Peter Krenn (politician)

Peter Krenn (born February 8, 1889 in Kumberg near Weiz / Styria; † July 21, 1958 in Graz ) was an Austrian state politician in Styria (Member of the Landtag of the Christian Social Party from 1919 to 1933 and Provincial Councilor from 1933 to 1938 / Patriotic Front ) .

Life

Early life

Peter Krenn was born in poor circumstances in Kumberg near Weiz. Before the marriage, the mother had two sons; The father, who was orphaned very early and probably remained illiterate his entire life, mostly worked as a day laborer.

The family later moved to Graz, where Peter Krenn attended elementary school in Maria Grün from 1895 to 1903. From 1903 to 1907 he completed his apprenticeship as a locksmith at the “Gebrüder Kerl” company in Merangasse in Graz.

In 1907, Peter Krenn's professional path led him to Eisenerz for the first time, where he was employed as a fitter by the mining administration and also trained as a machine electrician.

In 1908 he went on a hike that took him to Innsbruck, where he found work for the Innsbruck municipal electricity company. He stayed in Tyrol until 1910. These two years had a formative effect on his later career. Krenn found a home in the Catholic Workers' Association, which enabled him to gain general training and political education. He was active in the debating club, in the theater and mountain climbing. The first politically effective connections were established here. He was elected to the association's committee. From 1911 Peter Krenn returned to Eisenerz; He was again employed by the Alpine Montangesellschaft as an electrician and assembly fitter. His activity was classified as important to the war effort, so he was spared an assignment at the front of the First World War. It is uncertain whether his pacifist stance was already there at that time.

Political life / professional life

In Eisenerz, Peter Krenn was elected chairman of the local Catholic workers' association. As he was known for his political commitment and his talent for speaking, he was motivated by relatives and colleagues to run for the first freely elected parliament in 1919. In his public speeches he campaigned for the betterment of the working class; at the age of thirty he entered the Styrian state parliament. In Eisenerz he was instrumental in founding the first Christian miners' union. He was also elected to the Eisenerz municipal council as one of three representatives of the Christian Social Party and acted as deputy mayor.

Despite his political duties, Krenn continued to work and live on the Erzberg; he commuted from Eisenerz to Graz.

In 1925 he moved to Graz, where he was entrusted with the office of state secretary and chairman of the Catholic workers' associations of Styria. Professionally, Peter Krenn worked in Graz as a senior civil servant in the field of health insurance. Josef Krainer Sr. (Governor of Styria from 1948 to 1971) was his secretary.

From 1919 to 1934 Peter Krenn was a member of the state parliament of the Christian Social Party. His concern was the improvement of the social situation of the workers as well as the small and micro farmers. Accordingly, he campaigned for the expansion of social security for everyone.

From 1933 to 1938 he was appointed to the Styrian state government as a member of the government. His agenda as Provincial Councilor under Governors Alois Dienstleder and Karl M.Stepan comprised primarily social matters. During this period, the Patriotic Front was the only party permitted in the Austrian corporate state .

When the governor and other members of the government were interned in the Dachau concentration camp in 1938 , Peter Krenn was also arrested by the Gestapo , but released after a month of police custody in Paulusgasse. It is reported that Gauleiter Sigfried Uiberreither , who was a subordinate of Peter Krenn in the health insurance association, held his protective hand over his former superior. In 1944 Peter Krenn was arrested again in the train of the Stauffenberg assassination ; However, he only spent one day in custody because at the time of the attack he was able to prove that he was in the state hospital as a result of a serious accident (see under Private Life and Later Life).

In 1945 Peter Krenn did not return to politics; The reason for this is the consequences of the accident mentioned above.

Private Life and Later Life

Peter Krenn married Stefanie Mair in Eisenerz in 1914. The couple had seven children.

After the National Socialists came to power in 1938, Peter Krenn found work only with difficulty, was unemployed or temporarily employed as a warehouse keeper.

In May 1944 he had a serious bicycle accident, which resulted in a stay at the LKH Graz from May to August. The consequences of the head trauma and the eye injury remained decisive for the rest of his life.

From 1945 Peter Krenn was employed by the State Insurance Institute Graz. From 1949 until his retirement in 1954, he held the position of deputy head of department in the Styrian regional health insurance fund for workers and employees. In addition, he held various supervisory board positions until 1958, including a. at STWEAG, inside.

In July 1958, Peter Krenn died of stomach cancer and pneumonia at the age of 69. Numerous Styrian and Austrian politicians attended his funeral at the St. Peter cemetery. His tireless commitment to the “little people” was honored.

Volunteering

From 1925 to 1939 Peter Krenn held the post of cashier in Karitas Styria.

A major concern for him was the regional association of Kleinrentner with the factory kitchen in Wielandgasse in Graz, which he headed from 1954 to 1958.

In 1952 Krenn was awarded the gold medal of the Workers 'and Employees' Association of the ÖVP.

swell

• Peter Krenn, Written Memoirs / Private Ownership
• Peter Krenn estate, documents, letters, certificates, newspaper articles, confirmations / private property
• Stenographic minutes of the Styrian Landtag 1919–1934 / Steiermärkisches Landesarchiv, 8010 Graz
• Minutes of meetings of the Styrian regional government 1934–1938 / Styrian regional archive, 8010 Graz

Remarks

1. ↑ Tombstone St. Peter Cemetery