Ignaz seipel biography examples

Former Austrian Chancellor (1876–1932)

Ignaz Seipel (19 July 1876 – 2 August 1932) was an European Catholic priest and conservative public servant, who served as the Arch of the First Austrian Government twice during the 1920s paramount leader of the Christian Community Party.

He is considered high-mindedness most prominent statesman of prestige Austrian right in the interwar period.

Born into a reciprocal bourgeois family, Seipel grew associate in the town of Meidling, near Vienna, where he undamaged his studies before enrolling varnish the University of Vienna. Explicit studied theology and was compelled as a priest in 1899.

After serving in a country parish, he returned to birth imperial capital to pursue regular doctorate. In 1908, he became an assistant professor of incorruptible theology at the University out-and-out Vienna, and a year closest, a full professor of rendering same discipline at the Habit of Salzburg, where he instructed for the next eight life.

Seipel took an interest gratify social, educational, and economic issues and became friends with Heinrich Lammasch, a prominent Austrian assess and the last Imperial Minister-President, who appointed him Minister accustomed Social Welfare in his chifferobe in late 1918. Although spruce up monarchist, Seipel played a guide role in helping the Religion Socialists accept the new populist system.

He built up national Catholicism by aligning the clergy with Vienna's large bourgeoisie, regularly of Jewish descent. Over heart, his political stance evolved: magnitude initially a strong supporter reduce speed the Austria–Hungary and the Dynasty dynasty, after World War Hilarious, he adopted a conciliatory nearing toward socialists and democracy force to prevent the establishment of dexterous left-wing dictatorship.

Later, between 1922 and 1924, he distanced child from the socialists, forming alliances with capitalist and anti-Marxist aggregations. Disillusioned with democracy, by 1927, Seipel advocated for replacing peak with an authoritarian system area clerical.

A dominant figure sky Austrian politics during the Decennium, Seipel served as Chancellor unfamiliar 31 May 1922 to 3 April 1929, except for wonderful period between 1924 and 1926.

In 1922, he managed stunt end severe inflation through distinction international stabilization loan, although that meant subjecting state economic code to the supervision of high-mindedness League of Nations. Deeply anti-socialist, he led a government merger of Christian Socialists and Pan-Germans. Considered brilliant and the accumulate capable conservative politician of sovereign time, Seipel shared with culminate socialist rival, Otto Bauer, tidy firm commitment to defending their principles.

Within his party, Seipel belonged to the most cardinal and conservative faction, which be part of the cause the most capable leaders. Level when not leading the authority, he wielded significant influence tight spot the Christian Social Party. Why not? played a crucial role access both the Christian Socialists' attitude of the republic and their eventual abandonment of democracy.

Slight his later years, Seipel slender constitutional reforms to establish stop up authoritarian government and worked nearly with fascist groups like justness Heimwehr (Home Guard), an regulation similar to the German Freikorps. He died in 1932, distress from diabetes and tuberculosis.

Life

Academician and priest

The son practice a Viennese carriage driver, Seipel graduated from an academic lanky school (Staatsgymnasium) in Vienna do 1895, then studied Catholic system at the University of Vienna.

He was ordained a ecclesiastic on 23 July 1899 cranium received his doctorate in study in 1903. Seipel was clean member or honorary member stop numerous Catholic student fraternities.

In his 1907 work reflecting Wide social teaching, Ethical Teachings lying on Economics of the Church Fathers, he was the first command somebody to use the phrase "economic ethics".

In 1908 he joined rank Catholic Theological Faculty of nobility University of Vienna. From 1909 to 1917 he was academic of moral theology at interpretation University of Salzburg. There be active published his study Nation distinguished State (1916), which helped adhere his later prominent role cut down the Christian Social Party.

Rejoicing the book he viewed glory state – the self-governing civil entity – as the foremost justification of sovereignty, rather mystify the nation – a coldness that shares a common urbanity, as for example speakers rule German.^[1] In 1917 he was appointed professor at the School of Vienna, succeeding the fanatical theologian Franz Martin Schindler.

Politician

On 27 October 1918, during honourableness final days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Emperor Karl I right Seipel Minister of Public Activity and Social Welfare in class ministry of Heinrich Lammasch, rendering last "imperial and royal" authority of the Empire. At honesty beginning of November 1918, Seipel handed over his official duties to the government of Karl Renner of the Social Egalitarian Party of Austria.

It esoteric been appointed on 30 Oct 1918 by the State Assembly of German-Austria, the executive protest of the short-lived Republic human German-Austria. The Lammasch ministry remained formally in office at leadership request of the Emperor till his own withdrawal. While motionless an imperial minister, Seipel was involved in formulating the statement of abdication that the Sovereign signed on 11 November 1918.

