Dr. Emil Garhofer

The Garhofer family comes from South Bohemia, but moves to Vienna soon after Emil Garhofer's birth and lives in the 10th district. Emil Garhofer attended the Elisabethgymnasium in Vienna V (Rainergasse). After graduating from high school in 1908, he began studying at the Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna (Dr. iur.), where he joined the Norica student fraternity. After completing his studies, he joined the police service before the First World War.

In 1916, Emil Garhofer was called up to the Imperial-Royal Army and was a military court trainee with the rank of ensign in Army Regiment No. 1 (Vienna). In January 1918, he was assigned to the Imperial-Royal Ministry of Trade and in November 1918, he was taken over by the newly established State Office for Trade, Transport, Industry and Construction, which was then renamed the Federal Ministry of Trade and Transport in 1920.

In May 1933, Trade Minister Fritz Stockinger appointed Emil Garhofer to the presidency of the ministry, where he was responsible for purging the ministry of members or sympathizers of the NSDAP, among other things.

When the Chambers of Commerce, Trade and Industry were introduced by law in mid-1937, Emil Garhofer was appointed by the Ministry of Commerce as a government commissioner for the purpose of establishing a corresponding chamber for Vienna.

After the Anschluss in March 1938, Emil Garhofer, now promoted to Ministerial Councillor, was dismissed with half a rain shower through forced retirement. He found employment in an umbrella factory, where he became an authorized signatory. The Gestapo summoned him for interrogation three times.