6.  The applicant was born in 1938 and lives in Mödling (Austria). 7.  As from 1977 the applicant was the director of the Central Mint Office (Hauptmünzamt). On 10 May 1988 the Federal Ministry of Finance (Bundesministerium für Finanzen) dismissed the applicant without notice (fristlose Entlassung) and ordered him to return to his former working place at the Ministry of Finance as a civil servant. 8.  On 21 June 1988 the applicant instituted civil proceedings against the Ministry of Finance and the Münze Austria AG, the legal successor of the Central Mint Office which had to enter as a party into all work contracts of the latter. 9.  On 3 September 1992 the Vienna Labour and Social Court (Arbeits- und Sozialgericht) partly allowed the applicant's claim. On 28 May 1993 the Vienna Court of Appeal (Oberlandesgericht) dismissed the applicant's appeal and allowed the defendants' appeal. On 10 December 1993 the Supreme Court allowed the applicant's further appeal. It considered that the applicant qualified as a favoured disabled person (begünstigter Behinderter) since 1 February 1988. Such employees may not be dismissed without the consent of the Federal Social Office. However, the Ministry of Finance had not requested such an authorisation. 10.  Subsequently, the applicant instituted civil proceedings, claiming the remuneration resulting from these valid work contracts. However, these proceedings were suspended and finally not reopened due to the following administrative proceedings. 11.  On 30 April 1994 the Ministry of Finance filed an application with the Disabled Persons Committee at the Federal Social Office (Behindertenausschuss beim Bundessozialamt) to grant a retroactive authorisation in respect of the applicant's dismissal as provided under the Disabled Persons Employment Act. 12.  On 12 December 1994 the Federal Social Office, after having held a hearing on 31 May 1994, dismissed the Ministry of Finance's application. On 20 April 1995 the Appeals Commission at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Berufungskommission beim Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales) allowed the appeal and granted the retroactive authorisation for the applicant's dismissal. On 23 September 1996 the Constitutional Court refused to deal with the applicant's complaint of 20 July 1995 for lack of prospects of success. On 21 September 1999 the Administrative Court dismissed the applicant's complaint. It considered that the authorisation for the applicant's dismissal given by the Appeals Commission was lawful.