Johann Haburka

Johann Haburka was born in Znojmo in Moravia [today: Znojmo in the Czech Republic] as the legitimate son of the factory driver of the same name, Johann Haburka, and his wife Petronilla, née Krupka. Unfortunately, nothing has been preserved about his childhood and youth. He later moved to Vienna and became an estate manager.

In 1919, he married Maria Hamann. However, the marriage remained childless.

On March 12, 1938, Johann Haburka witnessed the end of a free and independent Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. At the time, he was the estate manager of the Nebersdorf estate near Oberpullendorf in Burgenland. At this time, the Nebersdorf estate is in the possession of Count Ladislaus Niczky.

In the spring of 1944, he mentioned to employees that they would all soon be on leave, as the Russians were coming soon.

He does not hold back with his negative opinion of the Nazis' persecution of the Jews towards sugar beet workers and mocks the corrupt behavior of party officials. He supplies Baron Andreas von Veitschberger and his workers with pamphlets dropped by British planes. Finally, he advises a conscripted servant of the estate, who is currently on home leave, to desert.

Johann Haburka is denounced and arrested by the Gestapo on April 24, 1944. He fell seriously ill in solitary confinement in St. Pölten prison and was released on January 8, 1945. As the war was already in its final phase at this time, he was no longer served with an indictment. Due to the collapse of the National Socialist regime, he was no longer tried for 'treason' and 'defeating the military'.

In freedom, Johann Haburka experienced the liberation of Austria and the re-establishment of the Republic in April and May 1945. He joins the newly founded Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich. He remains estate manager of the Wasserburg until his retirement. He dies in Vienna at the age of 70.