Moriz von Kuffner
Encyclopedia
Moriz von Kuffner was a Jewish-Austrian
industrialist, art collector, mountaineer
and philanthropist
. From the 1880s to the early 1910s he made a fortune in the brewery
business, and became a significant sponsor of Vienna's social and cultural life as well as a mentor of astronomy. Moriz von Kuffner was forced to sell his Austrian assets and to leave Vienna in 1938.
, Lower Austria
(then a suburb of Vienna
, now a city district), the son of Ignaz Kuffner, member of a Jewish industrialist dynasty from Lundenburg
, who (together with his cousin Jacob) had taken over the brewery in Ottakring
in 1850. Ignaz had been mayor of Ottakring
from 1869 to 1876, and was elevated to minor Austrian nobility (Edler von Kuffner) in 1878.
Moriz studied chemistry at the K.K. Polytechnisches Institut (the predecessor of the Technical University of Vienna). When his father died in 1882, Moriz upgraded and greatly extended the brewery he had inherited. In 1902 he transformed it into a joint stock company, with his cousins Wilhelm Kuffner and Karl Kuffner de Diószegh as partners. He was also president of the sugar raffinery in Diószeg
in Western Slovakia and of the Steinbruck brewery in Budapest
; was among the largest owners of real estate in Vienna; owned significant collections of art including many works by Albrecht Dürer
; and was a founding member of the Musikverein. From 1900 to 1919 he was an executive director of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien
. In addition, Moriz was an enthusiastic and highly reputed alpinist who scaled most of the alpine summits of 4,000 m height and above, establishing new routes on the Eiger
, Mont Blanc
, Mont Pelvoux
, Mont Maudit
(on which the well-known Kuffner or Frontier ridge is named after him) and others.
On top of all this Moriz von Kuffner was so fascinated by astronomy that he sponsored the construction, equipment and operation of an observatory on some of his real property on the slope of the Gallitzinberg
where at the time of its construction (1884-1892) the Wienerwald
reached almost down into Ottakring. This Kuffner observatory
is his most important surviving legacy. Kuffner named asteroids 242 Kriemhild
and 243 Ida
, by courtesy of their discoverer Johann Palisa
.
During the same period, in 1887, Moriz had a representative residence (the Palais Kuffner) built in Ottakring. It quickly became an attraction for Viennese society, culture, and politics.
World War I dealt a significant economic blow to the Kuffner family, and essentially ended the era of their sponsorship. Brewery product sales recovered only very slowly, and profits never returned to the levels seen during the "century of the brewers."
he conquered most of the Alpine four-thousander
s, blazing new routes, some of which were later named after him, like the Kuffer Ridge (Kuffnergrat) on Mont Maudit and the Kuffner Pillar (Kuffnerpfeiler) on the Piz Palü.p.35
He was accompanied on most of his expeditions by mountain guide
s, Alexander Burgener, J. M. Biner (also Biener), J. Furrer, A. Kalbermatten, Cl. Perren, Christian Ranggetiner, E. Rubesoir, J. P. Ruppen and Martin Schocher.
Selection of first ascents:
of Austria to the Third Reich the Kuffner family was subjected to the full range of harassments and physical threats which the newly empowered National Socialists could mount against Jewish industrialists. On March 13, 1938 Moriz averted a forceful attempt by a Sturmabteilung
to take over the brewery only by placing his single non-Jewish executive - the laboratory director - formally in charge of the company. In a desperate attempt to salvage whatever he could before the family had to leave Vienna, Moriz' son Stephan Kuffner negotiated the sale of the brewery to an "Aryan" industrialist for 14 million Schilling. Although this was much more than Jewish proprietors of comparable assets had to settle for, it represented only a fraction of the brewery's actual valuation at this time. The government approved the transaction on June 6, 1938 and immediately fined the new owner, Gustav Harmer, a penalty tax of 3 million Reichsmark for "attempts to disguise Jewish property."
With the assistance of his fellow alpinist, Emil Zsigmondy Moriz von Kuffner - an already very old and very ill man - obtained an immigration permit for Switzerland. Of course he had to pay the Reichsfluchtsteuer (the emigration tax) before leaving the Third Reich; it amounted to 3 million Reichmark. Kuffner died on March 5, 1939 in Zürich's Hirslanden
clinic and was interred at the Rehalp cemetery in the Weinegg
district.
brewery stock worth one million Austrian Schillings. In return, the Kuffner family waived their rights to the Palais Kuffner. Those parts of the confiscated Kuffner library which had been incorporated into the Austrian National Library
were restituted by the state.
.
12568 Kuffner
was named in honor of Moriz von Kuffner's sponsorship of astronomy.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
industrialist, art collector, mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. From the 1880s to the early 1910s he made a fortune in the brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
business, and became a significant sponsor of Vienna's social and cultural life as well as a mentor of astronomy. Moriz von Kuffner was forced to sell his Austrian assets and to leave Vienna in 1938.
Industrialist and philanthropist
Moriz was born in OttakringOttakring
Ottakring is the 16th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located west of the central districts, north of Penzing and south of Hernals. Ottakring has some heavily populated urban areas with many residential buildings...
, Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
(then a suburb of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, now a city district), the son of Ignaz Kuffner, member of a Jewish industrialist dynasty from Lundenburg
Breclav
Břeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, approximately 55 km southeast of Brno. It is located at the border with Lower Austria on the Dyje River. The nearest large town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March...
, who (together with his cousin Jacob) had taken over the brewery in Ottakring
Brauerei Ottakringer
The Ottakringer Brauerei is the last large brewery remaining in Vienna, Austria and is located in Ottakring, the 16th district of Vienna.- History :...
in 1850. Ignaz had been mayor of Ottakring
Ottakring
Ottakring is the 16th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located west of the central districts, north of Penzing and south of Hernals. Ottakring has some heavily populated urban areas with many residential buildings...
from 1869 to 1876, and was elevated to minor Austrian nobility (Edler von Kuffner) in 1878.
Sládkovicovo
Sládkovičovo is a town in the Galanta District, Trnava Region in southwestern Slovakia.-Geography:It is located on the Danubian Lowland, in the region known as Dolné Považie on the Dudváh river, around 45 km east of Slovak capital Bratislava and 8 km from district seat...
in Western Slovakia and of the Steinbruck brewery in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
; was among the largest owners of real estate in Vienna; owned significant collections of art including many works by Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
; and was a founding member of the Musikverein. From 1900 to 1919 he was an executive director of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien
Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien
The Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien is the body that represents Vienna’s Jewish community. Today, the IKG has around 7000 members...
. In addition, Moriz was an enthusiastic and highly reputed alpinist who scaled most of the alpine summits of 4,000 m height and above, establishing new routes on the Eiger
Eiger
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
, Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
, Mont Pelvoux
Mont Pelvoux
Mont Pelvoux is a mountain in the Massif des Écrins in the French Alps.For many years Mont Pelvoux was believed to be the highest mountain in the region since the higher Barre des Écrins cannot be seen from the Durance valley....
, Mont Maudit
Mont Maudit
Mont Maudit is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy. Until the end of the 18th century, Mont Blanc and its satellite peaks were collectively known in French as the Montagne Maudite....
(on which the well-known Kuffner or Frontier ridge is named after him) and others.
On top of all this Moriz von Kuffner was so fascinated by astronomy that he sponsored the construction, equipment and operation of an observatory on some of his real property on the slope of the Gallitzinberg
Gallitzinberg
The Gallitzinberg is a forested hill in the West of Austria's capital, Vienna. While it is relatively unconspicous in the broader context of the Northeastern end of the Wienerwald mountain range, it is nevertheless remarkable because of its multifaceted history, and because it functions as an...
where at the time of its construction (1884-1892) the Wienerwald
Wienerwald
The Vienna Woods are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The long and wide hill range is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese....
reached almost down into Ottakring. This Kuffner observatory
Kuffner observatory
The Kuffner observatory is one of two telescope-equipped public observatories situated in Austria's capital, Vienna. It is situated in the West of the city's Ottakring district, on the slope of the Gallitzinberg at 302 m altitude...
is his most important surviving legacy. Kuffner named asteroids 242 Kriemhild
242 Kriemhild
242 Kriemhild is a typical Main belt asteroid.It was discovered by Johann Palisa on September 22, 1884 in Vienna and was named after Kriemhild, a mythological Germanic princess, by Moriz von Kuffner, a Viennese industrialist and sponsor of astronomy....
and 243 Ida
243 Ida
243 Ida is an asteroid in the Koronis family of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 29 September 1884 by Johann Palisa and named after a nymph from Greek mythology. Later telescopic observations categorized Ida as an S-type asteroid, the most numerous type in the inner asteroid belt. On 28...
