The House of Stadion and the Problematic Marriage of Rudolph von Stadion with Gisela Hadik von Futak : A Study into Marital Policy of Central European Aristocracy in the "Long" 19th Century
Abstrakt
The paper analyses the history of the ancient House of Stadion and its marital policy in the 19th century with particular focus on the marriage between Rudolph Count von Stadion (1808-1882) and Gisela Countess Hadik von Futak (1825-1890), marked by Gisela's divorce with Wilhelm Baron von Baillou (1815-1890). The main aim of the paper is to analyse (1) the circumstances of Gisela's first marriage preceded by her kidnapping, (2) the issues surrounding her second marriage to the count von Stadion and efforts for this marriage to be recognised, (3) reaction on the part of relatives and the issue of the inheritance of the fideikomis.
Both mentioned marriages completely defy the customs of the aristocratic conservative circles and represent a very non-standard method of matrimonial noble strategies in the context of then marital law.