Leopold Figl
Encyclopedia
Leopold Figl was an Austria
n politician of the Austrian People's Party
(Christian Democrats) and the first Federal Chancellor
after World War II
. He was also the youngest Federal Chancellor of Austria after the war.
n village of Rust im Tullnerfeld
, Figl after graduation as Dipl.-Ing.
of Agriculture
at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna
became vice chair of the Lower Austrian Bauernbund (Farmer's League) in 1931 and chairman in 1933.
After the authoritarian revolution
of Engelbert Dollfuss
, who had served as his mentor within the Farmer's League, Figl became member of the federal council of economic policy and became leader of the paramilitary organisation of Ostmärkische Sturmscharen
for the state
of Lower Austria.
After the "Anschluss
", the Nazis
deported Figl to Dachau concentration camp in 1938, from which he was released in May 1943. He then worked as an oil engineer, but in October 1944 Figl was rearrested and brought to Mauthausen concentration camp. In February 1945, he was sentenced to death for "high treason" in Vienna
, but the death penalty was not carried out before the end of the war.
After the defeat of the Nazis, the Allies
occupied Austria at the end of World War II
. The Russian Military Commander asked Figl to manage the provision of food for the population of Vienna. On April 14, 1945, he refounded the Bauernbund and integrated it into the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP
), which was founded three days later. Figl was elected vice chair. On April 27 he became interim Governor
of Lower Austria
and vice-minister.
At the first free elections since 1934, held in December 1945, the ÖVP won an absolute majority. Leopold Figl was proposed as Chancellor
; the Soviets
agreed, because of his opposition to the Nazis
and his managerial abilities. He was very popular, to which lots of jokes about home provide evidence, e.g. concerning "wine policy" with the USA and the "Russia
n bear". From 1945 until 1966 a grand coalition
between his own party and the Socialists (SPÖ
) was able to solve the serious economic and social problems of the devastated country. The USA's Marshall Plan
was also a great help.
After internal criticism, Figl resigned as Chancellor on November 26, 1953. His successor Julius Raab
was less flexible towards the SPÖ
, but was Chancellor when the Austrian State Treaty
, which granted full independence to the country, was signed on May 15, 1955. However, Figl was strongly involved in its achievement, as he remained in the government as foreign minister
. His appearance on the balcony of Belvedere Palace waving the signed paper and speaking the words Österreich ist frei! ("Austria is free!"), as rendered by the Wochenschau newsreel, has become an icon in the Austrian national remembrance.
At the national elections of 1959 the SPÖ gained ground on the ÖVP, and the ratio of seats between the two parties in parliament was now almost 1:1. This gave the SPÖ the bargaining power to demand that Bruno Kreisky
succeed him as foreign minister. Figl then became president of the National Council
1959–1962, but soon returned to Lower Austria
, to become governor of his home state
. Figl was patron of the Pfadfinder Österreichs between 1960 and 1964 and president of this Scout association from 1964 until his death. His son Johannes was International Commissioner of the Pfadfinder Österreichs and president of the Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs
from 1994 to 2000. He died 1965 in Vienna and is buried in an Ehrengrab
at the Zentralfriedhof
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n politician of the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(Christian Democrats) and the first Federal Chancellor
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also the youngest Federal Chancellor of Austria after the war.
Life
Born a farmer's son in the Lower AustriaLower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
n village of Rust im Tullnerfeld
Rust im Tullnerfeld
Rust im Tullnerfeld is located in Michelhausen, Tulln District, Lower Austria . It is the birth place of Leopold Figl and home to the museum honoring him. It has the same name as the more well known Rust in Burgenland. See Rust, Austria....
, Figl after graduation as Dipl.-Ing.
Engineer's degree
An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering that is conferred in Europe, some countries of Latin America, and a few institutions in the United States....
of Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, or simply BOKU , founded in 1872, is a Vienna university. There are currently around 10500 students enrolled at BOKU.- Campus :The original campus was built in 1896 in the Türkenschanzpark in Vienna's 18th and 19th districts...
became vice chair of the Lower Austrian Bauernbund (Farmer's League) in 1931 and chairman in 1933.
