Andreas Hörtnagl

Who is Andreas Hörtnagl?

Andreas Hörtnagl is an Austrian politician.

Born in Matrei am BrennerHörtnagl was mayor of Gries am Brenner from 1980 to 1992.

He became well-known because of the conflict with his predecessor Jakob Strickner, who had praised himself in the German magazine Bunte, that he had helped Josef Mengele to escape to Italy over the so-called Rat-Line. Hörtnagl was ashamed for the behaviour of his predecessor and he regretted the manner of his precursor to the holocaust survivors. Strickner sued him because of offence of his honour; however he had no success before the court.

At Bishop Reinhold Stecher’s suggestion, mayor Hörtnagl arranged the first L’Arche community for handicapped persons and able-bodied in 1991 in Austria. This happened in Rainhold Stecher commune in Gries at the Brenner. After he also caused this, Gries am Brenner was the first community in Austria, who accepted 20 Romanian asylum seekers, he wasn’t re-elected as a mayor in 1992. However the University Innsbruck and the Bishopric Innsbruck presented him high honours for his dedication.