Austrian Court Chancellery

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Austrian Court Chancellery was an authority for the Austrian hereditary lands from the early modern period until 1848 .

history

Forerunners emerged as a simple office under Emperor Maximilian I and was later expanded. As an independent institution, it was strengthened by Ferdinand I around 1526 , but merged with the Imperial Court Chancellery of the Holy Roman Empire in 1559 . Since then, she was initially also responsible for Austrian affairs.

After the victorious suppression of the Bohemian uprising , Emperor Ferdinand II began to introduce administrative changes in order to strengthen the unity of the Austrian hereditary lands. In 1620 the Austrian court chancellery became independent. In return, the Reichshofrat was deprived of its powers to deal with Austrian affairs. The first court chancellor was Johann Baptist Verda von Verdenberg .

The court chancellery was responsible for Austria under and above the Enns (Upper Austria and Lower Austria), Inner Austria (Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the states up to the Adriatic) and Tyrol . As the central administrative and financial authority, it was responsible for the German-speaking parts of the Habsburg possessions. The court chancellery also served as a high court. In addition to the Austrian, a Hungarian and a Bohemian court chancellery were created. Similar institutions for Transylvania , the Austrian Netherlands and Italy were added later. At the head was the court chancellor . This was always a member of the Privy Council and initially had a strong political influence.

In 1654 the court chancellery was transformed into a collective authority. She was taken away from responsibility for financial and military issues. Under Emperor Joseph I , the court chancellery was divided into two departments. One was responsible for political, the other for legal questions. So since 1705 there were two chancellors. Under Maria Theresa , jurisdiction was severely curtailed. Significant competencies, especially those of foreign policy, were transferred to the State Chancellery. In 1749 she lost further responsibilities to a "Directorium in publicis et cameralibus." In 1761 it was merged in the Bohemian-Austrian court chancellery . It was now something like the interior ministry of the two countries. Under Joseph II , the court chancellery was merged into the unified court in 1782 . However, this authority was dissolved again in 1791. From 1797 the Austrian and Bohemian court chancelleries were separated again. Reorganized in 1802, there was again a United Court Chancellery until 1848. Its competencies were then transferred to the Imperial and Royal Ministry of the Interior.

literature

Web links