Franz Graf (Mayor)
Franz Graf (born September 23, 1837 in Nägelsdorf near Straden , † December 31, 1921 in Graz ) was an Austrian politician ( German People's Party ) and industrialist .
life and career
Franz Graf was born on September 23, 1837 in the village of Nägelsdorf into a farming family that can be traced back to 1684 in the Straden area . After attending grammar school in Marburg an der Drau , he studied at the universities of Vienna and Graz and graduated in law and political science with a doctorate in the latter city in 1862 . Subsequently, he entered the service of the Styrian-Carinthian-Krainian Higher Regional Court before he became a substitute public prosecutor in 1873 and voluntarily resigned in April 1876. He then joined the management of the Puntigam brewery as a partner, whereby it should be mentioned that the brewery has been in the sole family ownership of his wife Theresia (née Hold) since 1840. Count was already a member of the Styrian state parliament in 1868 and 1869 and was also a member of the Graz municipal council from 1880 to 1884 and then again from 1890.
However, he first reached his most important political office on May 3, 1897, when he was elected mayor of Graz. Due to the Badeni uprising and the unrest that caused two deaths, the Graz municipal council was dissolved by the governor Olivier Marquis de Bacquehem on May 28, 1898 and the kk district captain Heinrich Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall was appointed kk regimental commander. After holding new elections for the municipal council, Graf was again mayor of Graz on October 25, 1898 and held this office until January 9, 1905. During this time, among other things, the Graz Opera House was built , which was officially opened on September 16, 1899. Thereafter, Graf acted once more as Mayor of Graz from January 23, 1905 to April 25, 1912. His entire term of office included the construction of schools, public baths, the municipal office, a children's asylum and orphanage, as well as the purchase of an industrial hall and grounds for parks. On September 23, 1907, his 70th birthday, Franz Graf was made an honorary citizen of the city of Graz. In 1912, the 100 meter long street in front of the Graz Opera House, previously known as Theaterallee , was renamed Franz-Graf-Allee in his honor . Graf died on December 31, 1921 at the age of 84 in Graz.
Of his children, the art historian Robert Graf (1878–1952) played an outstanding role in the city's cultural life between the First and Second World Wars .
literature
- Graf, Franz. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 2, Publishing House of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1959, p. 43 f. (Direct links on p. 43 , p. 44 ).
Web links
- Franz Graf on the official website of the city of Graz
Individual evidence
- ^ Franz-Graf-Allee on streetsofgraz.at, accessed on November 1, 2017
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Ferdinand Portugall |
Mayor of Graz May 6, 1897 to May 28, 1898 |
Heinrich Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall |
| Heinrich Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall |
Mayor of Graz October 25, 1898 to January 9, 1905 |
he himself |
| he himself |
Mayor of Graz January 23, 1905 to April 25, 1912 |
Anton Unterrain from Meysing |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Graf, Franz |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian politician and industrialist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 23, 1837 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Nägelsdorf near Straden , Habsburg Monarchy |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 31, 1921 |
| Place of death | Graz , Austria |