The Minutes of the Austrian Cabinet Council 1919–1920

Ministry council minutes are an outstanding source for political history, constitutional history, and many other disciplines. They set out the broad guidelines for politics and reveal the motivations of the actors involved. Their publication in a scientifically annotated and edited form provides an important basis for further research in all disciplines dealing with (legal) historical issues. Subject of the research project is the publication of the previously unedited cabinet council minutes of the Renner government from 3 February 1919 to 25 June 1920. This period is of crucial importance, not least for Austrian legal and constitutional history. It includes, among other things, the first elections of the republic (in which women were eligible to vote for the first time) in February 1919, the reform of the provisional constitution in March 1919, he passing of the Habsburg and Nobility Abolition Acts in April 1919, the negotiations and conclusion of the Treaty of St. Germain with the victorious powers of World War I between May and September 1919, and a large part of the negotiations on the definitive federal constitution of Austria, the Federal Constitutional Law (B-VG) of 1920. As part of the three-year project, the relevant documents will be digitized, scientifically annotated and prepared for publication. The edition will be published in a hybrid format, i.e., both as a print version and as an open access publication in the form of an online edition. The print volumes, which will be published after the project is completed, will be created born-digital, i.e., from the same data set as the online edition. There are also plans to retro-digitize the first volume of the edition series, which is currently only available in print, as part of the project and to include it in the online edition. This means that, once the project is complete, all minutes of the Cabinet Council on the establishment of the republic of Austria from October 1918 to July 1920 will be available online and open access.