World mourns human rights pioneer Prof. Hannes Tretter (73)

World mourns human rights pioneer Prof. Hannes Tretter (73)

The Ludwig Boltzmann Society says goodbye to Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hannes Tretter, an outstanding scientist and human rights advocate, who died on March 25, 2025 at the age of 73 after a serious illness. His passing is seen as a painful loss for the human rights community, which will remember Tretter as a voice of reason, dialogue and humanity. Tretter was born in Vienna and began his career as a research assistant at the Constitutional Court before returning to the University of Vienna in 1978 and becoming an assistant to Felix Ermacora, a leading expert on human rights protection in Austria.

In 1992 he founded the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Human Rights (BIM) together with Ermacora and Manfred Nowak. Under Tretter's leadership, the institute developed into an important human rights research institution in Europe. Numerous studies, reports and projects to improve the human rights situation were carried out there, which had a decisive influence on Tretter. He was co-director of the institute until 2019 and made a significant contribution to anchoring human rights issues in research, politics and society. During this time he became a sought-after expert on human rights at home and abroad, who was also committed to strengthening fundamental rights and civil liberties in countries from Albania to Ukraine.

Impact on human rights research

The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights, as Austria's largest non-university research institution in the field of human rights, promotes human rights research and follows a human rights-based approach. Tretter's commitment and interdisciplinarity helped the institute strive for a positive social impact from its research work. It is known for its long-term experience in the field of children's rights and human trafficking prevention, and it also addresses pressing human rights issues that go beyond the core issues.

The challenges in the area of ​​fundamental and human rights require a broad spectrum of answers, and the institute offers a platform for national and international research consortia in basic and applied research. It strives to translate academic findings into social relevance, integrating interdisciplinary perspectives from the social sciences and humanities that reflect Tretter's approach to research.

Obituary and legacy

The Ludwig Boltzmann Society expresses its deepest sympathy to Tretter's family, friends and companions. Tretter's work has not only shaped generations of students and colleagues, but has also strengthened the institute's reputation internationally. An obituary for Hannes Tretter is available on the website of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights, where his tireless commitment to human rights is remembered. Tretter's death is a great loss for everyone who works to uphold and protect human rights.

In memory of Hannes Tretter, the values ​​he stood for and his tireless commitment to human rights will continue to serve as an inspiration to many.

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