80 years of SPÖ Tirol: A legacy of resistance to fascism!

80 years of SPÖ Tirol: A legacy of resistance to fascism!

Innsbruck, Österreich - On May 4, 2025, the re-establishment of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) in Tyrol will celebrate its 80th anniversary. This is an important date in Austrian history, since the SPÖ was launched again on May 4, 1945, immediately after the liberation from National Socialism. This foundation took place before the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht, which was carried out just a few days later. The re -establishment of the SPÖ was largely supported by resistance fighters who had risen against National Socialist rule. Elisabeth Fleischanderl, club chairwoman of the SPÖ in the Tyrolean state parliament, describes the re -establishment as a strong signal for freedom, justice and return to democracy.

A central personality in the rebirth of the Tyrolean SPÖ is the politician Franz Hüttenberger. From 1945 to 1960 he was the first chairman of the SPÖ Tyrol and played a key role in reconstruction of the Tyrolean social system. Hüttenberger, who was born on November 23, 1884 in Freinberg, was originally trained bakery and took over the management of the workers' health insurance company in Innsbruck in 1922. He was politically involved early on and joined the socialist party in the late 1910s. In 1925 he became a member of the Social Democrats in the Tyrolean state parliament, which he belonged to in 1934.

a life's work in resistance

The persecution of the Social Democrats by Engelbert Dollfuß's regime meant that Hüttenberger had to serve twice a prison sentence. Even during the National Socialist dictatorship, he remained actively against the regime and was arrested by the secret state police in August 1944 and arrested to the Reichenau camp. It was only released in November of the same year. After the end of the war, Hüttenberger returned to politics and was quickly elected to the state party chairman of the SPÖ Tirol, a post that he held until 1961

Hüttenberger was not only an important politician, but also an advocate of social justice. As a health and social country council under Governor Karl Gruber, he campaigned for the well-being of the Tyrolean population and was its first head of the regional health insurance fund. Elisabeth Fleischanderl emphasizes that it is also important today to preserve the heir of the SPÖ Tyrol and its generation of founders and to obtain a clear position against fascism and misanthropy.

The historical context

In order to better understand the importance of the SPÖ and its re -establishment, the historical context is essential. The Social Democrats were a support of the Weimar Republic for a long time and experienced severe repression in Germany after the National Socialists took over in 1933. Party newspapers were banned, many members were in custody or exile. Nevertheless, there was a minority within the party that continued the resistance and tried to fight against the National Socialist dictatorship. Well -known personalities such as Julius Leber and Wilhelm Leuschner symbolize the courageous resistance within the SPD and illustrate the challenges that the Social Democrats saw.

The foundation of the SPÖ Tirol 1945 was not only a sign of new beginning, but was also in direct connection to the fights and victims that many social democratic politicians had taken on resistance against the National Socialist regime. The re -establishment was a crucial moment in Tyrol's political history, which embodied the return to democracy and social values.

for the SPÖ Tyrol and its members, the 80th anniversary is an opportunity to remember this eventful story and to defend the values of freedom and justice in today's society.