Note: The following article was written during the lifetime of the award winner. Willi Resetarits died on April 24, 2022 in Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Willi Resetarits was born on December 21,1948 in Burgenland, Austria. He studied English and sports in college with the intention of becoming a teacher, as a back-up plan for his musical career. He spent his early years as a member of the musical group \u0093Butterflies\u0094 and re-invented himself with the alter ego \u0093Kurt Ostbahn.\u0094<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resetarits is well known for his political engagements, and has always been an advocate for the integration of immigrants in Vienna. In addition to helping founding \u0093SOS Mitmensch,\u0094 he spoke out against xenophobia and publicly supported the \u0093Integrationshaus\u0094 in Vienna. Today the \u0093Integrationshaus\u0094 is a well-respected program that has helped over 600 refugees since its founding in 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It provides apartment-style housing for immigrants, as well as stipends for food. Resetarits is an honourable president of the Integrationshaus in Vienna today and has also won the Josef-Felder Prize for Public Welfare and Civil Courage. Resetarits is still performing in Vienna, in various different forms of media. He is currently a musician with the \u0093Stubnblues,\u0094 but also runs a radio program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n