Herbert Eichholzer

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Stumbling block for Herbert Eichholzer

Herbert Eichholzer (born January 31, 1903 in Graz ; † January 7, 1943 in Vienna ) was an Austrian architect and resistance fighter against National Socialism .

family

Herbert Eichholzer lived with his four years younger brother Alfred and his parents Karl and Adele Eichholzer, both traveling salesmen, from 1913 in Graz at Kirchengasse 15 (today: Schröttergasse 7). The family was often in Ramsau and in the Salzkammergut , the mother's home, where Herbert became an enthusiastic skier and climber.

school

After primary school, Herbert Eichholzer attended the Lichtenfels State Realgymnasium, but later switched to the 2nd State Realschule in Pestalozzigasse in Graz, where he graduated in 1922. While still at school he joined the “ Wandervogel ” movement in Graz.

Herbert Eichholzer began studying architecture at the Technical University in Graz in autumn 1922 . In 1926 he met the Linz architect Julius Schulte , who strongly influenced Eichholzer in his early buildings and designs. But Friedrich Zotter influenced him even more . He was a mentor of the "Academic Architects' Association" (AAV) and organized many architecture competitions for students on behalf of this association. Eichholzer won one of these in the spring of 1927. The effects of this competition were very positive for Eichholzer, as after three exhibitions it resulted in his first public commission in October 1927. Soon thereafter, the Styrian Jubilee Art Show in Graz followed in 1928, in which some designs and works by Herbert Eichholzer were shown, such as the conversion of a movie theater in Judenburg (December 1927) and the construction of a three-story house planned by Eichholzer. Eichholzer completed his studies in July 1928.

Study trips

In the 1920s Herbert Eichholzer went on many hikes and research trips that shaped his political and social attitudes. These led him u. a. to Bulgaria, Greece, France, Spain, Italy, Asia Minor, Abyssinia, Eritrea and Somaliland.

Works in Duisburg, Paris, Graz and Moscow

From June 1928 Herbert Eichholzer was the technical director of Stahlhaus GmbH Duisburg and built earthquake-proof prefabricated steel houses on behalf of this company . However, he quit this position after a year because it “left no room for purely creative work”. He then went to Paris for three months, where he worked as an intern with the architects Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret . This stay in Paris was of great importance for his further development. Much of Eichholzer's work from the 1930s is very similar to that of Le Corbusier. After his return from Paris to Graz, Eichholzer's first independent job was a three-story residential building in Judenburg. After Eichholzer did not receive orders during the global economic crisis , he took over the construction management of the Graz employment office from August 1931 to June 1932 . From September 1932 to January 1939 he worked with a Frankfurt planning group in Moscow, where he built residential areas for the centers of heavy industry: the Standardgor project in Moscow, for which he developed new types of apartments.

Own studios, work groups and office groups

After having his own studio in Jahngasse, Eichholzer shared a studio with Rudolf Nowotny in Gleisdorfergasse 4. Nowotny died three weeks after Eichholzer's return from Moscow. Then Eichholzer formed a working group with Viktor Badl from 1933 to 1936. In 1936 the working group became an office community, u. a. with Friedrich Hodnik and Anna-Lülja Simidoff, later Anna-Lülja Praun , Eichholzer's partner. From 1938 to the beginning of 1940 he worked as a freelancer for the Austrian architect Clemens Holzmeister in Ankara and Istanbul .

Awards

In 1934 Herbert Eichholzer was awarded the silver medal of the city of Graz and in 1935 the medal of the Brussels World Exhibition. After Eichholzer became a member of the Secession in 1932, he and Viktor Badl were awarded the State Prize of Secession 2 in 1935.

Political ways

As early as 1926 Eichholzer joined the " Association of Socialist Students ", the student group of the Social Democratic Party. At this point in time, the domestic political climate became very radical. From 1931 Eichholzer took the side of the left and in 1932 joined the " Republican Protection League ".

After the social democratic leadership u. a. the elimination of parliament, the ban on the Republican Schutzbund and the introduction of press censorship , criticized the inner-party left opposition - the young front, which Herbert Eichholzer also belonged to - the defensive course and called in January 1934 to fight for a free Austria. When Eichholzer took part in the “ February fighting ” a month later , he was arrested, but released in March 1934. In 1937 he then joined the " Fatherland Front ". In 1938 Eichholzer worked on the first edition of the cultural magazine "Plan", the publisher of which had openly opposed National Socialism. In addition, before the referendum in 1938, he distributed leaflets against the annexation of Austria to Germany on behalf of the Social Workers' Community.

