Staatsrat#

Staatsrat (State Council): 1) Supreme advisory body established by Maria Theresia in 1760, comprising three members of the noblemen´s Estate (called "Staatsminister", "State Ministers") and three of the knights´ Estate (called "Staatsrat", "State Councillor"). Except for the Staatskanzler (State Chancellor) no member was allowed to hold another office. Alongside the Staatsrat, a Conferenz-Rat ("Conference Council") with a separate presidency was set up under Franz I. The Conference was turned into the Staatskonferenz in 1836, the Staatsrat became a tribunal for administrative matters and existed until April 4, 1848. Similar functions and responsibilities were entrusted to the "staendiger und verstaerkter Reichsrat" ("permanent and reinforced Imperial Council") from 1850-1861, which, from the February Patent of February 26, 1861 until 1867, was followed by an organ again called Staatsrat.

2) Executive committee elected by the Provisional National Assembly on October 21, 1918, composed of 20 members in proportion to the size of the parties, including the three presidents of the National Assembly; claimed the role of government (as far as it could gain acceptance) from October 30, 1918. After the abdication of Emperor Karl I on November 11, 1918 until December 9, 1920 it was the highest executive organ and was entrusted with the state administration (Cabinet of the State Secretaries heading the Staatsamt ministries). The president of the Staatsrat directorate was Head of State until December 9, 1920.

3) One of the organs entrusted with preparatory deliberations on acts of legislation at the time of the Corporate State 1934-1938 (according to the Constitution of May 1, 1934), it consisted of 40-50 members appointed by the Federal President.

Literature#