Josef Kollmann

In 1883–1887 Josef Kollmann learns the businessman's profession and visits the commercial commercial school. 1890–1893 he is providing his military service. In 1894, he arrives at Baden near Vienna and is first employed as a merchant's assistant in the textile business of his aunt, and from 1899 the business takes over as an independent merchant. But soon he goes into politics as part of the Christian-Social Party (CSP), first 1903–1938 as the municipal council in Baden and 1919–1938 as the Badener Mayor. He is also a member of the National Assembly in 1909–1915, and is a member of the National Council in 1919–1934. In 1926 he took over the office of the Federal Minister for Finance in the cabinet of Rudolf Ramek. In 1921 he becomes honorary member of the student association Amelungia in Vienna and 1928 Founding member of the Baden-Baden.

After the founding of the state of the state, he warns of the eruption of democracy and speaks against the dissolution of the Socialist Party. Together with Landeshauptmann Josef Reither, Georg Prader sen, and others, he tries to mediate between Engelbert Dollfuß and the Social Democrats before the February troubles of 1934. When this fails, he departs from the public offices except the mayor of Baden.

After joining, Franz Schmid, the leader of the National Socialists in Baden, takes over the office of the mayor. On March 12th, Josef Kollmann is placed under house arrest, then arrested and delivered to the district court of Baden at short notice. After the arrest, he will be put under house arrest again. He refuses to make blank captions:

“But I refused the desire. Then the men threatened with a complaint in court, criminal investigation, prosecution and arrest. I stayed with my negative position and the gentlemen went away.”

Then he is arrested again: “In arrest, I asked the Gendarmen if he had a warrant for me;he denied. If he did not know that he could not arrest me without this, he replied that in danger he could do so. I followed the violence. ‘

After 40 days of detention and annoying interrogations by the Gestapo, he is re-entered. After two years of uncertainty and fear, he is judged. Before the Viennese Regional Court, the proceedings are held on 4.9 and 2.10.1940 for the abuse of office and the misuse of fund funds. The prosecution demands a two-year-old serious prisoner, but he is acquitted, which also confirms the appeal.

Josef Kollmann summarizes this:

“Mayor Schmid had forgotten two circumstances during his calculation: firstly, that there were still upright legal counsels in Austria, even in Austria of the National Socialists, and secondly that there were also Austrian judges in this Austria according to the old Austrian tradition. Therefore the attack had to fail ...’.

The appeal lodged by the prosecutor's office is rejected by the Reichsgericht in Leipzig on 16.5.1941.

After the war, he will be appointed by the Soviet occupation again briefly as mayor of Baden; In 1946 he withdraws from this office.