Hans Lauda | |
|---|---|
 Lauda in 1954 | |
| Born | (1896-03-25)25 March 1896 |
| Died | 21 January 1974(1974-01-21) (aged 77) Vienna, Austria |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Years active | 1923–1960 |
| Known for | President ofFederation of Austrian Industries |
| Father | Ernst Lauda |
Hans Lauda (25 March 1896 – 21 January 1974)[1] was an Austrian industrialist who co-founded theFederation of Austrian Industries and served as president from 1946 to 1960. He was the paternal grandfather ofFormula One World ChampionNiki Lauda.
Hans Lauda was born on 25 March 1896 inVienna.[1] His fatherErnst Lauda worked inhydraulic engineering and bridge construction.[2] Lauda studied at theTheresianum,[1] and theUniversity of Vienna, where he earned a doctorate in law.[1][3] He was known as "Old Lauda".[3] He was interested in Formula One, and drove to theNürburgring and toMonaco to watch Formula One races.[3]
During theFirst World War, Lauda served in the Austrianartillery.[1] After the war, he worked forVeitscher [de] as a commercial secretary, between 1923 and 1925.[3] He then worked forÖsterreichisch-Amerikanischen Magnesit AG.[1][3] In 1937, he became thegeneral manager of Veitscher.[3][4] After theAnschluss, Lauda was removed from his position in the company.[3][4] After theSecond World War, Lauda was reinstated as general manager of Veitscher,[3][4] and Lauda built a papermaking empire there.[5]
In 1946, Lauda co-founded theFederation of Austrian Industries (IV), and was president of the organisation until 1960.[3][6] In 1949, he was cited in aNew York Times report on the progress of theMarshall Plan. He reported that Austria would employ 20,000 former government officials.[7] He served as chairman of the Association of Industrialists,[8][9] and in 1951, he proposed a successful bill to freeze wages, to try and counteract inflation in the country.[9] In this role, Lauda was sceptical of theEuropean Free Trade Association, of which Austria was one of the seven founding members. Lauda saw EFTA as an interim measure.[10] Lauda was also a president of theAustrian Red Cross,[3] from 1956 to 1974.[6]
Hans Lauda was the paternal grandfather ofFormula One World ChampionNiki Lauda.[3] Aged 10, Niki accused Hans of "double standards" after he accepted a medal of honour from socialist mayor of Vienna Felix Slavik, someone that Hans was not fond of.[11] Hans was critical of Niki's Formula One ambitions, saying that "A Lauda should be on the economic pages of the newspaper, not the sports pages."[12]
In 1971, Hans and Niki Lauda had an argument, after Hans vetoed funding for Niki to pay for a drive in the1972 Formula One season withMarch Engineering.[13] The pair never spoke again.[3][13] Hans Lauda died in 1974,[3] roughly three months before Niki's first Formula One victory at the1974 Spanish Grand Prix.[3]
In the 2013 biographical sports filmRush, Hans Lauda is portrayed by German actorHans-Eckart Eckhardt [de] in a supporting role as "Grandfather Lauda", rejecting Niki's Formula One ambitions in dialogue. His first name is not mentioned.[14]
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