Adolf Schärf
A steadfast socialist who rose from political prisoner to the presidency, guiding Austria's fragile democracy through its post-war rebirth.
1890–1965 (age 75)·President of Austria from 1957 to 1965·Birthday: April 20·The Lost Generation
Biography
Adolf Schärf's life traced the turbulent arc of 20th-century Austria. A lawyer by training, he entered politics with the Social Democratic Party, an affiliation that led to his imprisonment after the brief but bloody Austrian Civil War of 1934. Surviving further detention in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, he emerged as a key figure for reconstruction. From 1945, he served as Vice-Chancellor, a steadying hand in the grand coalition that governed the newly independent nation. In 1957, he was elected President, a role he filled with quiet dignity until his death in 1965. Schärf's presidency symbolized stability and reconciliation, helping to cement Austria's neutral identity during the Cold War.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Adolf was born in 1890, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Adolf Was Born
The biggest hits of 1890
Adolf's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1890Born
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Started school
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Became a teenager
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could drive
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could vote
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 21
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 30
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 40
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 50
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 60
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 70
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Died at 75
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
Key Achievements
- Served as the President of Austria from 1957 until his death in 1965.
- Held the position of Vice-Chancellor of Austria for twelve years from 1945 to 1957.
- Played a crucial role in the establishment of Austria's post-World War II political system.
- Was a signatory of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955, which restored the country's sovereignty.
Did You Know?
He was imprisoned by the Austrofascist regime in 1934 and later detained in the Dachau concentration camp by the Nazis.
He initially trained and worked as a lawyer before dedicating himself fully to politics.
His presidency saw the construction of the Vienna International Centre, which later became a UN headquarters.
“I survived the camps to rebuild a free and neutral Austria.”
