1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Badeni, Kasimir, Count

BADENI, KASIMIR, (1846-1909), Austrian statesman, was born Oct. 14 1846 at Surachovo in Galicia, his family being of Italian origin. He studied law and served some years in the Ministry of the Interior and from 1879 at Cracow as lieutenant of the governor of Galicia. He resigned the Government service in 1886, but two years later was appointed governor (Statthalter) of Galicia, where he ruled the Ruthenians with a strong hand. In Sept. 1895 he was appointed Austrian prime minister, and his attitude was at first satisfactory to the German-Austrians. In 1897, however, in order to gain the support of the Czechs for the new Ausgleich with Hungary, he made certain important concessions in respect of the official use of the Czech language in Bohemia. This was done by ordinance, without parliamentary sanction, and met with violent opposition from the German deputies, some of whom were imprisoned. The storm of indignation aroused among the German-Austrians by this policy, which led to imposing demonstrations in the streets of Vienna, led to Badeni's downfall on Nov. 28 1897. He died July 9 1909.


 * (Author:Carl Brockhausen)