Josef Afritsch

Josef "Beppo" Afritsch (13 March 1901 – 25 August 1964) was an Austrian horticulturalist who became a politician (SPÖ). Between 1959 and 1963 he served as the country's Interior minister.

In 1964, just a few weeks before his sudden death, a rose was named after him, "Minister Afritsch".

Life Provenance and early years Josef Afritsch was born at the start of the twentieth century in Graz, at that time the sixth largest city in Austria-Hungary. His father was the journalist and pioneering campaigner for child welfare, Anton Afritsch (1873-1924). His brother, (1906-1967), later came to prominence as a stage and movie actor. Afritsch underwent a conventional schooling, followed by three years at Horticultural Academy in Eisgrub, South Moravia.

Politics In parallel with his work for the Parks Department he worked as an official of the Social Democratic Party. In 1938, a few months after the incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany, it was Josef Afritsch who applied trades union funds to obtain a ticket on Lufthansa's inaugural scheduled flight from Vienna to Berlin for Bruno Kreisky, the future Federal Chancellor, who both as a SPÖ activist and as a Jew had repeatedly fallen foul of the pro-Nazi government since 1934.

In 1942 he was relieved of his public service duties and arrested.

After the war Between 1945 and 1959 Afritsch was a member of the Vienna City Council and a member of the Vienna Regional Legislature (Landtag). in 1961 retaining the position, under Chancellor Gorbach (ÖVP), till 1963. Between 14 December 1962 and 25 August 1965 he sat as a member of the Austrian parliament ("Nationalrat").

His final government post was as the Government Commissioner for the Vienna International Garden festival which was held in the Danube Park (as it has been called since that time) between 16 April and 11 October 1964. It was during the festival, on 9 July, that the "Minister Afritsch" rose, named in his honour, was presented.

Josef Afritsch died suddenly, just a few weeks later, on 25 August. 1960 Bavarian Order of Merit 1962 Republic of Austria Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash