Erwin Lanc spent much of his life as a politician with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). After working in local district and city councils, Lanc joined the SPÖ where he served as the Minister of Transport from 1973 until 1977. This was followed by spells of being the Interior Minister of Austria (1977–83) and the Foreign Minister of Austria (1983–84). Lanc also had a keen interest in sport, serving as the President of the Austrian Handball Federation from 1977 to 1993. Alongside this, he was appointed as the President of the International Handball Federation in 1984, staying in the role until 2000. He was awarded with the Olympic Order in Silver in 2001.
Austria