Amtsrat Josef Grünzweig

Josef Grünzweig was born in Vienna as the legitimate son of shoemaker's assistant Jakob Grünzweig and his wife Amalia Magdalena, née Gutsch. Nothing has been preserved about his youth and childhood.

In 1908, at the age of 18, Josef Grünzweig joined the Christian Social Party (CSP) and found work at the gas works of the municipality of Vienna. In 1922, he married Maria Petsch.

The devout Catholic and patriotic Austrian joined the Vaterländische Front in 1934 and became the party's main office manager at the gas works in Vienna-Meidling. As such, he took a firm stand against National Socialists in the gas works.

On March 12, 1938, Josef Grünzweig witnessed the demise of an independent and free Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. After a house search, he was arrested at his office in Vienna-Meidling on March 17, 1938 and was imprisoned until March 31, 1938. On the day of his release, he was suspended from duty and dismissed on March 22, 1939 through forced retirement.

Josef Grünzweig and his wife lived in Vienna on a small pension and witnessed the liberation of Austria and the re-establishment of the Republic in April and May 1945. As early as 16 April 1945, he reports back to work at the gasworks and plays a key role in repairing the damaged gas supply for Vienna.

Josef Grünzweig joins the newly founded Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich