Duchy of Modena-Breisgau

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Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806) .svg
Territory in the Holy Roman Empire
Duchy of Modena-Breisgau
coat of arms
Coat of arms of the House of Habsburg-Este (Duchy of Modena and Reggio) .svg


Alternative names Duchy of Breisgau
Arose from the Upper Austrian authorities in Breisgau and Ortenau
Form of rule monarchy
Ruler / government duke
Today's region / s DE-BW
Parliament 2 virile votes in the Reichsfürstenrat
Reichskreis Austrian Imperial Circle
Capitals / residences Freiburg in Breisgau
Dynasties Austria-Este
Denomination / Religions Catholic
Language / n German
surface approx. 3,000 km²
Residents 151,000
Incorporated into Electorate of Baden 1806;

partly Württemberg


The Duchy of Modena-Breisgau was a short-lived imperial territory in Breisgau and Ortenau , which was formed in 1803 and as early as 1806 - as a result of the Peace of Pressburg - became predominantly part of the Electorate of Baden . This structure only had its own administration from March 2, 1803 (takeover of Austria) to September 25, 1805 (occupation by France).

Lengthy birth of a new imperial principality

Breisgau and Ortenau were part of the maneuvering mass in the Napoleonic reorganization of southern Germany.

The Campo Formio peace treaty of October 17, 1797 had already determined:

"ART. XVIII. His Majesty the Emperor, King of Hungary and of Bohemia, undertakes to cede to the Duke of Modena, as compensation for the lands that this Prince and his heirs had in Italy, the Breisgau, which he is to own on the same terms as those, to which he possessed the fashionable. "

After the peace of Campo Formio, the Ercole III declined . Rinaldo d'Este , the Duke of Modena, withdrew the Breisgau as compensation for his Italian possessions, as its value did not seem appropriate to him. He now also requested the Ortenau. In July 1802 there were also rumors that the duke wanted to sell his claims to the Breisgau for 6 million guilders to the margrave of Baden, Karl Friedrich . Only in an agreement between the German Kaiser - represented by Philipp von Cobenzl - and France - represented by Joseph Bonaparte - on December 26, 1802, the conflict was settled through Russian mediation and the Duke was granted the Ortenau. In return, Austria was allowed to incorporate the princedoms of Brixen and Trento . Since it was already clear at the same time that Archduke Ferdinand would inherit all lands of the Duke of Modena, this was an advantageous arrangement for the House of Habsburg .

The Lunéville Peace Treaty of February 9, 1801 contains the following provisions for the Breisgau:

"Art. IV. The 18th article of the Campo Formio treatise is also renewed so that Se. Maj. The Emperor and King join forces, the Duke of Modena, for his compensation for the lands which this Prince and his heirs owned in Italy, to cede the Breisgau, which is said to have the same with the same conditions under which he possessed the Modenese . "

The Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of February 25, 1803 regulates in § 1, paragraph 4:

“The Breisgau and the Ortenau will make up the compensation of the former Duke of Modena for the Modenese , its affiliations and responsibilities. According to the literal content of the fourth article of the Lüneviller peace treaty , this prince and his heirs will own both lands ; which in this regard is to be understood from the Ortenau as from the Breisgau without any reservation or restriction. "

The imperial cities of Offenburg, Zell am Hammersbach, Gengenbach in the historic Ortenau region were assigned to the Electorate of Baden in Section 5. Breisgau and Ortenau only meant the Upper Austrian authorities of Breisgau and Offenburg (formerly Landvogtei Ortenau).

In § 32 it was determined which new, additional virile votes are represented in the Reichsfürstenrat . The Duke of Modena was granted 1 vote each for Breisgau and Ortenau, with Breisgau having the 67th and Ortenau the 101st vote.

The daughter of the Duke of Modena, Maria Beatrice , had been married to the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Karl , the fourth son of Empress Maria Theresa , since 1771 . After the death of the Duke of Modena on October 14, 1803, Archduke Ferdinand inherited his possessions in Breisgau and Ortenau.

The administrative detachment of the new duchy from the Austrian state association and the establishment of a new administration and a new judiciary took some time. Hermann von Greiffenegg was appointed regional president.

And its rapid demise

With the beginning of the Third Coalition War , the French troops crossed the Rhine on September 25, 1805 and also occupied the Breisgau.

After the Battle of Austerlitz, which was victorious for Napoleon on December 2, 1805, he vigorously pushed ahead with the reorganization of the German south-west, and Emperor Franz I of Austria had to give up his uncle's areas in Breisgau and Ortenau in the Peace of Pressburg . In Article VIII of the peace treaty he also acts on behalf of the princes of his house .

" Se. Majesty the Emperor of Germany and Austria does for himself, his heirs and successors, as well as for the princes of his house, their heirs and resp. Successor to renamed principalities, lordships, domains and areas, and cedes and resigns ... "

" To Se. Your highness the Elector of Baden das Breisgau, excluding the previously named and separate possessions, the Ortenau with everything that goes with it, the city of Constance and the commentary Meinau. "

At the beginning of 1806, due to different interpretations of the wording of the treaty, Württemberg occupied eastern Breisgau for a short time .

On April 15, 1806, the Breisgau was handed over to Baden by the French occupying forces. Archduke Ferdinand Karl died on December 24, 1806. Like his father-in-law, he had never set foot in Breisgau.

In connection with the Peace of Pressburg, Napoleon made a vague promise that he would use himself for compensation from Archduke Ferdinand. Such a compensation for the Breisgau never took place, however, and the Austrian side came to the conclusion that France never seriously considered such a compensation either.

