Illich was born in Vienna around 1836. He was a railway official, then an inspector, and finally a superintendent on the Koąice-Bohumin railway. From 1873 he was the inspector of rail traffic on the Cieszyn section of the Koąice-Bohumin railway, and belonged to many local educational and industrial associations. Owing to his function he was a member of the Cieszyn Executive Board.
       The proposal to honour Illich with the title of honorary citizen of Cieszyn was submitted simultaneously to the proposal regarding T. Haase and carried on the same day; i.e. 30 January 1893. The grounds for the honour were his contribution to public transport in Cieszyn. Illich died in the same year in Linz. One of the streets in the district of Sachsenberg – now Saská Kupa in Český Těąín – was named after him.