Political career Karl Lueger

1 political career

1.1 viennese municipal politics
1.2 christian social movement
1.3 antisemitism
1.4 german nationalism

political career

lueger played part in many political spheres, including vienna city council, becoming mayor, federal austrian parliament , state parliament of lower austria.

viennese municipal politics

karl lueger @ ball in vienna city hall 1904, wilhelm gause, historical museum of city of vienna



burgtheater on universitäts-ring, formerly doktor-karl-lueger-ring , part of vienna s famous ringstraße



monument karl lueger @ dr.-karl-lueger-platz

in 1875, elected liberal deputy of vienna s city council (gemeinderat). serve on council until death, save two-year break 1876 1878. campaigned against government of liberal mayor cajetan felder , achieved popularity campaigner against corruption.

in 1888 brought german national (deutschnationale) , christian social factions @ city hall form group later became known united christians (vereinigte christen).

after 1895 elections vienna gemeinderat christian social party took political power ruling liberals 2 thirds of seats , subsequently elected lueger mayor. however, during imperial times, mayors had confirmed in office emperor franz joseph. emperor allegedly loathed lueger person , considered him dangerous revolutionary. concerned lueger s anti-semitism. support of prime minister kasimir felix badeni, franz joseph refused confirm lueger mayor. christian socials retained large majority in council, , reelected lueger mayor 3 more times, have franz joseph refuse confirm him each time. elected mayor fifth time in 1897, , after personal intercession pope leo xiii, election sanctioned later year.

he zealous catholic, , wished “capture university” church. have neither social democrats nor pan-germans nor jews in municipal administration. secured treatment czech immigrants.

he planned make vienna 1 of beautiful of garden cities.

in incumbency, lueger credited extension of public water supply second main aquifer (hochquellwasserleitung), provides tap water of mineral water quality large parts of city. pursued municipalization of gas , electricity works establishment of public transport system introducing streetcars, , numerous institutions of social welfare, of relied on debt financing. incorporated suburbs, , built parks , gardens, , hospitals , schools.

der schöne karl ( handsome karl ) achieved tremendous popularity among citizens. during tenure, vienna changed appearance capital of great power of pre-world war era - heritage remained in red vienna after dissolution of austria-hungary in 1918. significant part of infrastructure , organisations responsible high standard of living in contemporary city created during terms of office.

lueger served mayor of vienna until death diabetes mellitus in 1910. buried in crypt of newly erected st charles borromeo church @ zentralfriedhof (also called dr. karl lueger memorial church), groundbreaking ceremony had performed himself.

christian social movement

lueger s political life associated georg von schönerer , german national party, anti-semitic. late 1880s onwards lueger regular attendee @ influential circles of clerical social conservative politicians around karl von vogelsang, prince aloys franz de paula maria of liechtenstein, , theologian franz martin schindler. in view of rising labour movement, participants on basis of catholic social teaching developed ideas overcome social polarisation several measures of social security legislation , common catholic faith. moreover, after 1882 electoral reform had expanded electorate suffrage, lueger focussed on petty bourgeois tradespersons, assumed jewish competition underlying cause of precarious situation, , discovered raising jewish question earned him enormous popularity.

in 1885 elected lower house (abgeordnetenhaus) of austrian imperial parliament (reichsrat), representig fifth district of vienna, , returned in 1891 election. 1890 member of lower austria parliament (landtag).

lueger (2nd right) municipal cs leaders in 1905

lueger, prince liechtenstein, vogelsang , schindler met regularly @ hotel zur goldenen ente (golden duck, riemergasse 4) in vienna s first district, , refer meetings enten-abende (duck evenings). working group became focus social reform , organised second austrian katholikentag in 1889. schindler developed platform of fledgling christian social party (christlichsoziale partei, cs). lueger found , lead party in 1893, rivaled social democrats (sozialdemokratische partei Österreichs, spÖ). remained 1 of effective leaders till death , developed party s federation policy means of dealing monarchy s issues of multiple nationalities.

much of lueger s popularity stemmed appeal women; female followers variously known lueger s amazons , lueger garde , or lueger gretls , , organised in christian social women s league. although women not vote, calculated influence how menfolk voted, , inculcated party ideology in children. maintain female following, lueger remained bachelor , publicly disavowed private life, claiming busy because belonged totally viennese . after death there scandal when long-time mistress, marianne beskiba, published tell-all memoir including facsimiles of love letters him; book provides useful information political tactics , how party run.

antisemitism

lueger known antisemitic rhetoric , referred himself admirer of edouard drumont, founded antisemitic league of france in 1889. decades later, adolf hitler, inhabitant of vienna 1907 1913, saw him inspiration own view on jews. though not explicit pan-germanist, lueger advocated racist policies against non-german speaking minorities in austria-hungary , in 1887 voted bill proposed long-time opponent georg von schönerer restrict immigration of russian , romanian jews. overtly supported völkisch movement of guido von list , created pun judapest , referring supposed jewish domination of hungarian capital, budapest. historian léon poliakov wrote in history of anti-semitism:

it became apparent in vienna political group wanted appeal artisans had no chance of success without anti-semitic platform. [...] @ time well-known phrase coined in vienna: anti-semitism socialism of fools. situation exploited catholic politician karl lueger, leader of austrian christian-social party program identical of berlin party of same name led pastor stoeker. in 1887, lueger raised banner of anti-semitism. [...] enthusiastic tribute hitler paid him in mein kampf not seem justified, jews did not suffer under administration.

other observers contend lueger s public racism in large part pose obtain votes, being 1 of first made use of populism political tool. historian william l. shirer wrote …his opponents, including jews, readily conceded @ heart decent, chivalrous, generous , tolerant man. according amos elon, lueger s anti-semitism of homespun, flexible variety - 1 might gemütlich. asked explain fact many of friends jews, lueger famously replied: decide jew. viennese jewish writer stefan zweig, grew in vienna during lueger s term of office, recalled city administration , typically democratic.

german nationalism

lueger expressed scepticism german nationalism, antisemitism quick exploit sentiments own political purposes. opposed austro-hungarian dualism in favour of federalism , equality of nations making empire.