Josef Kraus (politician, 1890)

Josef Kraus (born February 23, 1890 in Kronberg ; † July 1, 1971 there ) was an Austrian politician ( CSP / ÖVP ) and farmer. Kraus was a member of the Lower Austrian state parliament from 1927 to 1930 , a member of the National Council from 1930 to 1934 and 1945 to 1953, and Federal Minister, State Secretary and Undersecretary from 1945 to 1953.

After attending elementary school, Kraus attended the agricultural state college in Mistelbach and subsequently did his military service from 1911 to 1919 or was a prisoner of war in Italy. After his return he took over his parents' farm and worked as a wine grower and farmer in Kronberg. Kraus became politically active in the local council from 1920 , and between 1924 and 1938 he held the office of mayor. He was also active in various agricultural cooperatives and was a member of the Lower Austrian state parliament from May 20, 1927 to December 16, 1930. He then represented the Christian Social Party between December 2, 1930 and May 2, 1934 in the National Council and was a member of the State Council and the Bundestag from 1934 to 1938. After the National Socialists came to power, Kraus was arrested in 1938.

After the end of the Second World War, Kraus joined the newly founded People's Party and between April 27 and September 26, 1945 held the post of Undersecretary in the State Office for People's Nutrition. Subsequently, he was State Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry from September 26 to December 20, 1945 and then Federal Minister for Agriculture and Forestry from December 20, 1945 to January 23, 1952 . In addition, Kraus was again a member of the National Council between December 19, 1945 and March 18, 1953.

Kraus also held the office of President of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture from April to August 1945 and was also deputy chairman of the Lower Austrian Farmers' Union from 1945 to 1960. Furthermore, Kraus was President of the Austrian Farmers' Union from 1947 to 1960, Deputy Federal Party Chairman of the ÖVP between 1951 and 1960 and Chairman of the Lower Austrian Cooperative Central Fund from 1950 to 1965. As a result, he also held the office of President of the Cooperative Central Bank and the role of Deputy Attorney General of the Raiffeisen Association. In addition, he was chairman of the Dairy Management Fund from 1952 to 1964 and vice-president of the Association of European Agriculture (CEA) from 1959 to 1961.

Awards

• Economic Council
• Honorary Citizen of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (1948)
• Ring of Honor of the State of Lower Austria (1960)
• Golden Commander's Cross with the Star of the Decoration for Services to the Federal State of Lower Austria (1960)

literature

• Lower Austria Landtag Directorate (ed.): Biographical manual of the Lower Austrian Landtag and the Lower Austrian provincial government 1921–2000 (= Lower Austria publications. Volume 128). Lower Austria Landtag Directorate , St. Pölten 2000, ISBN 3-85006-127-2 .

Web links

• Josef Kraus on the website of the Austrian Parliament
• Josef Kraus on the website of the Landtag of Lower Austria

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Lower Austria honors leading men . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna November 24, 1960, p. 4 , middle ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).