Luigi Lucheni
| Luigi Lucheni | |
|---|---|
Swiss police mugshot of Luigi Lucheni (1898)
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| Born |
22 April 1873 Paris, France |
| Died | 19 October 1910 (aged 37) Geneva, Switzerland |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Resting place | Zentralfriedhof Vienna, Austria 48°08′58″N 16°26′28″E / 48.14944°N 16.44111°E |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Criminal charge | Murder of Empress Elisabeth of Austria |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service/branch | Royal Italian Army |
| Years of service | 1893–1896 |
| Battles/wars | First Italo-Ethiopian War |
Luigi Lucheni (Italian pronunciation: [luˈiːdʒi luˈkɛːni]; 22 April 1873 – 19 October 1910) was an Italian anarchist who assassinated the Austrian Empress, Elisabeth (commonly referred to as Sisi, Viennese for Elisabeth), in 1898. Lucheni believed in propaganda of the deed, a philosophy advocating spreading beliefs through violent direct action.
Born in Paris to an Italian mother and raised in an orphanage, Lucheni worked odd jobs before being drafted in the Italian Army at the age of 20. He served for three and a half years and fought in the First Italo-Ethiopian War.
After leaving the army, he emigrated to Switzerland. During his life in Switzerland, he developed his anarchist ideas.
At first Lucheni decided that he would kill Philippe, Duke of Orleans, but because of the Duke's change of itinerary and the discovery that another royal was visiting Geneva, he later settled for taking the life of Elisabeth.
The naturally rebellious Elisabeth often refused the aid of police and bodyguards and she was adored by the populace in general. On 10 September 1898, she and her lady-in-waiting, Countess Irma Sztáray, intended to travel from Geneva to Montreux across Lake Geneva on board the paddle steamer Genève.
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