Aulic Council
Encyclopedia
The Aulic Council was originally an executive-judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire
.
Known in German
as the Reichshofrat (literally meaning Court Council of the Empire) it was one of the two supreme courts of the Empire, the other being the Imperial Chamber Court . It had not only concurrent jurisdiction with the latter court, but in many cases exclusive jurisdiction, in all feudal processes, and in criminal affairs, over the immediate feudatories of the Emperor and in affairs which concerned the Imperial Government.
Originating during the later Middle Ages
as a paid Council of the Emperor, it was organized in its later form by Maximilian I
in 1497, as a rival to the Imperial Chamber Court, which the Imperial Diet had forced upon him. It was composed of a president, a vice-president, a vice-chancellor, and 18 councillors, who were all chosen and paid by the Emperor, with the exception of the vice-chancellor, who was appointed by the Elector of Mainz. Of the 18 councilors, six were Protestants, whose votes, when they were unanimous, were an effective veto, so that a religious parity was to some extent preserved. The seat of the Aulic Council was at the Imperial residence, in Vienna
. On the death of the Emperor, the Council was dissolved and had to be reconstructed by his successor.
Napoleon I
's gains after the Battle of Austerlitz
culminated in the end of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Aulic Council ceased to exist in 1806 as an imperial institution.
A war council of the same name was created in the Austrian Empire
.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
Known in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
as the Reichshofrat (literally meaning Court Council of the Empire) it was one of the two supreme courts of the Empire, the other being the Imperial Chamber Court . It had not only concurrent jurisdiction with the latter court, but in many cases exclusive jurisdiction, in all feudal processes, and in criminal affairs, over the immediate feudatories of the Emperor and in affairs which concerned the Imperial Government.
Originating during the later Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as a paid Council of the Emperor, it was organized in its later form by Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
in 1497, as a rival to the Imperial Chamber Court, which the Imperial Diet had forced upon him. It was composed of a president, a vice-president, a vice-chancellor, and 18 councillors, who were all chosen and paid by the Emperor, with the exception of the vice-chancellor, who was appointed by the Elector of Mainz. Of the 18 councilors, six were Protestants, whose votes, when they were unanimous, were an effective veto, so that a religious parity was to some extent preserved. The seat of the Aulic Council was at the Imperial residence, in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. On the death of the Emperor, the Council was dissolved and had to be reconstructed by his successor.
Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's gains after the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
culminated in the end of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Aulic Council ceased to exist in 1806 as an imperial institution.
A war council of the same name was created in the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
.