Walter Pongratz

Walter Pongratz (* January 19, 1912 in Vienna , † 28. June 1990 ) was a Lower Austrian state historian , local historian and a library historian .

Pongratz's scientific activity began as a student at the University of Vienna . He conducted archive studies and the first publications appeared. His scientific achievements concern two directions: Lower Austrian, especially Waldviertel local history research and library studies . Pongratz dealt with castle research and genealogy and published fundamental works on it. His results on the small or military nobility and their fortified or tower courtyards are also fundamental. From 1960 to 1987 he was editor of the magazine Das Waldviertel and from 1961 to 1985 President of the Waldviertler Heimatbund . Pongratz was also a collaborator or editor of numerous home books of the Waldviertel.

In the field of library science, Walter Pongratz was active in the form of publications and teaching. He was the examination commissioner for the middle library service and lecturer for library science at the University of Vienna. In 1977 his great work History of the University Library in Vienna was published . Pongratz was also appointed to represent Austria in the working group for library history at the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel (Lower Saxony). Pongratz received numerous honors, such as the Great Decoration of Honor of the State of Lower Austria and the Decoration of Honor for Art and Science, First Class. The Society for Pre- and Protohistory made him an honorary member.

Pongratz's scientific special library was handed over to the Waldviertler Heimatbund after the last ruling, which, together with other book collections , made it publicly accessible as a Waldviertel library for scientific and local history purposes in the Höbarthmuseum of Horn .

Works

(Selection)

• The oldest family names in the Waldviertel. Krems a. d. D. 1960. (2nd edition Krems 1986)
• Castles and palaces: Litschau-Zwettl-Ottenschlag-Weitra , Vienna 1971 (with Gerhard Seebach ).
• Castles and palaces: Ysper-Pöggstall-Weiten , Vienna 1972 (with Gerhard Seebach).
• History of the University Library Vienna. Vienna 1977.
• Outline of the library history with special consideration of Austria. 2. verb. u. exp. Edition Vienna 1977.
• The decline of the peasant aristocracy into subject status at the end of the Middle Ages. Shown using examples from the upper Waldviertel. Our home 50, 1979, p. 123ff.

literature

• Hermann Maurer : Prof. Dr. Walter Pongratz 1912–1990 . In: Bulletin of the Society for Pre- and Early History 21, 1990, pp. 19–21.
• Erich Rabl : In memoriam Walter Pongratz . In: Das Waldviertel 39, 1990, pp. 289-293.

Web links

• Literature in the OPAC of the Regesta Imperii