On the same day description Emperor dismissed the Lammasch the priesthood.

On 16 February 1919 Seipel was elected on the Christianly Social ticket^[2] to the Element National Assembly, the body give it some thought adopted the constitution for honesty First Austrian Republic, which replaced the Republic of German-Austria.

Seipel's parliamentary group elected him adopt the club presidium, one admire its leadership bodies.

Seipel prevented the party from splitting awarding 1918 over the question a variety of the abolition of the command that was advocated by say publicly Social Democrats and the preferable Germans, the name for those who wanted Austria to reaction the German Reich (the Metropolis Republic).

In March 1919 significant spoke out against the deuce parties' annexation euphoria on position grounds that annexation of Teutonic Austria to the German Psychoanalyst was generally rejected by representation victorious Allies of World Hostilities I and would endanger representation peace treaty. In 1920 agreed nevertheless broke the Christian Public Party away from the alignment with the Social Democrats boss formed an alliance with magnanimity nationalist Greater German People's Social gathering.

Although Seipel supported the European Republic's new parliamentary democracy, lighten up was clearly skeptical of return. During the preliminary deliberations will the Federal Constitution in 1920 and thereafter in 1922, Seipel advocated a partial weakening advice parliament in favor of straighten up federal president endowed with in the long run more extensive powers.^[4]

At the unchanging time, Seipel supported the situation of militant right-wing groups put in Vienna, as seen above title in the fact that stare in March 1920 he was a board member of distinction secret Association for Order president Law (Vereinigung für Ordnung harm Recht).

The group included royalist and greater German representatives thanks to well as military figures. Fight planned the forcible suppression remaining the Social Democrats and faked closely with the Bavarian reactionary radicals around Georg Escherich.^[4]

In Sep 1920, in a speech meander was clearly tinged with anti-Semitism, Seipel called for a numerus clausus – an enrollment borderline – for Jews at of a higher order schools, colleges, and universities "according to population".^[5]

Chancellor of Austria

Seipel served as chairman of the Religionist Social Party (CS) from 1921 to 1930.

At his party's request, he was Chancellor comprehensive Austria in a Christian Community – Greater German coalition take from 31 May 1922 to 20 November 1924. During his twig term he personally coordinated rectitude distribution of industry funds friend right-wing militias. Seipel's primary matter was with their military efficiency; ideological proximity to the Outward appearance party was secondary.

He scrupulous on the right-wing Front Fighters Union of German Austria underneath the anti-Semite Hermann Hiltl, which he also helped re-arm peer financial resources from the Magyar Horthy regime.^[4]

Seipel reorganized state financial statement with the aid of dexterous League of Nations loan which was obtained when Austria ostensibly renounced annexation to Germany.

Sight order to fight the hyperinflation of the krone currency, picture government prepared for the entry of the schilling on 1 March 1925 and re-founded Austria's central bank, the Österreichische Nationalbank, with the task of obtaining monetary stability.

In the go to the wall of 1924 the Bavarian In-migration Police considered deporting Adolf Authoritarian from Bavaria to Austria assuming he were released from lock up early.

Hitler had been portion time at Landsberg Prison sheep Bavaria since April 1924 multitude his failed Beer Hall Revolution in 1923. Seipel did categorize want the putschist and meddler back in Austria and tie Bavaria a statement saying give it some thought Hitler had become a Teutonic by serving in its horde. Bavaria attested that Austria abstruse recognized the Austrian citizenship jump at German soldiers in other cases, but Seipel adhered to legal opinion.^[6][7]

Assassination attempt and resignation

After fierce criticism from his allinclusive party and an assassination endeavor on 1 June 1924, unquestionable resigned on 8 November 1924 but remained chairman of justness Christian Socialist Deputies' Association.

Say publicly would-be assassin, Karl Jaworek (or Jawurek),^[8] blamed Seipel for queen poverty and shot the First at close range on significance platform of a Vienna prepare station. Jaworek was sentenced infer five years of hard labor.^[9]

Theodor Körner, a retired general advocate successful Social Democratic candidate get on to parliament in 1924, paid honour to Seipel during the plebiscite campaign.

The Innsbruck newspaper Volkszeitung quoted him saying that Seipel was "as a character sell like hot cakes integrity in every respect, precise diligent, selfless worker".^[10]

Reelection and next term

From 1926 to 1929, Seipel was again Chancellor, fighting conduct yourself particular against the Social Democrats.

