Future without Mathilde Schwabeneder: ORF loses his voice in Rome

The news shaken the media world: Mathilde Schwabeneder, the well-known ORF correspondent and author, died at the age of 69. ORF reported that it died on Friday night. Schwabeneder, a formative figure in Austrian journalism, was the face of ORF in Rome for many years and led the office there between 2007 and 2020, where she was responsible for reporting from Italy, the Vatican and Malta.

Schwabeneder, born in 1956 in Linz and grew up in Wels, had studied speech therapy before moving to Rome in 1983. At the University of La Sapienza in Rome, she received his doctorate in Romance studies and spoke several languages, including Italian and Spanish. Her journalistic career began at the Radio Vatican and finally led her to ORF in 1996. On television she became known for her sensitivity and expertise in religious and social issues. Her outstanding achievements include a TV documentary about Pope John Paul II as well as important comments on his funeral and inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI, which underlines her outstanding position in the field of religious journalism. As Kleine Zeitung 2018 received the human rights award of the State of Upper Austria for its commitment.

versatile journalist with great influence

The late journalist was not only known for her reporting, but also for her versatile interviews with important personalities such as the Dalai Lama, Cat Stevens and Wangari Maathai. ORF General Director Roland Weißmann expressed his grief about the loss of an integral personality in journalism, which the ORF audience informed about the events in the Vatican and Italy. Schwabeneder will be remembered as a legend that has touched many people through sensitive and respectful action in their reporting, as Krone