Badeni, Kasimir Felix Graf#

b. Surochów (Poland), Oct. 14, 1846, d. Krasne (Poland), July 9, 1909, politician. 1888 governor of Galicia; as Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs (1895-1897) reformed the electoral system in 1896 (introduced an electoral body for all citizens over 24 years of age although this still only secured 72 of the 425 seats) and issued the B. language decree in 1897 according to which Czech became the official second language in Bohemia and Moravia (even in the German-speaking regions). Administrative procedures were thus to be dealt with in the language of the party filing the application. In Vienna, Graz and Bohemia this unleashed ethnic clashes in provincial parliaments and on the streets and eventually led to B.´s downfall.

Literature#