Polizeirevierinspektor Johann Grüninger

Photo by Johann Grüninger — Johann Grüninger
Image: DÖW

Personalia

Born:

July 19, 1898, Salad village

Died:

October 25, 1975, Pressbaum

Profession:

Police officer

Memberships

Group Leopold Mahr, Austrian People's Party, ÖVP Comradeship of the politically persecuted and confessors for Austria

Curriculum Vitae

Johann Grüninger was born in Saladorf in the district of Tulln in Lower Austria, the legitimate son of carpenter Leopold Grüninger and his wife Franziska, née Gratzl. After three years of elementary school, he began working in agriculture. A devout Catholic, he was drafted into the First World War in 1917 and returned home with tuberculosis in 1918.

In 1920, Johann Grüninger moved to Vienna and joined the Vienna Security Guard. In 1925, he married Maria Bentschitz and subsequently became the father of two daughters. He became involved in the Catholic Men's Association and in the 'Business Association' founded by Leopold Rauch

G. was a fanatical opponent of the NSDAP. He carried out many house searches of National Socialists on his own initiative and, both through this and by searching passers-by during his rayon service, convicted numerous National Socialists of illegal activities and brought them to justice.

Personnel Office of the Gauleitung Vienna of the NSDAP dated March 5, 1942

On March 12, 1938, Johann Grüninger witnessed the demise of a free and independent Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. Due to his opposition to National Socialism, he was forced to retire from the police force on November 30, 1938. He then found employment as an accountant at the Burkhardt grocery wholesaler.

From autumn 1939, Johann Grüninger became involved in the legitimist resistance movement Gruppe Mahr.

Skip map