Prof.
Otto Molden was an Austrian publicist,
federalistThe term federalist describes several political beliefs around the world. Also, it may refer to the concept of federalism or the type of government called a federation...
and author of various books about European identity and history. He founded the
European Forum AlpbachThe European Forum Alpbach is an annual event that takes place in August in the Tyrolean village of Alpbach, Austria. Similar to the World Economic Forum in Davos, politicians, academics, students, and decision makers from all areas come together to discuss and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to...
in 1945.
Early life
Otto Molden was born shortly before the end of the first world war to Dr.
Ernst MoldenErnst Hermann Wilhelm Molden was an Austrian journalist and historian. He founded the Austrian daily newspaper Die Presse in 1946....
, an Austrian diplomat, writer, opponent to the Nazi regime and later on founder of the leading Austrian daily newspaper
Die PresseDie Presse is an Austrian daily newspaper based in Vienna. It was founded in 1946 by World War II resistance fighter Ernst Molden and stands in tradition of the Viennese newspapers "Die Presse" and "Neue Freie Presse" . The paper covers general news topics...
and
Paula von PreradovicPaula Preradović , known professionally as Paula von Preradović or by her married name as Paula Molden, was a Croatian and Austrian writer and narrator....
, a poetess and composer of Austria's national anthem.
He deserted from the
WehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in 1944 and was one of the founders of the Austrian Nazi resistance movement 05 before fleeing to Switzerland. After
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he studied History at the
University of ViennaThe University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
and wrote his PhD on the Austrian resistance movement during the German occupation.
European Forum Alpbach
In 1945, Otto Molden founded the
European Forum AlpbachThe European Forum Alpbach is an annual event that takes place in August in the Tyrolean village of Alpbach, Austria. Similar to the World Economic Forum in Davos, politicians, academics, students, and decision makers from all areas come together to discuss and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to...
together with Simon Moser as an interdisciplinary forum where ideas for a peacefully united Europe were to be promoted and discussed. From 1945 to 1960 and from 1970 to 1992, Otto Molden was president of the European Forum Alpbach. Nowadays, more than 3000 people from all over the world take part in the European Forum Alpbach per year.
Federalist advocate
Politically, Molden was an active proponent for European integration and founded the Federalist International (FI) in 1959, which subsequently opened sections in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and other countries. He was also active in defending the independence of Taiwan by founding a Committee for Chinese-European Co-operation in the early 1970s. In the late 1990s Otto Molden reactivated the idea of a federalist European party by founding the European National Movement (ENM).
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