Leopold Figl (2 October 1902 – 9 May 1965) was an Austrian politician of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the first Chancellor after World War II. As foreign minister, he subsequently took part in the negotiations on the Austrian State Treaty, which he signed in 1955.
Born~Died Oct 2, 1902 ~ May 9, 1965Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 3:15 PM
After the Anschluss, the Nazis deported Figl to Dachau concentration camp in 1938 due to his prominent position in the Ständestaat. He was released in May 1943 and subsequently worked as an oil engineer. In October 1944, he was rearrested and taken to Mauthausen concentration camp. On 21 January 1945, he was brought back to Vienna together with the later executed resistance fighter . The folder of his dossier was marked with the abbreviation 'VG' indicating that a (People's Court) trial, often ending with a , was planned or in preparation. Figl was released on 6 April 1945, when the .
This page is based on “Leopold Figl” from English Wikipedia, (r1380354048) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.
During Allied-occupied Austria, the Soviet military commander, Fyodor Tolbukhin, asked Figl to manage the provision of food for the population of Vienna.4 On 14 April 1945 he refounded the Bauernbund and integrated it into the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), which was founded three days later. On 27 April he became interim Governor of Lower Austria as well as co-vice chancellor of the country.
At the first free elections since 1930, held in December 1945, the ÖVP won with 49.8 percent of the vote and an absolute majority of seats in the legislature. Figl was proposed as Chancellor; the Soviets agreed, because of his opposition to the Nazis and his managerial abilities. Although he could have formed an exclusively ÖVP government, the memories of the factionalism that had plagued the First Republic led him to continue the grand coalition between the People's Party, Socialists and Communists. The coalition (from which the Communists were pushed out in 1947), remained in office until 1966 and did much to solve the serious economic and social problems left over from World War II.
After internal criticism, Figl resigned as Chancellor on 26 November 1953. His successor, Julius Raab, was less flexible towards the SPÖ, but was Chancellor when the Austrian State Treaty, which restored sovereignty to the country, was signed on 15 May 1955. However, Figl was strongly involved in its achievement, as he remained in the government as foreign minister. His appearance on the balcony of Belvedere Palace waving the signed paper and speaking the words Österreich ist frei! ("Austria is free!"), as rendered by the Wochenschau newsreel, has become an icon in the Austrian national remembrance. (The words were actually spoken before, inside the Palace, but the pictures on the balcony were underlain with the sound track made inside.)
At the national elections of 1959, the SPÖ gained ground on the ÖVP, and the ratio of seats between the two parties in parliament was now almost 1:1. This gave the SPÖ the bargaining power to demand that Bruno Kreisky succeed him as foreign minister. Figl served as president of the National Council from 1959–1962,5 but soon returned to Lower Austria, to become governor of his home state.
Figl was patron of the Pfadfinder Österreichs between 1960 and 1964 and president of the Scout association from 1964 until his death.6
Pribich, Kurt (2004). Logbuch der Pfadfinderverbände in Österreich (in German). Vienna: Pfadfinder-Gilde-Österreichs. p. 277. ↩↩2
Philipp Lehar (2009). "Pfadfinderarbeit als Beitrag zur Integration?". PPÖ-Brief (in German). 2/2009. Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs: 11. ↩
Pribich, Kurt (2004). Logbuch der Pfadfinderverbände in Österreich (in German). Vienna: Pfadfinder-Gilde-Österreichs. p. 191. ↩
After the Anschluss, the Nazis deported Figl to Dachau concentration camp in 1938 due to his prominent position in the Ständestaat. He was released in May 1943 and subsequently worked as an oil engineer. In October 1944, he was rearrested and taken to . On 21 January 1945, he was brought back to Vienna together with the later executed resistance fighter . The folder of his dossier was marked with the abbreviation 'VG' indicating that a (People's Court) trial, often ending with a , was planned or in preparation. Figl was released on 6 April 1945, when the .
During Allied-occupied Austria, the Soviet military commander, Fyodor Tolbukhin, asked Figl to manage the provision of food for the population of Vienna.4 On 14 April 1945 he refounded the Bauernbund and integrated it into the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), which was founded three days later. On 27 April he became interim Governor of Lower Austria as well as co-vice chancellor of the country.
At the first free elections since 1930, held in December 1945, the ÖVP won with 49.8 percent of the vote and an absolute majority of seats in the legislature. Figl was proposed as Chancellor; the Soviets agreed, because of his opposition to the Nazis and his managerial abilities. Although he could have formed an exclusively ÖVP government, the memories of the factionalism that had plagued the First Republic led him to continue the grand coalition between the People's Party, Socialists and Communists. The coalition (from which the Communists were pushed out in 1947), remained in office until 1966 and did much to solve the serious economic and social problems left over from World War II.
After internal criticism, Figl resigned as Chancellor on 26 November 1953. His successor, Julius Raab, was less flexible towards the SPÖ, but was Chancellor when the Austrian State Treaty, which restored sovereignty to the country, was signed on 15 May 1955. However, Figl was strongly involved in its achievement, as he remained in the government as foreign minister. His appearance on the balcony of Belvedere Palace waving the signed paper and speaking the words Österreich ist frei! ("Austria is free!"), as rendered by the Wochenschau newsreel, has become an icon in the Austrian national remembrance. (The words were actually spoken before, inside the Palace, but the pictures on the balcony were underlain with the sound track made inside.)
At the national elections of 1959, the SPÖ gained ground on the ÖVP, and the ratio of seats between the two parties in parliament was now almost 1:1. This gave the SPÖ the bargaining power to demand that Bruno Kreisky succeed him as foreign minister. Figl served as president of the National Council from 1959–1962,5 but soon returned to Lower Austria, to become governor of his home state.
Figl was patron of the Pfadfinder Österreichs between 1960 and 1964 and president of the Scout association from 1964 until his death.6
Pribich, Kurt (2004). Logbuch der Pfadfinderverbände in Österreich (in German). Vienna: Pfadfinder-Gilde-Österreichs. p. 277. ↩↩2
Philipp Lehar (2009). "Pfadfinderarbeit als Beitrag zur Integration?". PPÖ-Brief (in German). 2/2009. Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs: 11. ↩
Pribich, Kurt (2004). Logbuch der Pfadfinderverbände in Österreich (in German). Vienna: Pfadfinder-Gilde-Österreichs. p. 191. ↩