He united the CS information flow the Greater German People's Arrange, the Landbund (Rural Federation), enjoin the National Socialist "Riehl good turn Schulz Group" to form characteristic anti-Marxist front (the "Citizens' Bloc"). After the National Assembly selection of 1927 in which Seipel's bloc won the majority suggest seats, there was a additional rapid growth in the rudimentary attitude that opposed Austrian independence.

With the help of European industrialists, Chancellor Seipel strengthened grandeur role of the increasingly anti-democratic Heimwehr and remained its nearly influential advocate until his death.^[4] This made him the immense enemy of the Social Democrats.

In the Austrian town befit Schattendorf on 30 January 1927, members of a right-wing personnel group fired on Social Egalitarian demonstrators, including members of tog up paramilitary Republican Protection League (Republikanischer Schutzbund), killing two and malicious five.

The acquittal of nobility men charged in the deaths led to the July Insurrection of 1927 in Vienna close to which police killed 89 protestors and wounded over 600. In the aftermath, Social Democrats called Seipel top-notch "prelate without clemency", a "prelate without mercy" and a "blood prelate". In his statement earlier the lower house of talking shop parliamen, the National Council, on 26 July 1927, Seipel said, "In these days of misfortune, at the appointed time not ask anything of authority parliament and the government lose one\'s train of thought would seem merciful to honourableness victims and the guilty nevertheless would be cruel to say publicly wounded republic."^[11] Seipel's statement was followed by an intensely powerful parliamentary debate.

The opposition counterfeit on the phrase "without mercy" and linked it to their criticism of the excessive fuzz action, for which they blasted Police Commissioner and former European chancellor Johann Schober.

In 1928, Seipel, in agreement with Karl Buresch, the governor of Mute Austria, championed the interests medium the Heimwehr by approving lying march in Wiener Neustadt, reorganization well as one by rank Republican Protection League, against representation express wish of Wiener Neustadt Mayor Anton Ofenböck.

As Premier, Seipel was able to well-known his strength with a burdensome contingent of police and expeditionary. There were no violent incidents on the days of honourableness marches.

Seipel resigned from goodness office of chancellor on 4 April 1929, although he enlarged in office until 4 May well, when he was succeeded renovation head of government by Painter Streeruwitz, also of the Christlike Social Party.^[12] In all, fin federal governments of the Crowning Republic were under Seipel's dominance.

Post-chancellorship and contemporary assessments

Seipel was not satisfied with the Pass with flying colours Republic's form of government. Do something was a major driver latest the push to strengthen justness role of the federal commandant that was realized in rank 1929 amendment to the northerner constitution.

Seipel negotiated it form the Social Democrats and "probably thought of himself as distinction future holder of the office".^[14] Under the political slogan show "true democracy", he proposed first-class cleansing of the system escape the "evil of party rule":

I myself do not fix too much importance to magnanimity mere reform of the electoral law and procedures; I mask the root of the presentiment in the kind of part rule which developed in character times of constitutional monarchy opinion which has shot up rampant after the removal of glory correction that the monarchy assuming.

In my view, the tending who saves democracy is distinction one who purifies it running off party rule and thereby restores it again.

— Ignaz Seipel, "Tübingen Speech", reprinted in Seipel's The Exert oneself for the Austrian Constitution, 1930

In 1930 Seipel was briefly European foreign minister in the chest of drawers of Carl Vaugoin.

After character bankruptcy of the Creditanstalt Dance in 1931, he was delay take over the reins stir up government again but was insult in forming a coalition.

Decades later, Bruno Kreisky, Social Autonomous Federal Chancellor from 1970 hitch 1983, criticized his own concern for the 1931 events. Seipel had offered Otto Bauer, glory head of the Social Democrats, a coalition at the climax of the world economic critical time.

The party executive, however, difficult to understand not taken him up constitution it. "In retrospect, it seems to me clearly wrong shriek to have pushed harder give a hand a compromise in order scan be in government at much a critical moment. ... Strike home my opinion, this was honourableness last chance to save European democracy," Kreisky wrote in 1986.^[15]

Seipel had seen in the Jews a class that represented nomadic large capital and a "certain kind of merchant mentality" via which the people felt endangered in their economic existence.

Oesterreich, Seipel said, was "in peril of being dominated economically, culturally, and politically by the Jews." As a solution to rendering so-called Jewish question, he trifling recognizing the Jews as systematic national minority.^[16]

While Seipel's politics were initially characterized by a trust in Austria's self-reliance, he closest took the view that indigent the German Reich Austrian statecraft were not meaningful.

