German Confederation

The German Confederation was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe, founded by the Congress of Vienna on June 10, 1815. It replaced the Holy Roman Empire, which had dissolved in 1806. The Confederation's sole organ was the Bundesversammlung, or Federal Convention, which consisted of representatives from member states and was presided over by Austria. Although federal law was superior to state law, the Confederation was weakened by its structure, requiring unanimous decisions for important issues and depending on cooperation between Austria and Prussia. It dissolved on August 24, 1866.