Landtag

In feudal society, the formal class system was reflected in the composition of the Imperial States' representative assemblies (Landstände), regardless of their name well described as estates of the realm: it was not intended as an elected reflection of public opinion, but a fixed expression of established power as recognized in formal privileges, including the right to be seated in person (granted to many nobles (knightage) and prelates, as well as certain cities) or to be represented as elector in a college that is entitled to one or more seats.

Therefore, the representatives primarily defended class interests, and decisions were based on a class-based electoral system.

As Austria and Prussia escaped the French 'exporting the revolution', and Napoleon was happy to maintain satellite monarchies in most German territories under his control (members of the Confederation of the Rhine), the more democratic principles of the Enlightenment would have less effect in the German-speaking lands, or only much later.

On 31 March 1933, the Provisional Law on the Coordination of the States with the Reich was enacted, which dissolved all the sitting Landtage and reconstituted them on the basis of the recent Reichstag election results, which had given the Nazi Party and its coalition partner the DNVP a working majority.

This was followed by the "Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich" of 30 January 1934 that formally abolished all the Landtage and transferred the sovereignty of the states to the central government.

Each Landtag was responsible for electing the Chamber of States, the upper house of the national parliament.

The national bicameral Parliament comprises the directly elected Bundestag and the Bundesrat which represents the state governments in Federal matters which affect the Länder.

According to the Constitution of Austria, the Landtage are the unicameral legislatures of the nine states of Austria (Bundesländer), dealing with all matters not explicitly allotted to federal level: As the Austrian capital Vienna (like Berlin) is both a city-state and a municipality, the Gemeinderat (municipal assembly) of Vienna also serves as the state Landtag.

The representatives are elected in general, free, secret and direct ballots according to the principle of proportional representation.

The modern Landtage are the democratic successors of the estates assemblies in the corresponding crown lands of the Austrian Empire.