Otto Burtscher

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Otto Burtscher (born May 23, 1910 in Hard / Vorarlberg ; † February 6, 1991 in Feldkirch ) was for many years managing director of the trade section of the Chamber of Commerce and President of the Red Cross in Vorarlberg. During the Second World War he was active in the resistance group Greater Austrian Freedom Movement .

Youth and education

Burtscher grew up in Höchst / Vorarlberg . His training led him to the Innsbruck Commercial Academy , as there was no commercial academy in Vorarlberg at that time . There he joined the Catholic school association KÖStV Rhaetia Innsbruck in the MKV in 1929 . In 1931 he passed the Matura .

The enrollment at the University for World Trade took him to Vienna, where he was also an employee in an oriental carpet import business. His professional path took him back to Tyrol for two and a half years to join Jenny & Schindler in Telfs .

After returning to Vienna - now as an independent sales representative - he completed his studies in 1939 as a business graduate.

Participation in the war and resistance

After being called up for military service, he was mainly used on the western and eastern fronts. Disgusted by the war and the National Socialist sentiments, Burtscher joined the resistance movement of the Greater Austrian freedom movement around Jacob Kastelic . As a result of treason by castle actor Otto Hartmann , he was arrested on October 26, 1940 and imprisoned until March 29, 1943. In contrast to other supporters of this freedom movement, Burtscher's trial ended without a verdict.

Further career

After the end of the war, Burtscher continued his studies in commercial science at the World Trade University in Vienna and received his doctorate in commercial science on June 28, 1946.

His professional path began on July 22, 1946 when he took up his post in the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce , of which he was managing director for the trade section from autumn of the same year. Projects initiated by him in Vorarlberg (e.g. the competitions for young craftspeople) were imitated at the federal level. 80,000 copies of his brochure “What do you want to become?” Were distributed across the whole of Germany. He appeared as the main organizer of the state craft exhibition in 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965 and 1970. The 1970 international soil soul performance competition for young craftspeople was also under his leadership.

As early as 1962 he organized a professional traveling exhibition in three buses. He campaigned for the procurement of loans for the craftsmen and tradespeople, for example with the ERP small loan campaign for this sector and with the BUERGES loan to the small loan campaign of the responsible Federal Ministry 1953–1955.

On December 31, 1975, he retired. For his work he was honored with the German Craftsman's Mark in gold; because he not only launched numerous supporting projects for the craft trade, but also advised the small and medium-sized businesses of the country and was able to inspire them for new ideas.

Volunteering and commitment

  • Otto Burtscher rendered the city of Feldkirch many services in the organization of important festivities as well as by taking over the honorary post of ÖVP city party chairman with Hans Pitschmann in times of generational replacement.
  • 1960–1974 he was President of the Vorarlberg Athletics Association, from which he received the Gold Medal of Honor of the Austrian Athletics Association in 1970 for his services .
  • From 1965 he was chairman of the parents 'association at the Bundesgymnasium in Feldkirch and, from 1968, also chairman of the working group of the parents' association at middle and higher schools in the state of Vorarlberg.
  • 1973–1978 he was President of the Red Cross , Landesverband Vorarlberg and led the rescue organization through a phase of upheaval.
  • 1981–1986 he held the office of President of the Association of Name Bearers, which had been founded by his brother Hugo.

Honor

literature

  • Wear colors - show your colors. 1938-1945. Catholic Corporates in Resistance and Persecution. Austrian Association for Student History (Ed.), Vienna 1988.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ School News - Grief. (PDF; 7.63 MB) In: Annual Report 1990/91. Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch, 1991, accessed on November 1, 2018 (indicates the date of death as February 1).
  2. ↑ Governor presents honor of liberation to Dr. Otto Burtscher, Walter Fuchs, Wilhelm Häusle and Emil Zimmermann. Vorarlberg State Library , accessed on November 1, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Burtscher, Otto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian resistance fighter
DATE OF BIRTH May 23, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Hard , Vorarlberg
DATE OF DEATH February 6, 1991
Place of death Feldkirch , Vorarlberg