Max Moses Heller (May 28, 1919 – June 13, 2011) was an American civic leader who served as the 29th

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Greenville,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

from 1971 to 1979. Before his time as mayor, Heller lived in Austria and escaped during

World War Two World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Early life

Heller was born in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria, in 1919 to Israel and Leah Heller, he escaped Austria during its invasion by the Nazis in 1938.

Public career

Through a foreign friend, Heller was able to secure a job in Greenville, South Carolina. After his wife came from Austria later, he decided to live there. He worked at a shirt-making company for twenty years. He joined the Greenville City Council in 1968 and became mayor from 1971 to 1979. During his time as mayor he revitalized downtown Greenville and oversaw multiple construction projects. He was the first mayor to have 4 year terms. After his time as mayor he was appointed to the State Development Board. Heller has a plaza named after him and a statue across from the Hyatt Hotel, a building proposed by him. He died on June 13, 2011, at the age of 92 in Greenville.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heller, Max 1919 births 2011 deaths Mayors of Greenville, South Carolina South Carolina city council members South Carolina Democrats Politicians from Vienna