Image: Paul Hamm
Leopold Tatzreiter was considered a great figurehead of the workers’ movement and a figurehead of social democracy,” says Katrin Auer, district party leader of the SP and city councillor: “Our deepest sympathy goes to his family. To many he was a fatherly friend.”
The Steyr vice mayor died on Wednesday night at the age of 83. The father of nine, grandfather of 13 and great-grandpa of five spent the last years of his life in the Ennsleite nursing home. The eldest of his eight daughters and one son is Gerda Weichsler-Hauer, third president of the state parliament until 2021.
“Dad grew up in a highly musical family and once played the trumpet,” Weichsler-Hauer remembers. “When he met his wife, my mother Hilde, he stopped for her sake.”
With his large family, he enjoyed going on trips to neighboring Lower Austria and the national park region. His eldest daughter first went on holiday abroad at the age of 14: “We drove to Lake Garda by car, a Fiat of course. And on the way home from vacation we always drove over the Grossglockner.”
The commitment to the people of the city was essential for her father: “The social housing, but above all the fire brigade were extremely important to him.” In addition, after the bankruptcy of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, he worked to ensure that many older Colleagues were still able to transition to retirement. “And he was one of the founding fathers of the Steyr Labor Foundation.”
“With him we are losing a passionate local politician,” acknowledges city manager Markus Vogl: “He personally helped countless citizens. His sincere commitment to improving people’s lives earned him the unbroken affection of the people of Steyr.”
Leopold Tatzreiter was born on May 20, 1940 in Ertl. He completed an apprenticeship as a tool smith in Ybbsitz, joined what was then the rolling bearing factory of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG in 1960 and switched to the forge at the main factory on the Ennsleite in March 1965.
Because of his social attitude of helping the weaker, his colleagues in the forge elected him deputy shop steward in 1967, and in 1969 shop steward and chairman of the forge professional section. In the fall of 1971, Tatzreiter was elected to the departmental works council and at the turn of the year 1981/1982 he was appointed to the management of the blue-collar works council. From 1984 to 1990 he was deputy chairman and parliamentary group chairman of the FSG. At the same time, he was appointed ÖGB chairman in the Steyr district. In 1991 Tatzreiter became chairman of the workers’ council of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. He held this position until the end of May 1999. From 1998 he was also chairman of the Steyr Pensioners’ Association.
Leopold Tatzreiter was a member of the Steyr municipal council for almost 16 years, four years as a municipal councillor, eight years as a city councilor and from 1997 to 2001 as vice mayor. During this time he was a member and chairman of several committees and chairman of the GWG of the city of Steyr. Among other things, he was the bearer of the Golden Medal of Merit of the Republic of Austria and the Ring of Honor of the City of Steyr. The SP had honored him for his work with the Victor Adler plaque, the highest record in social democracy.
“We will always honor our friend’s memory,” says Vogl. His social attitude was the guiding principle of his actions throughout his life and will be a role model for future generations.
Source: Nachrichten
