Dr. Ludwig Altmann

Ludwig Altmann was born in Vienna, the son of the Jewish merchant Emil Altmann and his Catholic wife Josefine. He is brought up Catholic. After elementary school, he attended the Kundmanngasse grammar school in Vienna's 3rd district, where he graduated in 1924. In the same year, he enrolled in law at the University of Vienna and graduated in 1929. He married and became the father of a daughter in 1943.

After practising in court and gaining work experience at Viennese law firms, he began working for the Vienna City Council in 1935. On March 12, 1938, Ludwig Altmann witnessed the demise of a free and independent Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. With the occupation of Austria, German legislation was adopted and with it the 'Nuremberg Racial Laws', according to which Ludwig Altmann was considered a 'Halbjude' or 'Mischling I. Grades'.

As a 'Mischling I. Grades', Ludwig Altmann was relieved of his duties on July 4, 1938 and forced to retire on September 1, 1939. He is then unemployed for the time being. On May 25, 1940, he was arrested by the Gestapo on 'suspicion of subversive activities'. Unfortunately, the exact reason has not been preserved. He was released from prison on June 18, 1940. He was then employed free of charge by the Lerch family [note: Lerch & Co at Neubaugürtel 24 in 1070 Vienna], with whom he was good friends, in order to avoid conscription into the Wehrmacht or compulsory service in North or West Germany.

Later, he made a living as a chauffeur and commercial clerk, but was repeatedly confronted with periods of unemployment.

In May 1945, he witnessed the capitulation of the Third Reich and the liberation of Austria. On September 1, 1945, he was rehabilitated and began working at the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

In 1946, he moved to the Vienna Federal Police Directorate as a police lawyer. After 1948, he became involved in the ÖVP-Kameradschaft der politisch Verfolgten und Bekenner für Österreich.