Awards in the Austrian fire service
The awards in the Austrian fire service have a long tradition and are of great importance due to the high rate of volunteers, as they are one of the few types of recognition for their activities. A distinction is made between awards outside the fire service organization and within the associations.
overview
The most widespread award is that for many years of activity in the "rescue and fire services". They are awarded by the respective governor . There are grades for 25 and 40 years, in some federal states also for 50, 60 and 70 years of membership in a volunteer or company fire brigade and a rescue organization. Its tradition goes back to 1905, when it was awarded with the same yellow triangular ribbon.
Another group are those awards that are awarded by the Federal Fire Brigade Association.
A group are those who are awarded within the respective state fire brigade association . These exist in all federal states with the exception of Upper Austria. Fire service marks or crosses and medals as well as chest decorations in the form of crosses have been awarded in several stages as a distinction by the state fire service associations since 1956. In addition, there are awards for memberships that exceed 60 years or more and are therefore not covered by the state award.
Ultimately, the municipalities, which are actually responsible for the fire and rescue services, award certificates, decorations, badges of merit and rings of honor or other awards.
In the history of the awards one can also find those that are awarded at the district level by the respective fire brigade commands, as the example of Upper Austria shows. These fire brigade merit medals of the districts have been awarded since the 1970s and are still a specialty of this state today. They were probably created as a "compensation" for the lack of award options by the state fire brigade association (see above).
There are no special awards for fire services from the Republic of Austria. High fire brigade officials are awarded the corresponding degrees of honor for services to the Republic of Austria in the same way as civilians.
However, these awards have nothing to do with the wearing of the uniform, because awards that are awarded by other organizations or authorities may also be worn here, such as the very common bronze military service medal that every former member of the armed forces receives.
Awards from the Federal Fire Brigade Association
- Floriani badge
The Floriani badge is awarded in the categories bronze, silver and gold to people who have made special efforts in the fire service but do not belong to an organization wearing uniform.
- Ring of honor
This is awarded to members of the Presidium for special merits.
- Disaster Merit Badge
for services in the event of disasters at home or abroad, unless an award has already been awarded for this service by a state fire brigade association or state government.
- International Cooperation Medal
This is intended for members of foreign fire brigades who have worked with Austrian fire brigades.
- Merit mark of the ÖBFV
This is awarded in the three stages of bronze, silver, and gold to members of Austrian fire brigades for special achievements in their area of application. The mark of merit for meritorious cooperation can also be awarded to foreign fire brigade members.
- Cross of Merit of the ÖBFV
The Cross of Merit is awarded to fire brigade officers who have been employed as district fire brigade commander. Members using this service can receive excellent fire service performance under extremely dangerous circumstances at the risk of their own lives as well as excellent tactical, technical or organizational services to promote the fire service.
- The great Cross of Merit of the ÖBFV
The large cross of merit of the ÖBFV represents an increase in the cross of merit. Receipt of the merit mark is a prerequisite.
- The large cross of merit of the ÖBFV on ribbon
The large cross of merit of the ÖBFV on ribbon is the highest award of the ÖBFV. Receipt of the Cross of Merit is a prerequisite.
history
The history of awards in fire departments goes back to the second half of the 19th century. The first fire brigades were around 25 years old and their first members reached this seniority . In 1880, for example, the Ministry of the Interior was asked to create a state “Rescue Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Fire and Rescue”, but this was rejected. The fire brigades themselves were not allowed to give medal-like awards, because this was reserved for the emperor.
In 1884, at the 3rd Austrian Fire Brigade Day, it was decided that the fire brigades would award diplomas to members for 10, 20 and 25 years of service. In connection with this, so-called surrender stripes of the army (stripes in the shape of a triangle on the left sleeve of the blouse) should be introduced.
Even before the 4th Austrian District Fire Brigade Day , Reginald Czermack suggested that the Kaiser himself apply for a medal for 25 years of activity . Information about this was negative, however, so that nothing has been decided yet.
In 1889 the Association of Moravian-Silesian Fire Brigades decided to create a medal to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of. This should be awarded after 25 years of membership or particularly outstanding achievements.
In 1890, the chairman of the Upper Austrian regional association, Johann Schauer , who was himself a member of the Reichsrat, went to Prime Minister Eduard von Taaffe to only create an award for 25 years of service, without taking into account any special merits. At about the same time, a similar request was made by the Bohemian State Central Association.
