Hertha Firnberg

Later, the family moved to Niederrußbach in Lower Austria, where her father worked as a community doctor.

In 1926, she joined the Association of Socialist middle school students (VSM), in which she soon became deputy chairwoman.

From 1941 to 1945, she worked for Chic Parisienne, a leading fashion publisher; at the same time she learned bookkeeping and operational management.

After the end of the war, Hertha Firnberg received a position as librarian and assistant at the University of Vienna.

She has held posts in the National Council in the Finance, Education and Judiciary Committees, as well as the second chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, spokeswoman for the Socialist Group on education, science and research issues and legal reform issues, especially family law.

When Bruno Kreisky formed his first cabinet in 1970, Firnberg was initially appointed minister without a portfolio,[1] but with the task of founding a federal ministry for science and research.

The Ministry was established by law on 24 July 1970, Firnberg was appointed the first Minister of Science of Austria.