Gertraud Knoll
Gertraud Knoll | |
|---|---|
Knoll in 2008 | |
| Member of the National Council (Austria) | |
| Preceded by | Caspar Einem |
| Member of the Federal Council (Austria) | |
| In office 2005–2007 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 December 1958 Linz, Austria |
| Party | Independent Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
Gertraud Knoll (née Braun, born 7 December 1958) is a former Lutheran Austrian pastor, superintendent and politician. She was a member of the Federal Council (Austria) and National Council (Austria).
Biography
Knoll was born on 7 December 1958 in Linz, Austria.[1][2][3]
From 1977 to 1982, Knoll studied theology in at the University of Vienna.[2] After graduating, Knoll worked as an assistant for systematic theology at the university from 1982 to 1983.[4]
Knoll became the first female Protestant pastor in Burgenland, serving in the parish of Weppersdorf.[5] In 1992, she took six Afghan orphans who were in danger of being deported from Austria into her home.[6] In 1994, she became the first woman to be appointed superintendent of the Protestant Church in Burgenland.[3][5] Knoll was also elected to the Presidium of the German Protestant Church Assembly for a six-year term.[7]
In the 1998 Austrian presidential election, Knoll took a leave of absence from her church position[6] to run as a citizen and Independent candidate,[8] supported by the Greens. She came second behind the incumbent Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) candidate Thomas Klestil, gaining 13.59% of the vote.[9][10][11]
In 2002, Knoll resigned from her ecclesiastical offices,[2][12] and ran for the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) in the National Council elections.[1][13] From 2005 to 2007, Knoll was a member of the Federal Council nominated by the SPÖ. Following Caspar Einem's retirement from politics, she took over his seat in the National Council (until 2008).[1] Knoll also served as the head of the SPÖ's Future and Culture Workshop.[14]
In 2008, Knoll left the Protestant Church in protest to a pastoral letter in which the Carinthian superintendent, Manfred Sauer, praised the late governor of Carinthia, Jörg Haider (BZÖ).[15]
When Austria's Member of the European Parliament Maria Berger became Justice Minister for the SPÖ, Knoll was offered the EU mandate. She declined so that she could remain living in Austria, citing that her family was her priority.[14][16]
Knoll was awarded the Marietta and Friedrich Torberg Medal in 2000.[17]
Personal life
Knoll was married to Otmar Knoll and they had three children.[12][18]
References
- ^ a b c "Knoll, Gertraud 7.12.1958, Linz". dasrotewien.at. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ a b c "Gertraud KNOLL". Evangelisches Museum Österreich (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ a b Douer, Alisa (2002). Women at work: Alisa Douer ; [Buchkatalog zur Ausstellung Women at Work, Frauen - Arbeit - Gesellschaft, beginnend im Oktober 2002 im Musem Arbeitswelt Steyr] (in German). Mandelbaum. p. 62. ISBN 978-3-85476-079-5.
- ^ "Gertraud Knoll: Zweiter Anlauf zur politischen Karriere". religion.orf (in German). 29 October 2022. Archived from the original on 15 September 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Die erste Superintendentin Österreichs". burgenland.ORF.at (in German). 28 April 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ a b Pongratz-Lippitt, Christa (5 July 2000). "Outspoken pastor: Taking a stand in Austria". The Christian Century. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ Honold, Matthias (7 March 2008). "Zwei neue Mitglieder im Kirchentagspräsidium". Die Andere Welt. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Martin, Mart (2000). The almanac of women and minorities in world politics. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-8133-6805-4.
- ^ "Bundespräsidentenwahl 1998". www.bmi.gv.at. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ "Elections: Austrian Presidency 1998 General". International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ Avallone, Stella; Cavallotti, Bianca Valota (2009). The Role of Women in Central Europe After EU Enlargement: Challenges of Gender Equality Policy in a Wider Europe. Lang. p. 81. ISBN 978-3-631-56953-5.
- ^ a b "Gertraud Knoll: Albtraum der Rechten". Emma (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ "Gertraud Knoll: Evangelisches 'Enfant terrible' kandidiert für SPÖ". Kath. 29 October 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Knoll verzichtet auf EU-Mandat". bglv1.orf.at. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ "Protest gegen Lob für Jörg Haider: Knoll tritt aus Kirche aus". Die Presse (in German). 13 November 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ "EU-Parlament: Geht Gertraud Knoll nach Brüssel?". Die Presse (in German). 26 April 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ "Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien verleiht am 27. November die Friedrich Torberg-Medaille". OTS.at (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ ""profil": Ex-Finanzminister Lacina und Gertraud Knoll, Leiterin der SPÖ-Zukunftswerkstatt, sind ein Paar". OTS.at (in German). Retrieved 27 November 2025.