Michael Memelauer

Michael Memelauer (born September 23, 1874 in Sindelburg ; † September 30, 1961 in St. Pölten ) was bishop of the diocese of St. Pölten .

Life

Memelauer was born as a farmer's son in the Sindelburg parish and attended school in Oed and the Seitenstetten collegiate high school . After studying theology in St. Poelten he was on 14 January 1897 by Bishop John Baptist Roessler for priests ordained .

Memelauer first worked as a temporary priest in Haag , then as a cooperator in Schrems and then from 1901 in Krems . In 1904 he was appointed cathedral curate to St. Pölten until he became cathedral priest and canon in 1917. He held this post for ten years during the breakdown and post-war period.

On April 18, 1927 Michael Memelauer was from Pope Pius XI. appointed as the successor to Bishop Johannes Baptist Rößler as diocesan bishop of St. Pölten. On May 26, 1927, Cardinal Friedrich Gustav Piffl , Archbishop of Vienna, with the assistance of Bishops Johannes Maria Gföllner of Linz and Titular Archbishop Josef Pfluger , Auxiliary Bishop in Vienna, consecrated Michael Memelauer in the Cathedral of St. Pölten . On May 31, 1927, he was solemnly instituted into office with the participation of the people. His short motto was: "Caritati" (of love).

In his New Year's Eve sermon in 1941, Memelauer spoke out against Nazi euthanasia (“There is no unworthy life before our Lord God”).

For 34 years, Bishop Memelauer headed the diocese of St. Pölten. From 1952 he was no longer able to perform the duties of the field service, which is why the Pope assigned him a coadjutor , namely the future Archbishop of Vienna, Franz König , at his request . Pope Pius XII 1956 appointed Franz Žak as titular bishop of Apollonia and new bishop coadjutor of Bishop Memelauer with the right to his successor, which he also took over on September 30, 1961 as diocesan bishop of St. Pölten. Memelauer is buried in the bishop's crypt of St. Pölten Cathedral .

Web links

• Entry on Michael Memelauer in the Austria Forum  (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
• Entry for Michael Memelauer in the database of the state's memory for the history of the state of Lower Austria ( Museum Niederösterreich )
• Before our Lord God there is no unworthy life , Memelauer's sermon in the New Year's Eve devotion in 1941 in the cathedral, ed. DÖW and Diocesan Archives St. Pölten, ibid. 2017

predecessor	Office	successor
Johannes Baptist Roessler	Bishop of St. Pölten 1927–1961	Franz Žak