Dr. Josef Kimmel

Josef Kimmel began studying law at the University of Vienna after graduating from high school, but was drafted into the army in 1915. After the war, he continued his studies in Graz, graduating in 1919 with a doctorate in law. He then joined the gendarmerie. After attending the Gendarmerie Academy in Graz, he was appointed head of the Gendarmerie School in Vienna (until 1932). As course commander, the training of the next generation of gendarmes was a particular concern of his.

In 1927, he joined the student fraternity Rudolfina. He becomes an official in the VF and holds the office of Adjutant to the Federal Chancellor after 1934 as well as that of Gendarmerie Division Commander at the Lower Austrian Gendarmerie Command. He is also Director General for Public Security. He was also a member of the State Council between 1934 and 1938.

After the occupation of Austria by the Third Reich, Josef Kimmel was arrested on March 13, 1938 and taken to the Vienna police detention center. On April 2, 1938, he was taken to the Dachau concentration camp on the so-called Prominent Transport and remained imprisoned until November 17, 1938. From December 1938 to March 1939, he was imprisoned again in Rossauer Lände and on July 22, 1939, he was discharged from the gendarmerie service, his last rank being gendarmerie major. After his release, he remained under police control.

After the war, Josef Kimmel was rehabilitated and rejoined the gendarmerie, first becoming provisional provincial commander of Lower Austria, then building up the gendarmerie in the Soviet-occupied zone. In 1949, he was appointed central gendarmerie commander and gendarmerie general. He retired in 1962 and ran unsuccessfully for president in 1963.

He died in Vienna at the age of 85.

In Wien erlebt Josef Kimmel die Befreiung Österreichs und die Wiedererrichtung der Republik im April bzw. Mai 1945.Er wird rehabilitiert und tritt wieder in den Gendarmeriedienst, wird zunächst provisorischer Landeskommandant von Niederösterreich, dann baut er die Gendarmerie in der sowjetisch besetzten Zone auf. 1949 wird er zum Gendarmeriezentralkommandanten und Gendarmeriegeneral ernannt. 1962 tritt er in den Ruhestand und 1963 kandidiert erfolglos bei der Bundespräsidentenwahl.

Er verstirbt im 85. Lebensjahr in Wien.