Dr. Vinzenz (Oskar) Ludwig CanReg

Oskar Ludwig attended grammar school in Olmütz [Olomouc]. After graduating from high school in 1894, he entered the Augustinian canon monastery in Klosterneuburg, took the religious name Vinzenz and was ordained a priest in 1899 after completing his theological studies.

He initially worked as a pastor in the parish of Vienna-Meidling and was appointed a lecturer in church history and patristics at the philosophical-theological house school in Klosterneuburg in 1901. He completed his history studies at the University of Vienna in 1908 with a doctorate (Dr. phil.). He then worked as secretary to Provost Friedrich Gustav Piffl (1864-1932), who was appointed Archbishop of Vienna in 1913 and admitted to the College of Cardinals with the titular church of San Marco in 1914. From 1913-1929, Vinzenz Ludwig held the office of Abbey Librarian. In 1915, he passed the teaching examination and taught history and geography at the Academic Grammar School. He also graduated from the Institute for Austrian Historical Research. He published numerous scientific historical works as well as publications on the history of art and music.

In 1928, he became a member of the Rheno-Danubia Vienna in the RKDB. From 1929 to 1938, he was the parish priest of Korneuburg. From 7 February to 24 September 1938, he baptized 446 Jews in order to save them from the National Socialists by converting them so that they could obtain exit papers. Because of this rescue operation, he was arrested by the Gestapo and relieved of his duties as parish priest. After his release, he became rector of the church on Leopoldsberg, to which he dedicated his own publication.