On the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the Council of Europe", 75 women, whose work significantly shaped the Council of Europe, were honoured at an official ceremony in the Palais de l’Europe in June.

Dagmar Heindler,  former director of the Österreichisches Sprachen-Kompetenzzentrum (ÖSZ) – the Austrian Language Competence Centre who played an integral role in the establishment of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) in Graz some 30 years ago, was among those whose achievements were honoured. In addition to her involvement with the ECML, she was the Austrian representative in the Council of Europe’s Modern Languages Project Group which was formed in the mid-1970s to support and improve the learning and teaching of modern languages in Member States. Following the creation of the ECML as an Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, initially with 8 Member States, she was elected chairperson of the Governing board, a position she held for 10 years, assuring stability and continuity in the Centre’s development. Today the ECML which also celebrates its 30th anniversary has grown to 36 members.

More information on the Council of Europe’s website.

In a recent interview with Anna Gazdik (Österreichisches Sprachen-Kompetenzzentrum, ÖSZ), Dagmar Heindler talks about her strong commitment in the Council of Europe's language policy work and the creation of the ECML. The article is available in German.

Photos: © Gerhard Peinsipp