George Wozasek

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Wozasek ( June 27, 1925 in Vienna - October 27, 2016 in Linz ) was the President of the Jewish Community in Linz.

Life

Origin and youth

Wozasek grew up in Amstetten and attended secondary school in Waidhofen an der Ybbs . As a thirteen-year-old George, who felt accepted and well integrated up to the “Anschluss” of Austria to Nazi Germany, experienced riots by a racist mob in the summer of 1938 when a group of Hitler Youths marched in front of him and sang “If the Jewish blood splatters off the knife, then are we will soon be freed ”.

Due to the destruction during the so-called " Reichskristallnacht " on November 9, 1938, his parents lost their economic existence, the traditional fur and fur trade; his father was arrested and sent to prison the same day. The family then moved to Vienna . George pleaded with his parents to leave Austria and was sent to Paris on a Kindertransport in 1939 . Bribing an SS officer enabled the parents to get a visa for the USA, although the father's name was already on the list for transport to Poland to a concentration camp. After a year of separation, they were able to bring their 14-year-old son to live with them on the last ship that brought Jewish refugees overseas. In May 1939, the families reunited in New York. In America, Wozarek took the first opportunity to serve in the US Army - as a passionate skier in the mountaineering division.

The fight in the US Army against the German Wehrmacht became a personal need for the new US citizen. One of his missions brought him to Italy in the Po Valley in 1944/1945 . Wozasek was awarded the Purple Heart Wounded Award after being wounded in an airplane attack that required a two-month hospital stay .

Wozasek graduated from Columbia University with a degree in engineering .

George Wozasek died on October 27, 2016 at the age of 92 in Linz. Although he never regretted his return to Austria and felt comfortable there for over 60 years, he retained his American citizenship until his death.

Private

Wozasek had three children. His son Gerald studied medicine, his daughter Sylvie studied economics, Heidi studied commercial science. Gerald and Sylvie live in Vienna, Heidi in Houston. His wife, who came from the USA and died in 2000, was an Upper Austrian tennis champion.

activity

After the war , Wozasek returned to Austria in 1951 and worked as a businessman and retailer. The relationship with Linz began after his return from the USA, as his family owned a share in the paper mill in Traun and from 1951 he took care of the cigarette paper production. From 1973 he worked in the Neusiedler paper factory . Most recently, before retiring in 1992, he was General Manager of the Neusiedler paper mill.

From 1969 he was Vice President and from 1980 to 2013 President of the Jewish Community of Linz. He played a major role in the reconstruction of the destroyed synagogue in Linz . The new synagogue, consecrated in 1968, was built on the site of the 19th century synagogue that was destroyed in 1938.

George Wozasek offered guided tours through the synagogue in Linz and gave an introduction to the basic principles of Judaism (Jewish festivals, customs and rules of life), pointed out essential differences to Christianity and described the history of the Jewish community in Linz and Upper Austria.

His successor in office is Charlotte Hermann.

Honors

In 2001 he was awarded the Silver Medal of Honor of the Province of Upper Austria . In 2005 he was awarded the Great Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria (1952) . In 2012 he received the Gold Medal of Honor from the Federal Association of Jewish Religious Communities in Austria.

literature

  • Birgit Kirchmayr: George Wozasek. A biographical search for traces. Wagner Verlag, Linz 2012, ISBN 978-3-902330-75-8 .
  • Tina Walzer : I've felt at home here since 1951 - otherwise I wouldn't have stayed. Interview with DI George Wozasek, President of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Linz. In: David. Jewish Culture Journal 21, 2009, No. 80 ( online ).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ I have never regretted going back. Upper Austria news . Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  2. ↑ Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ George Wozasek, Interview May 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ I have never regretted going back. Upper Austria news. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ David. Jewish culture magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  6. ↑ George Wozasek, Interview May 2008. Accessed November 7, 2012.
  7. ↑ Antifa Network Info No. 128, July 8, 2005. ( Memento of August 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ Austria is a solid democracy. In The Standard. July 11, 2005. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  9. ↑ VHS Linz . Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  10. ↑ # 93; = 45381 & cHash = a6d70e37144f79ab25df25fa3223323e KirchenZeitung , Dank, Ehrungen dated August 28, 2001 ( Memento of the original from December 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved October 29, 2012.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.kirchenzeitung.at
  11. ^ State of Upper Austria: State correspondence No. 161 of July 13, 2005. In: land-oberoesterreich.gv.at. Retrieved February 12, 2020 .
  12. ↑ "Austria is an established democracy". In: derStandard.at. July 11, 2005, accessed December 16, 2017 .
  13. ↑ Die Gemeinde, insider, official organ of the Israelitische Kultusgemeine Wien (PDF; 8.1 MB). Retrieved October 29, 2012.
personal data
SURNAME Wozasek, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian manager, President of the Israelite Cultural Community in Linz
DATE OF BIRTH June 27, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH October 27, 2016
Place of death Linz