List of Presidents of Austria: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Austria from 1920 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of Austria, former presidents, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of Austria: Alexander Van der Bellen (in office since 2017).

Presidents of Austria in order, with years in office

Michael Hainisch

Served: 1920–1928

First Federal President of Austria.

Wilhelm Miklas

Served: 1928–1938

President until the German annexation of March 1938.

Karl Renner

Served: 1945–1950

First president of the Second Republic; died in office on 31 December 1950.

Leopold Figl

Served: 1950–1951 (acting)

Chancellor who acted as president for 172 days.

Theodor Körner

Served: 1951–1957

Social Democrat who died in office on 4 January 1957.

Julius Raab

Served: 1957 (acting)

Chancellor who acted as president for 138 days.

Adolf Schärf

Served: 1957–1965

Social Democrat who died in office on 28 February 1965.

Josef Klaus

Served: 1965 (acting)

Chancellor who acted as president from February to June 1965.

Franz Jonas

Served: 1965–1974

Social Democrat who died in office on 24 April 1974.

Bruno Kreisky

Served: 1974 (acting)

Chancellor who acted as president for 75 days.

Rudolf Kirchschläger

Served: 1974–1986

Independent who served two terms.

Kurt Waldheim

Served: 1986–1992

Former United Nations Secretary-General who served one term.

Thomas Klestil

Served: 1992–2004

Served until he died in office on 6 July 2004.

Andreas Khol

Served: 2004 (acting)

President of the National Council who acted as president from 6 to 8 July 2004.

Heinz Fischer

Served: 2004–2016

Social Democrat who served two terms.

Alexander Van der Bellen

Served: 2017–present

Took office on 26 January 2017 as a nominally independent candidate supported by the Greens; re-elected in 2022.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Austria

Who is the current president of Austria?

The current head of state of Austria is Alexander Van der Bellen, in office since 2017.

Who were the previous presidents of Austria?

The presidents and heads of state of Austria listed on this page, in order, are: Michael Hainisch, Wilhelm Miklas, Karl Renner, Leopold Figl, Theodor Körner, Julius Raab, Adolf Schärf, Josef Klaus, Franz Jonas, Bruno Kreisky, Rudolf Kirchschläger, Kurt Waldheim, Thomas Klestil, Andreas Khol, Heinz Fischer, Alexander Van der Bellen.

Sources: Austrian government (oesterreich.gv.at) list of Federal Presidents, updated January 2026; Wikipedia, List of presidents of Austria (checked Nov 2026). Includes the First Republic and the Second Republic since 1945, with acting presidents labelled; a three-member presidium acted from July 2016 to January 2017.. Last reviewed November 2026.

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