Count Richard von Bienerth-Schmerling

Richard Freiherr von Bienerth, 1915 Count of Bienerth - Schmerling ( born March 2, 1863 in Verona, † June 3, 1918 in Vienna ) was an Austrian civil servant, minister and prime minister.

Life

He was the son of the Austrian Field Marshal Lieutenant Karl von Bienerth (1825-1882) and maternal grandson of the State Minister and later President of the Supreme Court and the Court of Cassation Anton Schmerling ( 1805-1893 ).

Bienerth joined his government service in 1884 in the Styrian governor's office to, made in 1886 a civil service career in the Ministry of Education in Vienna, was from 1899 to 1905 Vice- President in the Lower Austrian Provincial School Board, took over on 11 September 1905 as a section chief in the Cabinet Paul Gautsch the management of the Ministry of Education, which he held in short-lived Ministry to Konrad Hohenlohe. In the cabinet Max Wladimir von Beck he was then on June 2, 1906 to November 15, 1908 Minister of the Interior and worked among other things on the electoral reform ( introduction of universal male suffrage ) of 1907. After the fall of Beck Emperor Franz Joseph I appointed him prime minister, a post which he held from 15 November 1908 to 28 June 1911. After losing the parliamentary working majority for the government after the Imperial Council elections of June 1911 which brought the Christian Social Party and the Polish Club strong mandate losses, he resigned as Prime Minister and served the state as governor of Lower Austria - as the successor of Erich Kielmansegg and despite outbreak of an incurable disease - until November 28, 1915 on. Simultaneously with his resignation as governor made ​​him the emperor the title of count.