After Chancellor Schuschnigg had resigned, Eichholzer fled to Trieste in 1938 and then via Switzerland to Paris , the center of political exile, as well as the Social Democratic Party of Austria and the KPÖ , where he stayed for half a year. In Paris, Eichholzer organized retraining and help for refugees from Austria under the code name "Karl Hase". When Clemens Holzmeister , an old friend of Eichholzer, was invited to a competition in Turkey, Eichholzer followed him there and was entrusted with the implementation of the project. In November Eichholzer went to Tarabya near Istanbul , where he worked for board and lodging in Holzmeister's studio. At the same time, he and Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky set up the KPÖ's foreign group in Turkey .

Return to Graz

In order to rebuild the illegal network of resistance against National Socialism , Eichholzer returned to Graz in April 1940, after receiving a return permit from the Gestapo, pretending that from now on he would only be active in National Socialism. On his return trip he met a representative of the KPÖ, who gave him the task of setting up an illegal border traffic to Zagreb , establishing a connection between the communist organization and the KPÖ's foreign apparatus and combining the independent KPÖ groups into one.

Eichholzer had reported as a war volunteer in order to be able to be politically active within the Wehrmacht . After Herbert Eichholzer was called up on July 24, 1940, this appointment was revoked the next day. He protested against this decision and was finally drafted on October 18, 1940; he began his service as a special leader for Frontstalag 240, which was to be used in Verdun .

Leaflet against euthanasia

Immediately after his convocation he wrote, u. a. with Karl Drews , Josef Neuhold , Anton Kröpfl and Franz Weiß, leaflets, which were then distributed to resistance groups in Styria for distribution. One of these leaflets reported on the Nazi euthanasia:

“ In Steinhof in Vienna, which was built at the time by the Vienna community for the mentally ill, and where there were 6,000 sick people, the Nazis brought new evidence of humanity. Resourceful as they are, they discovered that the poor insane do nothing for the Hitlerite war. Eat only the amount of food allegedly stored for three years. In the Third Reich, such a person, even if he is a sick person, is a pest. This is how these Nazi monsters went, put the fools from the Steinhof in omnibuses and took them to the Altreich. Allegedly they should be put in better institutions there. After a short time, the parents or relatives were informed of the death of their loved one. The cause of death was pneumonia, appendicitis or tonsillitis, etc. specified. A mother, whose daughter had also been removed from Steinhof, was notified that her daughter had died of tonsillitis. And immediately received the urn with the ashes. The mother wrote back that this is impossible because her daughter had these cut out as a child. She received no answer, but received a second urn. It also happened that people are said to have died of appendicitis, although their appendix had previously been removed by an operation. Of 6,000 people with nervous disorders, only 2,000 are in Steinhof. (The number should have decreased by now.) But that's not all. Even completely normal, but also old people who lived in the old people's care home, were transported away and died such a strange death. At the beginning of September two pavilions were already emptied in this way. Many relatives wanted to see the body. But no one was allowed to do so. But simply sent them the urn. The relatives therefore suspected that these poor people served as guinea pigs for Hitler's war purposes and that new poison gases had been tried out on them. We learn the same from Feldhof in Graz. Only it should not have reached the same level there as in Vienna. Your Nazi! The decent people will remember the atrocities. Perhaps your Hitler, whom you had already painted in anticipation on the outside of the Feldhof wall before March 1938, will end up in Steinhof, but inside the wall. We will know what to do with him and his accomplices. The time is not far away. No decent person can remain in this party, which cold-bloodedly and deliberately murders sick and old people. "

Arrest and execution

Shortly after his return from his Christmas vacation to his unit in Verdun on January 20, 1941, Herbert Eichholzer was arrested on February 7, 1941 and subsequently transferred to the military prison in Vienna's 10th district. In December 1941 he began to write an autobiography addressed to his judges in order to explain his actions to them, but this did not help because he had reported in writing to a Gestapo spy about his illegal communist activities. On September 9, 942 Eichholzer, like Drews, Neuhold and Weiss, was finally sentenced to death for high treason . After the pardon was rejected, Herbert Eichholzer was executed on January 7, 1943. He was buried in the family grave of the Eichholzer family in the St. Leonhard cemetery in Graz .

Appreciation

The Herbert Eichholzer Promotion Prize is awarded every two years to talented architecture students. The award takes place according to the announcement of the Faculty of Architecture, Technical University Graz . The cultural department of the city of Graz applies for the award in recognition of the importance of the architect Herbert Eichholzer, the decision is made by the city senate.
On the one hand, the sponsorship award is intended to symbolize the ties between the City of Graz and the Graz University of Technology and Herbert Eichholzer and, on the other hand, to continue the architect's responsible engagement with the trends of his time. At the same time, a permanent monument is to be set for the architectural work of Herbert Eichholzer.

