Edith Klestil

Who was Edith Klestil?

Edith Klestil was the first wife of Thomas Klestil, the former federal president of Austria.

Edith Klestil was born in Vienna, the only child of a post office worker, Leopold Wielander, and his wife, Rosa. On 8 June 1967 she married Thomas Klestil, whom she met when they were both 17. She gave up her job in order to support her husband's career as a diplomat and accompanied him to Paris and Los Angeles. When her husband was elected federal president in 1992, she became Austria's first lady. Two years later, Thomas Klestil made public that he had a love affair with the much younger diplomat Margot Löffler. Edith left her husband and they were divorced in September 1998. Three months later, Thomas Klestil married Margot Löffler.

When Thomas Klestil died in office on 6 July 2004, both his wives attended the funeral service held in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

It was announced on 3 April 2011 that Klestil had died of cancer in Vienna.