Josef Wallner (politician, 1902)

Josef Wallner (born January 9, 1902 in Eibiswald ( Styria ), † March 2, 1974 in Leoben ) was an Austrian farmer and politician of the CSP and ÖVP . From 1932 Wallner was mayor of the Kirchbach market in Styria . He was a member of the Styrian Landtag and first President of the Landtag (1945–1949 and 1952–1961). From 1948 he was President of the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture, from 1960 President of the Austrian Farmers' Union .

From 1961 to 1970 Wallner was a member of the National Council ( IX. , X. and XI. Legislative periods ), from 1962 to 1970 third President of the National Council . In 1954 Wallner was invested in the Knightly Order of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem .

Live and act

Josef Wallner was born on January 9, 1902 in Eibiswald . In the same year his parents bought a property in Kirchbach . There he grew up with three sisters, attended 6-class elementary school and graduated with very good results. In 1918 he was briefly at the Grottenhof agricultural school , but at the end of the war, teaching there ceased.

As an autodidact, he gradually acquired what he needed to exercise his later offices. Early on, at the age of 17, he took on tasks at the parish and district level and organized training courses. At the age of 22 he managed the Kirchbach branch of the Styrian Agricultural Society.                                                                                                              

1925-1945

He found his way into public life through the Jungsteirerbund. He excelled as a speaker and was elected diocesan chairman of the Young Styrian Federation in 1925. Sunday after Sunday he rode his bike or motorcycle to meetings and festive events. This is how he became known.

In 1929 he was district chamber councilor, in 1933 mayor of Kirchbach, in 1934 he was appointed to the Styrian state parliament and at the same time appointed to the state chamber council.

From April 27, 1934 to May 2, 1934, he was a member of the Federal Council ( fourth legislative period ).

He founded his family in 1935 by marrying Maria Heher, adopted Bayer, a farmer's daughter from Dobl . In the same year, the couple took over the business in Kirchbach. They became parents of 7 children.

In 1937, Wallner became vice-president of the regional chamber for agriculture and forestry in Graz. Then the year 1938 fell. Wallner resigned as mayor, lost all political functions and was arrested on March 12, 1938, but released again after 3 weeks because all allegations against him had proven to be unfounded. After July 20, 1944 (Stauffenberg assassination), he was arrested again from the stable, but was released a few days later. In the spring of 1945 he was called up for the Volkssturm. As one who heard the "enemy radio station", he knew exactly that the war was lost. He managed to survive.

1945-1960

After the war he was asked to take over the office of mayor of Kirchbach again. He fulfilled this task from 1945–1972. He rode his bike to the founding meeting of the ÖVP in Graz. He soon took on important functions there too. In 1945 he became President of the Styrian State Parliament , and in 1948 President of the State Chamber for Agriculture and Forestry .

With great energy he campaigned for better supplies for the population, the elimination of war damage and the improvement of the situation of the peasants. Throughout his life he strove for the unity of the peasants, to develop the peasant self-help organizations and to train the peasants and the peasant youth. This goal was the foundation of the Raiffeisenhof Graz in 1949 and the foundation of the Federation of Styrian Rural Youth in 1949 .

1960-1974

In 1960 the focus of his work shifted to Vienna. He became President of the Austrian Farmers' Union and took over a mandate from the National Council . In 1962 he was also the third president of the National Council . He saw this time as a service to Austria's farmers. He managed to improve the farmers' financial situation through the "Green Plan" and the market regulation laws. He also succeeded in providing the farmers with important social benefits through the introduction of the farmers 'health insurance fund and the farmers' pension.

Political withdrawal began in the early 1970s. In the 1970 election he no longer ran for the National Council and he placed the office of President of the Peasant Federation in younger hands. In 1971, he withdrew to Styria. He left the Chamber of Agriculture and the farmers' union. His death was indicative of his busy life. After a presentation he had given to members of the Raiffeisen cooperative in Göß / Leoben, he suffered a heart attack on March 2, 1974.

Awards (excerpt)

• Large silver medal of the Republic of Austria on ribbon
• Large gold medal of the Republic of Austria with the star
• Ring of Honor of the State of Styria
• Golden farmers' union badge
• Golden Raiffeisen Pin
• Rural youth badge of honor in gold  

(documented in the coin department of the Joanneum, Graz - Eggenberg)

Timetable

1902 Born on January 9th in Eibiswald

1922 managing director of the parish council in Kirchbach

1924 Managing Director of the Kirchbach branch of the Styrian Agricultural Society

1925 founder of the Fleckviehzuchtgenossenschaft Kirchbach

1926 Chairman of the Young Styrian Federation (until 1934)

1929 District Chamber Council in Feldbach

1933 Mayor of Kirchbach (until 1938)

1934 member of the state parliament

1935 marriage and takeover of his father's economy

1937 Vice President of the State Chamber for Agriculture and Forestry Styria. (until 1938)

1938 elimination from political life and imprisonment

1945 Mayor of Kirchbach (until 1972)

Vice President of the State Chamber for Agriculture and Forestry (until 1948)

President of the Landtag (from 1945 to 1949 and from 1952 to 1961)

1946 Founder of the Styrian Viehverwertungsgenossenschaft and the State Cooperative of Styrian Pig Breeders                                                               

1946 Chairman of the Styrian Raiffeisen Association (until his death)

1948 President of the State Chamber for Agriculture and Forestry Styria. (until 1971)

1949 Chairman of the Styrian Farmers' Union (until 1971)

1952 Appointment to the economics council

1960 President of the Austrian Farmers' Union (until 1970)

1961 Member of the National Council (until 1970)

1962    Third President of the National Council (until 1970) 

literature

• Documents and correspondence on the person of Ök. Rat Josef Wallner can be viewed in the Styrian State Archives.
• Literature: Ilse Maria Staudacher: Josef Wallner, A life in the service of the Austrian peasantry - diploma thesis, University of Graz, 1997.

Web links

Commons : Josef Wallner  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Josef Wallner on the website of the Austrian Parliament
• Entry on Josef Wallner in the Austria Forum  (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
• Audio recordings with Josef Wallner in the online archive of the Austrian Mediathek (parliamentary debates, radio broadcasts)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Matricula Online - Eibiswald, Taufbuch 16, 1898–1907, page 128, entry no. 2, 2nd line