Josef Peer, the oldest living man in Austria, is celebrating his 107th birthday today in Trins, in the state of Tyrol, according to Kronen Zeitung.
Peer was born in Trins on 31 January 1918, as one of 11 siblings. He began working at a young age. At just 11 years old, he spent entire summers alone with his brother on a mountain pasture, tending sheep.
When he turned 20 and World War II broke out, he was called to serve. He was sent across Europe, often marching for days, witnessing his comrades die beside him. He was wounded four times, shot on each occasion. Though he eventually returned home to his family, his brother did not survive the war.
At some point, he married Ida Gleirscher, with whom he spent 47 years and had seven children. He was a dedicated member of the church choir for decades, and later served for many years as a bass player, chairman, and honorary chairman of the local music band. Sadly, just before his 76th birthday in 1994, his wife passed away.
On 1 April 2024, following the passing of 109-year-old Franz Wielander of Sankt Pölten, he became the oldest living man in Austria, at the age of 106 years, 61 days.
The featured image was taken on his 106th birthday, and sourced from ORF Tirol.
LongeviQuest extends warm congratulations to Josef Peer on her 107th birthday.
