Visit of Governor Count von Bissingen to Merano

Merano, July 17. On the 14th around 10 o'clock in the evening, our most esteemed Governor Count v. Bissingen arrived among us, accompanied by the Government President Count v. Fünfkirchen. Our District Captain Kopp drove out to meet the Governor at the district boundary, received him there, and escorted him to his lodgings at the "Archduke John" in Merano. Because of the expected late arrival, the formal audiences of the authorities, the clergy, and the municipal representations were scheduled for the morning of the 15th. On that day at 8 o'clock in the morning, the local clergy of Merano, the corps of the District Captaincy and the District Court, the tax office, the district engineer, and the gendarmerie commander, the municipal town council, and the shooting company leadership of the Imperial-Royal Circular Main Shooting Range assembled at the Governor's lodgings and were introduced and presented by the District Captain in the order listed, being received cordially one after another by the Chief of the Province in the presence of the Circular Government President, and dismissed with expressions of the most reassuring benevolence. During these audiences of the local authorities, the parish priests gathered together with the municipal representations of the entire judicial district with the same intent, and were introduced by the District Captain to the Governor for an equally cordial reception. Following these audiences, the Governor, accompanied by the Circular Government President and amidst salutes of mortar fire, inspected the handsomely situated, newly built, spacious Circular Main Shooting Range, the Upper Gymnasium building, and the gendarmerie barracks, immediately proceeding to visit the town hall, the parish church, and the Institute of the English Ladies. Thereupon, accompanied by the Circular Government President and the District Captain, he called upon His Imperial Highness Archduke Rainer, who has once again taken up his summer residence at Castle Winkel in Obermais near Merano, and was seated at table there with his entourage. After dinner concluded, the Governor departed for the neighboring judicial district of Lana in order to inform himself there as well, through the clergy and municipal representations, about the concerns and needs of the people. Returning from there only at half past nine in the evening, the Governor was met by torchlight outside his lodgings by a delegation of the magistrate and by the civic guard with its band. The Governor conversed most graciously with the commander of the guard, ordered the guard to march past in review, and spoke praise of the musical band, which performed several selected pieces before the Governor's residence.

On the 16th at 5 o'clock in the morning, the Governor set out toward the judicial district and the valley of Passeier, returning thence at half past three in the afternoon, where upon descending Zenoberg he was joyfully greeted with mortar shots from the nearby Küchelberg. At four o'clock dinner was served, to which the District Captain with the district commissioners, the Very Reverend Dean, the District Judge, the tax collector, the gendarmerie commander, the mayor, the first magistrate councillor, the Chief Shooting Master, and the commander of the civic guard had the honor of being invited. Toward the end of the meal, the Governor, with the benevolent cordiality characteristic of him, proposed a toast to the town of Merano, for which the mayor first offered his thanks and then, amidst mortar salutes, led a cheer for the universally esteemed Governor.

After the meal concluded, the Governor also visited the handsome hospital church, built in a Gothic style; and today at 5 o'clock in the morning, accompanied by the warmest good wishes, he continued his provincial tour across Vinschgau, where the Circular Government President Count v. Fünfkirchen and District Captain Kopp took their leave at the boundary of this circle to return to their official seats.