Reinhard Machold

Reinhard Machold (born November 11, 1879 in Bielitz , Silesia (today Bielsko-Biała, Poland ); † February 6, 1961 in Graz ) was an Austrian politician ( SDAPÖ , SPÖ ) and the first provisional governor of Styria (1945). He was state chairman of the Styrian Social Democrats (1925–1934 and 1945–1960).

Professional

Machold learned the trade as a printer after financial reasons did not allow him to study. He was heavily involved in the trade union, which forced him to leave his native Silesia, so he came to Graz via Vienna.

Machold worked there from 1901 in the Leykam university printing works , where he also became union chairman. 1910–1916 he was deputy director of the social democratic party enterprises in Styria, 1916–1926 board member and director of the Styrian consumer cooperative, 1926–1934 director of the Graz district health insurance fund.

Political career

In 1911 Machold was elected to the Graz municipal council and was Graz city ​​council from 1912 to 1914 . In the first republic in 1919 he became a state councilor in the Styrian state government. 1925–1930 he served as chairman of the Styrian Social Democrats. In December 1930 Machold was appointed LH deputy. In February 1934, after the establishment of the Austro-Fascist corporate state and the prohibition of the Social Democrats, he was dismissed from his political offices and imprisoned until October. In 1944 he was imprisoned again by the National Socialists .

In May 1945 he initiated a provisional state government with representatives of the SPÖ , ÖVP and the KPÖ , of which he became governor. This was recognized by both the Soviet occupying power and the subsequent British.

After the first free elections in the Second Republic, a new state government was formed on November 25, 1945, which consisted of a coalition of the ÖVP and the SPÖ. Like before Austrian fascism and National Socialism, Machold was the first deputy governor.

When Governor Anton Pirchegger suffered a heart attack on October 17, 1947 and had to pause until the end of 1947, Machold took over his duties as chairman of the state government until Pirchegger's return on January 8, 1948. In 1954 he moved to the Federal Council .

Awards (excerpt)

• Ring of Honor of the State of Styria
• Honorary citizen of Graz

Web links

• Reinhard Machold on the website of the Austrian Parliament
• Archive recordings with Reinhard Machold in the online archive of the Austrian Media Library (radio report 1945 and in Parliament 1955)