Emil Max Hödel (27 May 1857 – 16 August 1878) was a plumber from Leipzig, Germany, and a propaganda of the deed anarchist, who became known for the failed assassination of the German Emperor, Wilhelm I. A former member of the Leipzig Social-Democratic Association, he was expelled from the organization in the 1870s[1] and eventually became involved in anarchism.

Emil Max Hödel
Born(1857-05-27)May 27, 1857
DiedAugust 16, 1878(1878-08-16) (aged 21)
Cause of deathExecution by beheading
OccupationPlumber
Conviction(s)High treason
Criminal penaltyDeath

Hödel used a revolver to shoot at the German Emperor, Wilhelm I, on 11 May 1878, while the 81-year-old and his daughter, Princess Louise of Prussia, paraded in their carriage.[2] Hödel was seized immediately. He was tried and convicted of high treason, and sentenced to death on 10 July by the Prussian State Court. Julius Krautz [de], Prussian state executioner, beheaded Hödel on 16 August 1878 in Moabit prison.[3][4]

Although Hödel had been expelled from the Social Democratic Party, his actions, and those of Karl Nobiling, were used as justification to ban the party through the Anti-Socialist Law in October 1878.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1881: Bismarck and the German Working Men's Party". www.marxists.org.
  2. ^ "William I., Emperor of Germany". The American Magazine. Vol. 25, no. 5. May 1888. p. 527.
  3. ^ Hödel, Max. In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. 4th edition. Volume 8, Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, Leipzig/Vienna 1885–1892, p. 603–603. (in German)
  4. ^ Blazek, Matthias. Scharfrichter in Preußen und im Deutschen Reich 1866–1945, Stuttgart 2010, p. 3., ISBN 978-3-8382-0107-8 (in German)
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