Leopold Figl (2 October 1902 – 9 May 1965) was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n politician of the Austrian People's Party (Christian Democrats) and the first Federal Chancellor after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was also the youngest Federal Chancellor of Austria after the war before

Sebastian Kurz Sebastian Kurz (; born 27 August 1986) is a former Austrian politician who twice served as chancellor of Austria, initially from December 2017 to May 2019 and then a second time from January 2020 to October 2021. Kurz was born and raised in ...

Life

Born a farmer's son in the

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

n village of Rust im Tullnerfeld, Figl after graduation as ''

Dipl.-Ing. A ''Diplom'' (, from grc, δίπλωμα ''diploma'') is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Belaru ...

'' of

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

at the

University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, or simply BOKU (derived from its German name, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, ), founded in 1872, is an education and research centre for renewable resources in Vienna, Austria. BOK ...

became vice chair of the Lower Austrian

Bauernbund The Bavarian Peasants' League (german: Bayerischer Bauernbund, or BB) was an agrarian political party in Bavaria, Germany, from 1893 to 1933. It has also been known in English as the Bavarian Farmers' League. The BB represented the farming inte ...

(Farmer's League) in 1931 and chairman in 1933. In 1930, Figl married Hilde Hemala (1906-1989) and had two children. After the authoritarian revolution of

Engelbert Dollfuss Engelbert Dollfuß (alternatively: ''Dolfuss'', ; 4 October 1892 – 25 July 1934) was an Austrian clerical fascist politician who served as Chancellor of Austria between 1932 and 1934. Having served as Minister for Forests and Agriculture, he a ...

, who had served as his mentor within the Farmer's League, Figl became a member of the federal council of economic policy and became leader of the paramilitary organisation of

Ostmärkische Sturmscharen The Ostmärkische Sturmscharen (; ' Eastern March Stormtroopers') was a right-wing paramilitary group in Austria, founded on 7 December 1930. Recruited from the Katholische Jugend (Catholic Youth), later from journeymen and teacher organisations ...

for the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

of Lower Austria. After the

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

, the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

deported Figl to

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

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 Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen, Upper Austria, Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with List of subcamps of Mauthausen, nearly 100 further ...

. On 21 January 1945, he was brought with the later executed resistance fighter

Heinrich Maier Heinrich Maier (; 16 February 1908 – 22 March 1945) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, pedagogue, philosopher and a member of the Austrian resistance, who was executed as the last victim of Hitler's régime in Vienna. The resistance gr ...

to Vienna. The folder of his dossier was marked with the abbreviation 'VG' indicating that a '' Volksgerichtshof'' (People's Court) trial, often ending with a

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, was planned or in preparation. Figl was released on 6 April 1945, when troops of the Soviet Army advanced to the centre of Vienna in an operation which became known as the

Vienna Offensive The Vienna offensive was an offensive launched by the Soviet 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts in order to capture Vienna, Austria, during World War II. The offensive lasted from 16 March to 15 April 1945. After several days of street-to-street f ...

. After the defeat of the Nazis, the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

occupied Austria at the end of

. The Soviet military commander,

Fyodor Tolbukhin Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Толбу́хин; 16 June 1894 – 17 October 1949) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. Early life and military career Tolbukhin was born into ...

, asked Figl to manage the provision of food for the population of Vienna. On 14 April 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 27 April he became interim Governor of

and vice-minister. At the first free elections since 1930, held in December 1945, the ÖVP won with 49.8 percent of the vote and an absolute majority of seats in the legislature. Figl was proposed as

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

; the

Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in ...

agreed, because of his opposition to the

and his managerial abilities. Although he could have formed an exclusively ÖVP government, the memories of the factionalism that had plagued the First Republic led him to continue the grand coalition between the People's Party,

Socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the eco ...

and Communists. The coalition (from which the Communists were pushed out in 1947), remained in office until 1966 and did much to solve the serious economic and social problems left over from World War II. After internal criticism, Figl resigned as Chancellor on 26 November 1953. His successor,

Julius Raab Julius Raab (29 November 1891 – 8 January 1964) was a conservative Austrian politician, who served as Federal Chancellor of Austria from 1953 to 1961. Raab steered Allied-occupied Austria to independence, when he negotiated and signed the Austri ...

, was less flexible towards the SPÖ, but was Chancellor when the

Austrian State Treaty The Austrian State Treaty (german: Österreichischer Staatsvertrag ) or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on 15 May 1955 in Vienna, at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying p ...

, which restored sovereignty to the country, was signed on 15 May 1955. However, Figl was strongly involved in its achievement, as he remained in the government as

foreign minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

. His appearance on the balcony of

Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa * Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco *Belvedere, Harare, Zi ...

Palace waving the signed paper and speaking the words ''Österreich ist frei!'' ("Austria is free!"), as rendered by the '' Deutsche Wochenschau'' newsreel, has become an icon in the Austrian

national remembrance National memory is a form of collective memory defined by shared experiences and culture. It is an integral part to national identity. It represents one specific form of cultural memory, which makes an essential contribution to national group coh ...

