Secret Council (Württemberg)

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A secret council existed in Württemberg until 1805 and again in a renewed form from 1816. In the old Roman-German Empire there was a college of councils in many territories, which was directly subordinate to the sovereign and under whose chairmanship was discussed the affairs of the country. in particular through the enactment of laws and ordinances. The fact that the term Privy Council was revived in Württemberg in 1816 and continued to exist as a so-called body until 1911 was a specialty of Württemberg. However, comparable bodies with a different name existed in other countries in the 19th century, such as the Prussian State Council and the State Council in Bavaria.

Council bodies of the Duchy of Württemberg until 1805

The modern state administration of Altwuerttemberg went back to Duke Christoph's second chancellery regulation from May 1553 and consisted of three councils at the highest level. The political issues were discussed and decreed in the Upper Council for Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Police and Justice. Two other councils were added to this political senior council : the rent chamber was responsible for property and financial management and the evangelical church council was responsible for the spiritual affairs of the duchy. These three councils remained as central authorities of the Württemberg state administration until 1805.

When a duke was a minor, a so-called privy council committee was given the overall supervision of the central authorities, including when Johann Friedrich died in 1628. When his son and successor Eberhard III. In 1633 came of age, under pressure from the estates, the secret council remained in place and committed to both the duke and the estates. After the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, the chancellery regulation of 1660 stipulated that the Secret Council was now only obliged to the Duke. The secret council included the court master, the chancellor and three other heads of the central authorities. Of these five councils, three were usually from the nobility and two from the bourgeoisie. Since then, the upper council, rent chamber and church council (consistory) have been subordinate to the secret council.

With the establishment of the Kingdom of Württemberg , Frederick I dissolved these councils and replaced them with the State Ministry , consisting of the departments of foreign affairs, warfare, home affairs, finances, justice and the church and school system. The heads of the departments now advised the king on all important state affairs.

Secret Council of the Kingdom of Württemberg 1816 to 1911

On November 8, 1816, the Secret Council was re-established as the highest state authority directly subordinate to the King. The members of the secret council were officially the heads of the six departments (ministries) as well as additional members appointed by the king (actual councilors of state).

The task of the Privy Council was to examine and advise on all important state affairs. The Secret Council was also the primary point of contact for the Württemberg state parliament before its applications were possibly submitted to the king.

The importance of the Privy Council dwindled with the establishment of the State Ministry in 1876, the Administrative Court in 1877 and the Competence Court in 1879. By law of June 15, 1911, the Secret Council in Württemberg was dissolved.

The Presidents of the Secret Council were:

See also: Members of the Secret Council (1816–1848)

literature

  • Julius Hartmann: Government and Estates in the Kingdom of Württemberg 1806–1894. In: Württembergische Jahrbücher 1894, Issue 1, pp. 1–92.
  • Hans-Martin Maurer: Duke Christoph (1550–1568). In: 900 years of the Württemberg House. Edited by Robert Uhland. W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1984, pp. 136-162.
  • Dieter Mertens Württemberg. In: Meinrad Schaab , Hansmartin Schwarzmaier (ed.) U. a .: Handbook of Baden-Württemberg History . Volume 2: The Territories in the Old Kingdom. Edited on behalf of the Commission for Historical Regional Studies in Baden-Württemberg . Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-608-91466-8 , p. 136.
  • Wolfgang Schmierer and Bernhard Theil: Overview of the holdings of the main state archive in Stuttgart. Cabinet, Privy Council, Ministries 1806–1945. Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1997.

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