Schwester Benedikta (Christine) Bauer BHS

Christine Bauer was born in Weiz, the daughter of the principal Johann Bauer and Josefa Bauer. After attending primary and secondary school, she trained in kindergarten, which she completed in 1911 with a diploma. Immediately afterwards, on September 25, 1911, she joined the community of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Vincent de Paul in Graz and was given the religious name Benedikta. Sister Benedikta Bauer was sent to the kindergarten in Admont in 1912 and subsequently to the poorhouse in Rottenmann, and in 1915 to the kindergarten in Hengsberg and the orphanage in Gloggnitz. On September 27, 1916, she finally made her perpetual profession.

In 1925, Sister Benedikta Bauer was transferred to Vienna as a kindergarten teacher at the St. Antonius Asylum in Pouthongasse in Vienna's 15th district. Her fellow nuns described her as a capable, loyal and courageous sister.

After the occupation of Austria by National Socialist Germany, Catholic convent schools and kindergartens were dissolved and banned. Together with the priest of St. Antonius Asylum, Heinrich Schieder, she circumvented the decree and continued to run a Catholic kindergarten in the rectory. This was discovered by the Gestapo in September 1943, the illegal kindergarten was closed and Sister Benedikta Bauer was warned by the Gestapo state police.

After the war, the kindergarten reopened and Sister Benedikta Bauer resumed her work. She remained in Vienna until September 1, 1958 and then moved to the kindergarten of the provincial house in Graz, later to the nursing department. She died there in 1990.