Baron Franz von Pillersdorf
Encyclopedia
Baron Franz von Pillersdorf (1 March 178622 February 1862) was an Austrian
statesman.
Born in Brno
the son of a judge, Pillersdorf after a legal education in Vienna
in 1805 started his public service career in Galicia
. In 1807, he returned to Vienna as assistant to the court councilor Baron von Baldacci. This put him in the centre of the action when the war with Napoleon
broke out. In the disadvantageous peace according to the 1809 Treaty of Schönbrunn
that followed, the Austrian foreign minister Johann Philipp Stadion
had to resign and a new ministry was formed, with Prince Metternich at its head. Baldacci moved to the periphery of power, but Pillersdorff advanced to court secretary and then became a court councilor. Here Pillersdorff had ample opportunity to acquaint himself with the great disarray in the operation of the Austrian state, and how necessary reform was, but uncommonly difficult to implement.
The events of 1812-1815 increased the oppressive political climate still more. Baldacci became minister of the army and headed the administration of the occupied zones in France, and Pillerdorf was put at his side. Pillersdorf's stay in France
and travels to the United Kingdom
gave him the opportunity to make comparative studies and think about how the people could start participating in lawmaking and government in Austria as well. But the time had not come for such changes in Austria since the emperor Francis of Habsburg
kept the reins of power tightly to himself.
After the Napoleonic Wars
, Austrian finances urgently required attention. The paper money issued amounted to 700 million fl.
, but at least a portion of this disappeared from circulation and was replaced by specie. By 1830 there was even the prospect of a surplus in the treasury. This situation brought to the fore the question of whether or not government should be representative, for to maintain the partially achieved financial order, the participation of the public in financial management was needed, as well as confidence that the ministries would not overstep their budgets. The future of Austria lay in the solution of this question, for the financial element comprised much more important affairs. But those near the throne did not want to see the solution of the financial question turn into a question of a constitution — yet that was its essence.
The French July Revolution
of 1830 heightened the tension in the various classes of the population. In 1832, Pillersdorff, who thought that concerns about conflict with the new government in France should not frustrate attempts to bring more order to Austria's finances, was taken away from finances and moved to the chancellery where he became a privy councilor (Geheimrat
) on the inner track of the government. A new field opened itself to him where no skilled hand had been on the plow since the reign of Emperor Joseph II
. All kinds of weeds needed to be pulled, and obstacles removed, in order to create a foundation for public welfare which until now had not been allowed to develop. As stubbornly as the current order was maintained, so public discontent with it became greater. Even patriotic men faced with a sort of longing the storm that rose up from the French July Monarchy
and unleashed itself on Austria.
In the Revolutions of 1848
, the brittle government collapsed. On March 13, Prince Metternich resigned. Pillersdorf became Minister of the Interior under Count Kolowrat on 20 March, and Pillersdorff submitted the Pillersdorf Constitution
on 25 April. Pillersdorf was appointed Minister-President
on May 4. If he had hoped for a moment to be able to calmly and gradually reorganize the government, everything conspired against his honest intention — the turmoil in Lombardy
and Hungary
, the unrest in Vienna, relations with the states of the German Confederation
. The unexpected flight of Emperor Ferdinand I
made it an affair of honour for the prime minister not to resign, and Pillersdorff remained true to his post. He held fast to the concessions made by the crown, but the resistance he offered to constantly emerging new demands was too weak. He avoided the summoning of the government's sources of influence. In the meantime, public affairs came into such confusion and disarray, and Pillersdorff showed himself so little suited to manage them and create order, that finally on July 8 he resigned.
Pillersdorf then was elected as a deputy of the Vienna Reichstag assembly constituted on July 22. Here he took his place centre-right
with the men who earnestly wanted to support the new government. Never was there a vote in which he did not take the government's side. When the Kroměříž
Reichstag was dissolved in 1849, Pillersdorff's ministerial activity as well as his behavior during the days of September leading to the Vienna Uprising
became the subject of a disciplinary investigation. These proceedings must have been uncommonly painful for Pillersdorf whose efforts during his career were directed, as he himself said, toward “reinforcing the power and prestige of the government and instilling confidence in it by avoiding motives for dissatisfaction through suggestions for peaceful reforms."
Pillersdorf went into deep seclusion. His lot was to stand, “not amongst those who had been judged, but among those who had been shamed.” But his fellow citizens sought to heal these wounds: When constitutional government returned to Austria in 1861, they confidently called him to the newly established Reichsrat
house of representatives. The old man, who had reached the end of his days, took up the mandate with joyful readiness and uprightly performed the duties of his office as head of the finance committee until his death in the following year.
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
statesman.
Born in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
the son of a judge, Pillersdorf after a legal education in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1805 started his public service career in Galicia
Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria was a crownland of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Austrian Empire, and Austria–Hungary from 1772 to 1918 .This historical region in eastern Central Europe is currently divided between Poland and Ukraine...
. In 1807, he returned to Vienna as assistant to the court councilor Baron von Baldacci. This put him in the centre of the action when the war with Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
broke out. In the disadvantageous peace according to the 1809 Treaty of Schönbrunn
Treaty of Schönbrunn
The Treaty of Schönbrunn , sometimes known as the Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria at the Schönbrunn Palace of Vienna on 14 October 1809. This treaty ended the Fifth Coalition during the Napoleonic Wars...
that followed, the Austrian foreign minister Johann Philipp Stadion
Johann Philipp Stadion, Count von Warthausen
Johann Philipp Carl Joseph, Graf von Stadion-Warthausen . Born in Mainz, he was a statesman, foreign minister, and diplomat who served the Habsburg empire during the Napoleonic Wars. He was also founder of the Austrian National Bank...
had to resign and a new ministry was formed, with Prince Metternich at its head. Baldacci moved to the periphery of power, but Pillersdorff advanced to court secretary and then became a court councilor. Here Pillersdorff had ample opportunity to acquaint himself with the great disarray in the operation of the Austrian state, and how necessary reform was, but uncommonly difficult to implement.
