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Alexander von Spitzmüller-Harmersbach

Alexander von Spitzmüller-Harmersbach was born on 12 June 1862 in Vienna. Austrian politician who was the head of the Austro-Hungarian Bank from 1909 until 1912,  the General Director of the Credit Institution from 1910 until 1915,  and the Imperial Trade Minister from 1915 through 1916.  Spitzmüller replaced Konrad von Hohenlohe-Schillingsfuerst in 1916 as the Imperial Finance Minister.  He held this post into 1917 until he resigned over Hungarian pressure thanks to his unwavering support for a customs union more favourable to Austria.  Spitzmüller was a recurring candidate for the office of Austrian Chancellor, but he was discounted time and time again by the political opposition even though he had Kaiser Karl's support.  He was appointed Finance Minister once more from September 1918 until nearly the end of the war. Paul Freiherr von Kuh-Chrobak succeeded Spitzmüller in the rapidly diminishing capacity of Imperial Finance Minister in the first week of November 1918, but Kuh-Chrobak stayed on only until the entire Imperial government disbanded on 11 November. Alexander von Spitzmüller-Harmersbach died at Velden in Carinthia on 5 September 1953. GWS, 6/02