Oskar Becker (assailant)
Encyclopedia
Oskar Becker was a German political fanatic, known for his attempted assassination of William I of Prussia.
, endeavored to kill the William I of Prussia by firing two shots from a pistol, at a distance of three paces. The monarch suffered only a slight injury of the neck. The assailant, in a letter found upon him, stated as his motive the conviction that William was unequal to the task of uniting Germany. He was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment, but was pardoned by William, and released in 1866, with the stipulation that he should leave the German Confederation
forever. He lived for a time at Chicago
, and subsequently went to Alexandria
, Egypt
, where he died.
Becker was an uncle of artist Paula Modersohn-Becker
. William later became the first emperor of the German Empire
.
Biography
In 1850 he entered Leipzig University, and in 1861, at Baden-BadenBaden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
, endeavored to kill the William I of Prussia by firing two shots from a pistol, at a distance of three paces. The monarch suffered only a slight injury of the neck. The assailant, in a letter found upon him, stated as his motive the conviction that William was unequal to the task of uniting Germany. He was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment, but was pardoned by William, and released in 1866, with the stipulation that he should leave the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
forever. He lived for a time at Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and subsequently went to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he died.
Becker was an uncle of artist Paula Modersohn-Becker
Paula Modersohn-Becker
Paula Modersohn-Becker was a German painter and one of the most important representatives of early expressionism. In a brief career, cut short by an embolism at the age of 31, she created a number of groundbreaking images of great intensity.-Life and work:Paula Becker was born and grew up in...
. William later became the first emperor of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.