. (The words were actually spoken before, inside the Palace, but the pictures on the balcony were underlain with the sound track made inside.) 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 (; 22 January 1911 – 29 July 1990) was an Austrian social democratic 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 oldes ...

succeed him as foreign minister. Figl then became president of the National Council 1959–1962, but soon returned to

, to become governor of his home

. Figl was patron of the

Pfadfinder Österreichs The Scout movement in Germany consists of about 150 different associations and federations with about 260,000 Scouts and Guides. History Scouting in Germany started in 1909. After World War I, German Scouting became involved with the German Y ...

between 1960 and 1964 and president of this Scout association from 1964 until his death. He died from

kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include sp ...

in 1965 in Vienna, and is buried in an Ehrengrab at the

Zentralfriedhof The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...

. His son Johannes was International Commissioner of the Pfadfinder Österreichs and president of the

Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs (PPÖ; ''Austrian Boy Scouts and Girl Guides'') is the largest Scouting and Guiding organization in Austria and the only one approved by World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and ...

from 1994 to 2000.

Beatification

In December 2020, the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Sankt Pölten The Diocese of Sankt Pölten ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Hippolyti) is a diocese located in the city of Sankt Pölten in the Ecclesiastical province of Wien in Austria. History * January 28, 1785: Established as Diocese of Sankt Pölten from the Dio ...

opened his cause for

beatification Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

. He currently holds the title "Servant of God".

Honours and awards

* Grand Cross of the

Order of Pius IX The Order of Pope Pius IX ( it, Ordine di Pio IX), also referred as the Pian Order ( it, Ordine Piano), is a papal order of knighthood originally founded by Pope Pius IV in 1560. Currently, it is the highest honor conferred by the Holy See (bein ...

* Honorary Ring of Lower Austria (1952) * Grand Gold Decoration with Sash of the Order for Services to the Republic of Austria (1954) * Golden Commander's Cross with the Star of Honour for Services to the Province of

Various locations have been named for Figl: * Leopold Figl Museum in

Michelhausen Michelhausen is a municipality in the district of Tulln in the Austrian state of Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in th ...

in Tulln, Lower Austria *

Leopold Figl observatory Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

on the

Schöpfl Schöpfl is the highest hill (893 m) in the Vienna Woods, Wienerwald mountain range (Vienna woods), the north-easternmost part of the Alps. Geologically, it belongs to the flysch Alps. The main top of the wooded mountain range carries a high obse ...

(mountain in the northern

Vienna Woods The Vienna Woods (german: Wienerwald) are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The and range of hills is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area ...

overlooking the Tullnerfeld, Figl's home region) * Leopold Figl observatory on Tulbinger Kogel in Lower Austria (ditto) * Leopold Figl court: Vienna 1, District, Franz-Josef-Kai 31-33 (Home, 1963–1967) * Leopold Figl Lane: Vienna 1, District (next to the historic Lower Austrian House) * Monument: Vienna 1, District Minoritenplatz (bust, 1973, between Villa and the Federal Chancellery) * Plaques: Vienna 1, District Schenkenstraße 2 (Home, 1928–1932) and Plaque: Vienna 3, District Kundmanngasse 24 (Home, 1937–1946)

References

External links

* , - , border="1" cellpadding="10" align=center width="30%" align="center" , Preceded by:

Karl Renner Karl Renner (14 December 1870 – 31 December 1950) was an Austrian politician and jurist of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. He is often referred to as the "Father of the Republic" because he led the first government of German ...

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Chancellor of Austria The chancellor of the Republic of Austria () is the head of government of the Republic of Austria. The position corresponds to that of Prime Minister in several other parliamentary democracies. Current officeholder is Karl Nehammer of the Aus ...

1945–1953 , width="30%" align="center" , Succeeded by:

, - , border="1" cellpadding="10" align=center width="30%" align="center" , Preceded by:

Karl Gruber Karl Gruber (3 May 1909 in Innsbruck – 1 February 1995 in Innsbruck) was an Austrian politician and diplomat. During World War II, he was working for a German firm in Berlin. After the war, in 1945 he became Landeshauptmann of Tyrol for a short ...

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Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

1953–1959 , width="30%" align="center" , Succeeded by:

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Figl, Leopold 1902 births 1965 deaths 20th-century Chancellors of Austria People from Tulln District Austrian Roman Catholics Chancellors of Austria Foreign ministers of Austria Austrian People's Party politicians Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery People associated with Scouting Scouting and Guiding in Austria Dachau concentration camp survivors Mauthausen concentration camp survivors Members of the National Council (Austria) Governors of Lower Austria (after 1918) Knights of the Order of Pope Pius IX Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Austrofascists Presidents of the National Council (Austria) Deaths from kidney cancer University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna alumni