Stephan Burián von Rajecz | |
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Austro-Hungarian Consul General to Bulgaria |
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In office 4 May 1887 – 5 November 1895 |
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Preceded by | Rüdiger Freiherr von Biegeleben |
Succeeded by | Guido Freiherr von Call zu Rosenburg und Kulmbach |
Austro-Hungarian Minister to Württemberg |
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In office 24 June 1896 – 16 February 1897 |
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Preceded by | Theodor Graf Zichy zu Zich und von Vásonykeö |
Succeeded by | Siegfried Graf von Clary und Aldringen |
Austro-Hungarian Minister to Greece |
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In office 16 February 1897 – 24 July 1903 |
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Preceded by | Gustav Freiherr von Kosjek |
Succeeded by | Karl Freiherr von Macchio |
Joint Finance Minister of Austria-Hungary |
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In office 24 July 1903 – 20 February 1912 |
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Preceded by | Agenor Graf Gołuchowski von Gołuchowo |
Succeeded by | Leon Ritter von Biliński |
Minister besides the King of Hungary | |
In office 10 June 1913 – 13 January 1915 |
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Preceded by | László Lukács de Erzsébetváros |
Succeeded by | Count István Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged |
Joint Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary |
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In office 13 January 1915 – 22 December 1916 |
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Preceded by | Leopold Graf Berchtold von und zu Ungarschitz, Frättling und Püllütz |
Succeeded by | Ottokar Graf Czernin von und zu Chudenitz |
Joint Finance Minister of Austria-Hungary |
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In office 22 December 1916 – 7 September 1918 |
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Preceded by | Konrad Prinz zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst |
Succeeded by | Alexander Freiherr von und zu Spitzmüller-Harmersbach |
Joint Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary |
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In office 16 April 1918 – 24 October 1918 |
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Preceded by | Ottokar Graf Czernin von und zu Chudenitz |
Succeeded by | Julius Graf Andrássy von Csíkszentkirály und Krasznahorka |
Personal details | |
Born |
Stampfen, Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia) |
16 January 1851
Died | 20 October 1922 Vienna, Austria |
(aged 71)
Spouse(s) | Olga, née Freiin Fejérváry von Komlós-Keresztes (1861–1931) |
Stephan Burián von Rajecz (Hungarian: rajeczi gróf Burián István) (16 January 1851 – 20 October 1922), commonly called: "Baron von Burian" or "Count Burian" in English language press reports (titles from 1900, Freiherr; from 1918, Graf) was an Austro-Hungarian politician, diplomat and statesman of Hungarian origin and served as Imperial Foreign Minister during World War I.
Stephan Burián von Rajecz was born in Stampfen (now Stupava) on 16 January 1851 into an ancient Hungarian noble family in what was then Upper Hungary (now Slovakia). In 1891, he married Olga née Freiin Fejérváry von Komlós-Keresztes (1861–1931), a daughter of General Géza Freiherr Fejérváry von Komlós-Keresztes, who briefly served as Hungarian Minister-President.
Burián entered the consular branch of the Austro-Hungarian foreign service following graduation from the Consular Academy. He subsequently served in Alexandria, Bucharest, Belgrade and Sofia. From 1882 to 1886 he headed the Consulate General in Moscow before being appointed as consul general in Sofia from 1887 to 1895, then served as minister in Stuttgart from 1896 to 1897 and in Athens from 1897 to 1903, which won him a reputation of a Balkan expert. In 1900, he was raised to the rank of Baron.
In July 1903, Baron Burián was appointed by Emperor Franz Joseph I to serve as Joint Finance Minister of Austria-Hungary, replacing the deceased Benjamin Kállay von Nagy-Kálló who had held the post since 1882. While the Imperial Finance Ministry only was responsible for the financing of common aspects of the Dual Monarchy, i.e. the Foreign Policy, the Army and the Navy), the administration of the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina fell under his responsibility following the annexation in 1908. Burián administered the two territories with a relatively mild hand and attempted to provide the population with a greater voice in the imperial administration. His conciliatory approach, however, failed to calm the country and only earned him the wrath of fellow bureaucrats. Burián left the post in February 1912 as he was finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile the various factions.