Silberer, Viktor#
b. Vienna, Oct. 23, 1846, d. Vienna, April 11, 1924, aviation pioneer. As a war correspondent during the Franco-Prussian war he witnessed the French attempts at sortieing during the siege of Paris in 1870/71 and realised the importance of ballooning for both science and technology and as a sport. In 1888 he organised a big aviation exhibition. As a civilian S. taught imperial officers to fly balloons. In 1910 the Vienna Aero-Club became the Austrian Aero-Club, whose president he was until 1911. As member of the Vienna City Council he later also supported powered aviation. His son, psychoanalyst Herbert S., broke long-distance and altitude records in ballooning.