Kotschnig, Walter M. (Walter Maria), 1901-

Walter Maria Kotschnig was born in Judenburg, Austria on April 9, 1901. He attended elementary school (Volksschule) in his hometown of Judenburg and continued his secondary school studies (Realgymnasium) in Graz, Austria, where he headed one of the first student governments organized in Austria. Kotschnig continued his university studies at the University of Graz, moving to the University of Kiel in 1922 where he received his Ph.D. in political science in 1924. In the same year, he married Elined Prys, a psychological consultant from Talgarth, Wales. In 1925 Kotschnig joined the International Student Service in Geneva, Switzerland, a commitment which lasted nearly twenty years. During the following year, Kotschnig spent three months touring the United States speaking on behalf of the International Student Service. The next year (1927) he became General Secretary of the organization, a position he maintained until 1934, when he became involved with activities of the League of Nations, serving as Director of the High Commission for Refugees from Germany from 1934 to 1935. In 1944, Kotschnig began his diplomatic career with his appointment to U.S. government service as a specialist on international organization. In this capacity, he attended the Dumbarton Oaks Conferences in Washington, D.C. (1944) and in San Francisco (1945) in preparation for the establishment of the United Nations, as well as preparatory conferences for the formation of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Over the next three decades, Kotschnig served as Director of the Office of International Economic and Social Affairs (1949-1961), Special Advisor in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs (1962-1965), and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations (1965-1971).

From the description of Walter Maria Kotschnig papers, 1923-1984. (University at Albany). WorldCat record id: 77993769

Epithet: Dr Director Commissariat pour les Réfugiés

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000297.0x000339