Dr. Hans Koren

Hans Koren was born in 1906 as the son of master photographer Hans Koren. He graduated from the Bischöfliches Gymnasium in Graz in 1927 and enrolled in German studies, folklore and sociology at Karl-Franzens University. In 1930, he was a founding member of the student fraternity Norica Graz.

In 1932, he completed his doctorate and became an assistant at the University of Salzburg. In 1936, he moved back to Graz, joined the Styrian civil service and became curator at the Johanneum State Museum.

After the National Socialists came to power in 1938, he was deemed unacceptable by the new Gauleiter. In June 1939, Hans Koren was forced to retire. In 1940, the compulsory retirement order was revoked, but he was only employed as a subaltern civil servant. He was banned from publishing.

Soon afterwards, he was called up to serve in the Wehrmacht in Russia, from where he returned home ill in March 1944.

He then took up his post at the Folklore Museum, was rehabilitated after the end of the war and became curator of the museum again.