Club 11897
- District 1910
- Charter number
RC Baden
At A Glance
Rotary was
founded in 1905 by the lawyer Paul Harris in the USA. In Europe, the first
Rotary Club was founded in Madrid in 1921, and just 4 years later, in 1925, the
Rotary idea was brought to Austria for the first time with the founding of the
Rotary Club (RC) Vienna. RC Vienna was only 5 years later in 1930 the
sponsor club of RC Baden Vienna Area, the tenth Rotary Club founded in Austria.
"When
on a winter's day in 1905 four men met in Chicago to put an idea of the lawyer
Paul Harris into practice, nobody thought that this meeting would become the
nucleus of an organization which today under the name
"Rotary-International" literally encompasses the whole inhabited
world. Paul Harris cherished the firm conviction that between men of active
life, even if their interests were not identical, friendship could and should
nevertheless prevail. This benevolent attitude, he thought, would be of the greatest
benefit and advantage to the "other" and ultimately to the whole. In
order to unite men of this will, to find helpers for the realization of this
ideal thought, the first club was created. Friendship and comradeship, that was
the basis on which he was founded. "Service comes before
self-interest" and "He who serves others benefits himself" were
his principles."
These words
were written by Hans Petschek, honorary secretary of the RC Baden in the issue
of the Badener Zeitung of 13.6.1931 on the occasion of the upcoming congress of
the German and Austrian Rotarians in Baden near Vienna. In 1925 Ing. Dr. Otto
Böhler (President of RC Vienna 1927/28, 1st Vice President of Rotary
International 1929/30 and Governor of the 73rd District 1930/31) had brought
the Rotarian idea to Austria from the United States, and after the foundation
of Rotarian Clubs in Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz, Klagenfurt, Bad
Ischl and Steyr, RC Baden Vienna Area was founded on June 25, 1930 as Member
No. 3353 of Rotary International with the help of the sponsoring club RC Vienna
and the International Secretariat Zurich.
On
September 24, 1930, Dr. Böhler, as Governor, presented the "Charter"
to the young RC Baden during a festive evening in "Sachers Hotel und
Kurhaus Helenental". The club counted 17 members.
In the
founding year the board consisted only of the president Univ. Prof. Dr. Edmund
Maliwa and the secretary Hans Petschek. Already in the first year of its
existence, RC Baden was able to take over the organization of the district
conference of the 73rd district (Germany-Austria). The meeting was dedicated to
Rotary`s efforts for peace and tolerance in the world. The young club wanted to
make a special effort for international understanding in a time when the wounds
of the prevailing violence were only to be healed with new violence. The
economic hardship of the crisis years of that time made it necessary to set a
series of charitable acts of charity in their own community. Many discussions
dealt with the economic crisis of the 1930s. Good contacts with the neighboring
Czechoslovak clubs (especially RC Bratislava) could be established. Since 1935
RC Baden has been allowed to use the Baden coat of arms on its letterhead.
The
honorary secretary of RC Baden, Hans Petschek, wrote down the following in the
years between 1936 and 1938:
Club year
1936/37: "In this politically ominous time, probably all Austrian clubs,
including RC Baden, suffered from internal tensions. These, they were still
strengthened by attacks of politicians and the Boulevard press, which accused
Rotary of connections with the Freemasonry, contributed crucially to the strong
change of the members and to the sinking of the number of members to 18 (the
highest level had been reached at the beginning of 1933 with 24)."
Club year
1937/38: "The conference of all Austrian Rotary Clubs in Linz decided, in
order to avoid the accusations, that Freemasons should not be members of
Austrian Rotary Clubs. Shortly after the invasion of Austria by German troops
in 1938, the Austrian Rotary Clubs dissolved themselves. This was recognized by
the Secret State Police under the following conditions: 1.) The writings of the
Rotary Clubs had to be handed over to the officials assigned by the GESTAPO. 2)
No association was allowed to be established as a disguised successor
organization to the individual clubs. 3.) The club assets were to be handed
over to the NSV (National Socialist People's Welfare Action).
As the last
treasurer, Rudolf Wochner submitted accounts to the "Plenipotentiary for
the Finance of the Organizations and Associations at Stillhaltekommissar".
After the debts had been paid off, the assets of the RC Baden amounted to
Reichsmark 503.31 (Shilling 759.97), this amount went to the NSV. Flags,
pennants, bell, gifts and much more of RC Baden were confiscated."
After World
War 2, Rotary Clubs were again constituted, initially around 1950, in Salzburg,
Linz, Graz, Innsbruck and Steyr, and on April 14, 1953, also in Vienna. Baden
was the headquarters of the Soviet occupation forces and a re-establishment
could only be thought of after the conclusion of the State Treaty and after the
withdrawal of the foreign troops.
It was
thanks to the lawyer Dr. Ernst Georg Schmid that the Rotary Club of Baden near
Vienna (RC Baden) was re-established as early as 1956 (December 11, 1956, 181st
District). The charter celebration took place on March 19, 1957 in the Hotel
Stadt Wien, in the presence of the governor, Gen. Dir. Max Dietrich, and the
president of the Viennese sponsor club, Gen. Dir. Dr. Karl Vogt. The mayor of
the city of Baden, Dr. Hahn, expressed the hope for good cooperation with the
municipality.
The newly
founded RC Baden also acted in the spirit of the Rotarian motto "Service
above self". For example, from 1972 to 1987, i.e. for 15 years, RC Baden
organized and carried out an annual waste paper collection in Baden. In 1990,
on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of RC Baden, the culture prize was
established and has since been awarded to deserving Baden artists (for over 30
years). RC Baden has been running an Advent hut since 1989 on the occasion of
the annual Baden Advent (also over 30 years) to raise funds for charitable
projects.
Since
its foundation in 1930, social projects with a total value of at least € 1.37
million have been supported, which, valorized according to LHKI (38) the
"cost of living index for a 4-person working class family, base 1938"
(Statistik Austria), corresponds to a present value of at least € 2.64 million
(as of 2021).
It is also
one of Rotary's most noble tasks to enable young people to look beyond the
borders of their home countries, to offer them the opportunity to get to know
and understand foreign countries, cultures and people, and thus to contribute
to international understanding. Is there a more meaningful investment in world
peace? Rotary offers numerous opportunities with its various programs, and RC
Baden can proudly claim that the promotion of young people has always been a
special concern.
The work
with young people was and is certainly at every hour well invested, sustainable
and never "in vain". The first Youth-Croisiere with 18 young people
of the RC Baden took place in 1958/59. Such Youth-Croisiere are study stays of
middle school students for 2-weeks.
The members
of RC Baden are pleased to continue to live their Rotarian commitment in truth,
fairness, friendship and for the benefit of all concerned.
To RC
Baden, fostering friendship and understanding in professional life means a lot
in our society in general. Social commitment in the sense of the Rotarian idea
will continue to find expression in the following areas:
- In the support of the needy and as
help for self-help
- in taking up current topics, by
taking initiatives and by supporting suitable institutions
- by the use of own knowledge, own
manpower and, own means
- by searching and finding partners
and financial support
- by involving Rotary International,
other Baden service clubs and the public sector.
And all
this in the city and region of Baden as well as in economically and socially
disadvantaged countries.
