Karl Renner
- Social democratic politician
Karl Renner, born in 1870 in Unter-Tannowitz/Dolní Dunajovice (Moravia), was a lawyer by profession and is regarded as one of the most important Austrian politicians of the 20th century. Karl Renner was the first Chancellor of both the First and Second Republic and from 1945 to 1950 held the office of Federal President. After studying law, he worked in the Parliament Library from 1895 on. At this time, he was already in contact with leading Social Democrats. From 1899 on, he published political texts on the social and national question under various pseudonyms. In 1907, he entered the Imperial Diet together with the Social Democrats. After the collapse of the Habsburg Empire, Karl Renner was appointed Chancellor of the First Republic and entrusted with the formation of a provisional government. In 1919, he led the Austrian delegation at the peace negotiations in Paris and on 10 September of the same year signed the Treaty of St Germain.
