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Otto Schaedler

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Otto Schaedler
Member of theLandtag of LiechtensteinforOberland
In office
1962–1965
In office
1936–1945
Personal details
Born9 June 1898
Balzers,Liechtenstein
Died25 December 1965 (aged 67)
Vaduz,Liechtenstein
Political partyPatriotic Union
Other political
affiliations		Liechtenstein Homeland Service
Spouse
Maria Rheinberger
​
(m.1926)​
Children1

Otto Schaedler(/ʃˈɛdlər/,German:[ˈɔtoːʃˈɛdlɜ];9 June 1898 – 25 December 1965) was a physician and political figure fromLiechtensteinwho served in theLandtag of Liechtensteinand was one of the founders of thePatriotic Unionparty.

Early life[edit]

Schaedler was born on 9 June 1898 inBalzersas the son of farmer Emilian Adolf and his mother Emerita Gstöhl as one of 16 children.[1]

Between 1910 and 1917 he studied inMariahilfcollege. Between 1918 and 1923 he studied medicine inMunichandInnsbruck.He opened a medical practice inEschenand moved toVaduzin 1930.[1]

Career[edit]

Schaedler was a co-founder of theLiechtenstein Homeland Servicein 1933.[2]As the leader of the party, it quickly began to radicalize towardsNazismwith a personality cult similar to that ofNazi Germany,with the phrase 'Heil Otto!' being used towards Schaedler within the party.[1]Due to the introduction ofanti-Jewish lawsin Germany Liechtenstein experienced a large riseJewishemigrants to the country in which Schaedler outspokenly opposed thenaturalizationof the refugees under a new citizenship law.[3][4]He was an outspoken anti-Semite and was later accused of having sympathies for National socialism by theLiechtensteiner Volksblatt.[1][5]

This party and theChristian-Social People's Partymerged to form thePatriotic Unionin 1936 and Schaedler was placed as the party's president, a position in which he held until June 1965.[6][7]From 1936 to 1945 and again from 1962 to 1965 Schaedler served in theLandtag of Liechtenstein.[1]

In January 1937 Liechtensteiner Vaterland editor and founding member of the Liechtenstein Homeland ServiceCarl Freiherr von Vogelsangpublicly denouncedJewsliving in Liechtenstein and sent numerous letters detailing them to officials inNazi Germany.As a result,Prime Minister of Liechtenstein,Josef Hoopordered the offices of the Vaterland to be searched for any letters to be confiscated and Vogelsang promptly left the country.[8][9]The majority of the Landtag approved of Hoop's actions, but members of the Patriotic Union called for his resignation over the issue, believing the search to be unconstitutional.[10]Notably, Schaedler along withAlois Vogtin an act in protest against the government publicly rejected the allegations against von Vogelsang.[11]It was decided that two specialjudgeswould determine the legal implications of the case. Eventually, in July 1937 it was concluded by both judges that Hoop had not acted unconstitutionally by ordering the search against Vogelsang and was subsequently legallyacquittedof any wrong-doing.[12]

Schaedler (centre-left) withAlois Vogt,Josef HoopandLudwig Marxer.Around 1938.

In March 1938 Schaedler and the Patriotic Union participated in the coalition government formed in order to prevent governmentdeadlockand help retainLiechtenstein'sneutralityoverseen byFranz Joseph II[7][13]along with Josef Hoop and theProgressive Citizens' Party.[6]

Despite being a member of the coalition, Schaedler retained contacts withinNazi Germanythroughout the 1930s, particularly with theVolksdeutsche Mittelstelleand theVolksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland.Josef Hooprejected the fascist tendencies of the Liechtenstein Homeland Service.[14]He was offered to be the leader of theGerman National Movement in Liechtenstein (VDBL)but refused and distanced himself from the party.[1]His party faced suspicion after the VDBLattempted a coupin 1939.[7]Schaedler agitated for a more cooperative stance towardsNazi GermanyduringWorld War II[1]and recruited former Prime MinisterGustav Schädleras an editor of the Liechtensteiner Vaterland between 1943 and 1944.[15]He worked closely withAlois Vogtwho used his position to push relevant demands through Hoop.[16]While key politicians in Liechtenstein were charged for their activities shortly after the war, Schaedler himself was never charged.[1][15]

From 1945 to 1965 Schaedler was a member of the Liechtenstein sanitary commission and was also the state physician. He was a member of the state school board from 1950 to 1960.[1]

Personal life[edit]

The family grave in 2024.

Schaedler married Maria Rheinberger (10 February 1899 – 21 July 1993) on 27 May 1926 and they had a daughter together.[1]

Schaedler died inVaduzon 25 December 1965, at the age of 67 years old.[1]He is buried at the cemetery of Vaduz, along with his family.

Honours[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghijklSchremser, Jurgen (31 December 2011)."Schaedler (Schaedler), Otto".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved14 May2023.
  2. ^"The presidents of the VU".Klar für Liechtenstein.14 May 2023.Retrieved14 May2023.
  3. ^"Regierungschef Josef Hoop orientiert den Landtag über einen Entwurf für ein Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz".Staatsarchiv des Fürstentum Liechtenstein(in German). 29 May 1933.Retrieved28 July2023.
  4. ^"Der Landtag diskutiert über die Einbürgerung von Juden".Staatsarchiv des Fürstentum Liechtenstein(in German). 18 June 1936.Retrieved30 July2023.
  5. ^"Das" Liechtensteiner Volksblatt "bezichtigt Otto Schädler, Sympathien für den Nationalsozialismus zu hegen".Staatsarchiv des Fürstentum Liechtenstein(in German). 19 May 1937.Retrieved30 July2023.
  6. ^ab"Parties in Liechtenstein 1921-1943".Prince and People: Liechtenstein Civics(in German). 2007.Retrieved14 May2023.
  7. ^abcMarxer, Wilfried (31 December 2011)."Patriotic Union (VU)".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved14 May2023.
  8. ^Peter Geiger(1997).Liechtenstein in den Dreissigerjahren 1928–1939(in German) (1st ed.).Zürich:Liechtenstein Institut. p. 371.ISBN3-906393-28-3.
  9. ^Schremser, Jürgen (31 December 2011)."Vogelsang, Carl Freiherr von".Historisches Lexikon(in German).Retrieved20 July2023.
  10. ^Peter Geiger(1997).Liechtenstein in den Dreissigerjahren 1928–1939(in German) (1st ed.).Zürich:Liechtenstein Institut. p. 372.ISBN3-906393-28-3.
  11. ^"Otto Schädler, Alois Vogt und Carl von Vogelsang weisen in einem Protestschreiben an die Regierung die in der" Spitzelaffäre "gegen sie erhobenen Vorwürfe zurück".Staatsarchiv des Fürstentum Liechtenstein(in German). 23 January 1937.Retrieved30 July2023.
  12. ^Peter Geiger(1997).Liechtenstein in den Dreissigerjahren 1928–1939(in German) (1st ed.).Zürich:Liechtenstein Institut. p. 373.ISBN3-906393-28-3.
  13. ^"Liechtenstein's Prince Franz Josef II, 83".Los Angeles Times.15 November 1989.Retrieved25 May2023.
  14. ^Geiger, Peter(31 December 2011)."Hoop,_Josef_(1895–1959)".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved15 May2023.
  15. ^abQuaderer, Rupert(31 December 2011)."Schädler, Gustav".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved18 May2023.
  16. ^Schremser, Jürgen (31 December 2011)."Vogt, Alois".Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein(in German).Retrieved26 May2023.
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