Ditto Pölzl

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

August (Ditto) Pölzl (28 June 1907 - 15 April 1994) was an Austrian politician. He was a prominent leftist figure in the Styrian Social Democracy and trade union leader. He joined the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) in 1934, and represented the party in the Styrian provisional state governments after World War II as well as the state parliament until 1957. He broke his ties with the KPÖ in 1957.

Youth and entry into politics[edit]

Pölzl was born in Eggenberg on 28 June 1907.[1][2][3] He became politically active during his youth.[2] In 1921 he became an apprentice at Wagner Biró AG (where he would become a trade union representative).[3][4][5] He joined the Social Democratic Workers Party of Austria (SDAPÖ) at the age of 18.[1] He emerged as the leader of the Socialist Workers Youth (SAJ) in Graz.[6] Within the SDAPÖ he was a leading figure in the left-wing opposition in Styria.[4] He was a member of the municipal council of Eggenberg between 1932 and 1934.[3][4][5] In 1932 he took part in building the Jungfront movement and in Graz he, together with Otto Fischer and Willy Scholz, worked to challenge the party leadership control over the Jungfront.[7]

Civil war and exile[edit]

Pölzl fought in the 1934 February Uprising on the side of the Republikanischer Schutzbund.[1][5] After the February Uprising he joined the KPÖ in Vienna.[1][4][5] He escaped to the Soviet Union together with Ernst Fischer.[4][5] He returned to Austria in February 1935, upon which he was arrested.[4] He was detained from April to July 1935 (or until December 1935 per other sources).[4][3]

Return to Austria[edit]

Pölzl went into exile but was able to return to Austria.[3] As of 1938 he lived in Graz.[2] Between 1938 and 1945 he was placed under surveillance by the Gestapo and he was arrested a number of times.[3]

Styrian provisional governments of 1945[edit]

Pölzl was a member of all three provisional Styrian state governments formed in 1945.[8] On 8 May 1945, before the arrival of the Red Army, a provisional Styrian state government was formed under the leadership of Social Democratic politician Reinhard Machold [de]. Pölzl was included in the provisional state government, albeit as a trade union representative rather than representing the KPÖ as such.[9] He was a member (landesrat) of the Styrian provisional state government, in which he was responsible for Arts, Culture and Education, from 15 May to 28 December 1945.[3][9][4] Upon taking on the post he allowed the immediate reopening of the Graz theaters.[10] He contributed with texts to the Grazer Antifaschistischen Volkszeitung ('Graz Anti-Fascist People's Newspaper').[11]

Pölzl remained in his post as landesrat after the British takeover of Styria on 24 July 1945 and the formation of a new provisional state government on 7 August 1945 (in which the British military authorities reduced the share of communist government members from 3 to 2).[9] He became the president of the provisional board of the Musical Association of Styria [de], an entity whose role worried the British military authorities during the autumn of 1945.[10][12] He would later serve as vice president of the same association.[12]

Styrian state parliament[edit]

Pölzl was elected to the Styrian state parliament [de] (landtag) in 1945, one of two KPÖ deputees in Styria and one of 15 KPÖ state parliament deputies across Austria.[9] He was a Styrian state parliament deputy from 12 December 1945 to 18 March 1957.[1][4][13] As of the late 1940s he was the vice president of the Styrian Chamber for Workers and Employees.[9]

In the Central Committee[edit]

Pölzl was a member of the KPÖ Central Committee between 1946 and 1957.[3] Within the Central Committee he was one of those that between the autumn of 1946 and January 1947 argued that the party should resign from the Austrian government. For Pölzl the party should have prioritized mass struggles rather than government participation. Pölzl and the other critics were worried that the role of the party in the government would alienate the grassroots of the party. In the argumentation of Pölzl a trade union representative at a major corporation would be more valuable for the party than a government minister.[9]

Breaking with the Communist Party[edit]

Pölzl and Willy Scholz demonstratively resigned from the KPÖ 17th party congress (held 28-31 March 1957).[14] Pölzl's resignation from the KPÖ occured in the aftermath of the events in Hungary 1956.[4] He rejoined the Social Democratic Party in 1967.[5]

Pölzl died on 15 April 1994 after a brief period of severe illness.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Stenographischer Bericht: Sitzung des Steiermärkischen Landtages. Steiermark Landtag. Steiermärkische Landesdruckerei. p. 2433
  2. ^ a b c Elfriede Schmidt. 1938-- and the Consequences: Questions and Responses : Interviews. Ariadne Press, 1992. p. 207
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Protokolle des Ministerrates der Zweiten Republik: 16. April 1946 bis 9. Julil 1946. Verlag Österreich, 2004. p. 670
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kurt Bauer. Kurzbiografien bekannter linker Anhaltehäftlinge 1933–1938
  5. ^ a b c d e f Historisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Graz, Vol. 25. Stadtmuseum Graz, 1968. pp. 127, 137
  6. ^ Wolfgang Neugebauer. [Bauvolk der kommenden Welt: Geschichte d. sozialistischen Jugendbewegung in Österreich]. Europaverl., 1975. pp. 133, 308
  7. ^ Rabinbach, Anson. Politics and Pedagogy: The Austrian Social Democratic Youth Movement 1931-32. Journal of Contemporary History, vol. 13, no. 2, 1978, pp. 337–56
  8. ^ Österreich in Geschichte und Literatur, Vol. 40-41. Stiasny Verlag, 1996. p. 157
  9. ^ a b c d e f Manfred Mugrauer. Die Politik der KPÖ 1945–1955: Von der Regierungsbank in die innenpolitische Isolation. V&R Unipress, 2020. pp. 87-88, 93, 154, 465
  10. ^ a b Alfred Ableitinger, Dieter A. Binder. Steiermark: die Überwindung der Peripherie. Böhlau Verlag Wien, 2002. pp. 49, 584
  11. ^ Karin Gradwohl-Schlacher. „STUNDE NULL“ FÜR STEIRISCHE AUTOREN? LITERARISCHER WIEDERAUFBAU IN GRAZ 1945/46. Graz 1945. Historisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Graz. 25 (1994), pp. 421-441.
  12. ^ a b Harald Kaufmann. Eine bürgerliche Musikgesellschaft: 150 Jahre Musikverein für Steiermark. Universitäts-Buchdruckerei Styria, 1965. pp. 151, 168
  13. ^ Josef Rauchenberger. Stichwort Bundesländer - Bundesrat: Wahlen und Vertretungskörper der Länder von 1945 bis 2000. PR-Verlag, 2000. p. 663
  14. ^ Walter Baier. Das kurze Jahrhundert: Kommunismus in Österreich, KPÖ 1918 bis 2008. Edition Steinbauer, 2009. p. 119
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ditto_Pölzl&oldid=1223778313"