Political freedoms, provided to Austrian citizens by their March Constitution of 1849, included the freedom of association and peaceful assembly, as an active part of the legal regulations framework. The establishment and operation of societies were governed by a number of regulations: imperial patent (1849 and 1852), which distinguished between political and non-political societies, the latter being further divided into profit and non-profit societies, and by general act on societies, adopted in 1867 which was a turning point in the scope of the societies' functions. The societies, based on financial acquisition (profit organisations), and those implementing important economic activities were exempt from the general act on societies. Until the adoption of the act on profitable and economic societies and enterprises from 1873, they were governed by the provisions of the imperial patent from 1852. Other regulations followed which governed the functions of insurance companies and health insurances. The state protected the public interest by ordering that every society needs to obtain a special permission for establishment, functioning and organisation of meetings or conventions. The permission was denied if the state believed that the planned activity was not in accordance with the regulations or that it presents a threat to public order. In April 1941, the societies that had been in operation for almost one hundred years were disturbed by the government decision on the appointment of a commissioner for societies, organisations and associations, who had the task to put into force the decree on the dissolution of all societies, organisations and associations in Lower Styria.