Award winners

  • 2011: Christian Buresch, Alexander Gebetsroither, Stefan Jos
  • 2009: Ulrike Tinnacher, Oliver Wildpanner / Ahmed Ibrahimpašić, Boško Marušić, Ana Glavaš
  • 2007: Jürgen Trixl, Peter Leidlmayer / Johannes Pointl / Nina Valerie Kolowratnik
  • 2005: Theresa Kalteis, Georg Dornhofer, Tobias Weiss, Gernot Reisenhofer, Mario Lerner / Elisabeth Koller, Alexander Eberl
  • 2003: Daniel Bammer / Martin Strobl, Stefan Kogler / Stephan Piber, Bernhard Gilli
  • 2001: Christoph Hinterreiter / Ulrich Hagen, Roland Schober / Rudolf Gräf, Martina Mueller / Katharina Rohrmoser
  • 1998: Christian Steyrl / Alexander Vonbank, Wolfgang Löschnig, Andreas Salfellner
  • 1995: Nadia Henique / Torsten Müller / Alexander Obst, Eilfried Schoo / Martin Kempf / Vera Dobrindt, Henrik Klug / Francisca Hederer
  • 1992: Kaya Kipcak, Andreas Braunendal / Andreas Heidl, Michael Neubacher

In Graz (St. Peter district) the Eichholzerweg was named after Herbert Eichholzer.

For home-Albrecher Leskoschek , Hilmteichstraße 24 (today the site of the provincial hospital adjacent), as a total work of art - with a mural of Axl Leskoschek - designed by Herbert Eichholzer an architectural history book by Heimo Rainer half appeared et al. Before the soon to be expected demolition of the house, which had undergone major changes since the 1960s, an "improvised farewell party - open house" was held on June 5, 2016 as part of the 2016 Architecture Days. Erected shortly before the "Anschluss", the house also served as a meeting point and "cover address" for the resistance against National Socialism.

On July 4, 2014, a stumbling block was laid in his memory .

literature

  • Antje Senarclens de Grancy, Heimo Halbrainer, Urs Hirschberg: “There is no such thing as a dead life”. Herbert Eichholzer 1903–1943. Springer, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-211-21278-7 .
  • Heimo Halbrainer: A house for modern people. Herbert Eichholzer and the “Blue House” in Judenburg. In: Reports of the Museum Association Judenburg. 2003, issue 36, p. 3 ff.
  • Eva Klein: Hidden Modernity. The mural Allegory of Friends by Axl Leskoschek in the Villa Albrecher-Leskoschek by Herbert Eichholzer. In: Think! Times the future. Dealing with historical cultural assets in the area of ​​tension between society, research and practice. Edited by Eva Klein, Rosmarie Schiestl, Margit Stadlober, Graz 2012, ISBN 978-3-7011-0260-0 .
  • Margot Franz, Heimo Halbrainer et al. (Ed.): Mapping contemporary history: Zeitgeschichten im Discurs. Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2008, ISBN 978-3-205-77693-2 , in particular the contribution by Heimo Halbrainer: "Resistance and betrayal", pp. 320–347.
  • Heimo Halbrainer, Eva Klein, Antje Senarclens de Grancy: Hilnteichstrasse 24 - Albrecher-Leskoschek house by Herbert Eichholzer. CLIO Association for History & Educational Work, April 28, 2016, ISBN 978-3902542250 , 160 pages (house planned as a modern total work of art and place of “liberated living”, heavily modified, demolished in 2016).

Web links

Commons : Herbert Eichholzer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "There is no such thing as dead life". Herbert Eichholzer 1903–1943. Springer, Vienna 2004, p. 28.
  2. ↑ Irene Leitner: Nazi euthanasia: knowledge and resistance. Perceptions in the population and the resistance of individuals. In: Brigitte Kepplinger , Gerhart Marckhgott , Hartmut Reese (eds.): Hartheim death center. Upper Austrian Provincial Archives, Linz 2008, ISBN 978-3-900313-89-0 , pp. 217-260.
  3. ↑ http://www.kulturserver-graz.at/kulturamt/108
  4. ↑ https://www.tugraz.at/fakultaeten/architektur/aktuelles/events/article/hilgenössichstrasse-24-haus-albrecher-leskoschek-von-herbert-eichholzer/ HILMTEICHSTRASSE 24 - Haus Albrecher-Leskoschek by Herbert Eichholzer. TU Graz, Events, accessed June 13, 2016.
  5. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from June 13, 2016 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. Styria: House Albrecher-Leskoschek by Herbert Eichholzer, Architecture Days, 3. – 4. June 2016, accessed June 13, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.architekturtage.at
personal data
SURNAME Eichholzer, Herbert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian architect and resistance fighter
DATE OF BIRTH January 31, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Graz
DATE OF DEATH January 7, 1943
Place of death Vienna