After the authoritarian revolution
Austrofascism
Austrofascism is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria with the May Constitution of 1934, which ceased with the forcible incorporation of the newly-founded Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938...
of Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss was an Austrian Christian Social and Patriotic Front statesman. Serving previously as Minister for Forest and Agriculture, he ascended to Federal Chancellor in 1932 in the midst of a crisis for the conservative government...
, who had served as his mentor within the Farmer's League, Figl became member of the federal council of economic policy and became leader of the paramilitary organisation of Ostmärkische Sturmscharen
Ostmärkische Sturmscharen
Ostmärkische Sturmscharen was a political paramilitary force founded on December 7, 1930 in Innsbruck, Austria, recruited from the Katholische Jugend , later from journeymen and teacher organisations, forming an opposition to the Heimwehr. Kurt Schuschnigg was its "Reichsführer"...
for the state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Lower Austria.
After the "Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
", the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
deported Figl to Dachau concentration camp in 1938, from which he was released in May 1943. He then worked as an oil engineer, but in October 1944 Figl was rearrested and brought to Mauthausen concentration camp. In February 1945, he was sentenced to death for "high treason" in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, but the death penalty was not carried out before the end of the war.
After the defeat of the Nazis, the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
occupied Austria at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Russian Military Commander asked Figl to manage the provision of food for the population of Vienna. On April 14, 1945, he refounded the Bauernbund and integrated it into the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP
OVP
OVP is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:*The Office of the Vice President of the United States*The Office of the Vice President of the Philippines*OVP , a light sub-machine gun developed in Italy...
), which was founded three days later. Figl was elected vice chair. On April 27 he became interim Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
and vice-minister.
At the first free elections since 1934, held in December 1945, the ÖVP won an absolute majority. Leopold Figl was proposed as Chancellor
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
; the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
agreed, because of his opposition to the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and his managerial abilities. He was very popular, to which lots of jokes about home provide evidence, e.g. concerning "wine policy" with the USA and the "Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n bear". From 1945 until 1966 a grand coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
between his own party and the Socialists (SPÖ
SPO
- Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument...
) was able to solve the serious economic and social problems of the devastated country. The USA's Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
was also a great help.
After internal criticism, Figl resigned as Chancellor on November 26, 1953. His successor Julius Raab
Julius Raab
Julius Raab was a Conservative Austrian politician. He was Federal Chancellor of Austria from 1953 to 1961. Raab steered Allied-occupied Austria to independence. In 1955 he negotiated and signed the Austrian State Treaty...
was less flexible towards the SPÖ
SPO
- Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument...
, but was Chancellor when the Austrian State Treaty
Austrian State Treaty
The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying powers and the Austrian government...
, which granted full independence to the country, was signed on May 15, 1955. However, Figl was strongly involved in its achievement, as he remained in the government as foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
. His appearance on the balcony of Belvedere Palace waving the signed paper and speaking the words Österreich ist frei! ("Austria is free!"), as rendered by the Wochenschau newsreel, has become an icon in the Austrian national remembrance.
At the national elections of 1959 the SPÖ gained ground on the ÖVP, and the ratio of seats between the two parties in parliament was now almost 1:1. This gave the SPÖ the bargaining power to demand that Bruno Kreisky
Bruno Kreisky
Bruno Kreisky was an Austrian politician who served as Foreign Minister from 1959 to 1966 and as Chancellor from 1970 to 1983. Aged 72 at the end of his chancellorship, he was the oldest acting Chancellor after World War II....
succeed him as foreign minister. Figl then became president of the National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
1959–1962, but soon returned to Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, to become governor of his home state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
. Figl was patron of the Pfadfinder Österreichs between 1960 and 1964 and president of this Scout association from 1964 until his death. His son Johannes was International Commissioner of the Pfadfinder Österreichs and president of the Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs is the largest Scouting and Guiding organization in Austria and the only one approved by World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Organization of the Scout Movement . The association claims more than 300 troops with more than...
from 1994 to 2000. He died 1965 in Vienna and is buried in an Ehrengrab
Ehrengrab
An Ehrengrab is a distinction granted by certain German, Swiss and Austrian cities to one of their citizens for extraordinary services or achievements in their lifetime. If there are no descendants or institutions to care for the gravesite, the communities or cities will take responsibility for...
at the Zentralfriedhof
Zentralfriedhof
The Zentralfriedhof is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.-Name and location:...
.