Helga Rabl-Stadler

Helga Rabl-Stadler, 2018

Helga Rabl-Stadler (2 June 1948) is an Austrian journalist, businesswoman and politician (ÖVP). From 1995 to 2021 she served as president of the Salzburg Festival.

Life

Helga Rabl-Stadler was the daughter of journalist Gerd Bacher and Rosl Resmann, who came from a family that ran a traditional costume shop in Salzburg. Her mother married a sawmill owner named Stadler, whose name she received. It wasn't until she was 21 that she learned who her real father was. She then developed a good relationship with him. Her father became editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Express and lateron of the daily Kurier. For three 4-yr-periods he served as General Manager of the ORF, the Austrian state-owned radio and television channels.[1]

She studied law, journalism, and political science and received her doctorate in law in 1970. She worked as a journalist for the Presse and the Wochenpresse until 1974. From 1974 to 1978, she was the first female journalist to write a domestic politics column for the Kurier. She married journalist Peter Rabl, also editor-in chief of Kurier.[1] The couple had two sons, Maximilian und Sebastian.[2]

From 1983 to 2008, she was co-owner of her familiy business, Resmann fashion house in Salzburg. From 1983 to 1990 and again briefly from November 7 to 30, 1994, she was a Member of Parliament for Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). There, she advocated for flexible working hours, liberalization of store opening hours, and improved tax conditions for sponsors. She served as Vice President of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1985 and as its President from 1988.[1]

On 26 January 1995, she was appointed President of the Salzburg Festival and resigned from all political functions. During her tenure, she worked closely with six artistic directors — Gerard Mortier (until 2001), Peter Ruzicka (2002-2006), Jürgen Flimm (2007-2010), Markus Hinterhäuser (2011 and again since 2017), Alexander Pereira (2012-2014), and Sven-Eric Bechtolf (2015 and 2016). Her presidency ended at the end of 2021. As she raised lots of money for the festival, her tenure is considered successful. She also instigated public viewings of festival productions (in 2002)[1] and she insisted on carrying out a festival during the COVID pandemic with special hygiene measures for artists and audiences (in 2020).[3]

On June 1, 2022, she became Special Advisor for Foreign Cultural Affairs at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. She is now responsible for strengthening the cultural forums worldwide.[1]

Accolades

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Kulturfonds Salzburg: Dr.in Helga Rabl-Stadler, retrieved on 20 July 2025
  2. ^ profil: Ein 17-Stunden Arbeitstag mit Helga Rabl-Stadler, 21 August 2021
  3. ^ Handelsblatt: Ein Signal der Hoffnung: Präsidentin lässt die Salzburger Festspiele stattfinden, 28 May 2020
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