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150-552: The Lower Castle contains armouries that feature masterpieces of the European armourers' art from the time of Emperor Maximilian I to Emperor Leopold I . As the only Renaissance Kunstkammer of its kind to have been preserved at its original location, the " Kunst- und Wunderkammer " (Chamber of Art and Wonders) represents an unrivalled cultural monument. Above the Lower Castle is the famous Spanish Hall ( Spanischer Saal ),

300-846: A backdoor for French interference in the Low Countries). Maximilian was elected King of the Romans on 16 February 1486 in Frankfurt-am-Main at his father's initiative and crowned on 9 April 1486 in Aachen . Much of the Austrian territories and Vienna were under the rule of King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary , as a result of the Austrian–Hungarian War (1477–1488) . Maximilian was now a king without lands. Matthias Corvinus offered Emperor Frederick and his son prince Maximilian,

450-485: A city, references to an Amras or Omras appeared in documents dating from the 10th century. This early fortification in what was then the southwest corner of Bavaria was the seat of power of the Counts of Andechs , who became Margraves of Istria and later Dukes of the short-lived Imperial State of Merania from 1180 to 1248. This original fortification was destroyed in 1133 and no traces of it remain, although some of

600-580: A decision which today induces much scholarly discussion. Apart from balancing the Reichskammergericht with the Reichshofrat , this act of restructuring seemed to suggest that, as Westphal quoting Ortlieb, the "imperial ruler—independent of the existence of a supreme court—remained the contact person for hard pressed subjects in legal disputes as well, so that a special agency to deal with these matters could appear sensible" (as also shown by

750-463: A decisive difference. In Italy, he gained the derisive nickname of "Massimiliano di pochi denari" (Maximilian the Moneyless). One particularly humiliating episode happened in 1508, with a force mustered largely from hereditary lands and with limited resources, the emperor decided to attack Venice. The diversionary force under Sixt Trautson were routed by Bartolomeo d'Alviano (Sixt Trautson himself

900-651: A dream. In his infancy, he and his parents were besieged in Vienna by Albert of Austria . One source relates that, during the siege's bleakest days, the young prince wandered about the castle garrison, begging the servants and men-at-arms for bits of bread. He was the favourite child of his mother, whose personality was a contrast to his father (although there seemed to be communication problems between mother and son, as she spoke Portuguese ). Reportedly she told Maximilian that, "If I had known, my son, that you would become like your father, I would have regretted having born you for

1050-607: A generous grant of funds from the Tyrolean Estates to invade Hungary with an army of around 17,000 men. Crossing the Raab River in late October, Maximilian encountered little resistance in Hungary, as the unprepared Vladislas was disinclined towards decisive action. Maximilian was joined by numerous Hungarian nobles and even magnates . Despite stiff resistance, the city was bombarded, with Maximilian personally directing

1200-550: A grandson of Louis XIV, all hopes of a peaceable settlement vanished. Under the guidance of William III a powerful league, a renewed Grand Alliance, was formed against France; of this the emperor was a prominent member, and in 1703 he transferred his claim on the Spanish monarchy to his second son, Archduke Charles . The early course of the war was not favorable to the Imperialists, but the tide of defeat had been rolled back by

1350-512: A heavy tendency towards wine, feasts and young women, which became evident during their trips in 1473–74. Even though he was still very young, the prince's skills and physical attractiveness made him the center everywhere he went. Although Frederick had forbidden the princes of the Empire from fighting with Maximilian in tournaments, Maximilian gave himself the necessary permission at the first chance he got. Frederick did not allow him to participate in

1500-567: A king they could dominate. The crown of Hungary thus fell to King Vladislaus II , who was deemed weaker in personality and also agreed to marry Beatrice. Tamás Bakócz , the Hungarian chancellor allied himself with Maximilian and helped him to circumvent the 1505 Diet which declared that no foreigner could be elected as King of Hungary. With money from Innsbruck and southern German towns, he raised enough cavalry and Landsknechte to campaign into Hungary itself. Despite Hungary's lower nobility,

1650-502: A lasting rivalry with France and its king, Louis XIV . The latter's dominant personality and power completely overshadowed Leopold, even to this day, but Leopold was no less a warrior-king given the greater part of his public life was directed towards the arrangement and furtherance of wars. Leopold's first war was the Second Northern War (1655–1660), in which King Charles X of Sweden tried to become King of Poland with

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1800-493: A merely supporting role. He grew to manhood without the military ambition that characterized most of his fellow monarchs. From the beginning, his reign was defensive and profoundly conservative." Elected king of Hungary in 1655, he followed suit in 1656 and 1657 in Bohemia and Croatia respectively. In July 1658, more than a year after his father's death, Leopold was elected Holy Roman Emperor at Frankfurt in opposition to

