Kurt Waldheim, former UN leader

VIENNA – Kurt Waldheim, the former UN Secretary General whose reputation was hurt when his Nazi past was revealed, asked for understanding in a “last word” released on Friday, the day after his death.

“To all those who stood against and criticised me, goes my greeting and my request to reflect once more on their motives and, when possible, to reconcile with me,” Waldheim wrote, according to a copy published by the Austrian news agency APA. Waldheim, who died on Thursday at the age of 88, denied in his life that he was guilty of war crimes, and there was no posthumous revelation.But he did say he “deeply regretted” that he had “much too late” taken a position on Nazi crimes, even though these had “nothing to do with my life and my thoughts”.He said this had led to misunderstandings.Waldheim said that “looking back”, he saw that the reason for his waiting too long to own up to the past was due to his “hectic and full international life” as an Austrian and global civil servant.”Yes, I made mistakes, and luckily had a lot of time to reflect upon them,” Waldheim said.He was UN chief from 1972 until 1981 and then president of Austria from 1986 to 1992, when he was at the centre of an international storm over his wartime links to a Nazi militia.His denials of any wrongdoing failed to stop him becoming a virtual outcast on the international diplomatic stage, although he remained a noted figure back home.Waldheim was elected Austrian president in June 1986 but his victory turned sour following reports that he knew of, even if he did not participate in, Nazi war crimes while a young lieutenant in the Balkans.Waldheim steadfastly denied all allegations about his activities.The controversy erupted in March 1986 when the Austrian news weekly Profil published a photocopy of his 1939 German army service record revealing that he had been a member of the SA, the Nazi party’s political militia.Waldheim argued he was forced to join as a member of the Consular Academy’s riding club, saying the “activities were purely athletic and had nothing to do with the (Nazi) party”.Most Austrians did not believe Waldheim was linked to Nazi atrocities.In fact, the accusations boosted his poll ratings as president.Waldheim said later the furore over his 1986-92 presidency had in fact forced Austrians to face up to the fact that they were not all passive victims of Nazi Germany, which annexed Austria virtually without resistance.A significant number of top Nazis, including Adolf Hitler, were Austrian.”If my life story has contributed to a new approach to history (in Austria), then it is positive – of course at the price of damage to me personally,” Waldheim said in an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard in January 2006.Waldheim said the intelligence services of major powers knew about his past when he was UN leader from 1972 to 1981.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he “learned with sadness” of the death of Waldheim, who he said “served the United Nations at a crucial period in (its) history”.Born on December 21 1918, in St Andrae, a small town northwest of Vienna, Waldheim studied law at Vienna University and attended the Consular Academy, the nation’s top diplomatic school.After the war, Waldheim entered the diplomatic service and worked under Foreign Minister Karl Gruber.In 1948, he was named first secretary of the Austrian Embassy in Paris.From 1951 to 1955, he returned to the Foreign Ministry, and spent the next two years as Austria’s observer to the United Nations.He was ambassador to Canada from 1958 to 1960 and then returned to Vienna.From 1964 to 1968, he was Austria’s representative to the United Nations.He then became foreign minister, a post he held for the next two years.After starting another term as UN representative, he lost a 1971 bid for Austria’s presidency.Although Waldheim travelled to many crisis areas, including the Middle East, he never gained the reputation of peacemaker enjoyed by other UN chiefs.Nampa-Reuters-APWaldheim, who died on Thursday at the age of 88, denied in his life that he was guilty of war crimes, and there was no posthumous revelation.But he did say he “deeply regretted” that he had “much too late” taken a position on Nazi crimes, even though these had “nothing to do with my life and my thoughts”.He said this had led to misunderstandings.Waldheim said that “looking back”, he saw that the reason for his waiting too long to own up to the past was due to his “hectic and full international life” as an Austrian and global civil servant.”Yes, I made mistakes, and luckily had a lot of time to reflect upon them,” Waldheim said.He was UN chief from 1972 until 1981 and then president of Austria from 1986 to 1992, when he was at the centre of an international storm over his wartime links to a Nazi militia.His denials of any wrongdoing failed to stop him becoming a virtual outcast on the international diplomatic stage, although he remained a noted figure back home.Waldheim was elected Austrian president in June 1986 but his victory turned sour following reports that he knew of, even if he did not participate in, Nazi war crimes while a young lieutenant in the Balkans.Waldheim steadfastly denied all allegations about his activities.The controversy erupted in March 1986 when the Austrian news weekly Profil published a photocopy of his 1939 German army service record revealing that he had been a member of the SA, the Nazi party’s political militia.Waldheim argued he was forced to join as a member of the Consular Academy’s riding club, saying the “activities were purely athletic and had nothing to do with the (Nazi) party”.Most Austrians did not believe Waldheim was linked to Nazi atrocities.In fact, the accusations boosted his poll ratings as president.Waldheim said later the furore over his 1986-92 presidency had in fact forced Austrians to face up to the fact that they were not all passive victims of Nazi Germany, which annexed Austria virtually without resistance.A significant number of top Nazis, including Adolf Hitler, were Austrian.”If my life story has contributed to a new approach to history (in Austria), then it is positive – of course at the price of damage to me personally,” Waldheim said in an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard in January 2006.Waldheim said the intelligence services of major powers knew about his past when he was UN leader from 1972 to 1981.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he “learned with sadness” of the death of Waldheim, who he said “served the United Nations at a crucial period in (its) history”.Born on December 21 1918, in St Andrae, a small town northwest of Vienna, Waldheim studied law at Vienna University and attended the Consular Academy, the nation’s top diplomatic school.After the war, Waldheim entered the diplomatic service and worked under Foreign Minister Karl Gruber.In 1948, he was named first secretary of the Austrian Embassy in Paris.From 1951 to 1955, he returned to the Foreign Ministry, and spent the next two years as Austria’s observer to the United Nations.He was ambassador to Canada from 1958 to 1960 and then returned to Vienna.From 1964 to 1968, he was Austria’s representative to the United Nations.He then became foreign minister, a post he held for the next two years.After starting another term as UN representative, he lost a 1971 bid for Austria’s presidency.Although Waldheim travelled to many crisis areas, including the Middle East, he never gained the reputation of peacemaker enjoyed by other UN chiefs.Nampa-Reuters-AP