Sprachenvielfalt und Länderautonomie in Österreich-Cisleithanien. Ein schwieriges Verhältnis. Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs|Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs Band 2 / 2020|

The essay describes the emergence and the sources of the law on languages as a very specific legal‐cultural phenomenon of the late Habsburg Monarchy, i.e. under the banner of the December Constitution. The many regulations concerning the languages which had to be used in administration, legislation and at the courts were an attempt of the Austrian state to defuse the ethnic struggle which threatened to disintegrate the Monarchy. However, it was an attempt which was thwarted by the autonomy of the “Länder” and even more so of the local communities. Especially the latter tried to establish uniform linguistic spaces within the respective municipalities. This kind of municipal language policy seriously aggravated the ethnic struggle in the Monarchy