Oskar Ludwig Handler

Oskar Ludwig Handler was born in Schottwien in the district of Nunkirchen in Lower Austria as the legitimate son of Ludwig Handler and Anna, née Baumgartner. His father runs the hotel 'Zum Touristen' in this town.

In 1916, the family moves to Wiener Neustadt, where his father finds work in the aircraft factory and runs the canteen at the same time. In 1918, his parents acquired a property at Bahngasse 25 in Wiener Neustadt and opened a restaurant there.

After attending primary and secondary school, Oskar Handler learned the carpentry trade and completed this in 1929 with the master craftsman's examination. He then works for companies in Wiener Neustadt.

On the night of the invasion of Austria by the German Wehrmacht from March 11 to March 12, 1938, Oskar Handler is arrested by the SS and taken to the 'Wirtschaftshof' in Wiener Neustädter Ungargasse; an arrest warrant is not issued.

On March 13, 1938, he is finally interned with other opponents of National Socialism in the Wöllersdorf detention camp. Together with him are the innkeeper and provincial councillor Johann Haller, the Wiener Neustadt deputy mayor and member of parliament Johann Goldschmidt and the Wiener Neustadt provincial civil servant Ferdinand Jindracek.

Oskar Handler is released from prison on July 23, 1938 and works at the Wiener Neustadt aircraft factory from October 16, 1939. He was not drafted into the Wehrmacht and experienced the liberation of Austria in May 1945 as a worker at the aircraft factory.

After the war, he returned to work as a carpenter, married and became the father of two children. He becomes involved in the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich. He retired in 1973 and died at the age of 93 in Wiener Neustadt

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