Der aktuelle Band befasst sich mit dem Thema „Alkohol in der Rechtsgeschichte“. Die Einleitung der beiden Herausgeber, Gerhard Ammerer und Thomas Olechowski, gibt einen Überblick über die einschlägige Forschung in Österreich und zeigt die Bandbreite des Themas auf. In den nachfolgenden Aufsätzen werden einzelne Teilaspekte behandelt. Der Bogen spannt sich dabei von frühneuzeitlichen (den Alkohol betreffenden) Regelungen in der Stadt Salzburg (Gerhard Ammerer) über die Entwicklung der Biersteuer in Niederösterreich vom ausgehenden Mittelalter bis zum 19. Jahrhundert (Stefan Wedrac) und die Aufhebung des sogenannten Propinationsrechts in Galizien (Kamila Staudigl-Ciechowicz) bis zum Problem der Trunkenheit im k.u.k. Heer (Bernhard Gollob). Arbeitsrechtliche Aspekte werden im Beitrag über Alkohol als Entlassungsgrund behandelt (Christoph Schmetterer) und das vermutlich erste, wenn auch gescheiterte, Volksbegehren in Österreich hatte die Einschränkung des Alkoholkonsums zum Gegenstand (Thomas Olechowski). Von besonderer Aktualität sind die verschiedenen – nicht leicht miteinander in Einklang zu bringenden – Koranverse, die auf den Alkoholkonsum Bezug nehmen und mehrheitlich als striktes Alkoholverbot interpretiert werden (Stefan Schima).
Alkohol in der frühneuzeitlichen Stadt. Obrigkeitlicher Regelungsbedarf und Konkurrenzstrategien am Beispiel der Haupt‐ und Residenzstadt Salzburg
Beginning in the 16th century, with the emergence of the modern legislative state, the need for regulation of urban
economic matters, including that of alcoholic beverages, increased. This affected areas such as import, market, gastronomy,
etc. Above all, the police law should ensure order in the city. The introduction of taxes on beer, wine and
brandy contributed to the development of the civil service and financial state, and in Salzburg also the structural
redesign of the city. There was fierce competition between the inns, which also resulted in violations of the law. Enforcing
the government regulations proved difficult and led to discussions, disputes and sanctions.
Schlagworte: legislation, alcohol tax, liquor license, urban gastronomy, state brewery
Trunkenheit im k.u.k. Heer. Eine rechtshistorische Analyse im Lichte von Fallstudien ab 1900
The Military Criminal Code 1855 penalised alcohol intoxication in various ways. Based on the analysis of 36 legal
cases between 1900 and 1918 certain patterns in the practical approach of Austro‐Hungarian military courts can be
observed. In general, defendants faced trial only under specific circumstances. First offenders with an unblemished
criminal record were usually not prosecuted solely for being inebriated. Given the legal framework, (custodial) sentences
were generally rather mild. Overall, military courts adhered to the codes of criminal procedure and their basic principles.
Schlagworte: Austria‐Hungary, Drunkenness, Military Courts, Military Criminal Law
Österreichs erstes Volksbegehren? Johannes Ude, Adolf Merkl und der Kampf gegen den Alkohol
In 1927, a non‐party committee around the theology professor Johannes Ude and the law professor Adolf Merkl initiated
a popular initiative to restrict alcohol abuse. This direct democratic means of initiating a parliamentary bill had
been introduced into the federal constitution in 1920 but had never been used until then. Among other things, the
popular initiative aimed to ban the serving of alcohol at weekends, and drinking debts should not be enforceable. The
required hurdle of 200,000 votes could not be reached because none of the parliamentary parties were willing to support
the initiative. The church hierarchy also suppressed the political movement that had emanated from the priest
Ude and weakened the Christian Social Party.
Schlagworte: direct democracy, popular initiative, prohibition, Ude movement
Islamʼs ban on alcohol raises a lot of questions. It is not always clear to which substances the ban applies, or in which
cases exceptions might be medically justified. In addition, the question arises as to whether and in which cases it is
possible for later Koranic regulations to abolish earlier ones (abrogation). Furthermore, the legal reality will be addressed,
not least for Austria.
Schlagworte: abrogation (nash), alcohol ban, Muhammad, Quran
This article analyses drunkenness as cause of dismissal in Austrian labour law from the 19th to the 21st century. In
some branches of labour law alcohol is explicitly mentioned in this context (e.g. workers), in others not (e.g. employees).
This is quite typical of the fragmentation of Austrian labour law.
Schlagworte: alcohol, dismissal, labour law, workers
Das Propinationsrecht und seine Aufhebung in Galizien. Ein Querschnitt
In Galicia, the right of propination was understood as the exclusive right to produce and serve spirituous beverages.
The article gives an overview of the origins of the right of propination and its development in Galicia in the 19th century,
up to its abolition. Among other things, it deals with the question of which alcoholic beverages were covered by
the right of propination and what problems arose in practice. The article concludes with a look at the case law of the
Administrative Court on this subject.
Schlagworte: alcohol, Austria Hungary, Galicia, Propination Laws
Vom Ungeld zur Würzesteuer. Die Entwicklung der Biersteuer in Niederösterreich vom ausgehenden Mittelalter bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts
In the late Middle Ages, the sovereigns taxed beer through a general consumption tax, which was repeatedly approved
by the estates and eventually leased to them. In the later 17th century, the Habsburgs introduced a tax on production,
which, after experiments in the context of Enlightenment absolutism, was again absorbed into the system of consumption
taxes, albeit unified. The invention of the saccharometer finally made it possible to tax beer according to wort
content, which eventually happened.