Bernhard von Rechberg

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Graf Rechberg (lithograph by Josef Kriehuber , 1863)

Johann Bernhard Graf von Rechberg and Rothenlöwen (born July 17, 1806 in Regensburg , † February 26, 1899 in Kettenhof near Vienna ) was an Austrian diplomat, foreign minister and prime minister.

Life

The son of Count Aloys von Rechberg entered the Austrian diplomatic service in 1828 and worked for the embassies in Berlin , London and Brussels . In 1841 he became envoy in Stockholm and in 1843 in Rio de Janeiro . In 1848 he represented Austrian interests as an authorized representative at the provisional central authority in Frankfurt am Main . In 1851 von Rechberg became Internuntius in Constantinople , from 1853 he worked under Radetzky in the civil administration of Lombardy and Veneto .

From 1859 to 1864 he was Austrian Foreign Minister, and from 1859 to 1861 also Prime Minister. In contrast to his predecessors in office, Rechberg tried to find an amicable solution with Prussia on the German question and opposed the Greater German solution , which was advocated by Anton von Schmerling . Otto von Bismarck and Rechberg had a good personal relationship. Rechberg was (like Bismarck) a staunch opponent of the Frankfurt Princes' Congress , which was convened by Austria in 1863 , because he rejected the intended isolation of Prussia. In the larger political context, he spoke out in favor of cooperation between Austria, Prussia and Russia.

On the Schleswig-Holstein question , Rechberg joined forces with Bismarck because both powers had signed the London Protocol . Since the Eider -Danish government in Copenhagen was not prepared to withdraw the November constitution of 1853 , which violated the London Protocol , Austria took part in the German-Danish War , which ended with the Peace of Vienna . The two duchies fell to Austria and Prussia. Rechberg hoped to receive a Prussian guarantee for the Austrian possessions in Italy in the further course of the cooperation , but Bismarck refused, since Rechberg had no corresponding consideration. In addition, there were problems in the negotiations on a customs agreement led by Prussia on behalf of the Zollverein . This failure strengthened the already existing opposition to the foreign minister in Austria and in the southern German central states, so that he had to resign in October 1864. Johann Bernhard von Rechberg died at the age of 93 at his residence at Schloss Altkettenhof in Kettenhof, today Schwechat .

From 1826 he was a member of the Isaria Corps .

Marriage and offspring

Johann Bernhard von Rechberg married Barbara Jones on July 26, 1834 in Donzdorf at Donzdorf Castle , who died in 1894. Their son Alois was born in 1835. Alois later married Luise von Fürstenberg and had four daughters with her before he died in 1877 at the age of 42.

Honors

Incomplete list

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ludwig Reiners : Bismarck founds the empire. Munich: CH Beck, 1957, ISBN 3-423-01574-8 , p. 74 f.
  2. ^ Kösener corps lists 1910, 173 , 135.
personal data
SURNAME Rechberg, Bernhard von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rechberg and Rothenlöwen, Johann Bernhard Graf von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian diplomat and foreign minister
DATE OF BIRTH July 17, 1806
PLACE OF BIRTH regensburg
DATE OF DEATH February 26, 1899
Place of death Kettenhof near Vienna