1927: July Revolt, Fire at the Palace of Justice

The trial against the assassins of Schattendorf was held in Vienna. Twelve jurors – a representative cross-section of the population – were to hand down a verdict. The indictment was for murder and intentional aggravated assault; seven of the jury members affirmed the charges. Thus, the necessary two-thirds majority was missed by one vote. The acquittal of the three defendants was announced on July 14, 1927.

On July 15, there was a spontaneous mass demonstration against the verdict. Even the leading Social Democrats were unable to calm the crowd. By midday, the Palace of Justice was in flames, the fire brigade vehicle was unable to drive through the crowd. Police chief Johannes Schober finally gave the shooting order. 84 demonstrators and five security forces were lying dead on the street, in addition to well over 1000 injured. The event, which also found lasting literary expression, further radicalised domestic policy.