Julius Tandler

Julius Tandler (February 16, 1869 – August 25, 1936) was an Austrian physician and Social Democratic politician, whose research secured him a lasting place in the history of anatomy.

His main claim to fame was his ambition to introduce a comprehensive system of public health and social services in the Vienna municipality in the interwar years.

Born in Jihlava, Moravia, Tandler attended the Gymnasium Wasagasse in the Vienna Alsergrund district.

Increasingly the target of antisemitic invectives,[1] Tandler after the Austrian Civil War (Februarkämpfe) of 1934 and the rise of Austrofascism was forced to quit his job.

He promoted family planning and marital therapy, while on the other hand, he vehemently advocated eugenics policies and proposed the sterilisation or extermination of "unworthy life" (unwertes Leben).

Commemorative plaque, Julius Tandler Family Centre, Vienna-Alsergrund
Julius Tandler Family Centre