Like many musicians Vinzenz Goller came from a musical family. His father Josef was a primary school teacher in St. Andrä near Brixen, South Tyrol (now Italy) where he also worked as a sacristan and organist. But it was not only this cultural medium but also his above average musical and pedagogical talent that was decisive for his later career.

Early on Goller became involved as a singer in the local church choir. It did not take long before he became a substitute organist. In addition, he was engaged in writing music and transposing.

As a choirboy and student, Goller came to the ''Augustiner-Chorherrenstift Neustift'' at the age of twelve. There his talent was further developed through choral and choir singing as well as playing the violin and French horn. Goller also became acquainted with Josef Gasser and Ignaz Mitterer who were both of the same age in the monastery.

In 1888 Goller began studying at the teacher training college and later at the municipal music school (with Josef Pembaur) in Innsbruck, as well as at the church music school in Regensburg (with Franz Xaver Haberl and Michael Haller). In 1899 he married Maria Josefa Pfeifhofer from Sexten. This marriage resulted in seven children. After several years of school service he became a church musician in Deggendorf in 1903. After completing his studies at the Vienna Academy of Music, he was commissioned in 1910 to establish the Department of Catholic Church Music in Vienna-Klosterneuburg which he directed himself until 1933. He continued to teach counterpoint and church composition there until 1937.

When Italy joined the Allies in May 1915, Goller volunteered to join the standing guard and fought on the Dolomite front. As captain of the Sillian Battalion he succeeded in recapturing the Forame summit in the ''Cristallo Group'' on 6 September 1916. This success was so important to the Austrian army leadership that the Sillian Battalion was the only one to receive a marble monument in memory of these battles. This monument is now on the market place of the municipality.

After the battalions of Welsberg, Lienz and Sillian were merged in spring 1918 to form the ''Pustertal Standing Battalion'', Goller was appointed Battalion Commander and in June to the rank of Major. He shared the same fate as many other soldiers and was taken prisoner of war in September 1918. However, Goller managed to escape from the camp near Mantua and set off for Switzerland via mountain paths that were seldom used. In 1919 he finally returned to Vienna and resumed his teaching activities.

At the request of Archduke Eugen, the commander of the Southwest Front, Goller composed a German song mass in memory of the storming of the Forame summit. This mass was to be performed at field services.


Memorial plaque in Klosterneuburg
Goller was also involved in politics. In 1933 he was elected to the municipal council and three years later to the mayor of Klosterneuburg. When Austria was occupied by the National Socialists in 1938, they removed Goller from office. Two of his children joined the resistance. In 1941 Goller moved with his family to St. Michael in Lungau. Five years later his wife Maria died, after which he moved to his siblings to South Tyrol. He only returned to Klosterneuburg in 1950.

In 1953 Goller was appointed honorary member of the Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. However, he would no longer be able to accept this honor as he died of pneumonia before the award was bestowed upon him,