Sixtus Lanner

Sixtus Lanner (12 May 1934 – 13 July 2022) was an Austrian farmer, engineer, and politician who served in the National Council of Austria as a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). Lanner served in parliament for a total of 25 years from 1971 until 1996. Lanner was also the secretary-general of the ÖVP from 1976 to 1981.

Described as a Bauernbua (peasant-boy) from the Tyrolean Unterland, His father was an alpine farmer, while his mother was the local postmaster. Lanner and his three siblings grew up on their parents' farm, with Lanner working as a farmhand. When Lanner decided to attend higher education at the age of 20, he was an alpine farmer with just an elementary education.

Beginning in 1954, Lanner attended the Higher Federal College for Alpine Agriculture in Seefeld in Tirol, graduating in 1956. In 1960, he attended the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), receiving a Diplom-Ingenieur later that year. Lanner attended the University of Illinois in the United States from 1960 until 1961, when he returned to Austria to study at the Vienna University of World Trade, graduating in 1963. Concurrently, Lanner was working on his PhD in soil science at BOKU, which he received in 1964. After completing his education, Lanner worked as a commercial and agricultural engineer.

Political career

Lanner's political career began in 1963, when he gave a speech at a conference for the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture. In 1971, Lanner was elected to the National Council of Austria as a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). Lanner served in parliament for 25 years, retiring in 1996 after the 1995 Austrian legislative election. In 1974, Lanner represented Austria in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Throughout his career, Lanner was known for his advocacy for Austrian agriculture, and he was regarded as "one of the most prominent representatives of the farmers and rural areas".

Personal life and death

Lanner's wife Angela died in 2017. They had three children together.