Leo Niederreiter
Leo Niederreiter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 22, 1920 Austria |
| Died | September 17, 1999 Tyrol, Austria |
| NSA member | North East Africa 1961 - 1975 Ethiopia 1975 - 1978 Austria ???? - 1980 |
| Counsellor | Europe 1980 - 1990 |
| Spouse(s) | Waltraud Beeg (m. 1944) |
Dr. Leo Niederreiter (September 22, 1920 - September 17, 1999) was an Austrian Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assemblies of North East Africa, Ethiopia, and Austria and as a Continental Counselor for Europe.
Biography[edit]
Niederreiter was born in Austria in 1920. He studied medicine in his youth then worked as a doctor at a hospital in Vienna from 1948 to 1953. He traveled to Italy then sailed for the Seychelles with his wife in 1953 using a homemade boat. He aimed to study tropical diseases but when the boat broke down off the coast of Ethiopia he settled in Asmara to practice medicine at the invitation of Emperor Haile Selassie.[1]
Niederreiter was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith in Asmara in 1956, declared, and was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Asmara that year. He also went on to be elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa and served until 1975 when it was reconstituted as the National Spiritual Assembly of Ethiopia and he was elected to that body also.[1]
In 1978 Niederreiter and his wife were severely injured when their home was raided by bandits and they returned to Austria where Leo was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly. He served on the National Assembly briefly as he was appointed as a Counselor for Europe in 1980. He was appointed for a second term in 1985 serving in the role until 1990. In 1999 he passed away in Tyrol, Austria.[1]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 309. View as PDF.
