Notes of Michael J. Zeps, SJ

Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette History Faculty Research and Publications History Department 1-1-2011 Documents of Baudirektion Wien 1919-1941: Notes of Michael J. Zeps, S.J. Michael J. Zeps S.J. Marquette University, [email protected] Preface While doing research in Vienna for my dissertation on relations between Church and State in Austria between the wars I became intrigued by the outward appearance of the public housing projects put up by Red Vienna at the same time. They seemed to have a martial cast to them not at all restricted to the famous Karl-Marx-Hof so, against advice that I would find nothing, I decided to see what could be found in the archives of the Stadtbauamt to tie the architecture of the program to the civil war of 1934 when the structures became the principal focus of conflict. I found no direct tie anywhere in the documents but uncovered some circumstantial evidence that might be explored in the future. One reason for publishing these notes is to save researchers from the same dead end I ran into. This is not to say no evidence was ever present because there are many missing documents in the sequence which might turn up in the future—there is more than one complaint to be found about staff members taking documents and not returning them—and the socialists who controlled the records had an interest in denying any connection both before and after the civil war. Certain kinds of records are simply not there including assessments of personnel which are in the files of the Magistratsdirektion not accessible to the public and minutes of most meetings within the various Magistrats Abteilungen connected with the program. A few can be found, however. The principle of selectivity for this period, therefore, was the connection between the Gemeindebauten and the civil war. When I reached the time of the uprising, however, I had become fascinated by the documents and wanted to see how relations changed under the authoritarian regime with the new city government led by Richard Schmitz so I continued to take notes. Most personnel of the Building Office remained at their desks, I found, but projects were redirected away from public housing. I realized that the documents I was checking in that particular way might be useful to carry the story further and perhaps helpful to other historians interested in, say, the extension of the Wientalstrasse. The word search feature of electronic retrieval systems could prove helpful and guide researchers to documents important for their own work. With the arrival of Hitler changes in relations between the government and the Stadtbauamt renewed my interest so I continued to flip through the cartons up to the time when building activities became completely taken up by the war effort. If a researcher is interested in a topic thereafter he or she might get a hint about the content of surviving documents based on what I found from earlier years. These notes might be helpful to suggest what might or might not be there. Michael J. Zeps, S.J. June 23, 2011 1 The following are notes taken in the Archive of the City of Vienna by Michael J.Zeps on two trips from Oct.-Dec., 1990 and March-July, 1991. They were taken for the most part at the depot in the Kandlgasse. Thanks should be given to Fr. Dr. Brigitte Riegele who interceded at the time and who is the current head of MA 8, the Stadt- u. Landesarchiv of Vienna. A few small changes were made after a trip to the new archive at Gasometer City in November and December, 2010. They are noted wherever they alter the original notes. Special thanks should be given to Monique Septon, a doctoral student at Marquette University who transcribed the notes taken longhand, without umlauts you will note. Inevitably mistakes have crept in during the process so the user should be warned that the only way to determine fully the accuracy of the notes is to consult the documents themselves. The archivists are very helpful. Another person who deserves thanks is Alissa Condon who helped flag personal reflections for editing where she found them. As they appear here they are my responsibility alone. Name of section in Archive of City of Vienna = Baudirektion (BD) Year = 1919 (19) Section of the Archive = A 1 Carton number = 13 Document numbers = 1-300 BD - 1919 A 1-13 1-300 Geloebnisformel fuer die staedtischen Beamten (Diener) 1919 oath signed and dated by all employees of city including oath "die Interessen der Gemeinde Wien nach allen Ihren Kraeften zu foerdern und jeden Nachteil von ihr abzuwenden." also an oath to be obedient to superiors, to protect Amtsgeheimnis these were signed mostly in Feb. and March, 1919 Dr. Heinrich Goldemund is the Baudirektor of the Wohnungsamt der Stadt Wien Feb. 5, 1919 letter suggesting Vereine and larger bodies are the ones to sponsor