Das Kriegswirtschaftliche Ermächtigungsgesetz 1917. Von seiner Entstehung 1917 bis zu seiner Aufhebung 1946

Abstract

In 1917, the Austrian parliament passed a statute – entitled ‘Kriegswirtschaftliches Ermächtigungsgesetz’ (KwEG) – that empowered the government to enact statutory orders on matters concerning wartime economy. The article describes the genesis of the KwEG and discusses the use of this emergency tool in interwar Austria. Although the war ended in 1918, the government continued to pass ordinances based on the KwEG until 1934. This was possible due to the vague wording of the provisions of this law. The article illustrates the different opinions on the use and abuse of this statute.