Karl Freiherr Haus von Hausen (29 September 1823 – 29 July 1889) was an Austrian noble and civil servant who served as the Governor of Liechtenstein from 1861 to 1884. Hausen was born into an Austrian noble family of Franconian origins, which was amalgamated under the title 'von Hausen' by Francis II in 1797.[1]
Career
Austrian civil service
From 1845 Hausen worked as an intern in the government of lower Austria. From 1850 to 1854 he was the district administrator of Poysdorf, then Korneuburg from 1854 to 1855. He became head of the district office in Valtice. During this time, he played a role in managing the response to a cholera pandemic in the district. As a result, he was awarded honorary citizenship in Valtice in 1861.[1]
Governor of Liechtenstein
Early on in the reign of Johann II he found resurgent calls for a new Liechtenstein constitution, and the constitutional council was reformed, which had previously been disbanded in 1852 following the revolution of 1848 in Liechtenstein.[2] In April 1861, Hausen was appointed by Johann II as the Governor of Liechtenstein, succeeding Michael Menzinger.[3] In this position, he acted as a mediator between the constitutional council and Johann II, and he also managed to maintain public trust in the government.[1] At first, he created his own draft constitution but then relented and convinced Johann II to sign the draft proposed by the constitutional council, primarily produced by Karl Schädler.[1][2] The draft was reviewed by an unknown German legal expert and formed the basis of the 1862 Constitution of Liechtenstein, which was ratified on 26 September.[4][5] It was heavily inspired by the constitution of Vorarlberg and largely addressed the demands of the revolutionaries in Liechtenstein.[2][5]
Under the new constitution, the position of Governor was formalized, and the Landtag of Liechtenstein was formed for the first time.[4] During his time as Governor, together with now President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein Karl Schädler, they wrote several administrative laws including, but not limited to laws regarding school legislation, tax reforms, agricultural reforms and trade union regulations.[1][2] Under his initiative, the National Bank of Liechtenstein was founded in 1861, and a law was passed establishing autonomy for the municipalities of Liechtenstein in 1864.[1]
In addition, during Hausen's time as Governor, the Landtag came into political conflict with Johann II, primarily regarding foreign policy. For example, during the Second Schleswig War in 1864, Johann II supported the cause of both Austria and Prussia, whereas the Landtag had protest voted against the use of military force against Denmark. However, no action was taken.[6] Most notably in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 Johann II placed the Liechtenstein military at the disposal of Austria.[7] However, the Landtag had not been consulted regarding the deployment, and the war was unpopular among the population; as such, it faced resistance from the Landtag.[8][9] As a result, he promised a loan to the country and refused to have his men fight against other Germans.[8] It was this, in combination to the rising costs of maintaining it, that led to the Liechtenstein military being disbanded in 1868 and the country declaring its permanent neutrality.[10][11]
Hausen was awarded honorary citizenship in Liechtenstein on 8 July 1869 by Johann II by recommendation of the Landtag. He was made a Liechtenstein baron in 1884. Starting from the 1870s, he developed a heart condition which impeded him from his duties and eventually led to his resignation as Governor on 23 September 1884.[1] He was succeeded by Carl von In der Maur.[3]
Personal life
Hausen married Wilhelmine Beinhauer (9 March 1831 – 25 November 1918), the daughter of an Imperial and Royal Lower Austrian governor family, on 11 April 1850; they had one daughter together.[1] She later married prominent architect Ignaz Bankó.[12]
Following his resignation as Governor, Hausen moved to Innsbruck. He died on 29 July 1889 in Lindau, aged 65 years old.[1]