Gartensiedlungen - suggests should be thing of participant as e.g., railroad workers - not signed but typed by Stadtbaudirektor BD - 1919 A1-14 301-1300 Karl Pawelka, Magistrats Direktor presides at these meetings meeting of March 5, 1919 about water much of this Karton is about water and flood protection in first 1/3 of carton BD - 1919 A1-15 1301-2300 1349/1919 - August Mayr now is Her Ober Magistrats Rat and leads meeting 1454/1919 - Wettbewerb f. Architekten for Neubau des Kursalons, Holzmeister 2 and Wagner among others 2092/1919 - April 23 order abolishing title of Excellency "Exzellenz" and "kaiserl. Rat" BD - 1919 A 1-16 2301-3200 2739/1919 betreff: Anbringung von Wohnungen in Dachbodenraeumen wegen Not Stadtbaudirektion approves under certain circumstances and for certain purposes ... supported by laws or against law that no longer appear to apply conditions stated (7) incl. can't interfere with traffic by going over the building, can't add to number of stories or interfere with light or air for lower stories, must be at least 2,60 m. high in highest part and 2,10 m. in lowest point and must be feuersicher and protected against heat and cold and no objections from people close to Wiener Baugesellschaft I Wallnerstr 2 Rest has to do with personnel, salaries etc. BD - 1919 A1-17 3201-40000 3300/1919 - Note from Gloekel as Staatssekretaer f. Inneres u. Unterricht asking for consideration for plan of Zentralvereinigung der Architekten Oes. to build a City Museum would do a lot of good sent to Mayor and shipped over to Goldemund 3301/1919 - From president of Austria - Architekten-Verein 3791/1919 - Letter asking for more room in Trainkaserne for stadtische LKW Reparatur rather than way out in Strebersdorf city has 130 LKW and also wants to repair Autos there mostly personnel questions otherwise 4666/1919 - All personnel files found here, too, not in right place BD - 1919 A1-18 4001-4500 Mostly personnel questions -- some sewer 4403/1919 - report from Stadtbauamt to Stadtrat on condition of schools at beginning of school year 1919 560 Volks- und Buergerschulen in 21 Bezirken only 15 of 278 schools taken over by army have not been returned 1 still held by Volkswehr in II Bezirk BD - 1919 A1-19 4501-5100 4562/1919 - Tightening up regulations on sending in business mail of Stadtrat - Should be done within 24 hours so they can be handled in the next meeting of Gemeinderat 4570/1919 - Einreichung der nichtakademischen Architekten der Stadtbauamtes 3 4620/1919 - directive of Goldenmund to save fuel in heating Neues Rathaus signed by Goldemund used at least 22,000 q. of Kohle and 17,000 q. coke in peacetime and in winter of 1918 they cut back to 7490 q. of coal and 11,680 of coke even 5500 q. of coal better than 1917/1918 but used 2080 q coke more so Goldemund is recognizing the heating men and praising them included is a list of the black gang 4628/1919 - Vienna joins the Gesellschaft fuer Sozialtechnik some things on repairing roads with cobblestones 4685/1919 - 11 June 1919 - Gemeinderat orders study from Stadtbauamt on viability of Donaukraftwerk Abt XIII is ordered to do it so then need new personnel signed Goldemund 4700/1919 - All interpellations go through channels-thru Direktion w.2 carbons and should be answered in typescript Buergermeister agrees-only on carbon 4878/1919 - Setting up more Schrebergaerten meeting resistance from landowners-don't want to talk re: Kurt Witgensteinwidmung f. Schrebergaerten 4974/1919 - List of trips taken in city cars-destination, date, car number, purpose only 28 "longer trips" between Oct. 18 and Dec. 31 also gas record between Jan. and Dec. Goldemund comments that even though price of gas went up still costs did not rise that much because people used the cars less 4991/1919 - Letter complaining that Perlmoos of Portland Cement can not get upper Silesian hard coal and will have to shut factory in Mann- ersdorf unless they get better coal (brown coal from Styria and Galizia not good enough) 5063/1919 - Oct, 25 - Goldenmund wants names of all Beamter and Angestellter w phones paid for by city in their apts. 5077/1919 - Nov. 6, 1919 - A.G. der hydr. Kalk-und Portland Zementfabrik zu Perlmoos gets contract form city from time from Jan 1, 1919 to Dec, 31, 1923; must provide 25,000-50,000 q. of cement every 6 months-but firm can't do it so sewer work can't progress (sewers using the most cement) so StBA Direktion turning to Koenigshofer Zementfabrik 5086/1919 - Nov, 11 - Sent out Oct, 31 - Vertraulich A certain Stadtrat went into a Bauamt Abteilung at 9 am one morning unrecognized and found people standing around - Tighten up! - Goldemund BD - 1919 A1-20 5101-5800 5242/1919 - Nov, 7 - Goldemund hires a Wohnungskommisaer for XI district Simmering Bauinspektor Eduard Ducker complains he doesn't have enough men 7 Nov 1919 to head of Bezirksamt XI 5246/1919 - 2.

Load more