Franz Gruener

Franz Josef Maria Gruener (born November 24, 1879 in Krems an der Donau , Lower Austria ; † June 25, 1953 in Innsbruck , Tyrol ) was an Austrian politician ( SPÖ ) and writer .

Life

Franz Gruener first grew up in Krems, where he graduated from the local high school in 1898 . Gruener first studied law at the University of Vienna , where he became a member of the Markomannia Vienna fraternity in 1898 , and finally at the University of Innsbruck , where he completed his doctorate in 1906 . A year later, in 1907, he joined the Social Democratic Labor Party.

In 1909 Gruener worked as a trainee in Bruneck in what is now South Tyrol.

During the First World War , Gruener fought first on the Eastern Front and finally in the mountain war in the Dolomites . In 1919 Gruener, as a delegate in the negotiations for the Treaty of Saint-Germain, tried in vain for South Tyrol to remain with Austria. In the same year Gruener became the Deputy Governor of Tyrol under Governor Josef Schraffl . It was until 1928.

In December 1920 Gruener became a member of the Federal Council in Vienna . His first period as Federal Councilor lasted until December 1926. After a two-month break, he returned to the Austrian Chamber of States in February 1927. After only four months, Gruener resigned from the Federal Council again in June 1927.

Gruener was one of a controversial social democrat who, contrary to the party philosophy in Tyrol, was a rich man and could be considered a large landowner. Among other things, he had acquired Itter Castle in 1925 . In January 1928 he resigned from the Social Democratic Party because of persistent criticism.

In 1929 Gruener retired from all political functions into private life. He devoted most of his time to writing books. His focus was on local literature or folk plays. Nevertheless, Gruener could hardly make a living from his writings, so that he became impoverished in the 1930s. In 1934 he had to auction large parts of his art collection as well as his library.

In 1942, after the annexation of Austria , the association "German Association for Combating Tobacco Dangers" briefly had the right to hold the castle. In 1943 the SS took control of Itter Castle and made it a branch of the Dachau concentration camp . High-ranking French politicians (Prime Minister Paul Reynaud , Foreign Minister Édouard Daladier and others) and generals ( Maxime Weygand , Maurice Gamelin and others) were imprisoned in the castle . Gruener had to leave Itter during this time and moved to Salzburg , where he found his home in a small apartment. After the war Gruener sold his property in Itter. He died in Innsbruck in June 1953.

literature

• Helge Dvorak: Biographical Lexicon of the German Burschenschaft. Volume 1: Politicians. Sub-Volume 2: F-H. Winter, Heidelberg 1999, ISBN 3-8253-0809-X , pp. 193-194.

Source and related link

• Franz Josef Maria Gruener - biography and list of his literature

Web links

• Franz Gruener on the website of the Austrian Parliament