Hofrat Dr. Otto Sulzenbacher

Otto Sulzenbacher initially went to Innsbruck after his A-levels to study German and English language and literature. He became a member of the Austria Innsbruck student fraternity in 1901. He then moved to Munich and joined the Aenania Munich student fraternity. In 1909 he received his doctorate (Dr. phil.). He began his teaching career in Waidhafen an der Thaya and in 1913 he joined the grammar school in Baden, where he was principal from 1926-1950 - with an interruption from 1938-1945.

After the First World War, he was elected to the municipal council, where he headed the school, welfare and personnel departments. He was also in charge of the finance department for several years and became deputy mayor in 1936. In 1923 he was appointed to the Lower Austrian regional school board. From 1934 to 1938, he also served as Chairman of the Federal Cultural Council. Court Counsellor Dr. Heuberger wrote about this time as a contemporary witness:

"Dr. Sulzenbacher was the center of the CV circle at the time, personally, politically and socially, and the circle set the tone in Baden. Young and old CVers celebrated with him in cooperation. ... He helped where he could, even personally, and led the way with enthusiasm."

After the Anschluss, he was removed from office and dismissed without a pension after 33 years of service. He was briefly imprisoned and released on March 16, 1938. On March 29, 1940, he was retired retroactively with his salary reduced by half. He was stripped of his citizenship in Baden and moved to Mondsee (Upper Austria) to avoid further persecution. After the Hitler assassination attempt, he is arrested again. He was imprisoned for several months in the police prisons in Linz and Vienna as well as in the district court prison in Wiener Neustadt and, despite his age and heart condition, was called up to do entrenchment work on the south-east rampart.

After the war, Sulzenbacher was rehabilitated and reinstated as principal of the grammar school in Baden. He took permanent retirement at the end of 1949 and was buried in the cemetery in Baden.

"For several months he was held in custody in the police prisons in Linz and Vienna, as well as in the district court prison in Wr. Neustadt, without ever being questioned. Despite his heart condition and despite his advanced age, he was to be dragged to the so-called Südostwall for hard labor." - this can be read in the 1949/50 annual report of the Bundesgymnasium Baden

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