The events of 1812-1815 increased the oppressive political climate still more. Baldacci became minister of the army and headed the administration of the occupied zones in France, and Pillerdorf was put at his side. Pillersdorf's stay in France
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
and travels to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
gave him the opportunity to make comparative studies and think about how the people could start participating in lawmaking and government in Austria as well. But the time had not come for such changes in Austria since the emperor Francis of Habsburg
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
kept the reins of power tightly to himself.
After the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Austrian finances urgently required attention. The paper money issued amounted to 700 million fl.
Austro-Hungarian gulden
The Gulden or forint was the currency of the Austrian Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1754 and 1892 when it was replaced by the Krone/korona as part of the introduction of the gold standard. In Austria, the Gulden was initially divided into 60 Kreuzer, and in Hungary, the...
, but at least a portion of this disappeared from circulation and was replaced by specie. By 1830 there was even the prospect of a surplus in the treasury. This situation brought to the fore the question of whether or not government should be representative, for to maintain the partially achieved financial order, the participation of the public in financial management was needed, as well as confidence that the ministries would not overstep their budgets. The future of Austria lay in the solution of this question, for the financial element comprised much more important affairs. But those near the throne did not want to see the solution of the financial question turn into a question of a constitution — yet that was its essence.
The French July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
of 1830 heightened the tension in the various classes of the population. In 1832, Pillersdorff, who thought that concerns about conflict with the new government in France should not frustrate attempts to bring more order to Austria's finances, was taken away from finances and moved to the chancellery where he became a privy councilor (Geheimrat
Geheimrat
Geheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the Imperial, royal or principal courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the Geheimer Rat reporting to the ruler...
) on the inner track of the government. A new field opened itself to him where no skilled hand had been on the plow since the reign of Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
. All kinds of weeds needed to be pulled, and obstacles removed, in order to create a foundation for public welfare which until now had not been allowed to develop. As stubbornly as the current order was maintained, so public discontent with it became greater. Even patriotic men faced with a sort of longing the storm that rose up from the French July Monarchy
July Monarchy
The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848...
and unleashed itself on Austria.
In the Revolutions of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas
From March 1848 through July 1849, the Habsburg Austrian Empire was threatened by revolutionary movements. Much of the revolutionary activity was of a nationalist character: the empire, ruled from Vienna, included Austrian Germans, Hungarians, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Ruthenians,...
, the brittle government collapsed. On March 13, Prince Metternich resigned. Pillersdorf became Minister of the Interior under Count Kolowrat on 20 March, and Pillersdorff submitted the Pillersdorf Constitution
Pillersdorf Constitution
The Pillersdorf Constitution was a constitution of the Austrian Empire promulgated by Minister of the Interior Baron Pillersdorf on 25 April 1848. It called for public, oral, and jury trials. It only lasted until 16 May when it was replaced for a call for a constitutional convention and completely...
on 25 April. Pillersdorf was appointed Minister-President
Minister-President
A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
on May 4. If he had hoped for a moment to be able to calmly and gradually reorganize the government, everything conspired against his honest intention — the turmoil in Lombardy
Five Days of Milan
The Five Days of Milan was a major event in the Revolutionary Year of 1848 and the start of the First Italian War of Independence. On March 18th, the city of Milan, rose, and in five days of street fighting drove Marshal Radetzky and his men from the city....
and Hungary
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
, the unrest in Vienna, relations with the states of the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
. The unexpected flight of Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
made it an affair of honour for the prime minister not to resign, and Pillersdorff remained true to his post. He held fast to the concessions made by the crown, but the resistance he offered to constantly emerging new demands was too weak. He avoided the summoning of the government's sources of influence. In the meantime, public affairs came into such confusion and disarray, and Pillersdorff showed himself so little suited to manage them and create order, that finally on July 8 he resigned.
Pillersdorf then was elected as a deputy of the Vienna Reichstag assembly constituted on July 22. Here he took his place centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
with the men who earnestly wanted to support the new government. Never was there a vote in which he did not take the government's side. When the Kroměříž
Kromeríž
Kroměříž is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. The town's main landmark is the Baroque Kroměříž Bishop's Palace, where some scenes from Amadeus and Immortal Beloved were filmed...
Reichstag was dissolved in 1849, Pillersdorff's ministerial activity as well as his behavior during the days of September leading to the Vienna Uprising
Vienna Uprising
The Vienna Uprising or October Revolution of October 1848 was the last uprising in the Austrian Revolution of 1848....
became the subject of a disciplinary investigation. These proceedings must have been uncommonly painful for Pillersdorf whose efforts during his career were directed, as he himself said, toward “reinforcing the power and prestige of the government and instilling confidence in it by avoiding motives for dissatisfaction through suggestions for peaceful reforms."
Pillersdorf went into deep seclusion. His lot was to stand, “not amongst those who had been judged, but among those who had been shamed.” But his fellow citizens sought to heal these wounds: When constitutional government returned to Austria in 1861, they confidently called him to the newly established Reichsrat
Reichsrat (Austria)
The Imperial Council of Austria from 1867 to 1918 was the parliament of the Cisleithanian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Herrenhaus and the Abgeordnetenhaus...
house of representatives. The old man, who had reached the end of his days, took up the mandate with joyful readiness and uprightly performed the duties of his office as head of the finance committee until his death in the following year.