Art Collector Rudolf Leopold Dies Suddenly

VIENNA, Austria, June 30, 2010 - The death of Prof. Rudolf Leopold has caused profound dismay for his
family, in particular his wife Elisabeth. Ministry of Cultural Affairs
Section Head Helmut Moser, chairman of the board of the Leopold Museum
Private Foundation, and the entire board are deeply affected by the art
collector's sudden passing.

Rudolf Leopold, born March 1, 1925 in Vienna, died on 29th of
June at the age of 85 following a brief illness. Leopold was a unique
proponent of the recognition of Austrian expressionist art, in particular
that of the genius Egon Schiele (1890-1918). Over a few short decades,
ophthalmologist Leopold and his wife Elisabeth assembled a collection of more
than 5000 works of art, which were brought together in the Leopold Museum
Private Foundation in 1994.

Austria's federal government and the Austrian National Bank
facilitated the Leopold Foundation's establishment. It provided a third of
the value, approximately 160 million Euros, in 1994.

"What doesn't excite me doesn't interest me," Rudolf Leopold
once said. Excitement, madness, genius and passion; these words best describe
the figure of Rudolf Leopold.

Leopold Museum Managing Director Peter Weinhaupl, who has difficulty
speaking about this loss, remarked, "We will miss Rudolf Leopold, but the
Leopold Museum is a unique memorial to his actions, a gift to all the art
lovers of the world." The chairman of the foundation board, Helmut Moser,
declared: "The future of the foundation and museum is clearly defined by the
deed of foundation; we will continue the work of Rudolf Leopold. At the
moment, however, our thoughts are with Rudolf Leopold and his family."

    For all enquiries:

    Mag. Klaus Pokorny - Press / Public Relations
    Leopold Museum Private Foundation
    Tel.: +43-1-525-70-1507
    presse@leopoldmuseum.org
    www.leopoldmuseum.org

For all enquiries: Mag. Klaus Pokorny - Press / Public Relations, Leopold Museum Private Foundation, Tel.: +43-1-525-70-1507, presse at leopoldmuseum.org