Revival of the Duchy of Modena

The Congress of Vienna said Francis IV. Of Austria-Este , son of Archduke Ferdinand Karl, again the Duchy of Modena to which he ruled until his death in 1846 and then until 1859 by his son, Francis V. ruled.

Stations in the separation of the Breisgau from Austria

date event Remarks Link to document
October 17, 1797 Peace of Campo Formio the Duke of Modena was awarded the Breisgau as compensation;
the part south of the High Rhine ( Fricktal ) was ceded to Switzerland in secret article VI 		ART. XVIII.
February 9, 1801 Peace of Lunéville The Breisgau is confirmed to the Duke of Modena as compensation Art. IV.
November 1, 1802 Deed from the Duke of Modena the Duke of Modena appoints Archduke Ferdinand as administrator for the Breisgau
December 26, 1802 Franco-Austrian treaty the Duke of Modena is also awarded the Ortenau as compensation Art. I ..
February 25, 1803 Reichsdeputationshauptschluss The Breisgau and Ortenau are confirmed to the Duke of Modena as compensation § 1, paragraph 4
March 2, 1803 Handover act The Austrian government hands over Breisgau and Ortenau to Hermann von Greiffenegg, who was appointed by Archduke Ferdinand as his district president Dismissal Patent
Acquisition Patent
October 1, 1803 State regulations for the Duchy of Breisgau-Ortenau the president H. von Greiffenegg determines the administrative and judicial structure State order
October 14, 1803 Duke Hercules III from Modena † Archduke Ferdinand inherits Breisgau and Ortenau Newspaper note
December 11, 1805 Treaty of Brno between France and Württemberg part of the Breisgau is awarded to Württemberg Art. 4.
December 20, 1805 Treaty of Vienna between France and Baden the Breisgau is largely the Baden Electorate awarded Art. 1er.
December 26, 1805 Peace of Pressburg the Breisgau is largely the Baden Electorate awarded Art. VIII.
April 15, 1806 Protocol about the plowed land handover The French occupying power hands over Breisgau and Ortenau to the Electorate of Baden protocol
July 12, 1806 Rhine Confederation Act Baden received the dominion of Bonndorf from Württemberg, as well as Villingen, Bräunlingen and Tuttlingen Art. 14
September 12, 1806 Handover of Bonndorf France hands over the former imperial rule of Bonndorf to Baden.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Erwin Matsch: The Foreign Service of Austria (-Ungarn) 1720-1920 Graz and Vienna 1986, p. 129 ; G. Stalling: Lands since the Peace of Westphalia (1648): Repertory of the diplomatic representatives of all countries since the Peace of Westphalia (1648) Published by the International Committee for Historical Studies, p. 247
  2. ↑ see Genealogical Reichs- und Staats-Handbuch on the year 1805 , Zweyter Theil, Frankfurt am Main, Varrentrapp and Wenner 1806, pp. 437-439 digitized
  3. ↑ a b Peace of Campo-Formio (1797)
  4. ↑ s. General intelligence or weekly paper for the state of Breisgau and Ortenau , No. 56 of July 14, 1802; P. 364 at the Freiburg University Library
  5. ↑ s. Head p. 82; Contract text under Google Book Search
  6. ↑ online in the Internet portal Westphalian history
  7. ↑
    Wikisource: Main conclusion of the extraordinary Reichsdeputation of February 25, 1803  - sources and full texts
  8. ↑ s. JHA Scharfenberg: History of the Duchy of Modena and the Duchy of Ferrara up to 1815 , Mainz 1859 online in the Google book search
  9. ↑ s. Article 98 of the “Vienna Convention Act” of June 8, 1815 online
  10. ↑ online in the Internet portal Westphalian history
  11. ↑ online in the google book search
  12. ↑
    Wikisource: Main conclusion of the extraordinary Reichsdeputation of February 25, 1803  - sources and full texts
  13. ^ General intelligence or weekly sheet for the state of Breisgau and the Ortenau ; No. 20 of March 9, 1803; P. 118 at the Freiburg University Library; Dismissal Patent
  14. ^ General intelligence or weekly sheet for the state of Breisgau and the Ortenau ; No. 21 of March 12, 1803; Pp. 125–128 at the Freiburg University Library; Takeover patent from Archduke Ferdinand
  15. ^ General intelligence or weekly sheet for the state of Breisgau and the Ortenau ; No. 84 of October 19, 1803; Pp. 594–596 at the Freiburg University Library ; State order of the Herzoglich Breisgau and Ortenau state government
  16. ^ General intelligence or weekly sheet for the state of Breisgau and the Ortenau ; No. 87 of October 29, 1803; P. 618 at the Freiburg University Library; Announcement of the death and assumption of government of Archduke Ferdinand
  17. ↑ French treaty text on www.le-prince-de-talleyrand.fr
  18. ^ Political correspondence of Karl Friedrich von Baden 1783-1806 , edited by the Baden Historical Commission, edited by Karl Obser , Heidelberg 1901, 5th volume, pp. 405-408 in the Internet Archive French contract text
  19. ↑
    Wikisource: Peace of Pressburg  - Sources and full texts
  20. ↑ General intelligence or weekly sheet for the state of Breisgau and Ortenau No. 33 of April 23, 1806; Pp. 259–264 at the Freiburg University Library
  21. ↑
    Wikisource: Rheinbundakte  - Sources and full texts