A ( ) or 'Circle' was an administrative division of the Habsburg monarchy and Austrian Empire between 1748 and 1867.
History Creation After the Prussian annexation of the bulk of Silesia following the First and Second Silesian Wars, it became apparent that Frederick II's administrative structures allowed him to take much higher tax revenues from the area. Therefore, in the years following end of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, Maria Theresa and Joseph II enacted several administrative reforms with Prussia as a model, and the old territorial divisions were converted into new . These reforms were carried out by Maria Theresa's advisor Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz and continued under chancellor Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg from 1760. The bureaucratisation in the form of ('circle offices', ) lessened the influence of the estates by essentially separating them from the administration of the realms.
The origin of the as a unit of administration lay in Bohemia, where ( in German) had existed as territorial units since the 14th century (see Bohemia § Historical administrative divisions). Through the reform the system was further developed and applied to the Habsburgs' other realms (other than Hungary). In the Archduchy of Austria and Duchy of Styria the old quarters () served as a basis for the new (Waldviertel, Mostviertel, Industrieviertel and Weinviertel in Lower Austria; Innviertel, Hausruckviertel, Mühlviertel, and Traunviertel in Upper Austria; ).
The Hungarian counterparts were the ( or , formerly spelled ; ), which had existed for much longer and were dominated by the nobility.
In Lombardy–Venetia (1815–1859/66) there were "delegations", which gave rise to the later Provinces.
After 1848 The ('office districts'), or more precisely the ('district offices'), created in the reforms which followed the Revolutions of 1848 (specifically those of 1849Gesetz vom 26. Juni 1849, RGBl. 295/1849: and 1853Gesetz vom 19. Jänner 1853, RGBl. 10/1853: ), largely took over the responsibilities of the .
These were proposed as early as 1849 by Interior Minister Alexander von Bach as part of a necessary reform to the administrative apparatus to deal with the increase in the number citizens interacting with the offices following the final abolition of serfdom in 1848. The administrations were thereby subdivided into subordinate . Some smaller were abolished or merged. The system was also expanded to the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar (formerly part of southern Hungary) and the Grand Principality of Transylvania in the course of these reforms.
The statutory cities were also excluded from administration, much like they are excluded from the modern districts ().
Abolition With the creation of the political districts () in 1868, which go back to the December Constitution of 1867, the divisions were abolished and replaced with much more finely divided divisions; however, the newly created district commissions () were strongly influenced by the former administrations.
Organisation With the there was for the first time a level of administration between the manors and free cities and the (in the crown lands the gubernatorial administration). At the head of every was a (roughly 'circle/district captain/head'; see ), whose officials were entrusted with clearly defined tasks, which significantly disempowered the estates in financial matters. The were the lowest level of political administration. This brought together direct oversight of taxation, as well as the conscription and recruitment system, the supervision of schools and poorhouses, the supervision of the individual municipalities and the protection of the peasants before the manor lords. The captains were obliged to travel to the at least once per year or allow the inspectors to visit. For this the captains received a state salary, but were not allowed to hold any other lordly or stately offices and were bound to their instructions.
The were subordinate to the (the administrative bodies of the crown lands, roughly governorates).
Legacy Despite numerous reforms, the borders of the are still roughly visible in the 39 Austrian electoral districts. Also the divisions () of the district courts (; now regional courts – ) are essentially equivalent to those of the former . The 35 NUTS 3 regions are loosely aligned with the former divisions.
List of The following is a list of the and statutory cities in the non-Hungarian lands of the Austrian Empire (Cisleithania in later terminology) ; pre-1848 are also listed where applicable.
Lands of the Bohemian Crown
Kingdom of Bohemia
Name Seat/administrative centre Notes German Czech itself (Prague) Statutory city , Prague formed in 1849 from and parts of and or ; in Prague abolished in 1849; divided between the and or ; in Prague abolished in 1849; mostly divided between the and , with some areas passing to the or / abolished in 1849 or / or / or Chrudim , or / or / established in 1849 from and part of or / became in 1849 , or / established in 1849 from or / became in 1849 or / or ('circle/district courts') 1854: Leitmeritz, Böhmisch-Leipa or in 1849 absorbed or Písek established in 1849 from or or became in 1849 or / or or / abolished in 1849 (absorbed into )
The in Bohemia were abolished in 1862 (enacted 23 October, effective 31 October).Gesetz vom 23. October 1862, RGBl. 73/1862:
1849–54 In the 1849 administrative reforms which followed the Revolutions of 1848 and introduced the first political districts (), the of Bohemia were reduced to seven:Gesetz vom 9. August 1849, RGBl. 352/1849:
These lasted until the reforms of 1853/54.Gesetz vom 9. October 1854, RGBl. 274/1854:
Margraviate of Moravia
Until 1848 part of the joint of Moravia and Silesia ( or ; ). City of Brünn () or (); in the late 18th century included the area around Saar/Žďár, Neustadtl/Nové Město and Bystrzitz/Bystřice, which later became part of the . or (; ) (; ); until 1848: or (; ); Prerau/Přerov itself became part of in 1854. or (; ) City of Olmütz ( subordinate to ) or (; ) or (; )
The traditional Moravian were abolished in 1849 (see below) but were reconstituted (with some border changes and with / replacing /) in 1854 and divided into (76 in total, excluding the cities of Brünn and Olmütz). Changes included: the assignment of the upper (southern) Bečva valley (/Vsetín) to (formerly part of the ) the assignment of (Přerov) to (formerly the nominal seat of the ). the assignment of (Hodonín) and (Kroměříž) to (formerly of the and the respectively; /Kvasice, which was part of the new had already been part of the pre-1848) the assignment of the and (Jevíčko, Moravská Třebová and Svitavy), as well as part of the new around (Knínice) to (formerly of the ). the assignment of (Mikulov) to (formerly of the ). several settlements along the borders of , and , as well as several exclaves, changed hands, including (Velká Bíteš; from Znaim to Iglau) and (Ivančice; from Znaim to Brünn).
