His maternal cousins included the Austrian bishop of Olmütz and the Duke of Mantua.

By Joseph's decree, Austrian bishops could not communicate directly with the Curia anymore.

Leopold Ernst von Firmian (1708-1783) was an Austrian bishop and Cardinal.

But some fault him for showing coldness in handling his staff and for reacting poorly to a dispute with another Austrian bishop.

The Austrian bishops proceeded to the First Vatican Council immediately after the conflict over the Concordat.

The other Austrian bishops followed suit some days later.

It can be regarded as the birth of the German and Austrian bishops' conferences.

Joseph decreed that Austrian bishops could not communicate directly with the Curia.

Cardinal Pacelli suggests in the memorandum that the Austrian bishops had been coerced.

He was Evangelical pastor in Darmstadt till 1927, and not to be confused with the Austrian Catholic bishop of the same name.