Edith Klestil

Edith Klestil (née Wielander) (born 13 November 1932 in Vienna) is the first wife of Thomas Klestil, the former federal president of Austria.

Edith Klestil was born in Vienna as the only child of post officer Leopold Wielander and his wife Rosa. On 8 June 1967 she married Thomas Klestil, whom she had first met when they were both 17. She gave up her own job in order to support her husband's career as 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 got married to 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. The Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schönborn brusqued Klestil's second wife by welcoming Edith first. [ Senta Ziegler: "Österreichs First Ladies". Wien. Ueberreuter 1999]

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