Hermann L'Estocq

Hermann L'Estocq (born June 20, 1887 in Vienna ; † June 16, 1940 in Buchenwald concentration camp ) was an Austrian administrative lawyer, district captain of the Carinthian district of Völkermarkt and local researcher.

Life

Coming from a traditional family of civil servants, he spent his childhood and youth in Vienna and Lower Austria. He studied from 1906 to 1910 at the Law Faculty of the University of Vienna and then entered the Austrian civil service. L'Estocq practiced in the district administration of Klagenfurt from 1914 and joined the Carinthian regional service in the same year. On April 1, 1916, he took up his service in the Völkermarkt district administration, whose provisional head he was from November 30, 1918. It was months of upheaval and great distress, considering that at the same time the first military initiatives to annex a part of Carinthia to the newly formed state of Yugoslavia took place. After the fighting was over, Hermann L'Estocq's main task was to prepare for the referendum in Carinthia in the Völkermarkt district; a difficult task, as this region was at least one of the core areas in voting zone A. The result is known: on October 10, 1920, around 60% of those eligible to vote in zone A decided to remain in Austria.

Fields of activity

L'Estocq was awarded the Special Carinthian Cross by the Governor of Carinthia for his services in 1921, and he was in charge of the American Children's Fund in Carinthia from 1919. On June 10, 1922, he was entrusted with the definitive management of “his” district administration. During the 1920s, Hermann L'Estocq began to develop an extensive activity as a historian, homeland and family researcher in addition to his professional tasks. He recorded both the history of the district in many details and a lively awareness work for special features worth preserving. A number of papers published in the Carinthia I . In addition, he commissioned Franz Baumann to produce a large number of historically significant views of Völkermarkt and its surroundings.

Acting as district captain

The district captain, a staunch public servant and devout Protestant, tried to maintain public peace and order under all circumstances during the political turmoil of the 1930s. His endeavors were always aimed at strengthening the state authority, which he represented locally with his person. In this endeavor he first came into confrontation with the Social Democrats, whose Republican Schutzbund in Völkermarkt was officially dissolved on March 31, 1933; but then even more violently to the National Socialists, who after the dissolution of their party (February 12, 1934) developed a bustling illegal underground work. They were persecuted relentlessly by the executive and often severely punished by the courts and administrative bodies. L'Estocq was the official in the district who had to carry out the persecution of “illegals”. The corporate state was grateful to him. On March 29, 1934, he was given the definitive leadership of the district administration, and the Federal President appointed him senior government councilor for the political administration of Carinthia. He also became a “curator for art historical and technical agendas”. On the occasion of the July coup of the National Socialists in 1934, around 700 men took part in the struggle in different parts of the district - the city of Völkermarkt, however, recorded no arguments. In later analyzes, this was attributed to L'Estocq's energetic action.

Persecution under National Socialism

After the National Socialists came to power on March 13, 1938 , the respected but also hostile district captain suffered the revenge of his authoritarian opponent. That same day, around 8 p.m., he was arrested by SA men in his official apartment and taken away in a car. He needed medical attention. Subsequently, he was also brutally mistreated. He was transferred from the police prison in Klagenfurt to the Dachau concentration camp within two weeks ; then to Buchenwald concentration camp . Hermann L'Estocq died there on June 16, 1940 after suffering from dysentery.

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• Moro:  L'Estocq Hermann. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 5, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1972, p. 158.
• Körner Günther: "Hermann L'Estoq" in: Carinthia I, year 2001, ed. from the history association for Carinthia.
• W. Baum / P. Gstettner / H. Haider / V. Jobst / P. Pirker (ed.): The book of names. The victims of National Socialism in Carinthia. Kitab Klagenfurt 2010. ISBN 978-3-902-58553-0