[1][2] His grandfather, Franz Dinghofer, was from Waidhofen an der Ybbs and served as the last judge of the Ottensheim market from 1842 to 1847.

[1] In 1870 and 1871, Dinghofer's father, following the construction of a roller ferry across the Danube which connected with Wilhering Abbey, he invested 200 fl.

However, his parents probably sent Dinghofer to Freidstadt due to his older brother Leopold's indulgence in city life and poor academic performance at Linz.

[1] Whilst studying at the University, he made a choice that would be decisive for his later career and shape the rest of his life.

[1][3] Dinghofer served as a one-year volunteer with the Tyrolean Kaiserjäger regiment before being released due to health concerns, though the exact date of his military service is unknown.

[1] After completing his studies, Dinghofer became a legal trainee at the Regional Court of Linz on 19 March 1897.

[1][4] He passed his judicial exam in Vienna on 24 November 1898, and in June 1902 transferred to the District Court of Urfahr where he was a judge for civil and criminal matters.

[1] On 29 April, he was elected for a three-year term to the municipal council with the highest number of votes.

[1] The main work in his early council career focused on areas the committee dealt with including requests for temporary employment, promotions, advancements, appointments and disciplinary issues.

[1] On 17 May 1905, Dinghofer was elected Deputy Mayor of Linz; winning 34 out of 37 votes and succeeding Franz Lampl.

[1] A main part of the reorganisation involved reducing the amount of duties of the Mayor by removing unnecessary agenda.

[1] Dinghofer changed this so that the Mayor remained the leading position whose instructions the municipal employees had to follow, but the heads of departments were given more extensive powers than before.

[1] Dinghofer's legacy has been controversial, largely due to his involvement in the Nazi party in later life.