and editor of the Kirchenzeitung, which case was tried on 10 May 1860. Kuranda had pointed out in the Oesterreichische Post that Brunner collected material for his accusations against the Jews "from very unclean and suspicious sources, whereby he spread untruthfulness and slander." Brunner pressed a charge of calumny against Kuranda, who, through his able defense, and after a masterful pleading by Johann Berger , was acquitted in terms which implied a condemnation of Brunner's anti-Jewish campaign. In 1866 Kuranda discontinued the publication of his paper, and devoted all his energies to politics. He fought the absolutist October policy, and assisted, as friend and confidant, the Austrian secretary of state, Schmerling, in drafting the February constitution. In Parliament On 20 March 1861 Kuranda was sent to the Landtag of Lower Austria as delegate for the district of Vienna, and was subsequently elected to the Reichsrat, retaining his seat in that body for twenty years. On the creation of the Delegations (a kind of common parliament of Hungary and Austria with alternative seats at Budapest and Vienna) he was returned as a member of that body. One of the most distinguished members of parliament, Kuranda was a brilliant orator, and spoke mostly on questions of foreign politics. He was also for many years a member of the city council of Vienna. In 1881 Kuranda's seventieth birthday was celebrated with great enthusiasm by his political party and by the press; and the city council made him an honorary citizen. The emperor had already in 1867 honored him with the Ritterkreuz des Leopoldordens. Kuranda's great activity as a politician and publicist, which he exercised for twenty-three years as the leader of the German liberal party, was paralleled by his faithful devotion to the Jewish cause, to which he gave a great part of his powers. He was for twelve years president of the Jewish community of Vienna. As vice-president of the Israelitische Allianz zu Wien he promoted the study of Wissenschaft des Judentums (Jewish science and history) in which he took great interest. Bibliography Wurzbach, Biog. Lex. des Kaisertums Oesterreich Meyers Konversations-Lexikon References 1812 births 1884 deaths Writers from Prague Politicians from Prague People from the Kingdom of Bohemia Austrian people of Czech-Jewish descent Jewish Czech politicians Jewish Austrian politicians Constitutional Party (Austria) politicians Members of the Frankfurt Parliament Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1861–1867) Members of the Austrian House of