Udo Proksch
Udo Proksch | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 May 1934 |
| Died | 27 June 2001 (aged 67) |
| Resting place | Heiligenstädter Friedhof, Döbling, Vienna |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Occupation(s) | Businessperson, designer, restaurateur[2] |
| Known for | planting a time bomb on the freighter Lucona in 1977 as part of an insurance fraud |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Motive | Financial gain |
| Conviction(s) | Murder (6 counts) Attempted murder (6 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Accomplice(s) | several high-ranking politicians who were shareholders in Proksch's company |
| Wanted since | 1988 |
Time at large | more than a year |
| Details | |
| Date | 23 January 1977 |
| Location(s) | Indian Ocean |
| Killed | 6 |
| Injured | 6 |
| Weapons | Time bomb |
Date apprehended | 2 October 1989 |
| Imprisoned at | Graz-Karlau Prison[1] |
Udo Proksch (29 May 1934 – 27 June 2001) was an Austrian businessman and industrialist. In 1991, he was convicted of the murder of six people as part of a major insurance fraud. Proksch died in prison.[3]
Lucona sinking
[edit]In 1977, the ship Lucona sank in the Indian Ocean, after an explosion, killing six people. Proksch, the owner of the cargo, also then owner of famous Viennese confectioners' Demel, claimed US$20 million from his insurance company, saying that the ship was carrying expensive uranium mining equipment. Fraud was suspected; but investigations were obstructed by powerful Austrian politicians who were friends of Proksch.[4]
In 1988, Proksch fled to the Philippines after Hans Pretterebner published a book about the scandal.[2]
In 1989, he returned to Vienna, incognito, but was recognized and arrested. In 1990, Lucona was located by American shipwreck hunter David Mearns, who discovered that the ship had been sunk by a time bomb.[5]
On March 11, 1991, Proksch was sentenced to 20 years in prison. A year later, the sentence was increased to a lifelong term in prison. Several ex-Ministers were also eventually convicted over their involvement. The ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs was sentenced for forging documents authenticating the cargo. Two other Ministers were dismissed for obstructing the investigations. The Minister of Defense Karl Lütgendorf, a shareholder in the Proksch firm, had given permission to deliver explosives to sabotage the ship and committed suicide when that became clear.[6]
Proksch died on 27 June 2001, during heart surgery.[7]
Proksch was the first husband of the actress Daphne Wagner, daughter of Wieland Wagner, great-granddaughter of the composer Richard Wagner and great-great-granddaughter of Franz Liszt.[3]
Works about Proksch and the Lucona case
[edit]- 1988: Hans Pretterebner publishes a book about the Lucona case, Der Fall Lucona.
- 1993: The Lucona Affair, a film about the Lucona case (starring David Suchet).
- 2004: The art group monochrom stages Udo 77, a musical about the life of Udo Proksch.
- 2010: A documentary about Proksch, entitled Udo Proksch: Out of Control and directed by Robert Dornhelm is released.
- 2023: Drain the Oceans (Season 6, Episode 6), television documentary by National Geographic.
See also
[edit]Notes and references
[edit]- ^ Schödel, Helmut (26 April 1996). "Ein Besuch bei Udo Proksch, Österreichs prominentestem Häftling". Die Zeit (in German). Hamburg. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ a b Longworth, R. C. (March 15, 1989). "The Lucona Affair – The Cafe Czar Who Left A Cloud of Corruption in Decadent Old Vienna". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ a b Brey, Thomas (28 June 2001). "Udo Proksch: Österreichs Paradehäftling ist tot". Der Spiegel (in German). Hamburg. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "The Lucona Affair", by R.C. Longworth, Chicago Tribune, March 15, 1989
- ^ Shelsby, Ted (1996-07-29). "Local firm brings clues to surface Oceaneering operates equipment used at TWA crash site". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- ^ "Kreiskys adeliger Minister, Waffengeschäfte und ein rätselhafter Tod". nachrichten.at. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ "Udo Proksch: Mad Genius or Murderer – Out of Control". The Vienna Review. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
External links
[edit]- Netcyclo: Austrian history 1983 onwards
- IMDb entry about 'Der Fall Lucona'
- Homepage of 'Udo 77' (German language)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- 1934 births
- 2001 deaths
- Austrian mass murderers
- Austrian people convicted of murder
- Austrian people of German descent
- Austrian people who died in prison custody
- Austrian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
- Bombers (people)
- People convicted of murder by Austria
- People from Rostock
- Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Austria
- Prisoners who died in Austrian detention
- Wagner family