מוריץ בנדיקט

Moritz Benedikt (aka Moriz Benedikt) (1849-1920), journalist, born in Holesov, Czech Republic (then part of the Austrian Empire). He studied law and economics. In 1872 he was appointed to the financial staff of the most influential paper in Austria the Neue Freie Press. He was promoted to chief financial editor and later part owner. From 1908 onwards, after the death of his partner, Eduard Bacher, Moritz Benedekt was editor-in-chief and the person who decided on the paper’s editorial policy, and from that position influenced the Austrian affairs. His editorial attacked the electoral reforms advanced by the prime minister in three different paper issues and helped them to being dropped, resulting in PM’s resignation. Benedikt was a supporter of the German Liberal Party and opposed Zionism. He did not let Theodor Herzl, who was the literary editor of the paper, to publish anything in favor of Zionism. Benedikt supported the Austro-Hungary compromise and was elected to the upper house of the Austrian parliament in 1917.