Decision made

This is what the airbase in Langenlebarn will now be called

(Bild: Imre Antal)

Back in 2016, the historical army commission recommended renaming the "Brumowski" airbase in Langelebarn (Lower Austria) due to the questionable history of Godwin Brumowski during the civil war in the 1930s. The decision has now been made to use a combination of names.

The Brumowski airbase in Langenlebarn has been given a new name: "Fliegerhorst Leopold Figl - Flugplatz General Pabisch". This is the first time that the military property in the district of Tulln has been given a double name, named after deserving personalities and military officers of the Second Republic with significant links to the Austrian Armed Forces. Dr. Leopold Figl and General Othmar Pabisch are regarded as historically important, deserving namesakes for the site with a connection to the region. Both personalities have a close connection to the Tullnerfeld. 

"History of the Republic linked to that of military aviation"
"By combining these names, we have succeeded in linking the history and foundation of our republic with the history of military aviation in the Second Republic," explains Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP).

The previous namesake, Godwin Brumowski, had long been considered "historically questionable".

(Bild: P. Huber)

Leopold Figl was born in 1902 in Rust in the Tullnerfeld. He was deported to Dachau concentration camp in one of the first "celebrity transports" shortly after Austria's annexation to the German Reich. After an interim release in 1943, he was imprisoned again for his illegal activities in connection with his efforts to create political structures for the period after the Nazi regime and was sent to Mauthausen concentration camp. In 1945, Figl experienced the end of the war and the liberation of Vienna on death row in the Vienna Provincial Court. 

Figl decisive for the founding of the army
The ÖVP politician was the first Federal Chancellor of the Second Republic in 1945. As Foreign Minister, he signed the State Treaty for Austria in 1955. Figl was particularly decisive for the development, reconstruction and thus for the history of Austria and for the founding of the Austrian Armed Forces.

Leopold Figl was the first Federal Chancellor of the Second Republic.

(Bild: dpa / picturedesk.com)

The second historically significant namesake for the airbase is Pabisch. Born in Vienna, he joined the military academy in Enns in 1956 and was accepted into the first class of the military academy in 1957. He graduated in 1959 as the best in his year. In the same year, he began training as a military pilot in Zeltweg.

Commander of the largest squadron and Pope pilot
This was followed by a stellar career with numerous leading roles: Commander of the 3rd company of the training battalion of the air force in Hörsching, general staff officer of the air brigade in Langenlebarn, commander of the largest squadron of the air force the 1st helicopter squadron of the air regiment 1 in Langenlebarn, head of airspace security and deputy commander of the operations center of the army command in Vienna and chief of staff of the air brigade. 

He also played a key role in the reorganization of the air division. From July 1975 to 1985, he was Chief of Staff of the Aviation Division and was significantly involved in the tactical-operational command of the aviation forces. From March 1985 to November 1998, Pabisch was commander of the air division in Langenlebarn. The trained operational pilot completed more than 5,000 flying hours during his service and also flew state guests in Austria, including Pope John Paul II during his visit to Austria in 1983 on board an AB-212.