Karl Schädler

Josef Karl Severin Schädler ( , ; 23 October 1804 – 30 January 1872) was a medical doctor and political figure from Liechtenstein who served as the first President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from 1862 to 1870. He was a member of the Landtag from 1862 to 1871.

A member of the prominent 19th-century Schädler family, he was a leading figure in the 1848 Liechtenstein revolution and represented the country in the National Assembly in Frankfurt, which led to the liberalization of the country and he was the primary author of the 1862 Constitution of Liechtenstein. Domestically, he worked as a physician and pioneered medical reforms and expansion in Liechtenstein.

As president of the Landtag, he wrote several administrative laws for Liechtenstein but also came into conflict with Johann II over issues such as Liechtenstein's involvement in the Second Schleswig War and Austro-Prussian War. In 1870 he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and he resigned from the Landtag in May 1871. He died the following year, aged 67.

Early life Schädler was born on 23 October 1804 in Eschen as the son of physician Gebhard Schädler and of Maria Katharina Hasler, as one of nine children. His father moved his medical practice to Nendeln thus Schädler and his family moved to the village. In 1809, his father was appointed state physicist for the government of Liechtenstein and the family moved to Vaduz. During his childhood in Vaduz, he lived in a residential apartment which had been designated as his father's official place of residence.

Medical career From 1830 to 1837, Schädler ran a medical practice in Bad Ems in the Duchy of Nassau, and from 1833 to 1838, he was a military doctor for a Graubünden battalion. At military courses in Thun, Switzerland, he met Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who would later become Emperor of the French. In 1838, he closed his practice in Bad Ems and returned to Vaduz in order to run his father's medical practice in the city after he had fallen ill. Frankfurt National assembly's meeting in St. Paul's Church, of which Schädler was a member. Following the revolution, a constitutional council was elected on 27 July 1848 in response to popular demand from the revolutionaries, of which Schädler was elected as its president. The primary task of the council was the creation the draft for a new Liechtenstein constitution, of which the work was done primarily by himself and Michael Menzinger. In the National Assembly, he was a member of the Pariser Hof, a centre-left faction. On 28 March 1849, the Assembly elected Frederick William IV of Prussia as Emperor of the Germans. In response, Schädler abstained from the vote in protest. He made several personal propositions in the assembly, though with little success. Regarding the law in German elections, he campaigned for Liechtenstein to be its own constituency, instead of it being under an Austrian one instead. In addition, he also campaigned for the reduction of the country's financial and military obligations, which he succeeded in by having a demand that Liechtenstein contribute an additional 60 soldiers withdrawn. The election was led by him and took place along a provisional electoral system he himself had designed. A major challenge faced by Schädler was the legal reduction in local community autonomy on a national level and he created new municipal regulations. However, they were not approved by Aloys II and not implemented. After two years of negotiations, this succeeded and the two countries formally entered in a customs union with each other in June 1852. It was heavily inspired by the constitution of Vorarlberg and largely addressed the demands of the revolutionaries in Liechtenstein. He was also chairman of the state committee and finance commission. Upon the opening of the Landtag of Liechtenstein on 29 December 1862, he gave a speech and declared that its intention was to allow for the economic and cultural development of the country as well as making ordinary citizens aware of their liberties and political rights.

Schädler came into political conflict with Johann II during his time as president of the Landtag, primarily regarding foreign policy. For example, during the Second Schleswig War in 1864, Johann II supported the cause of both Austria and Prussia, whereas the Landtag had protest voted against the use of military force against Denmark. However, no action was taken. Most notably in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 Johann II placed the Liechtenstein military at the disposal of Austria. However, the Landtag had not been consulted regarding the deployment and the war was unpopular among the population, as such it faced resistance from the Landtag. It was this, in combination to the rising costs of maintaining it, that led to the Liechtenstein military being disbanded in 1868 and the country declaring its permanent neutrality. In 1870, Schädler was diagnosed with colorectal cancer which was determined to be untreatable. As a result, he resigned from the Landtag on 27 May 1871.

Personal life and family The commemorative plaque in Vaduz. It bears the inscription "true and unforced". Schädler married Katharina Walser in 1844 and they had nine children together.

He died on 30 January 1872 of colorectal cancer, aged 67. A commemorative plaque in the cemetery of Vaduz was set up in his honour.