Bürgerministerium

Bürgerministerium (Bourgeois Ministry), 1868-1870, the first ministry established after the adoption of the "December Constitution". It was headed by Prince Karl Auersperg (until June 1868), who was succeeded by E. Taaffe (from June 1868 to January 1870) and by J. W. Berger (from January to April 1870); the bourgeois ministry comprised the most important representatives of the bourgeois German liberal constitutional party (J. W. Berger, R. Brestel, K. Giskra, L. Hasner, G. Herbst and I. Plener); the general public expected the bourgeois cabinet to implement their major demands in the fields of cultural, economic and domestic policy; the bourgeois ministry was able to enact several liberal reforms, e.g., undoing parts of the Concordat of 1855, reaching consensus as to the law regulating primary education (Reichsvolksschulgesetz), introducing compulsory military service, and improving the state budget.

Literature: W. Rudolf, Karl Fürst Auersperg als Minister-Präsident (1868), in: MIÖG 85 (1977).