AUREL ONCIUL ŞI CHESTIUNEA LIMBILOR ÎN IMPERIUL HABSBURGIC
AUREL ONCIUL AND THE QUESTION OF THE LANGUAGES IN THE HABSBURG EMPIRE

Summary/Abstract: The present paper explores the problems arising from the multilingualism within the Habsburg Empire, with a focus on the juridical work Zur österreichischen Sprachenfrage (Vienna, 1898), published by the politician, jurist and translator Aurel Onciul (1864−1921). The book comprises five parts regarding the history of the provisions about multilingualism and the use of the official languages in Austria, the applicable law with the author’s comments, the problems arising and the solutions proposed, conclusions and statistic tables with the languages used in every town in the Habsburg Empire. The ideas regarding the clerks’ professionalism were supported by the author also by publishing in 1895 two works meant to help with the administrative tasks in the national language Romanian in Bukovina: Repertoriu pentru secretarii comunali and Dicţionar juridic-politic. Zur österreichischen Sprachenfrage demonstrates that the multilingualism was an important question even at the dawn of the Habsburg Empire and Onciul’s political position, and represents in first line not a work of history of law, but rather a political manifesto for sustaining the centre Vienna and for promoting the national spirit by use of the national languages in the courts of law and administration.

• Details
• Contents