Oskar Becker

Oskar Becker

Gained fame by committing an assassination attempt on King William of Prussia
Date of Birth: 18.06.1839
Country: Germany

Content:
  1. Oskar Becker
  2. Assassination Attempt
  3. Trial and Aftermath

Oskar Becker

Early Life

Oskar Becker was born in Odessa, Ukraine, where his father, a Saxon native, served as director of a lycée. In 1859, Becker enrolled at Leipzig University, where he pursued studies in social and political sciences, mathematics, and Oriental languages. He was the brother of Karl Woldemar Becker and thereby uncle to the modernist painter Paula Modersohn-Becker.

Assassination Attempt

In the summer of 1861, Becker resolved to assassinate King Wilhelm I of Prussia, whom he perceived as an obstacle to German unification. To this end, Becker traveled to Baden-Baden on July 12th, where the king was undergoing medical treatment. On the morning of July 14th, at the Lichtentaler Allee, Becker fired both barrels of his pocket Terzerol pistol at the king. Wilhelm escaped with a minor neck injury.

Trial and Aftermath

A jury found Becker guilty and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. However, the king pardoned Becker in 1866. Upon his release, Becker sailed for North America but returned to Europe in 1868. He then traveled east and ultimately passed away in Alexandria, Egypt.

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