Karl Seitz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karl Seitz
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Seitz photographed by Ferdinand Schmutzer, 1925
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| President of Austria | |
| De facto 10 November 1920 – 9 December 1920 |
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| Chancellor | Michael Mayr |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Michael Hainisch |
| Mayor and Governor of Vienna | |
| In office 13 November 1923 – 12 February 1934 |
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| Preceded by | Jakob Reumann |
| Succeeded by | Richard Schmitz |
| Second President of the National Council | |
| In office 15 December 1920 – 20 November 1923 |
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| Preceded by | Matthias Eldersch |
| Succeeded by | Matthias Eldersch |
| President of the Constituent National Assembly | |
| In office 5 March 1919 – 9 November 1920 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| President of the Provisional National Assembly | |
| In office 21 October 1918 – 16 February 1919 Serving with Franz Dinghofer, Jodok Fink/Johann Hauser
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1869 Vienna, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 3 February 1950 (aged 80) Vienna, Austria |
| Political party | Social Democratic Workers' Party |
| Spouse | Emilie Heindl |
Karl Josef Seitz (born September 4, 1869 – died February 3, 1950) was an important Austrian politician. He was a member of the Social Democratic Workers' Party. Seitz held many important jobs, including being a member of the Imperial Council, President of the National Council, and Mayor of Vienna. He also served as the first President of Austria.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Karl Seitz was born in Vienna, which was then the capital of Austria-Hungary. His father was a coal trader who did not earn much money. When Karl's father died in 1875, his family became very poor. Karl had to live in an orphanage for a time.
Despite these challenges, Karl received a good education. He earned a scholarship to attend a teacher-training college in St. Pölten, Lower Austria. In 1888, he started working as a public elementary school teacher in Vienna.
Seitz was a strong supporter of social democracy, which is a political idea focused on fairness and equality. Because of his political activities, he was disciplined several times. In 1896, he helped start a Social Democratic teachers' union. This led to him being chosen for the Lower Austrian Board of Education in 1897. However, he was later fired from his teaching job that same year because of his political views.
Beginning His Political Career
After losing his teaching job, Karl Seitz decided to work in politics full-time. He became a leading expert for his party on education policy. In 1901, Seitz was elected to the Imperial Council, which was like a parliament. The next year, in 1902, he was elected to the local parliament of Lower Austria.
When World War I started in 1914, Seitz became a strong supporter of peace. He took part in a meeting of socialists in Stockholm in 1917, where they discussed ways to end the war.
In 1918, the large country of Austria-Hungary began to break apart into smaller, independent nations. On October 21, members of the Imperial Council from the German-speaking parts of the empire decided to form a Provisional National Assembly for "German Austria". Karl Seitz was chosen as one of its three chairmen. These three presidents acted together as the head of state. After the election for the Constituent National Assembly, things changed on March 15, 1919. Seitz became the First President and the head of state. He held this important position until December 9, 1920.
Serving as President of Austria
Around the same time, Karl Seitz also became the temporary leader of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. This happened after the death of the party's long-time leader, Victor Adler. In 1919, Seitz's roles as both President of Austria and party chairman were made official.
On October 1, 1920, the official Constitution of Austria was put into effect. Seitz chose not to run for president again. He left the office on December 9, but he did not stop being a politician. He remained the chairman of his party and kept his seat in the new National Council. Seitz then decided to focus his efforts on the city of Vienna.
Mayor of Vienna
On November 13, 1923, Karl Seitz was elected Mayor of Vienna.
As mayor, he started many public welfare and education programs. He was especially known for building new homes for people. These programs were very popular, even with people who did not support his party. They were remembered positively for many years.
Later Life and Challenges
In 1934, a political group called the Fatherland Front gained power. The Social Democrats tried to fight against the government in what was called the Austrian Civil War, but they failed. Because of this, the Social Democratic Worker's Party was made illegal. Karl Seitz lost his job as party chairman and was also removed from his post as mayor. He was taken into custody but was released a few weeks later without any charges. Even though many people in Vienna felt that his removal from office was wrong, Seitz's main political career had largely ended.
Karl Seitz continued to live in Vienna. He saw the Anschluss, when Nazi Germany took over Austria in 1938. He also lived through the start of World War II in 1939. During the war, he had contact with a resistance group that worked against the Nazis. In 1944, he was arrested again. For a time, he was held in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. He returned to Vienna when Nazi Germany was defeated in May 1945. Even though he was ill, Seitz served as the honorary chairman of the newly formed Social Democratic Party of Austria. He was also a member of the National Council until he died at the age of 80.
Personal Life
Karl Seitz was married to Emma Seidel. Emma was the daughter of Amalie Seidel, who was one of the first women to become a member of the Austrian parliament.
