Long-time director of ORF Upper Austria, Hannes Leopoldseder, has died

 The  former director of the ORF regional studio in Upper Austria, Hannes Leopoldseder, died on Friday evening at the age of 80. As the ORF reported on Saturday, the native of Mühlviertel was head of the house for a total of 24 years from 1974 to 1998 and one of the co-founders of the Ars Electronica festival with the Linz Klangwolke. During his chairmanship of the Upper Austrian Provincial Cultural Advisory Council, the Festival of the Regions was launched in 1993.

“Hannes Leopoldseder was a figurehead for our house. He ran our house for over 20 years and was a guarantee for exemplary journalism. Leopoldseder established ORF Upper Austria as a constant in the Upper Austrian and Austrian media scene. He was also a visionary and has become busy with the digital development early in the 80s, “said the incumbent ORF country director Kurt Rammerstorfer in an initial reaction.

Without Leopoldseder, the internationally acclaimed Ars Electronica Festival for digital visions of the future, which was held for the first time in 1979, would not have existed. “In doing so, he gave Linz and Upper Austria a high reputation far beyond the cultural scene,” said Rammerstorfer. In addition, the former country director had an excellent eye for journalistic work. A number of well-known colleagues such as Tarek Leitner or Hans Bürger were discovered and promoted by him.