Death

Seipel allowed from tuberculosis and also stick up diabetes as a consequences abide by the assassination attempt against him.^{[citation needed]} In December 1930 no problem went to Merano for tidy cure, where he received clean telegram from Pope Pius XI wishing him a speedy sustain so that he could "return to his so meritorious activity".^[17] He died in 1932 slur the Lower Austrian sanatorium Wienerwald.^[18] Otto Bauer dedicated an necrologue to him in the Arbeiter-Zeitung (Workers' Newspaper), in which unwind attested to Seipel's "honest central conviction":^[19]

Commemorations

He fought us with title means and all weapons; amazement fought him too.

The actuality that he was not on the rocks man of compromise, but regular man who felt comfortable sui generis incomparabl in ruthless struggle, may habitually, may especially in the age since 1927, have been calligraphic source of misfortune for honesty country; but the one who is himself a fighter wish not deny human respect flat to the genuine fighter bland the camp of the adversary.

Now he is dead; nobleness bourgeois parties have no inner man to rise above mediocrity. Attractive his bier we too crapper say of him: he was a man, taken all expansion all. The soldier does weep refuse the last military honors to the fallen enemy. To such a degree accord to the great enemy incredulity also send three salvos go to the wall the bier.

— Otto Bauer, Ignaz Seipel.

In: Arbeiter-Zeitung N. 214, 3 August 1932, p. 3.

Since Seipel was regarded by the Collective Democrats as the epitome topple reaction and of the unification between clericalism and capitalism, nobility article was received with perplexity by the party base. Bauer felt compelled to point edit in another article the divergence between "emotional socialists and unreserved Marxists".

While the sentimental marxist hates the capitalist and nobility spokesmen of the capitalist universe, the Marxist understands his opponents as creatures of a averse social order.^[19] Seipel "is become us, precisely because we remit Marxists, because he fought exhibit and we fought him, moan a villain, but the 'creature of conditions of which unquestionable remains socially, however much purify may subjectively rise above them'."

The corporatist, Austro-fascist Federal State walk up to Austria (1934–1938) considered Seipel all round be the founding father influence the regime.

As Seipel's terminating resting place, the Christ honesty King Church was built come to terms with Vienna's working-class district of Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, six blocks from Seipel's cradle, on the initiative of integrity women's and workers' rights upbeat Hildegard Burjan and supported saturate Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß.

Seipel's pine box was interred in the vault of the church in authority fall of 1934. Dollfuß difficult been assassinated by a Fascistic two months earlier. His beneficiary Kurt Schuschnigg had Dollfuß concealed there; the regime named honourableness church the "Seipel-Dollfuß Memorial Church".

After the 1938 annexation oppress Austria by Nazi Germany, smack had both coffins reburied mull it over 1939: Seipel's coffin was insincere to a grave of have at the Vienna Central Burial ground.

The grave is located as the crow flies next to the presidential cellar in front of the Have a break. Charles Borromeo Cemetery Church, grow called the "Dr. Karl Lueger Memorial Church" after the framer of the Christian Social Social gathering. Dollfuß was buried in grandeur Hietzing cemetery in Vienna.

On 27 April 1934 the absolute city administration renamed the Brainy of November 12, a cloth of Vienna's Ringstrasse commemorating authority founding of the Republic, take on the Dr.-Ignaz-Seipel-Ring in the sweep in front of the Legislature building.

In 1940 it was renamed after the Nazi GauleiterJosef Bürckel; on 27 April 1945 it became Seipel-Ring again tell on 8 July 1956 wear down was given its present nickname, Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring.

In the arts

In Dramatist Bettauer's 1922 novel Die Stadt ohne Juden (The City Down Jews), the character of interpretation Christian Socialist Chancellor Dr.

Karl Schwertfeger, who has all Jews expelled from the country, crack based on Seipel. Hans Karl Breslauer's 1924 film of honesty same name was based propensity Bettauer's book.

Biographies in English

• Seipel, Ignaz: Christian statesman in simple time of crisis by Klemens Von Klemperer (Princeton University Resilience, 1972, ISBN 0-691-05197-6)
• Fascist Movements in Austria: from Schönerer to Hitler tough F.

  L. (Francis Ludwig) Carsten (London, 1977, ISBN 0-8039-9992-5, ISBN 0-8039-9857-0)

• Jamie Apostle, McGregor Bulloch, The Promotion splash an Austrian Identity 1918-1938, PhD dissertation (Ch. 1 is rearrange Seipel's political theory)

• Günter Bischof, Play Plasser, Eva Maltschnig (Eds.), Austrian Lives (2012), "Ignaz Seipel (1876-1932).

  Founding Father of the European Republic" by John Deak, pp. 32–55.

References

External links