Tradition als Innovation. Finanzverwaltung in der Habsburgermonarchie um 1700
Tradition as innovation: Financial administration in the Habsburg Monarchy around 1700

Summary/Abstract: The paper deals with the process of introducing mercantile principles into the Habsburg financial administration. A lot of ideas were already suggested by the economic thinkers of the 2nd half of the 17th century such as Johann Joachim Becher or Philipp Wilhelm of Hörnigk. Of course this is well known but the article tries to illustrate the struggle of the Habsburg counselors for improving government and administration in the Habsburg lands. Only in the first half of the 18th century several suggestions were implemented (again) which is the credit of influential groups and individuals at the Viennese court. Count Gundacker Thomas Starhemberg was one of them. The second part of the paper concentrates on the newly created Secret Financial Conference which was strongly influenced by Starhemberg and its attempts to implement the mentioned principles.

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