Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/15

13 cession made by the Bohemians, consented to remove some of the grossest anomalies connected with the electoral system of Bohemia, which had hitherto been most unfairly partial to the German minority of the population. The government of Count Taafe also consented to the foundation of a Bohemian university in Prague, which in the few years of its existence has already contributed largely to the intellectual development of Bohemia.

On the fall of the government of Count Taafe, prince Alfred Windischgrätz became prime minister. The policy of his shortlived government was hostile to Bohemia; he was soon replaced by Count Badeni. This statesman again attempted to conciliate Bohemia. He did not indeed consider it possible to reopen the question of the autonomy of Bohemia but he endeavoured to remedy some of the most serious grievances of the country. In the beginning of the year 1897. Count Badeni issued a decree, which stated, that after a certain date all government officials, who wished to be employed in Bohemia, would have to prove a certain knowledge of the Bohemian, as well of the German language. This decree met with violent opposition on the part of the German inhabitants of Austria and caused the fall of the cabinet of Count Badeni in the autumn of 1897. After a brief interval he was succeded by Count Thun and then by Count Clary, whose government repealed the decree that had to a certain extent granted equal rights to the Bohemian language. In consequence troubles broke out in Prague, that were severely repressed by the Austrian government. During the subsequent governments of Körber, Gautsch, Prince Hohenlohe and Beck the Bohemians have generally opposed the central government of Vienna, though they have sometimes taken up an opportunist attitude, when this appeared to be in the interest of their country.