Rudolf Schuster

Rudolf Schuster (1934), was president of Slovakia from 1999 to 2004. After his graduation from the Slovak Technical University, Faculty of Construction in 1959, he worked at the Slovak Academy of Sciences in 1960-1962, investment and management in VSŽ, and later he served with the Košice National City Council. He was elected Mayor for the first time in 1983. In 1986 he became Chairman of the Eastern Slovak Regional National Council.

In the years 1989-1990 he headed the Slovak National Council. Since 1990 he worked in diplomatic service as an Ambassador of former Czechoslovakia to Canada. After returning in 1992, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. In 1994, he was elected for a second term, and again in 1998 for his third term as Mayor of Košice. In the first direct presidential elections in May 1999, Rudolf Schuster was elected by the citizens as President of the Slovak Republic and entered the office after the inauguration on 15 June 1999. In 2004 he was defeated in the elections.

Rudolf Schuster is the author of several travelogues, radio plays, radio shows, travel and documentary movies. Mr. Schuster has been awarded the highest state award of the Slovak Republic, 1st Class Pribina Cross, received the Order of Tolerance from the town of Wuppertal, Federal Republic of Germany and is bearer of the Grand Cross of Merit with Collar of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He has honorary doctorates from the Košice Technical University (1998) and Bergische Universitat Gesamthochschule in Wuppertal (1999).

On World Habitat Day, 2 October 2000, Rudolf Schuster was presented with the Habitat Scroll of Honour award for his dedication and leadership as a mayor in the improvement and restoration of the city of Košice. The Habitat Scroll of Honour award was launched by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 1989. It is currently the most prestigious human settlements award in the world. Its aim is to acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction, and developing and improving the human settlements and the quality of urban life.

During a festive ceremony on 12 July 2002 in the presidential palace in Bratislava, president Schuster was awarded the FAO Agricola Medal.

Links

Rudolf Schuster in Wikipedia.

Short biography on the website of the Slovak President (in Slovak only).

Stamp catalogue

Slovakia 15 June 2000

Slovakia 5 February 2003

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last revised: 28 March 2010