1919: Education Centre St. Martin

In the years following the First World War, Austria's first people’s education centre was established in the St. Martin Castle in Graz. The start of this national educational activity is closely linked to Josef Steinberger, a priest and party member of the Christian Socialists. His work at St. Martin began soon after the outbreak of the First World War, although it was only as of circa 1919 that it became possible to begin structured educational activity that followed Steinberger’s ideal. The target group of Austria's first people’s education centre were youth from farming families and rural areas.

In the 1920s and 1930s, St. Martin became a model of Austrian non-formal education and Steinberger became the idol of the Catholic public education movement.

During the Nazi era, the Castle was transformed into the Nazi-training facility Martinshof and used for various events and as a training camp by Nazi units and associations.

Following the Second World War, the St. Martin people’s education centre was once again opened under Steinberger and thus linked to the Catholic educational tradition.