Imperial Patent of 15 March 1848

On 15 March 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria announces political concessions to calm the unrest of the March Revolution. He grants freedom of the press by abolishing censorship, confirms the establishment of a national guard, and announces the imminent convocation of representatives from all provinces to draft a constitution. He calls upon the people to return to peace and order. The Gubernium for Tyrol and Vorarlberg publishes this imperial decree on 18 March in Innsbruck, appealing to the local population's traditional loyalty to the imperial house.