Kurt Georg Knotzinger

Kurt Knotzinger (around 1990)

Kurt Georg Knotzinger (born January 31, 1928 in Vienna ; † March 7, 2010 ibid) was an Austrian Catholic priest , teacher and church musician .

Life

After studying theology, Kurt Knotzinger was ordained a priest on June 29, 1953 by Cardinal Innitzer in St. Stephen's Cathedral . Until 1965 he worked as a chaplain and pastor in Gerasdorf near Vienna . During this time he finished his dissertation on a topic of the mystical interpretation of the Bible and was awarded Dr. theol. PhD. In 1966 he was appointed spiritual at the boys' seminar in Sachsenbrunn , an episcopal grammar school with Konvikt . He taught religion and music there until 1987 , after completing his studies at the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna . In Sachsenbrunn he also directed the high school choir and took it to a high level with concert tours throughout Europe. At the same time he began to be active as a composer and created works for the liturgy , including several masses . From 1981 to 1989 he was president of the Austrian section of Pueri Cantores .

Knotzinger discovered Medjugorje as early as the 1980s and since then has been campaigning for the recognition of this Marian pilgrimage site with pilgrimages and oral and journalistic testimonies . In 1987 he moved from Sachsenbrunn to Vienna and became pastor of the Mother of God Church in Vienna's 3rd district (until 1998), in the same year also President of the Marian Lourdes Committee (until 1995). As an emeritus he took on the task of spiritual for the Vienna Convention of the Brothers of Mercy and was involved in hospital pastoral care . Knotzinger was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery .

Honors

Kurt Knotzinger was the holder of the Golden Decoration of Honor of the State of Lower Austria . His funeral was the occasion for very personal thanks from former students and parishioners.

Web links

• Obituary (life data and picture)
• Obituary and interview

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Praise of God contains his arrangement of the Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi (No. 285).
2. ↑ Impressive testimony about Kurt Knotzinger ( Memento of the original from April 15, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.