The ball is now in Burgenland’s SPÖ governor’s court His Peter Doskozil who, in his autobiography “Common Sense”, describes Freemasonry as a power factor in the SPÖ, “business masonry” and secretly organised networks “for jobs, positions and ultimately always for economic advantage”. Georg Semler, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge and Foreign Minister of the local Freemasons, denied this in an interview with KURIER. There is no such thing as “commercial freemasonry”.
Billion-dollar investments
Since the publication of the Doskozil book, Vienna City Hall, with its multi-billion dollar corporate holdings, has been the focus of intense speculation about the influence of Freemasons close to the SPÖ. In fact, managers and two high-ranking red city politicians are likely to be members of the lodge. The finance and economic councillor is considered to be the major puppet master. Peter HankeThe former works council chairman and later managing director of Wien Holding has the city’s corporate empire under his control. Wien Holding comprises 30 companies, and the municipal utilities have 13 holdings, including Wiener Linien and Wien Energie. Hanke, like Mayor Michael Ludwig do not comment on Masonic membership.
The two holding company bosses Kurt Gollowitzer and Oliver Stribl deny membership. In Wien Holding, speculation is mainly about Stribl’s rise as a specialist publishing journalist, whose long-time boss and founder Hans-Jörgen Manstein is considered a Freemason. The only woman in the management, Sigrid Oblakwas dismantled prematurely and was not allowed to apply for an extension. Oblak is not the only manager in Hanke’s empire who was treated in this way. The proportion of women in management jobs there is modest. Despite assurances to the contrary, the men’s association Freemasons is apparently not very keen on promoting women.
However, a woman sits in influential positions. Karin Rest, Managing Director of Vamed-KMB (which operates the AKH technology), is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the holding company. She is also on the Supervisory Board of the municipal utilities and Vienna Airport, in which the city holds a 20 percent stake. Julian Jaeger as a board member. He is said to have recently joined the Freemasons. Jäger is doing a good job at the airport.
The partner of the former city hall employee Rest is the entrepreneur and lobbyist Robert MoserWhen asked about his membership in the Freemasons, he explained that he was not a person of public interest. Moser is considered a high-ranking Freemason, he is friends with Hanke and both are said to be higher up in the lodge hierarchy than Ludwig, it is rumored.
Moser’s Art Pro Business Development, according to its own definition, advises clients on the implementation of “complex, sustainably positive projects” in Vienna. He is also the authorized representative of RedBus Tours, and he celebrated a cooperation with the Vienna Tramway Museum with Hanke.
The Communicator Ralph Vallonformer consultant to Stadtwerke, Wiener Linien and Wien Energie, is also considered a member of the Grand Lodge. However, he is not a Freemason, Vallon told the KURIER.
The SPÖ-affiliated Viennese lawyer Gabriel Lansky makes no secret of his affiliation, “that is well known”. The construction industrialist and Neos sponsor Hans Peter Haselsteiner came out a long time ago.
Of course, there are also ÖVP members among the Viennese lodge brothers. Karl Mahrer, ÖVP chairman of Vienna, for example, is included. He does not want to give an answer. Just like the President of the Chamber of Commerce Walter Ruckgood with Ludwig and Hanke.
So, contrary to its own assurances, is Freemasonry actually a career booster, helpful in getting promotions and assignments?
“Far too colorful a bunch”
“Freemasonry in itself is not an economic and political power factor. The group is too heterogeneous for that, a far too diverse bunch. The proportion of top SPÖ members is manageable,” says the historian and Freemason expert Dieter A. Bindera commoner. But, as with every club, there are “people who use membership to make contacts.” In the AKH scandal, for example, “there was a certain density of Freemasons involved, and in the housing scandal in Lower Austria, the black CV members were strongly represented.”
The legendary Verbund boss Walter Fremuth (SPÖ) once prevented the admission of the then party-affiliated manager and current Krone columnist Klaus Woltron for the Freemasons by throwing in a black ball. His reasoning: “We already have enough careerists.”