Eduard Herbst
Encyclopedia
Eduard Herbst was an Austria
n jurist and statesman, born in Vienna
. He was professor
of criminal law and the philosophy of law at Prague
in 1858, was elected a deputy to the Bohemian Diet, and then, in accordance with the February patent of 1861, was elected by the Diet to the Lower House on the Austrian Reichsrat, where he became one of the most conspicuous members of the German Liberal, or Constitutional, party. In 1867 he was appointed Minister of Justice in the Liberal cabinet (Bürgerministerium) of Prince Carlos Auersperg.
As such, he introduced a number of important reforms — among them the abolition of imprisonment for debt, the introduction of the jury in libel suits against the press, the organization of the district courts, important finance measures, and, above all, the confessional ordinances of 1868. In 1870 his party lost its control of the government, and he led the opposition in the Reichsrat in its attacks on the ministries of Potocki and Hohenwart, until the fall of the latter in October 1871, brought the German Constitutional party more into power, when he became a leader of the government forces in the Lower House.
In the latter years of his life, during the Taaffe
régime, Herbst lost much of his former influence because of a split in his former compact party. Among his writings may be mentioned his Handbuch des österreichischen Strafrechts (seventh edition, 1882-84).
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n jurist and statesman, born 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...
. He was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of criminal law and the philosophy of law at Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
in 1858, was elected a deputy to the Bohemian Diet, and then, in accordance with the February patent of 1861, was elected by the Diet to the Lower House on the Austrian Reichsrat, where he became one of the most conspicuous members of the German Liberal, or Constitutional, party. In 1867 he was appointed Minister of Justice in the Liberal cabinet (Bürgerministerium) of Prince Carlos Auersperg.
As such, he introduced a number of important reforms — among them the abolition of imprisonment for debt, the introduction of the jury in libel suits against the press, the organization of the district courts, important finance measures, and, above all, the confessional ordinances of 1868. In 1870 his party lost its control of the government, and he led the opposition in the Reichsrat in its attacks on the ministries of Potocki and Hohenwart, until the fall of the latter in October 1871, brought the German Constitutional party more into power, when he became a leader of the government forces in the Lower House.
In the latter years of his life, during the Taaffe
Eduard Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe
Eduard Franz Joseph, 11th Viscount Taaffe was an Austrian statesman who held a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland.-Family background and early years:...
régime, Herbst lost much of his former influence because of a split in his former compact party. Among his writings may be mentioned his Handbuch des österreichischen Strafrechts (seventh edition, 1882-84).