Adolf Schärf

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Adolf Schärf
6th President of Austria
In office 1957 – 1965
Preceded by	Theodor Körner
Succeeded by	Franz Jonas
Born	April 20, 1890 Mikulov
Died	February 28, 1965 Vienna
Political party	Social Democratic Party of Austria
Spouse	Hilda Schärf

Adolf Schärf (April 20, 1890, Mikulov — February 28, 1965, Vienna) was from 1957 to his death the president of the Republic of Austria. As an educated lawyer, he had been the secretary of the social democratic president of the Nationalrat during the years of the first republic (1918-1934) and served on the Bundesrat 1933-1934. After the fall of the Republic in 1934 and twice during the Nazi occupation, he served time as a political prisoner. However in 1938 he aryanized the office of Arnold Eisler, a Jewish lawyer who had to leave Austria. He took over the lawfirm, and it was never restituted. Later on he also helped in the aryanization process of buildings in Vienna.

After World War II, he became the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria and a member of the new Nationalrat. In 1955, he also took part in the Moscow negotiations for the Austrian Treaty. He became Vice Chancellor in 1956, before being elected president in 1957 and 1963.

[edit] Trivia

• The neo-nazi song "Adolf's Ehrentag" by Frank Rennicke attempts to bypass German anti-nazi glorification laws by pretending to be about Adolf Schärf instead of Adolf Hitler; at the end of the song similarities are listed: Both are born on April 20, both have been imprisoned, and both were leaders of Austria.

Prohibited 1934-1945	SPÖ Party Chairman 1945–1957	Succeeded by: Bruno Pittermann
Austria part of Nazi Germany 1938-1945	Vice Chancellor of Austria 1945–1957

Presidents of Austria
Karl Seitz • Michael Hainisch • Wilhelm Miklas • war period • Karl Renner • Theodor Körner • Adolf Schärf • Franz Jonas • Rudolf Kirchschläger • Kurt Waldheim • Thomas Klestil • Heinz Fischer