and is the basis on which the present constitution for half the empire was framed. On his retirement he returned to his judicial duties; in 1867 he was made life-member of the Upper House (Herrenhaus) in the Reichsrat, of which he became vice-president, and in 1871 president. This post he laid down in 1879, and came forward as leader of the Liberal German opposition to the administration of Count Taaffe. In 1891 he retired from public life, and died at Vienna on 23 May 1893. In 1835 Schmerling married , a daughter of field marshal lieutenant Freiherr von Koudelka. She was distinguished by her literary and artistic abilities, at that time rare in the Austrian capital, but she died young in 1840, leaving two daughters. Orders and decorations : Grand Cross of the Austrian Imperial Order of Leopold, 1862 Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, 1873 : Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Charles III, 5 June 1875 : Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1849 Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, 1863 Beylik of Tunis: Order of Glory Notes Arneth, Anton v. Schmerling (Prague, 1895). This contains a full account of Schmerling's life during 1848–1849, but does not deal with his later life. Constantin von Wurzbach, Biographisches Lexicon des Kaiserthums Österreich Friedjung, Der Kampf um die Vorherrschaft in Deutschland Rogge, Geschichte Österreichs. External links 1805 births 1893 deaths People from Alsergrund Politicians from Vienna Austrian people of German descent Austrian knights Constitutional Party (Austria) politicians Government ministers of Austria Members of the Frankfurt Parliament Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1861–1867) Members of the House of Lords (Austria) Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary