In Memory of Comrade Tibor Zenker
- The Left Chapter
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
With statements from the Party of Labour of Austria, the Communist Party of Greece and the New Communist Party of the Netherlands
Image via the PdA
The chairman of the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA), Tibor Zenker, died suddenly and unexpectedly at his home in Wolkersdorf on 16 April 2026 at the age of 50. Tibor was born in Vienna on 7 March 1976, together with his twin brother Jan.
As the son of the well-known Austrian writer Helmut Zenker (1949–2003), he adapted numerous episodes from his father’s television series ‘Kottanermittelt’ for the stage, working alongside his brother Jan. The play ‘Kottanermittelt: Rabengasse 3a’ was performed a total of 44 times at the Rabenhof Theatre in Vienna in 2009 and 2010 and was seen by 13,000 people. The play ‘Kassbach’, based on a novel by Helmut Zenker about fascism and neo-fascism, was also staged at the Rabenhof Theatre (2010). Together with his brother, he also wrote ‘Kottan – Das Puppenmusical’, which was performed in Vienna, St. Pölten, and Bolzano. Tibor was also the author of several Sherlock Holmes crime novels (2021).
He wrote numerous political books, many of which also attracted attention within the international communist movement. Examples include ‘Stamokap Today – From Contemporary Capitalism to a Socialist Future* (2005), ‘What is Fascism?’ (2006), `’The Imperialism of the EU’Part 1, 2 and 3 (2006, 2010, 2014), ‘Austria 1938 – Background, Prehistory and Consequences of the ‘Anschluss’’ (2008) and ‘On the Revolutionary Party of the Working Class’ (Zenker/Bruckner/Lang, 2013). In 2023, he played a key role in the drafting and publication of a special issue of the PdA’s theoretical journal, ‘Einheit &Widerspruch’, on the history of the communist movement in Austria. Tibor also published in numerous Austrian and international political journals; many of his works have been translated into several languages.
He became politically active while still a teenager. Through the group in Klosterneuburg, he joined the “Stamokap faction” within the Socialist Youth (SJ) and, alongside the current leader of the SPÖ, Andreas Babler, soon became one of its leading figures.
However, anyone who studies state-monopolistic capitalism soon realises that social democracy is not the right political home to fight against it. Thus, around the turn of the millennium, Tibor’s path led him to the KPÖ, where he had already played an important role in the confrontation with the revisionist party leadership in 2003–2004. He was a co-founder of the ‘Communist Initiative for the Renewal of the KPÖ’, which brought together members from almost every federal province and across generation. It sought to restore the KPÖ as a Marxist-Leninist fighting party of the Austrian working class.
The realisation that continuing to work within the KPÖ was not a viable option for the Marxist-Leninists, and that the revisionist leadership was clinging to power using every possible bureaucratic trick, led Tibor Zenker, as well as numerous other members, to decide to resign in 2005 and to found the Communist Initiative (KI), of which he was a member of the executive committee from 2005 to 2013. The aim of this movement was to rebuild a Marxist-Leninist party in Austria. Politically and ideologically, Tibor did the bulk of the work. In the run-up to the founding of the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) in 2013, he drafted both the ‘Founding and Basic Principles Declaration’ and the party’s constitution. At the founding congress of the PdA Tibor was elected as deputy chairman. At the fourth party congress in 2019, he was elected to be the party chairmanship and succeed Otto Bruckner, who has been his deputy ever since. They have been bound for more than twenty years by a close friendship and as comrades in a shared struggle to rebuild the communist movement in Austria.
As party chairman, Tibor Zenker led the PdA with prudence and wisdom. Completely free of vanity, he placed great value on collective work and a spirit of solidarity amongst one another.
Following his election as party leader at the 4th Party Congress of the PdA, Tibor closed the congress with the following words: “We will not need a messiah, our historical protagonist is the working class itself. The redemption of humanity takes place in this world, in the classless society that is brought about through the proletarian revolution and socialism. But for this to be possible, a strong Marxist-Leninist fighting party is needed. And that is our mission and – if one looks around the Austrian left and labour movement – also our duty, which no one will or can pursuefor us or take from us.”
The death of Tibor Zenker leaves a huge gap in the ranks of the Party of Labour of Austria, one that will not be easily filled. In personal conversations, he often expressed his conviction that the PdA would develop and grow. Following his election as party chairman in 2019, important reorganisation measures were introduced and political as well as ideological clarity was established. With reliable organisational structures in five federal states and its own local offices in three of them, the party is now ready to take on new tasks. This is, to a large extent, thanks to Tibor Zenker. We will continue the struggle in his spirit.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to Tibor’s partner Gabi, his son Simon, his daughter Judith, his stepson Jakob, his brother Jan, his mother and all his other relatives, friends and comrades during this difficult time.
Message of Condolences of Cde D. Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the Central Committee of KKE for the sudden passing away of Cde Tibor Zinker, Chairman of Party of Labour of Austria
16/4/2026
It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to Comrade Tibor Zenker, Chairman of the Party of Labour of Austria, who passed away prematurely, in the age of 50 years old.
Comrade Tibor was among the pioneers in regrouping the communist movement in Austria along a revolutionary line.
As a member of the Political Bureau and later as Party Chairman, he made a decisive contribution to the Party’s foundation and development under difficult conditions, to its ideological and political orientation, to the class-based organization of the working class’s struggle, and to the struggle for socialism.
He also made a significant contribution to the establishment of both the European Communist Initiative and, subsequently, the European Communist Action, as well as to the ideological and political struggle against opportunist erosion in Austria and for the revolutionary regroupment of the communist movement with particular emphasis on the consistent position and tasks of communists in imperialist war.
During his short life, he distinguished himself through a prolific body of work, including theoretical and political books, novellas and novels.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to the members of the Party of Labour of Austria.
Dimitris Koutsoumbas,
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece
Dear comrades of the Partei der Arbeit,
On behalf of the Central Committee of the NCPN, we express our deepest and heartfelt condolences on the tragic and untimely passing of the president of the Partei der Arbeit (PdA), comrade Tibor Zenker.
Comrade Tibor was a pioneer in rebuilding the revolutionary movement in Austria. He played an important role in the founding and development of the PdA. Through his books and articles on fundamental questions, he contributed significantly to the advancement of Marxism-Leninism, combating bourgeois ideology and opportunism, and strengthening the ideological and theoretical development of the communist movement in Austria.
Comrade Tibor was involved in the international communist movement, making valuable contributions and engaging in honest and comradely exchange of opinions at international meetings. He played an important role in the founding and development of the European Communist Action (ECA).
We will remember comrade Tibor as a devoted communist who had firm confidence in the cause of the working class and its strength to build a better society free from exploitation and wars.
With comradely greetings,
International Commission of the Central Committee of the NCPN