Bundeskanzleramt#

Federal Chancellery (from 1918 to 1920 and from April to December 1945 "State Chancellery"), headed by the Federal Chancellor; together with the other Federal Ministries it handles the affairs of the supreme federal administration. The federal chancellery is subdivided into 5 sections, which deal in particular with the following matters: awards and etiquette; staff and organisational affairs; documentation and information (administrative library); supervision of Statistik Oesterreich (Austrian Central Statistical Office) and the Austrian State Archive; all programmes for promoting the arts and culture (Department for the Arts); information service on behalf of the Federal Government (Federal Press Service); general government policy matters and coordination of economic policy issues which go beyond the remit of the individual ministries and departments; social partnership issues (Paritaetische Kommission); OECD matters (Department for Coordination); matters concerning the federal constitution (Constitutional Law Service). Ministerial responsibility for women's issues were transferred from the Federal Chancellery to the Federal Ministry for Social Security and Generations ( Sozialministerium) in 2000. The federal government holds weekly sessions in the Federal Chancellery ( Council of Ministers).

Until 1918 the building of the Federal Chancellery at Ballhausplatz opposite the Amalien tract of the Wiener Hofburg (imperial palace) housed the Imperial Ministry for External Affairs. It was built from 1717 to 1719 to a design by J. L. von Hildebrandt as Court Chancery; it was enlarged by N. Pacassi from 1764 to 1767; in 1902/03 the National Archives at Minoritenplatz were added, in 1944 it was damaged by bombs and reconstructed after the war. State Chancellor Prince Kaunitz lived in the building for many years; during the Congress of Vienna (1814/15) most of the conferences were held in the building of the Federal Chancellery. In 1934 E. Dollfuss was assassinated in the federal chancellery.

Literature#