Hofrat Josef Marte

Josef Marte was born the son of Josef Marte, a farmer and member of the Vorarlberg state parliament. After elementary school in Nenzing, he graduated from grammar school in Feldkirch in 1906. He then began studying for a teaching degree in German and French at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Vienna and joined the Norica student fraternity. From 1908 to 1910, he studied in Freiburg, Switzerland, where he became a member of the Teutonia Freiburg. He then went to the University of Innsbruck, where he completed his studies in 1911. In 1911/12, he completed his one-year voluntary service with the 4th Tyrolean Kaiserjäger Regiment. He then passed his teaching exams for German and French in 1913, later also for Latin.

Before Josef Marte could start his career, the First World War began. He was called up and served in his regiment until 1918 (last rank: first lieutenant in the reserve)

After the war, Josef Marte briefly attended the Oberrealschule in Innsbruck, the Realschule in Dornbirn in 1919, the Realschule in Graz in 1920 and the Bundeserziehungsanstalt Graz-Liebenau from 1920 to 1922. From the 1922/23 school year, he was a professor at the federal grammar school in Bregenz.

Josef Marte joined the Christian Social Party and became involved in the VF from 1933. For this reason, he was appointed to the Vorarlberg state parliament in 1934 as a representative of the legally recognized churches and religious community, which he was a member of from 1934 until 12 March 1938. He was elected Vice-President of the Parliament in 1934. At the same time, he was also deputy mayor and city councillor of Bregenz from 1934 to 1938.

After the Anschluss, Josef Marte had to endure a house search on March 12, 1938. He was removed from his political functions and dismissed from his post at Bregenz grammar school. In 1938/39 and from 1943 to 1945, he was a part-time teacher at the secondary school in Dornbirn. As a former reserve officer, he only had to complete a four-week training course in the German Wehrmacht with a substitute driving unit in Graz.