatory negotiations for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). In 1978 he was appointed director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, a position in which he served until 1986. During this period he was co-director of the international meetings of directors of diplomatic academies and institutes of international relations. He also advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saudi Arabia) on the establishment of a diplomatic academy in Riyadh. While director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna he led seminars, and also acted as employee representative and member of the disciplinary commission of the Foreign Ministry.
From 1986 until retiring from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1992 Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein served as Austrian ambassador to the Netherlands.
Heinrich Pfusterschmid-Hardtensein lived with his wife Florentine in Vienna until his passing away on May 6th, 2024.[1] He had three children: Johanna, Sophie and Katharina.
In 1992 Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein was elected by Österreichisches College as honorary president.[2] In this capacity he was responsible until 2000 for planning and staging the annual European Forum in Alpbach - European Forum Alpbach -, which has been held since 1945. During his presidency Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein introduced a number of innovations to the event and oversaw construction of a new Congress Center.
Starting in 1991, Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein served as president of the Austrian-Finnish Society and vice president of the Association for Social Sciences (Sozialwissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft).