Dr. hc Leopold Kunschak

Leopold Kunschak is born as the son of a fleeting operator in a Viennese army district. The family then moves to Vienna-Hernals. In young years, he must support his mother after the death of the father. After various training attempts, he acquires the Sattlergesellenbrief in 1889. In 1892 he founded – inspired and based on the encyclical “Rerum Novarum” LEOS XIII of 15.5.1891 – the “Christian-Social Workers’ Association for Austria”, whose head he is until 1934. This workers' association spreads rapidly from Vienna to the other federal states and later goes up in the Christian Social Party [CSP]. In 1902, Leopold Kunschak founded the “Reichsverband der non-political Christian Arbeitsvereine” and in 1909 founded the “Reichsbund der Christian Arbeitsjugend”. From 1896, the newspaper “Freedom” [1900–1945 renamed “Christian-sociale Workers-Zeitung”], whose editor and editor-in-chief Leopold Kunschak is published.

With these activities, Leopold Kunschak plays an important role in the context of the then political (association)Catholizism, which is also decisive for his further political career, in which he perceives various offices or is called by elections: so he is already elected to the Vienna municipal council in 1904, to which he belongs until 1934, he is 1907–1911 Reichsratsabminister and 1908–1919 Before the First World War, Leopold Kunschak and the Christian workers' movement support Catholic students and the CV in their struggle for equality at the university. Because of his commitment to the CV in the course of the academic cultural struggle (Wahrmund affair 1907/08), he is appointed Honorary Member of the Norica on 28.5.1909.

After joining, Leopold Kunschak will be arrested on 14.3.1938 and taken to the Vienna police prison until 20.5.1938. After the assassination of Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944, he will be detained for some time in the course of the “Action Grid”. Despite police surveillance, he maintains contact with Lois Weinberger during this time.

After the war, he is one of the signatories of the Austrian Declaration of Independence on 27.4.1945. On 25.11.1945, he is elected to the National Council and to its First President. He exercises this office until his death. Leopold Kunschak is one of the co-founders of the ÖVP and the ÖAAB.