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Army Colonel and Cryptologist
Andreas Figl (22 June 1873 - 11 November 1967) was an Austrian army
officer 1 and autodidact cryptologist. He was the founder of the
Austrian cipher bureau, as well as the country's codebreaking
organisation. In 1926, whilst working for the Foreign Office, he
wrote his book Systeme des Chiffrierens [I]
(cipher systems). His second book Systeme des Dechiffrierens
[II] (systems for deciphering)
– a codebreaking guide – was probited by the authorities
and was never published.
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Born on 22 June 1873 in Vienna (Austria), Figl grew up in
Vienna and Sarajevo (Yugoslavia). 2
He started an education as Army Cadet at the age of 14 and was promoted
Lieutenant in 1891.
After a work-related accident in 1910, he retired as
Army Captain (Hauptmann), but was recalled a year later to build new the cipher
organisation of the Austrian Army. 3
Over the course of the next two decades he gained international recognition
as a cryptographic expert. From 1920 until his official retirement in 1937,
he worked for the Austrian Foreign Office (Außenministerium) [1].
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In 1926, he produced Systeme des Chiffrierens (cipher
systems), as a scientific publication of the criminalistic laboratory of
the Vienna Police [I]. It contains 243 pages and 45 attachments,
and is internationally recognised as one of the leading
publications on classic cipher systems of the era.
It was his intention to produce another book a year later (1927)
on the subject of codebreaking. Called
Systeme des Dechiffrierens (systems for deciphering),
it comprised three parts [II], but the manuscript was
confiscated by the authorities and was never published.
Furthermore, Figl had to seek advance permission from the Austrian
government for the publication of any further crypto-related articles.
Apparently the authorities did not want knowlege about
codebreaking in the hands of the public.
It would be his last publication.
Figl remained bitter about this decision, and kept secretly
improving his manuscript. And even after his retirement, on 1 July 1937,
he kept doing so. The last known addition was as late as 1953 [4].
In 1960, he became advisor
to the newly established Bundesheer (Federal Army), but it was not
until his 90th birthday, in 1963, that he was officially honoured for
his work.
Figl, the Altmeister of Austrian cryptography,
died on 11 November 1967 in Salzburg (Austria), aged 94.
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His higest rank was Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel), not General
as claimed in some publications.
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Now: Bosnia and Herzegovia.
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Known as kaiserliche und königliche Armee (imperial and royal army),
abbreviated k.u.k. Armee [2].
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- Systeme des Chiffrierens 1
Wissenschafliche Veröffentlichungen des Kriminalistischen Laboratoriums der Polizeidirektion Wien.
Andreas Figl. Graz, April 1926 (in German language).
➤ Beilagen (attachments)
- Systeme des Dechiffrierens
Andreas Figl. Graz, 1927. Unpublished manuscript.
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- Andreas Figl, Hofrat i.R. und Oberst a.D., Leben und Werk, 1873-1967
Altmeister der österreichischen Enträtselung und kryptographischen
Wissenschaft
Otto J. Horak. Linz, 2005. ISBN 978-3-85487-779-X.
- Was übrich blieb
Kommentare zu Andreas Figl, Leben und Werk, 1873-1967.
Otto J. Horak. Linz, 2005. ISBN 978-3-85487-790-0.
- Oberst a.D. Andreas Figl under der k.u.k. Radiohorch- und Dechiffrierdienst
Otto J. Horak. Linz, 2011. ISBN 978-3-902475-90-9.
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- Wikipedia (Germany), Andreas Figl
Retrieved August 2020.
- Wikipedia, Common Army
Retrieved August 2020. ➤ German version
- Walter Blasi, Datensicherheit und Enträtselungskunst
Über das Verbergen und Entschlüsseln von Informationsinhalten.
SIAK Journal - Zeitschrift für Polizeiwissenschaft und polizeiliche Praxis (1), 62-73. 2014
- Otto J. Horak, Andreas Figl, Leben und Werk (biography)
Linz, 2005. ISBN 978-3-85487-779-X. pp. 229-254. [a]
- Herbert Paulis, The Scheubele Apparatus
Cryptologia 31, 2007, pp. 194-178.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Monday 24 August 2020. Last changed: Thursday, 03 July 2025 - 16:17 CET.
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