Univ.-Prof. Dr. Franz Arnold

Franz Arnold studied theology and law at the Herzog-Rainer-Gymnasium in Vienna after graduating from high school in 1912 and obtained a doctorate in both subjects: Dr. theol. in 1928 and Dr. iur. in 1930.

He was ordained a priest in 1916 and initially became a co-operator in the parish of Hainburg an der Donau. In 1918, he moved to Vienna and became a cooperator in the Rennweg parish. In 1919, he founded the "Frohe Kindheit" children's charity and was its president until 1938. In 1925, he was accepted into the Norica student fraternity.

From 1930 to 1934, he was a member of the Vienna state parliament and a local councillor. In 1935, he habilitated in canon law at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Vienna.

After the occupation of Austria by the German Reich in March 1938, his teaching activities were initially suspended from April 22, 1938, and his venia docendi was revoked on July 6, 1938. In June 1944, he was sentenced to a security fine of 1,500 Reichsmarks for talking to an imprisoned soldier through an open window of the detention room of the tank replacement and training unit and giving him four cigarettes.

After the war, he was again appointed professor of canon law. He finally became a full professor in 1947. He was twice elected Dean of the Faculty of Theology (1950/51 and 1955/56) and held the office of Rector of the University of Vienna in 1961/62.

Franz Arnold received many awards and died in 1963 at the age of 70 in the Rudolfspital.