Death lurks in the dance bar
After the end of World War I, the collapse of the monarchy, and the proclamation of the republic, Vienna’s population was marked by years of crisis. This was followed by a boom period known as the Golden Twenties. Through extensive austerity and restructuring measures as well as foreign loans, Chancellor Ignaz Seipel succeeded in stopping inflation. The schilling, which was introduced in 1924, became a stable currency, earning it the nickname “Alpine dollar.” This period of upheaval is also known as the Roaring Twenties, when society threw everything old overboard. Vienna became a metropolis where a new entertainment industry emerged, characterized by a lascivious nightlife. Dance bars boomed as people wanted to have fun, and the Charleston became the dance of the Golden Twenties. One of the regulars at the dance bars was the young goldsmith Franz Lengsfeld, who met and fell in love with the pretty seamstress Marie Bischof there in 1922. As was typical in the Golden Twenties, Marie also wore her hair short with a water wave. Marie had several previous convictions for theft and not only had sexual contact with Franz, she also enjoyed herself with other men, which did not bother Franz. However, the reverse was not true for Franz, whom Marie constantly stalked due to her jealousy and even paid men to watch Franz at night so that she would know if he was visiting other women. When Franz once danced with another woman, Marie completely lost her temper and threatened Franz with a knife. The staff then threw Marie out of the dance bar and Franz distanced himself from Marie for good. From then on, she took every opportunity to embarrass Franz in public and make death threats against him. On the evening of June 30, she stood in front of his apartment building and wanted Franz to talk to her. However, he was afraid to go out onto the street, so Marie began to scream loudly. His brothers then asked him to talk to Marie so that she wouldn’t alarm the whole neighborhood. Franz complied with their request and Marie calmed down. She was extremely nice, so Franz went with Marie to a restaurant and then took her to her apartment building at Haslingergasse 9, where he helped her unlock the front door. At that moment, Marie pulled a gun from her handbag and shot Franz. He collapsed. Passersby who had witnessed the incident separated Marie from Franz and called an ambulance, which took the seriously injured man to the hospital, where he died a short time later. Since Marie’s intent could not be proven, she was sentenced to five years in prison for the manslaughter of Franz Lengsfeld. Thus ended the former dance bar liaison in such a dramatic fashion.
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