50 Years of Civil Service: The First Civil Servant Looks Back

Max Aufischer from Styria was one of them and carried the civil service number 01. Despite initial insults and stigmatization, he never regretted his decision - on the contrary: "It was a school for life," and it had a decisive impact on his career as an art educator and later also as a cultural mediator, he said in an APA interview.

Previously often labeled as "shirkers," civil servants are now welcomed in many places, whether in hospitals, facilities for the disabled, or kindergartens. In total, around 440,000 young men have completed the alternative military service in Austria, which currently lasts nine months. At that time, Aufischer served for eight months - the same length as military service in 1975 - as a civil servant with the Red Cross in Styria. His plaque with the number one is now on permanent loan at the city museum in Graz: "Being first was not necessarily new to me: It went alphabetically, as in school." Although he never came first in sports, he carried the now historic number one in civil service.

"Shaped my attitude"

His motivations at the time were based on a personal experience he had after a serious traffic accident: "I was in a hospital room with about 20 others, and several people died there," he recalled. This affected him so much that he gave up his original desire to become a professional soldier. He once refused military service, then the law for the possibility of civil service came into effect, and it was clear to him that he wanted to complete it. "I learned an incredible amount there, both technical and social. It shaped my life and my attitude. I got to know the diversity of society," he said.

Nevertheless, the time after his decision was not easy: "You were subjected to insults, experienced stigmatization, and there were fears that you wouldn't get a job in the public service later. Even my closest family circle was displeased with my decision," Aufischer described. Looking back, he has great praise for the Red Cross, because although civil service was initially controversial, the rescue organization welcomed him and the other civil servants who started with him. "At the beginning, there were concerns among the full-time paramedics that they might be made redundant, but that was a mistake." They always supported him in action, because unlike today, civil servants at that time received only three weeks of first aid training.

Standard of then not comparable to today

Today, the Red Cross trains around 4,400 civil servants every year, who receive full training as paramedics. "Modern technical equipment, improved training, and more efficient rescue vehicles also make the work easier for the emergency services. While an ambulance at that time was only equipped with a birth set, a doctor's bag, and an oxygen bottle, such a standard would be unimaginable today," said the Red Cross Styria.

Despite or perhaps because of new global threats and an arms buildup in Europe, Aufischer still considers civil service to be extremely important today: It is necessary "that there are many who are familiar with rescue services and know the practical dimension" of such relief efforts, said the Styrian. His time as a civil servant still connects him today with various, partly voluntary tasks with the Red Cross. "Civil service has developed into an indispensable pillar of our society over the past 50 years. Without civil service, the rescue service in its current form would not be feasible," emphasized Siegfried Schrittwieser, President of the Red Cross in Styria, highlighting its importance.

Conscientious Objection Test Abolished

It took quite a long time after the restoration of Austrian sovereignty and the introduction of compulsory military service before a civil service was established in Austria. It was only since 1975 that there has been the possibility to perform substitute military service for reasons of conscience. Until then, this group had to perform service without a weapon in the armed forces. In the first year, only 344 civil servants began their service.

Recently, there were more than 14,000 per year. This is also related to the abolition of the so-called conscientious objection test. Until 1992, interested parties had to credibly demonstrate to a special commission that they refused to serve with a weapon for reasons of conscience. The use of weapons was also prohibited for civil servants for over two decades after their service. This ban was later reduced to 15 years. There are now exceptions, for example, if a former civil servant discovers a passion for hunting.

Duration of Civil Service Changed Several Times

The duration of civil service has also been changed several times. It started with eight months, with the abolition of the conscientious objection test it initially became eleven, later twelve months, before it now stands at nine months with two weeks of vacation. The areas of deployment for civil servants are diverse. The rescue services, in particular, rely on the young men. 40 percent of civil servants are employed in this sector. This is followed by social and disability assistance as well as elderly care. Civil servants are also active in hospitals, kindergartens, refugee assistance, disaster protection, youth work, or environmental protection.

Regionally, interest in civil service is greatest in Vienna, followed by Upper Austria. By far the fewest civil servants are in Burgenland. Up to the age of 35, one can be called up for regular civil service, up to 50 for extraordinary service. The latter was long taken hardly seriously until the Corona pandemic came. In early April 2020, around 3,500 extraordinary civil servants began their service. Of these, around 2,000 were former civil servants who had volunteered.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.