Karl Maria Alexander von Auersperg


Karl Maria Alexander, 9th Prince of Auersperg, Duke of Gottschee was an Austrian landowner and politician.

Biography

Karl Maria Alexander was heir to the influential mediatized House of Auersperg. His father, Prince Adolf of Auersperg was Minister-President of Austria. The same position was held by his uncle Prince Karl Wilhelm of Auersperg. He was cavalry master of the reserve, Chief Treasurer and Chief Land-marshal in Carniola and the Windic March. He was also Privy Councilor and Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
From 1894 to 1902 he was a member of the Landtag of Lower Austria as the representative of the constitutionally loyal landowners. In 1891 he succeeded his uncle Prince Karl Wilhelm as hereditary member of the House of Lords, where he became the House's Vice-President and leader of the Constitutional Party from 1897 to 1907.
As a member of the Reichsrat he represented the constituency of Gottschee in the Austrian House of Representatives from 1907 to 1911. He represented agricultural interests as President of the agricultural society and firmly opposed the introduction of universal suffrage.

Family

He was the son of Prince Adolf Wilhelm Daniel of Auersperg and Countess Johanna Festetics de Tolna. On the death of his uncle, Prince Karl Wilhem, he became 9th Prince of Auersperg, Duke of Gottschee, Princely Count of Wels.
In 1885 he married Countess Eleonore von, daughter of Count August von Breunner-Enkevoirth, with whom he had five children. Their elder son Adolf continued the main Princely line, the younger son Karl took the name Prinz von Auersperg-Breunner as adoptive son of his aunt, Countess Ernestine Coudenhove, and founded a cadet branch.