— “Peter Dusek, pictured left, flanked by ORF director Alexander Wrabetz, at the FIAT/IFTA World Conference 2000 in Vienna” – Photo: ORF Archives

Through the ORF archive, FIAT/IFTA received the sad news of the passing of Dr. Peter Dusek, who served as FIAT/IFTA President from 1998 to 2002.

Born in 1945, Peter Dusek earned his doctorate from the Institute for Austrian Historical Research at the University of Vienna in 1968. He began his journalism career at the Austrian newspaper “Die Presse” and joined ORF as a radio journalist in 1972. In 1980, he merged his historical and journalistic expertise to establish ORF’s specialized “Historical Archives.” From 1988 to 2008, he led the ORF television archive. Within FIAT/IFTA, he held various roles on the Executive Council before serving as President from 1998 until 2002. In total, Peter Dusek was officially active within FIAT/IFTA for more than 17 years.

Peter Dusek authored numerous historical books. His private life was dedicated to his family and his passion for opera. An internationally recognized opera expert, he developed relationships with many prominent figures in the opera world, which led to additional books and a long-running series of radio interviews with opera stars. He received numerous accolades for his contributions, including the Golden Medal of Honor from the City of Vienna.