Although von Taaffe supported the request, the two requests from the imperial side remained unanswered. However, the fire services did not give up. They made a new attempt after signing a contract with the Red Cross to create local ambulance columns . Also as in Germany the emperor fire departments in his patronage took over, they took it as an opportunity. However, since it was feared that the officials would also be queuing for awards, it was repeatedly rejected.
Even a direct request for majesty, which the Czech and Hungarian fire brigade associations also joined, was unsuccessful.
The disappointment was great when under Prime Minister Franz Anton Graf Thun and Hohenstein , who was also a former firefighter himself, on the occasion of the imperial jubilee in 1896, a parade with 20,000 firefighters in Vienna and an interview by the state commanders had no effect, but instead an anniversary medal for civil servants was awarded. The Austrian Fire Brigade Committee did not want to make any further efforts in this direction.
The anger also grew when people abroad saw how the state thanked the firefighters with awards. The Grand Duchy of Baden has already created a medal for 40 years of membership. Also in the Kingdom of Bavaria one was Fire Department Service Cross created.
In 1902 Julius Haagn , the chairman of the Salzburg State Association, submitted a request for awards to the Salzburg State Parliament . The reasoning in this case was that not only the state, but also the crown lands would benefit from the work of the fire services. The Salzburg state parliament agreed on this question with the other crown lands and subsequently applied for the awards as countries. In this request, an attempt was made to obtain these awards for those who work in a voluntary rescue corps as well as for professional firefighters. At Czermack's request, a Latin text should be used on the medal out of consideration for multilingualism.
In September 1905, the efforts were crowned with success, and by decree of November 24, 1905, the Emperor donated the "Medal of Honor for 25 years of meritorious activity in the field of fire and rescue services" .
Outrage arose as a result, however, that no fee exemption was expressly provided for in the law and therefore the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Finance demanded stamps for the applications. However, this was also abolished at short notice. In March 1906 applications for 27,485 medals had been submitted.
This imperial medal was not intended for the fire brigades in the Kingdom of Hungary , which had been receiving service medals for 5, 10 and 15 years of activity since 1884. Only in 1911 was the Austrian solution extended to Hungary. In 1916, the awards in Hungary were expanded to include medals of honor for 35 and 45 years of service.
.jpg)
Immediately after the proclamation of the Republic of German Austria , the medal was abolished as from the imperial era. Wearing items that had already been awarded was not forbidden. But after other honorary titles, which also came from the imperial era, were awarded, the fire department soon called for renewed awards. Under the leadership of Federal Councilors Carl Jukel , Josef Zwetzbacher and Franz Rehrl , an application was submitted to the Federal Government for a renewed award for 25 and 40 years of membership. In 1923 an Austrian medal was introduced for many years of hard work and fruitful activity in the field of fire and rescue services for 25 and 40 years of service. These medals were awarded at the district fire brigade days upon request to the respective district authority .
Even in the time of the corporate state , the coinage with a different shape of the eagle was changed, but the medal was still awarded.
During the time of National Socialism , the firefighters were awarded the fire service badge of honor customary in Germany for 25 years .
In 1947 the Federal Fire Brigade Association had to intervene again until a new solution was found. It was not until 1949 that the federal government passed a new resolution for a medal that was very similar to those from the First Republic both in appearance and in the text of the law.
Shortly afterwards, however, the Ministry of Finance refused to cover the costs, as the fire brigade was the responsibility of the federal states . As a result, the Vorarlberg state government also refused to award the medal decided by the federal government for federal reasons and appealed to the Constitutional Court and was right. In 1951, the uniform federal medal was abolished and it was the turn of the federal states.
Some federal states initially pursued a uniform national line, others immediately abandoned them. Since the 1960s, there is no longer any uniformity among the federal states. Some have also introduced a medal for 50 years of service.
Individual evidence
- ^ Upper Austria: The fire service medals of the districts of the FF Pupping from September 2, 2012, accessed on October 3, 2012
- ↑ Official part. In: Wiener Zeitung , December 2, 1905, p. 1 (online at ANNO ).
See also
Web links
- Awards of the ÖBFV
- Awards for the fire brigades in Austria by Adolf Schinnerl ( Memento from December 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- The merit awards of the Lower Austria Fire Brigade Association , Jörg C. Steiner