Luigi Lucheni

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Luigi Lucheni (April 22, 1873 – October 19, 1910) was an Italian anarchist who assassinated the Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria (commonly referred to as Sisi) in 1898. Lucheni believed in propaganda by the deed, a philosophy advocating spreading beliefs through actions.

Luigi Lucheni

Born in Paris to a poor family, he worked odd jobs before joining the Italian Army for three and a half years. After a successful stay in the military, he immigrated to Switzerland. During his life in Switzerland, he developed his anarchistic ideas. However, other anarchists considered Lucheni inept at understanding the philosophy of anarchy and often referred to him as "the stupid one".

Lucheni sought to kill a member of what he felt was an elite and oppressive upper class, and he did not care which member of it he killed. In his diary, Lucheni penned, "How I would like to kill someone — but it must be someone important so it gets in the papers."

At first Lucheni decided that he would kill Philippe, Duke of Orleans, but later settled for taking the life of Elisabeth. Elisabeth traveled with few bodyguards, as she was adored by the populace in general. It is generally held that while walking along the promenade of Lake Geneva Elisabeth believed that the approaching Lucheni was an admirer seeking her autograph. Lucheni walked to her left and stabbed her with a needle file (which since is part of Sisi's Vienna museum's exhibition). At his trial, he openly admitted to his crimes, and at the age of 25, was sentenced to life in prison. After his memoirs were confiscated by prison guards, he was found hanged in his cell by his belt, apparently from suicide.

This assassination gave rise to the International Conference of Rome for the Social Defense Against Anarchists held from November 24 to December 21, 1898. This conference agreed on a definition of anarchism as "any act that used violent means to destroy the organization of society".