Günter Vetter (4 July 1936 – 6 October 2022) was an Austrian stonemason and politician who served as the

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( ; ; , , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest popu ...

for Trade, Road Construction, Building Construction, and Tourism from 1984 until 1989. A member of the

Austrian People's Party The Austrian People's Party ( , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. Since January 2025, the party has been led by Christian Stocker (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest p ...

, Vetter had previously served on the

Dornbirn Dornbirn () is a city in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the administrative centre for the district of Dornbirn, which also includes the town of Hohenems, and the market town Lustenau. Dornbirn is the largest city in Vorarlb ...

City Council from 1965 until 1980.

Biography

Early life and education

Günter Vetter was born on 4 July 1936 in the city of

. He attended the , and later graduated from the in

Lustenau Lustenau (; ) is a town in the westernmost Austrian States of Austria, state of Vorarlberg in the district of Dornbirn (district), Dornbirn. It lies on the river Rhine, which forms the border with Switzerland. Lustenau is Vorarlberg's fourth larg ...

. In 1952, Vetter became an apprentice

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. Stonemasonry is the craft of shaping and arranging stones, often together with mortar and even the ancient lime mortar ...

at his family's stonemasonry company, Stein Vetter

GmbH (; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. It is a ...

, and he passed the in 1955. In 1958, Vetter began attending the in

Hallein Hallein () is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. It is the capital of Hallein (district), Hallein district. Geography The town is located in the ''Tennengau'' region south of the City of Salzburg, stretching alo ...

, and he passed the in 1960.

Professional career

After becoming a master stonemason, Vetter began working at Stein Vetter GmbH. In 1962, Vetter took ownership of the company, managing it until 1997. Vetter served as the deputy

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

master of the Vorarlberg Stonemasons Guild from 1964 until 1967, and served as guild master from 1968 until 1993. During the latter time period, Vetter also served as a member of the Federal Guild Committee of Stonemasons, and from 1975 until 1980, he served as deputy guild master. Vetter also served as a member of several boards. From 1972 until 1984, he served as a board member of the Vorarlberg Regional Health Insurance Fund, serving as its deputy chairman from 1975 until 1984. He also served as a member of the Dornbirn district school council committee from 1977 to 1984. From 1983 until 1990, he served on the supervisory board for the Dornbirner , and from 1987 to 1995, he served on the supervisory board for the

Arlberg Road Tunnel The Arlberg Road Tunnel (), with a length of , is Austria's longest road tunnel. When it was inaugurated, it was the longest road tunnel in the world. It carries the Arlberg Schnellstraße, S16 Arlberg Schnellstraße (German for "Arlberg Highway ...

. From 1989 until 1996, Vetter was the chairman of the trade division of the Vorarlberg

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

, where he was "responsible for public relations and budget policy". Vetter served as a sworn expert on stonemasonry from 1975 until 2008.

Political career

Vetter had been a member of the

since 1956. In 1965, he was elected as a substitute member of the Dornbirn City Council, and was elected a full member in 1972. Vetter served on the city council until 1980. While on the city council, Vetter was a member of the Construction, School, and Road Committee. On 6 November 1984, Vetter was appointed to the by , the governor of Vorarlberg, to serve as state councilor for Trade, Road Construction, Building Construction, and Tourism. During his tenure as state councilor, Vetter helped develop the state's energy policy, and he convinced several companies to invest in air pollution control systems. He was also responsible for Vorarlberg's transportation policy, introducing a half-price pass for transit and a bus excursion ticket to the forest. During Vetter's tenure, the Vorarlberg Technology Transfer Center and the Vorarlberg Energy Saving Association were also founded. Vetter was retained as state councilor following the ascension of

Martin Purtscher Martin Purtscher (12 November 1928 – 27 January 2023) was an Austrian politician. A member of the Austrian People's Party, he served as List of governors of Vorarlberg, Governor of Vorarlberg from 1987 to 1997 and served in the Landtag of Vorar ...

to the governorship. Vetter resigned from the state government on 24 October 1989, at the end of the legislative session. From 1984 until 1989, Vetter also served on the executive committee for the of the Austrian People's Party.

Family and death

Vetter married Inge Stembal in 1968, and they had two daughters. Vetter died on 6 October 2022, at the age of 86. Following his death, state governor

Markus Wallner Markus Wallner (born 20 July 1967) is an Austrian politician ( ÖVP). Since 2011, he has been the governor of Vorarlberg. Life and work Markus Wallner was born on 20 July 1967, the son of Herwig and Theresia Wallner in the district capital of ...

praised Vetter for his contributions to the infrastructure of Vorarlberg, stating that Vetter "had the often unrewarded task of state road construction officer. In this function, his conciliatory nature, his willingness to talk to all citizens and his flexibility in planning issues have proven particularly valuable".

Awards and honors

* Awarded the title (1991) * Gold Medal of Honor of the Federal Guild of Stonemasons (1992)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vetter, Günter 1936 births 2022 deaths Place of death missing 20th-century Austrian politicians Austrian People's Party politicians Government ministers of Austria Members of the Landtag of Vorarlberg Austrian city councillors Stonemasons 20th-century artisans Austrian artisans 20th-century Austrian businesspeople