, by courtesy of their discoverer Johann Palisa
Johann Palisa
Johann Palisa was an Austrian astronomer, born in Opava in Austrian Silesia .He was a prolific discoverer of asteroids, discovering 122 in all, from 136 Austria in 1874 to 1073 Gellivara in 1923...
.
During the same period, in 1887, Moriz had a representative residence (the Palais Kuffner) built in Ottakring. It quickly became an attraction for Viennese society, culture, and politics.
World War I dealt a significant economic blow to the Kuffner family, and essentially ended the era of their sponsorship. Brewery product sales recovered only very slowly, and profits never returned to the levels seen during the "century of the brewers."
Mountaineering
During the 1880s and 1890s Moriz von Kuffner became one of the leading mountaineers in Austria. As a keen and recognised AlpinistAlpinist
Alpinist is a quarterly American magazine focused on mountaineering ascents worldwide. It was originally published out of Jackson, Wyoming and was founded in 2002...
he conquered most of the Alpine four-thousander
Four-thousander
A four-thousander is a mountain summit that is at least 4,000 metres above sea level. Because the highest peaks in Europe fall into this category, the summits of four-thousanders are popular in Europe with climbers and mountaineers as climbing goals...
s, blazing new routes, some of which were later named after him, like the Kuffer Ridge (Kuffnergrat) on Mont Maudit and the Kuffner Pillar (Kuffnerpfeiler) on the Piz Palü.p.35
He was accompanied on most of his expeditions by mountain guide
Mountain guide
Mountain guides are specially trained and experienced mountaineers and professionals who are generally certified by an association. They are considered experts in mountaineering.-Skills:Their skills usually include climbing, skiing and hiking...
s, Alexander Burgener, J. M. Biner (also Biener), J. Furrer, A. Kalbermatten, Cl. Perren, Christian Ranggetiner, E. Rubesoir, J. P. Ruppen and Martin Schocher.
- 1883 Piz Glüscheint in the Bernina Group;
- 8 August 1884 TeufelshornTeufelshorn (Glockner Group)The Teufelshorn is a mountain in the Glockner Group in the Austrian Central Alps in the central part of the High Tauern. According to the literature it is 3,677 metres high, but the Austrian Federal Office for Metrology and Survey gives its height as 3,680 metres...
in the Northwest Ridge (Nordwestgrat) of the GroßglocknerGroßglocknerThe Grossglockner is, at 3,798 m above sea level, Austria's highest mountain and the highest mountain in the Alps east of the Brenner Pass...
und Glocknerhorn with Christian Ranggetiner and E. Rubesoier (Teufelshorn) - 1885 EigerEigerThe Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
in the Bernese OberlandBernese OberlandThe Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...
, 1st ascent along the Northeast Ridge (Nordostgrat, Mittellegigrat); - 1885 Laquinhorn (Lagginhorn) via the great spur on the east side;
- 1887 Mont BlancMont BlancMont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
from Géant Glacier up the eastern side of Mont MauditMont MauditMont Maudit is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in France and Italy. Until the end of the 18th century, Mont Blanc and its satellite peaks were collectively known in French as the Montagne Maudite....
; - 1887 Aiguille des Glaciers East-Southeast Ridge (Ostsüdostgrat) in the southwestern Mont Blanc Group
- 1888 Mont PelvouxMont PelvouxMont Pelvoux is a mountain in the Massif des Écrins in the French Alps.For many years Mont Pelvoux was believed to be the highest mountain in the region since the higher Barre des Écrins cannot be seen from the Durance valley....
over the western part of the northeast flank in the Dauphiné - 15 July 1890 PortjengratPortjengratPortjengrat is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the Swiss-Italian border. It is the highest peak in the Val d'Ossola-External links:*...
