Schärf, Adolf#

Schaerf, Adolf, b. Mikulov, Czech Republic (then Nikolsburg), April 20, 1890, d. Vienna, Feb. 28, 1965, studied law, civil servant and politician (SDAP, Austrian Socialist Party SPOe). 1918-1934 secretary to the Social Democratic president of the Nationalrat, 1933-1934 member of the Bundesrat, 1934, 1938 and 1944 political prisoner. 1945-1957 leader of the federal Austrian Socialist Party ( Sozialdemokratische Partei Oesterreichs SPOe), member of the Nationalrat (until 1956 chairman of the SPOe-group in parliament) and Vice Chancellor, 1957-1965 Federal President. Together with Federal President K. Renner and the Federal Minister of the Interior O. Helmer, S. belonged to the pragmatic wing of the SPOe which he co-founded in 1945 and which rejected Austromarxist ideas. Learnt much from the failure of the First Republic and advocated the economic rehabilitation of Austria by increased worker involvement and a coalition government of the Austrian People´s Party (OeVP) and the SPOe. 1955 participated in the state treaty negotiations in Moscow. As Federal President he was respected by all parties.

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