Johann Nelböck

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Johann Nelböck (also known as Hans Nelböck) was an Austrian man born on May 12, 1903, near Lichtenegg. He studied philosophy at the University of Vienna, where Moritz Schlick was his doctoral advisor. Nelböck earned his PhD in 1931 with the thesis The Importance of Logic in Empiricism and Positivism. He was diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder twice and spent time in mental hospitals; during this period, he had threatened to kill Schlick.

On June 22, 1936, Nelböck shot Moritz Schlick on the main staircase at the University of Vienna, killing him. He confessed to the act and was found fully responsible (compos mentis). His defense argued that Schlick’s anti-metaphysical philosophy and alleged Jewish connections within the Vienna Circle influenced him. In another account, Nelböck claimed jealousy over a female student as part of his motive.

Nelböck was convicted and, on May 26, 1937, sentenced to ten years in prison. He was released on probation on October 11, 1938. Authorities noted that the act was driven partly by personal motives, and he received a relatively early release after arguing for National Socialism as a justification for his actions.

After his release, Nelböck worked in the geological department of the wartime oil authority and later in the Main Measurement Office. In 1951, he sued Victor Kraft, a member of the Vienna Circle, who had described him as a paranoid psychopath; they settled out of court.

Works:
- Die Bedeutung der Logik im Empirismus und Positivismus (1930), his dissertation.

Johann Nelböck died on February 3, 1954, in Vienna, at the age of 50.