The author discusses the Habsburg nation-formation during the domination of absolutism and its consequences on the national consciousness of Austrians. Until the end of the Habsburg Empire this national consciousness was limited to those social strata, which functioned as instruments for the nation-formation in the way of absolutism. Those groups were the men of court, aristocracy, army, church, and bureaucracy. All of them can be summarized as a "Hofratsnation" (nation of courtcouncillors). It is true, those men have built up important cultural achievements, but they did not favor many dispositions for liberal and democratic patterns.