„RED BANDITS“
Wilhelmine Goldmann, Ferdinand Lacina and Lucile Dreidemy in dialogue
"RED BANDITS"
History of a social democratic family
Wilhelmine Goldmann is one of the representatives of a generation that only started asking questions late in life. The history of her family, especially the serious consequences of the Austrian Civil War in 1934, remained hidden from her for a long time. It took painstaking research work to bring it to the surface. The result is a narrative of an Austrian labour history that goes beyond the private. Using the example of her parents, Wilhelmine Goldmann visualises the development of the working class from deep misery to education and prosperity. The starting point is the industrial town of Traisen in southern Lower Austria. Despite their success at school, the author's parents were denied a higher education. At least her father was able to complete an apprenticeship as a typesetter, while her mother managed to gain a place at a commercial college. Both began to become politically active in their youth. As staunch social democrats, they fought for justice and education and defended the democratic republic against the Dollfuß dictatorship in the fateful year of 1934. After 1945, Goldmann's father resumed his political activities in Traisen, became involved in the reconstruction of the republic and was elected mayor of Traisen in 1961. The painful experience of 1934 not only shaped the lives of his generation, it is still a source of conflict in Austrian domestic politics today. The author has also felt the hatred of the „bourgeoisie“ towards the „socialists“ in her professional life and has always asked herself: Where does it come from? Her family history is an insistent attempt at historical clarification, which is still evaded today in both political camps, which is why the trauma of the civil war keeps opening up like a gaping wound.
Wilhelmine GoldmannAfter graduating from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, she worked for 20 years at the Vienna Chamber of Labour and subsequently held management positions at ÖIAG, Postbus and ÖBB Personenverkehr AG for 16 years. She was then a member of the supervisory board of various companies, chairwoman of the board of trustees of the Salzburg Festival and a university councillor at the University of the Arts in Graz.
Ferdinand LacinaEconomist, has been active in the Social Democratic Party since his youth. He was Federal Minister of Finance (1986-1995), Federal Minister of Public Economy and Transport (1984-86), State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery (1982-84) and Head of Cabinet to Federal Chancellor Kreisky (1980-82).
Lucile Dreidemyhistorian, is a senior lecturer at the Institute of Contemporary History at the University of Vienna, member of the editorial board of the journal »zeitgeschichte« and co-initiator of the research group New Cold War Studies. She is an expert on Austrofascism, has written the book „Mythos Dollfuss» and is also a member of the Historical Commission for the redesign of the Dollfuss Museum.
Wilhelmine Goldmann:
"Red Bandits". The story of a social democratic family
Promedia 2023, 240 pages, ISBN: 978-3-85371-523-9, 25,- €