The Moravian were dissolved in 1860 and their (and ) subordinated directly to the in Brünn/Brno.Gesetz vom 5. Juni 1860, RGBl. 142/1860:
1849–54 In the 1849 administrative reforms which followed the Revolutions of 1848 and introduced the first political districts (), the of Moravia were reduced to two:Gesetz vom 9. August 1849, RGBl. 355/1849:
The six pre-revolution were reconstituted, with various changes, in the reforms of 1853/54.Gesetz vom 21. April 1854, RGBl. 103/1854:
Austrian Silesia
Formally the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia (). Until 1848 part of the joint of Moravia and Silesia ( or ). Although administratively separate Silesia was judicially subordinate to Brünn (Moravia) thereafter.Gesetz vom 21. April 1854, RGBl. 104/1854: Austrian Silesia had no after the 1849 or 1853 reforms, but the separate remained for judicial matters. City of Troppau () or () or (; ; seat at , , ; similar to Cieszyn Silesia but with an exclave on the far side of the Oder)
From 1860 Silesia was administered once again from the Moravian in Brünn/Brno but remained a formally separate crown land.
Archduchy of Austria
Austria below the Enns Corresponds with modern Lower Austria. from 1850: the city of Vienna ()Gesetz vom 20. März 1850, LGBl. 21/1850: (traditionally part of the ) ('Circle above the Manhartsberg'); seat at Krems.Gesetz vom 25. November 1853, RGBl. 249/1853: ('Circle above the Vienna Woods'), seat at Sankt Pölten. ('Circle below the Manhartsberg'); seat at Korneuburg. ('Circle below the Vienna Woods'); seat at Wiener Neustadt from 1853; administered from Vienna, Baden and Wiener Neustadt; earlier Traiskirchen. from 1866: the city of Wiener NeustadtGesetz vom 19. September 1866, LGBl. 17/1866:
Austria above the Enns Corresponds with modern Upper Austria. The in Austria above the Enns were from 1749 subdivided into district commissions and regional courts. With a register, which provides both the topographic and genealogical lexicon, and the map. Geographical-historical-statistical detail after Districts-Commissioner. (Google eBook); (2nd edition 1843 Google Book) from 1850: the city of LinzErlaß vom 15. Juni 1850, LGBl. 261/1850: (previously part of the ; part of the until the early 19th century) ; 1810–16 partially annexed to Bavarian . Seat at Wels.Gesetz vom 25. November 1853, RGBl. 250/1853: after 1779: ; annexed from the Electorate of Bavaria by the 1779 Treaty of Teschen; 1810–16 to Bavarian . Seat at Ried. ; seat at Linz (from the early 19th century). Comprised the areas north of the Danube and, from the early 19th century, the immediate area around Linz. Initially divided into and , corresponding to the pre-1779 (upper, western) and / (lower, eastern). from 1867: the city of SteyrGesetz vom 18. Jänner 1867, LGBl. 8/1850: (traditionally part of the ) ; seat at Steyer. Traditionally bounded by the Traun river. In the early 19th century expanded to include part of the western Traun basin, roughly up to the boundaries of the modern Gmunden District (excluding St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut). Upon the re-establishment of the in 1853 roughly the western third of the previous , including Ischl, Gmunden and Hallstatt (roughly corresponding to the modern Gmunden District and some parts of the Wels-Land District south of the Traun), became part of the . 1816–1849: or (see below); the Electorate of Salzburg was mediatised to Austria in the 1805 Peace of Pressburg; 1810–16 to Bavarian ; integrated into Austria above the Enns as a in 1816. Seat at Salzburg.
Duchy of Salzburg (from 1849) Formerly the or of Austria above the Enns, the Duchy of Salzburg became a crown land in its own right (with a single ) on 26 June 1849Gesetz vom 26. Juni 1849, RGBl. 289/1849: (formally constituted 30 DecemberPatent vom 30. December 1849, RGBl. 3/1849: ). The Duchy of Salzburg had no after 1853. City of Salzburg or (1849 to 1853)
Duchy of Styria
The Duchy of Styria (, contemporary spelling ), although administered as a single /, was divided into upper and lower parts – () and (). The upper part, which comprised the and , corresponds with the modern Austrian use of the term Upper Styria, i.e. the modern districts of Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, Leoben, Liezen, Murau and Murtal in the north-west of the modern Austrian state of Styria; from 1848 it was synonymous with the now-expanded . The lower part, which comprised the , and , included all of Slovene Styria and the modern Austrian .
City of Graz (from 1850) or (also spelled Gratz(er), Grätz(er)) or (Bruck an der Mur); ('circle/district court') in 1854 in Leoben. or (, ); in 1848 northwestern parts merged into ; ('circle/district court') in 1854 in Cilli.Gesetz vom 31. Jänner 1854, RGBl. 27/1854: until 1848: or (; merged into 1848; also spelled Zilli(er)) until 1848: or (Judenburg; merged into 1848)
Kingdom of Illyria (until 1849)