Josef Dametz

Josef Dametz (born May 26, 1868 in Linz ; † September 21, 1927 there ) was a social democratic politician , trade unionist and mayor of Linz from 1919 to 1927.

Dametz learned to be a printer and typesetter after secondary school . In addition to his main job, he campaigned strongly for the establishment of the Social Democratic Party in the Upper Austrian capital . He was also active in the union.

In 1905 Josef Dametz was one of the first nine Social Democrats to move into the Linz City Council .

In 1914 Dametz became regional chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Upper Austria .

On May 18, 1919, the Social Democrats immediately became the strongest force in the first municipal council elections, in which women were also allowed to vote. Josef Dametz was then unanimously elected mayor of Linz on June 11, 1919, and was re-elected in 1923 and 1927.

During his tenure, Dametz was able to successfully fight the effects of the First World War . He laid the foundations for urban housing programs, had schools built and advocated the establishment of branches of business in Linz. The public kitchen and the park pool were also built during his tenure and the general hospital expanded.

He was considered a very matter-of-fact politician and earned praise and recognition across party lines, especially from the Christian Socialists .

Josef Dametz died in Linz on September 21, 1927 after a long illness. His successor as mayor was Robert Mehr .

Recognitions

• Dametzstraße in Linz was named after Josef Dametz in 1945. It runs from Graben to Hessenplatz. Before that, the street was named Dollfussstrasse in 1935 and Freiheitsstrasse in 1938.
• The Dametzhof, a municipal residential complex of the city of Linz, was built from 1927 to 1928 according to the plans of the city planning director Curt Kühne .

Web links

• Biography of Josef Dametz on the server of the federal state of Upper Austria .

predecessor	Office	successor
Franz Dinghofer	Mayor of Linz 1919–1927	Robert More