Wilhelm Biener

Wilhelm Biener (Bienner) (1590 – 17 July 1651) was a lawyer, and chancellor of Tyrol.

Born in Lauchheim in what is now Baden-Württemberg, he was employed by Margrave Karl von Burgau from 1620 onwards. After having served under the Elector of Bavaria, Maximilian I from 1625 to 1630, he was appointed by Emperor Ferdinand II to be a judge at the Imperial Court. He was assigned to Archduke Leopold V of Tyrol, initially in an advisory function, but in 1638 he became court chancellor, a function he was to hold until 1650, first under Archduchess Claudia de' Medici and, after her death in 1648, under her son, Archduke Ferdinand Charles.

On behalf of the Archduchess Claudia de' Medici, Biener administered the collection of revenues. He became unpopular in this occupation, particularly after exchanging heated correspondence with the Bishop of Brixen over taxes the Bishop believed the principality was exempt from paying.

Wilhelm Biener tightened the administration, and fought against corruption and official malpractice. He prevented the secession of the ecclesiastical principalities Brixen and Trento by enforcing their contractual ties to Tyrol so that, as a consequence, these territories remained under the authority of the Tyrol.

Through careful diplomacy, he also prevented a French invasion of the Münstertal in Switzerland and settled disagreements with Graubünden farmers, who were nominally still subject to Tyrol but in fact already were independent.

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