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80 years after its re-foundation: SPÖ Tirol is celebrating its new beginning!
Find out how Franz Hüttenberger re-founded the SPÖ in Tyrol in 1945 after National Socialism and what significance this has.
80 years after its re-foundation: SPÖ Tirol is celebrating its new beginning!
May 4, 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the re-foundation of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) in Tyrol. This striking revival took place after the liberation from National Socialism, just a few days before the Wehrmacht's unconditional surrender. The SPÖ had been banned in Austria since 1934, which made its re-establishment all the more important. The central figure in this new start was Franz Hüttenberger, the first chairman of the SPÖ Tyrol, who was at the top from 1945 to 1960 and made a significant contribution to the new political beginning. This political turning point is not only seen as a return to democracy, but also as a signal for freedom and justice, as the SPÖ club leader in the Tyrolean state parliament, Elisabeth Fleischanderl, emphasizes. Dolomite town reports.
Franz Hüttenberger: Pioneer of the Tyrolean social system
Franz Hüttenberger was born on November 23, 1884 in Freinberg, Upper Austria. He originally learned to be a baker and was active in the Social Democratic Party since the late 1910s. His political career began in 1925 with his election to the Tyrolean state parliament. He was persecuted by the National Socialists during the Dollfuß dictatorship and served several prison sentences. In August 1944, Hüttenberger was arrested by the Secret State Police and imprisoned in the Reichenau camp before being released in November 1944. After the war he returned to politics and in 1945 was not only re-elected to the Tyrolean state parliament, but also appointed state councilor for health and social affairs. Wikipedia added.
Hüttenberger is considered a central figure in the reconstruction of the Tyrolean social system and also acted as the first head of the Tyrolean regional health insurance fund and as a social officer for the state government. Under his leadership, the SPÖ regained a firm place in the political landscape in Tyrol, which led to the renewal of the social structure in the post-war period. Elisabeth Fleischanderl emphasizes that the responsibility lies in carrying the political legacy of the SPÖ Tirol and its founding generation into the present, especially against fascism and misanthropy.
The resistance against National Socialism
The SPÖ was re-founded in a social and political framework that was strongly influenced by the experiences of resistance against National Socialism. Many members of the Social Democratic Party had actively opposed the regime and were often persecuted for it. The SPD was a vital pillar of the Weimar Republic and recognized the threat posed by the National Socialists, but was unable to prevent them from seizing power. After Hitler came to power, the SPD and its members were vehemently persecuted. History knowledge provides background information.
Therefore, the reconstruction of the SPÖ was not just a political act, but a clear expression of contradiction and hope for renewed democratic processes in Austria. During this period, many social democrats operated from exile or illegally and were tirelessly committed to defending the principles of freedom and justice.
The upcoming celebration on May 4th will not only focus on the history of the SPÖ, but also on the current responsibility to actively live and defend these values.