ADLER, VIKTOR (1852-1918), Austrian politician, was born at Prague, June 24, 1852. He began to occupy himself early with political and social questions. In 1883 he went to study in Switzerland and in London, where he came into close touch with Engels. On his return to Vienna, however, he turned entirely to politics. The Workmen's party had sunk into political insig nificance and Adler's task was to restore unity in the ranks of labour. In 1886 appeared his paper Gleichheit, eventually suc ceeded by Die Arbeiterzeitung, the principal organ of the Social Democratic party, which Adler continued to conduct till his death. In July 1889 he appeared at the first congress of the Second International, of which he became an official, as the representative of the united Austrian Labour party. From that time he was the acknowledged leader of the party.
Adler regarded it as his first task to secure for the workers representation in Parliament, but it was not until 1907 that he was able to secure universal and equal suffrage. The Social Democratic party increased their representation from I 1 deputies to 87. Adler himself entered the Diet of Lower Austria in 1902, and in 1905 was elected to the Reichsrat, where, until his death, he played an important part.
In the congress and in the secretariat of the International, Adler, with Jaures and Bebel, played the most prominent part, whether as leader, adviser, or mediator. After the collapse of Austria in 1918 at the constituent session of the provisional German-Austrian National Assembly, he read the declaration of the Social Democrats, in which they expressed their willingness, in association with the other German-Austrian parties, to build the new State on the basis of democracy and self-determination, without prejudice to a possible association with the German Em pire. He held for a few days the office of foreign minister, but he broke down and died Nov. 12, 1918, the day on which the State council had decided to proclaim German Austria a demo cratic republic, and an integral part of the German Reich.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.-His works include articles scattered in various Bibliography.-His works include articles scattered in various newspapers, in the Neue Zeit; Kampf ; Deutsche Worte (Vienna), in addition to those in the Arbeiterzeitung; pamphlets, among which are Die Fabrikinspektion, insbesondere in England und der Schweiz (1884) ; Die Arbeiterkammern und die Arbeiter (1886) ; Die Gleich heit vor dem Ausnahmegericht (1889) ; Das allgemeine, gleiche und direkte Wahlrecht und das Wahlunrecht in Oesterreich (1893) ; Schwurgerichtsprozess gegen Doktor Viktor Adler wegen Verbrechens der Storung der offentlichen Ruhe (1894) ; Alcoholismus und Gewerk schaft (many editions) (1907).