/ Pizzo d'Andolla over the East Ridge (Ostgrat, Grenzgrat) in the Weißmies Group (eastern Wallis Alps) with Alexander Burgener and J.P.Ruppen - 1899 East Summit of Piz PalüPiz PalüPiz Palü is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Switzerland and Italy. There are three summits on its main ridge, which runs from east to west...
in the Bernina Group over the eastern North Face pillar (Kuffner pillar)
Forced emigration and death
The year 1938 was disastrous for the 84-year old Moriz von Kuffner in multiple ways. In January his wife Elsa and then in February his eldest son Ignaz died, and he himself fell ill. Moreover, after the AnschlussAnschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria to the Third Reich the Kuffner family was subjected to the full range of harassments and physical threats which the newly empowered National Socialists could mount against Jewish industrialists. On March 13, 1938 Moriz averted a forceful attempt by a Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
to take over the brewery only by placing his single non-Jewish executive - the laboratory director - formally in charge of the company. In a desperate attempt to salvage whatever he could before the family had to leave Vienna, Moriz' son Stephan Kuffner negotiated the sale of the brewery to an "Aryan" industrialist for 14 million Schilling. Although this was much more than Jewish proprietors of comparable assets had to settle for, it represented only a fraction of the brewery's actual valuation at this time. The government approved the transaction on June 6, 1938 and immediately fined the new owner, Gustav Harmer, a penalty tax of 3 million Reichsmark for "attempts to disguise Jewish property."
With the assistance of his fellow alpinist, Emil Zsigmondy Moriz von Kuffner - an already very old and very ill man - obtained an immigration permit for Switzerland. Of course he had to pay the Reichsfluchtsteuer (the emigration tax) before leaving the Third Reich; it amounted to 3 million Reichmark. Kuffner died on March 5, 1939 in Zürich's Hirslanden
Hirslanden
Hirslanden is a quarter in the district 7 in Zurich.It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zurich in 1893.The quarter has a population of 6,859 distributed on an area of 2.2 km²....
clinic and was interred at the Rehalp cemetery in the Weinegg
Weinegg
Weinegg is a quarter in the district 8 of Zurich.It was formerly a part of Riesbach municipality, which was incorporated into Zurich in 1893. The quarter has a population of 4,951 distributed on an area of 1.72 km².- References :...
district.
Post-war restitution
The modalities of compensation which were negotiated with Kuffner's heirs after World War II have been cited as a positive example for the restitution of Jewish assets that were expropriated under the rule of National Socialism in Austria. The owners of the Ottakring brewery made contact with the Kuffner family as soon as 1945. In August 1950 an agreement was reached under which Moriz' seven entitled heirs received $440,000; Stephan Kuffner received SchwechatSchwechat
Schwechat is a city south-east of Vienna known for the Vienna International Airport and Schwechater beer. It is also home to the refineries belonging to the Austrian national oil company OMV.- Geography :...
brewery stock worth one million Austrian Schillings. In return, the Kuffner family waived their rights to the Palais Kuffner. Those parts of the confiscated Kuffner library which had been incorporated into the Austrian National Library
Austrian National Library
The Austrian National Library , is the largest library in Austria, with 7.4 million items in its collections. It is located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna; since 2005 some of the collections are located in the baroque Palais Mollard-Clary...
were restituted by the state.
The Kuffner foundation
In 1960 Stephan Kuffner established the Moriz und Elsa von Kuffner foundation in Switzerland. It supports collaborative projects in remote Swiss mountain areas and nurse educationNurse education
Nurse education consists in the theorical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to nursing students by experienced nurses and other medical professionals who have qualified or...
.
Honors
In 2006 the main-belt asteroidAsteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
12568 Kuffner
12568 Kuffner
12568 Kuffner is a main-belt asteroid discovered on November 11, 1998 by K. Korlevic at Visnjan. It was named in honor of Moriz von Kuffner, the founder of the Kuffner observatory, in 2006.- External links :...
was named in honor of Moriz von Kuffner's sponsorship of astronomy.
Literature
- Darthé, M. Ottakringer - Eine Unternehmensgeschichte unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Eigentümerverhältnisse. LIT Verlag, Wien 2007. ISBN 978-3-8258-0499-2
- Fischer, Katja. Jüdische Kunstsammlungen in Wien vor 1938 am Beispiel der Familie Kuffner. Universität Wien. M.Sc. Thesis, August 2008 Online PDF (German) Accessed 2009-05-31 Archived