Dr. Alexander Poch

Alexander Poch, son of a k. u. k. officer, studied theology in Vienna and became a member of the Austria Wien student fraternity in 1924. He was ordained a priest in 1926 and then took up a chaplaincy in Stockerau and in the Church of St. Anthony of Padua in Vienna's 10th district; from 1930 he was appointed prefect of studies and in 1933 sub-rector at the seminary in Vienna. In 1938, he took over the parish of St. Leopold in Vienna Il. He was to preside over this parish until his death.

Alexander Poch came into conflict with the National Socialists in two ways: as a fearless defender of the Catholic faith, he repeatedly spoke out against the Nazi school and marriage laws. He was arrested on March 3, 1944 and detained until April 6, 1944. As he was unable to prove that he had been accused of subverting military power, he was convicted of "unauthorized church wedding".

On the other hand, the Nazi authorities accused him of being a half-Jew (as defined by the racial laws) and demanded his dismissal as a priest, which was never carried out.

After the war, Alexander Poch set about rebuilding his bombed-out parish church. He became dean in 1958 and finally died in 1966.