Alfred Worm

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Alfred Worm (born June 14, 1945 in Gmünd , Lower Austria ; † February 5, 2007 in Vienna ) was an Austrian journalist, author and university teacher.

Act

Alfred Worm began training as a civil engineer at HTL Mödling , which he completed in 1964. He then worked as an engineer in the construction industry for almost 10 years before beginning to criticize and expose the dubious practices in awarding large construction contracts.

Alfred Worm became famous in 1973 when the Bauring scandal was uncovered . He found interest in investigative journalism , which he pursued, especially with regard to the bribery and fraud affairs in large building projects in Austria. From 1974 to 1994 he was editor of profil , most recently deputy editor-in-chief. In 1980 he uncovered the AKH scandal . In 1981 he received the Dr. Karl Renner Journalism Prize . In April 1986 he caused a sensation in the presidential election campaign: in connection with the Waldheim affair , based on the minutes of speeches by Ottilie Matysek , he published the internal announcement by Federal Chancellor Fred Sinowatz of October 28, 1985 that “a large-scale campaign would be the Austrian one Inform the population about Kurt Waldheim's brown past ”. In 1987 Sinowatz, who denied this statement, charged Worm with defamation ; However, Worm was acquitted based on Matysek's note. Sinowatz and other politicians who had confirmed Sinowatz's account in court, however, were sentenced to high fines in 1992 for false testimony . In May 1994, Worm switched to News magazine , where he - initially alongside Wolfgang Fellner - was editor-in-chief.

Vienna Central Cemetery - honorary grave of Alfred Worm

Since the mid-1980s, Alfred Worm has been a lecturer at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies at the University of Vienna . From 1988 he played a key role in ensuring that this institute had its own building on Schopenhauerstrasse. Throughout his entire apprenticeship, Worm was heavily involved in training journalists and promoting young journalists. As the most prominent journalist among the institute's lecturers, he can be ascribed a considerable attraction as a factor for the steadily increasing number of students.

From 1983 to 1988 Alfred Worm was a member of the ÖVP in the Vienna Landtag and local council as a "lateral entrant" .

Three days after receiving the Journalist of the Year 2006 award , he died of a heart attack on the night of February 4th to 5th, 2007 at the age of 62 . Alfred Worm was buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery in an honorary grave (group 40, number 82).

Alfred Worm Prize

An annual award from the News publishing group for investigative journalism was named after him, the Alfred Worm Prize . The prize was awarded from 2008 to 2011. Prize winners were:

Anecdotes

After Worm called the politician John Gudenus, who was active in the FPÖ at the time, a "fool", the latter sued him for insulting his honor. Worm was sentenced to a fine of 30,000 shillings , the equivalent of just under 2,200 euros . He was previously offered a settlement in case he withdraws his testimony. He refused because "[...] it must be worth 30,000 shillings to me to be able to call these people a fool."

Publications

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Roland Widder, Herbert Dachs (ed.): History of the Austrian federal states since 1945 . Burgenland. From the borderland in the east to the gateway to the west. tape 5 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna 2000, ISBN 3-205-98786-1 , p. 449 .
  2. ^ Alfred Worm Prize ( Memento from September 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
personal data
SURNAME Worm, Alfred
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian journalist, book author, university professor and politician (ÖVP), member of the state parliament
DATE OF BIRTH June 14, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Gmünd (Lower Austria)
DATE OF DEATH February 5, 2007
Place of death Vienna