1924: Assassination Attempt on Chancellor Seipel

Because the League of Nations loan – linked to stringent austerity measures and a growing rate of unemployment – was obtained by Chancellor Ignaz Seipel through the Geneva Protocol, he became the Social Democrats' central target of criticism. Against the background of this constant verbal incitement, the 29 -year-old spinning mill worker Karl Jaworek from Pottendorf in Lower Austria blamed Seipel for his misery and shot the Chancellor at close range on June 1, 1924 on the platform of the South Station. He was seriously wounded by a bullet that lodged in his lungs. Jaworek also shot himself in the lungs and was arrested on the platform. Other than confused statements from Jaworek, there were no indications that the assassin had had any backers. However, many Christian Socialists believed that Seipel was a victim of a social democratic and communist conspiracy.

Karl Jaworek was sentenced to five years hard labour, which he had to serve in the Stein Prison, and his wife received financial support from Seipel. The Chancellor was unable to work for four months due to his injuries. Although not yet fully recovered, Seipel went to the negotiations of the League of Nation’s 1924 autumn conference but returned completely exhausted and weakened. In Austria, he faced severe resistance from the provinces for his austerity measures. Obviously, he did not feel that he yet had the necessary energy to implement the recovery programme as he wished. He resigned and, on November 20, 1924, he was replaced as Chancellor by a man he trusted, the Salzburg lawyer Rudolf Ramek.