Josef Graf (lawyer)

Josef Graf (* 1778 ; † March 11, 1864 in Leoben , Austrian Empire ) was an Austrian lawyer and local politician .

Life

Josef Graf was born in 1778 and was married to a daughter of the iron and lignite works Georg von Peball , who worked in Vordernberg and owned the coal works on the Munzenberg near Leoben and in Leoben itself. After completing his studies, Graf was mainly active in local politics in the city of Leoben and was first councilor for the city of Leoben from 1806 to 1814. After a successful election he was then from 1814 to 1849 magistrate mayor of Leoben. Graf was regarded as a strong personality of post- Josephinism , who, thanks to his foresight, had met the demands of the time and carried out significant reforms in the expansion of the city. The most important reforms during his time in office were the reconstruction of the former town hall and the razing of the old city fortifications that hindered traffic. Graf also wrote the first city histories of Leoben, such as news about Leoben and the surrounding area (1824), historical-topographical news about Leoben and the surrounding area (1852) or events and fates of the city of Bruck (1852). Today the Josef-Graf-Gasse in Leoben is named after him.

Works (selection)

• 1824: News about Leoben and the surrounding area
• 1852: Historical-topographical news about Leoben and the surrounding area
• 1852: Events and fates of the city of Bruck

literature

• Count, Josef. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 2, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1959, p. 44.
• Alfred Joham: Leoben - street names with a history . Self-published by the city of Leoben, Leoben 2015. pp. 116–119. ISBN 978-3-9504139-0-8