80 years of Annemarie Fenzl: A life for the faith in Vienna!

80 years of Annemarie Fenzl: A life for the faith in Vienna!

On February 7, 2025, Annemarie Fenzl, the former diocesan archivist of the Archdiocese of Vienna and right-hand woman of Cardinal Franz König, who died in 2004, will celebrate her 80th birthday. With almost 60 years of service, she is one of the archdiocese's most experienced employees. In the future, she will continue to volunteer as head of the Cardinal König Archive, which has existed in the Archbishop's Palace for 15 years. In a conversation, Fenzl said that although she recognized the challenges of her long career, her time was viewed as positive overall because she always encountered a good team spirit. The unforgettable advice of her mentors accompanied her throughout her work, especially the sentence of the former archbishop coadjutor Franz Jachym, who encouraged her that cooperation was important for the love of Christ.

An impressive career

Fenzl, who was born and grew up in Vienna, began her professional career in the archdiocese archives in 1965 and took over overall management of the diocesan archives in 1976. Her close collaboration with Cardinal König, which remained important after his death in 2004, makes her the leading expert on his concerns. In addition to her role in the development of the Cardinal König Archive, she is also active as Secretary General of the Cardinal König Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving the cardinal's intellectual legacy. Fenzl also praised the important role of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who contributed significantly to the establishment of the archive, and emphasized the importance of the project, which now includes over 2,000 archive boxes.

Fenzl is optimistic about the future of the archive, which she sees as a “work in progress.” She emphasizes the need for more intensive research on Cardinal König's term of office, as it is of great interest for both Austrian and universal church history. The archive contains not only personal documents and photos, but also important official files from the time of the Second Vatican Council. This extensive collection will continue to become more and more accessible in the coming years, but indexing it remains a challenge Kathpress explained. The experiences and insights gained over the past decades are invaluable for archival work.

In addition to her retrospective reflections, Fenzl expressed some of her core beliefs that she has gained through her many years of work. This includes the deeply rooted faith that is essential for fulfilling work in the church. Given her impressive years of service, Fenzl remains a respected figure within the archdiocese and a significant voice in the discussion of church concerns.