Vienna Honours Bernd-Christian Funk and Erich Kussbach with Golden Decoration of Merit

Two distinguished figures, Bernd-Christian Funk and Erich Kussbach, have been recognized with the Golden Decoration of Merit for Services to the State of Vienna, one of the city's highest honors. The award ceremony took place at Vienna's City Hall, attended by prominent personalities from the fields of politics and culture, as well as family, friends, and colleagues.

Bernd-Christian Funk, an eminent legal scholar, has played a significant role in shaping Austrian constitutional and administrative law. Born in Trofaiach in 1943, Funk pursued legal studies at the University of Vienna and furthered his education in business education at what was then the University of World Trade. He achieved his habilitation in Austrian constitutional and administrative law in 1974. Over the span of his career, Funk held professorial roles at both the University of Graz and the University of Vienna, serving as dean and making considerable contributions to legal academia.

From 1978 to 1999, Funk was a full professor at the University of Graz, where he also served as dean of the Faculty of Law. He later joined the University of Vienna as professor of constitutional and administrative law, continuing until his retirement in 2011. Since 2016, Funk has been affiliated with Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna, where he was the founding dean of the Faculty of Law. His expertise contributed to national discussions on constitutional matters, notably as a member of the Austria Convention in 2003. His academic focus has included Austrian state and constitutional law, as well as human rights. Funk's previous accolades include the Grand Silver Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, awarded in 2008.

Erich Kussbach, born in Budapest in 1931, has also enjoyed a distinguished career in law and diplomacy. Kussbach completed his legal education at the University of Budapest, earning his doctorate in 1958 from the University of Vienna. He further obtained a Master of Laws from Yale University in 1961. Following the Hungarian uprising of 1956, Kussbach relocated to Austria and became an Austrian citizen in 1958.

Kussbach's diplomatic service began in 1963, culminating in numerous high-level positions. He led the Austrian delegation at the Diplomatic Conference on Humanitarian Law in Geneva from 1974 to 1977 and served as vice president of the conference. Between 1992 and 1996, he presided over the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission. His diplomatic career concluded with his appointment as Austria's ambassador to Hungary and permanent representative to the International Danube Commission from 1993 to 1996.

In academia, Kussbach has been an honorary professor of humanitarian law at the University of Linz since 1996 and a professor of international law at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest until 2008. He contributed significantly to the field of humanitarian international law and international diplomacy. Kussbach also served as a member of the arbitration panel for natural restitution from 2001 to 2021. His achievements have earned him honorary doctorates and the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, among other distinctions.

The Golden Decoration of Merit for Services to the State of Vienna is reserved for individuals whose achievements have had a lasting impact on the city and its community. The recognition of Funk and Kussbach underscores their lifelong commitment to the advancement of legal scholarship, public service, and international cooperation.