Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 36. (1983)
COONS, Ronald E.: Reflections of a Josephinist. Two Addenda to count Franz Hartig's „Genesis der Revolution in Österreich im Jahre 1848”
216 Ronald E. Coons more important, Baumann’s close friend, Eduard von Bauernfeld, had long been cultivated by Kolowrat43) and served on the eve of the revolution as an important link between the Viennese intellectual community and the leadership of the Lower Austrian diet. He was also in communication with Kolowrat. On March 8, two days after Kolowrat and Archduke Franz Karl conspicuously attended a meeting of the Lower Austrian Gewerbeverein at which a petition favoring reform was voted, and on the day another reform petition was to be discussed before the Leseverein, Bauernfeld noted in his diary: „Die Stimmung hier merkwürdig. Alles erwartet sich große Aenderungen, und Alles ist voll Haß gegen Metternich. In der Dienstagsredoute erzählte man sich ungenirt, daß man vorhabe, ihm die Fenster einzuwerfen. Eine gewisse Partei scheint das zu wünschen, um losschlagen zu können. — Sehr zahme Demonstration im Gewerbeverein. Da Erzherzog Franz Karl antwortete, so war die Sache vermuthlich abgekartet. — Ich schrieb etwas Besseres für den jur.=polit. Leseverein. Weiß noch nicht, ob man es angenommen und ob man Unterschriften sammeln wird. — Vor ein paar Tagen bei Kolowrat. — Er sagte, er sei 71 Jahre alt und werde abtreten, wenn man nicht Reformen mache. Ich sagte ihm, ,der auf dem Ballplatz1 müßte binnen acht Tagen abtreten. Von [Erzherzog] Ludwig schwieg ich. — Daß sich oben Intriguen anspinnen, ist außer Zweifel. Vermuthlich werden die alten Herren springen“ 44). At the very least, the entry in Bauernfeld’s diary proves that but a few days before the revolution, Kolowrat was for all intents and purposes told that unless Metternich resigned in the immediate future, liberals would bring their demands for his dismissal before the Lower Austrian diet when it assembled on March 13. Kolowrat may well have been a participant in a conspiracy to drive Metternich from power. It is entirely possible, however, that he realized that under the circumstances his active «) The most notable example of Kolowrat’s use of Bauernfeld to gain favor within the Viennese intellectual community is the performance of Großjährig, Bauernfeld’s satire on Mettemich’s system, which was given on Kolowrat’s estate in the summer of 1846. It was Baumann who brought his friend’s play to his superior’s attention and who helped arrange for the amateur performance, which in turn paved the way for the subsequent production of the play by the Hofburgtheater. See Erinnerungen aus Alt-Wien von Eduard Bauernfeld, ed. Josef B i n d t n e r (Wien 1923) 269. 44) Aus Bauernfelds Tagebüchern, ed. Karl Glossy, 1 (Wien 1895) 140—141. On the Gewerbeverein’s petition of March 6 and on the Bürgerpetition, the final draft of which was written by Bauernfeld and Alexander Bach, see Reschauer Das Jahr 1848 1 133—136 and 141—144. Contrary to Bauernfeld’s hopes, the Leseverein declined formally to adopt the Bürgerpetition in order to avoid compromising itself politically; see Friedrich Engel-Jánosi Der Wiener juridisch-politische Leseverein. Seine Geschichte bis zur Märzrevolution in Mitteilungen des Vereines für Geschichte der Stadt Wien 4 (1923) 66. Whatever can be said concerning Kolowrat’s active promotion of change in March 1848, there is no doubt that he did nothing to discourage those who wished Metternich removed from power.