1950-486: A modern state. While it has been suggested that Maximilian displayed a class-based mentality that favoured the aristocrats (a modern historian who shares this viewpoint is Koenigsberger), recent studies suggest that, as evidenced by the court ordinance of 1482 (at this point, before Mary's death, threats to his rule seemed to have been eliminated) among others, he sought to promote "parvenus" who were beholden to himself (often either functionaries who had risen under Charles

2100-537: A museum built for them in the rooms of the "Lower Castle", which was constructed according to the most advanced ideas of his time. The three Armouries and the Chamber of Art and Wonders were designed and used as a museum from the beginning. The Spanish Hall, built between 1569 and 1572, is one of the most important freestanding halls of the Renaissance. The picturesque lay-out of the 43-metre (141 ft) long hall

2250-534: A notable example of German Renaissance architecture, which contains an intricate wood-inlay ceiling and walls adorned with 27 full-length portraits of the rulers of Tyrol. The Upper Castle contains the extensive Habsburg Portrait gallery ( Habsburger Porträtgalerie ) featuring paintings of numerous members of the House of Austria and other leading ruling European dynasties, including, as a remarkable feature, many portraits of princely children. Long before Innsbruck became

2400-635: A notable victory at Saint Gotthard . By the Peace of Vasvár the Emperor made a twenty years' truce with the Sultan, granting more generous terms than his recent victory seemed to render necessary. French expansion increasingly threatened the empire, especially the seizure of the strategic Duchy of Lorraine in 1670, followed by the 1672 Franco-Dutch War . By mid-June, the Dutch Republic teetered at

2550-637: A political defeat for the Habsburgs. It ended the idea that Europe was a single Roman Catholic empire; governed spiritually by the Pope and temporally by the Holy Roman Emperor . Moreover, the treaty was devoted to parceling out land and influence to the "winners", the anti-Habsburg alliance led by France and Sweden. However, the Habsburgs did gain some benefits out of the Thirty Years' War ;

2700-854: A promise to transfer territories as a gift in case of her death, but her plans were confounded. After Mary's death in a riding accident on 27 March 1482 near the Wijnendale Castle , Maximilian's aim was now to secure the inheritance to his and Mary's son, Philip the Handsome . According to Haemers and Sutch, the original marriage contract stipulated that Maximilian could not inherit her Burgundian lands if they had children. The Guinegate victory made Maximilian popular, but as an inexperienced ruler, he hurt himself politically by trying to centralize authority without respecting traditional rights and consulting relevant political bodies. The Belgian historian Eugène Duchesne comments that these years were among

2850-605: A protracted, multi-fronted war would leave him overextended though, Maximilian evacuated from Croatia (he had conquered the whole northern part of the country previously) and accepted the treaty with the Jagiellons. As the Treaty of Senlis had resolved French differences with the Holy Roman Empire, King Louis XII of France had secured borders in the north and turned his attention to Italy, where he made claims for

3000-535: A reconciliation and a reunited dynastic rule in the 1490. Because Tyrol had no law code at this time, the nobility freely expropriated money from the populace, which caused the court in Innsbruck to fester with corruption. After taking control, Maximilian instituted immediate financial reform. Gaining control of Tyrol for the Habsburgs was of strategic importance because it linked the Swiss Confederacy to

3150-514: A regular meeting place of the central government. The harsh suppression of the rebellions did have an unifying effect, in that provinces stopped behaving like separate entities each supporting a different lord. Helmut Koenigsberger opines that it was not the erratic leadership of Maximilian, who was brave but hardly understood the Netherlands, but the Estates' desire for the survival of

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3300-408: A threat to his imperial prerogatives and wanted to avoid direct confrontations with the princes on the matter. However, in his last years, mainly to secure election for Maximilian, he presided over the initial phase of reform. Maximilian though was more open to reform. From 1488 through his reign as sole ruler, he practiced a policy of brokerage, acting as the impartial judge between options suggested by

3450-572: A vital tool for consolidation of Habsburg power under Leopold. In 1692, the Duke of Hanover was raised to the rank of an elector, becoming the ninth member of the electoral college. In 1700, Leopold, greatly in need of help for the impending war with France, granted the title of King in Prussia to the Elector of Brandenburg . The net result of these and similar changes was to weaken the authority of

3600-423: Is also said to have been open with close associates. Coxe described Leopold in the following manner: "His gait was stately, slow and deliberate; his air pensive, his address awkward, his manner uncouth, his disposition cold and phlegmatic." Spielman argues that his long-expected career in the clergy caused Leopold to have "early adopted the intense Catholic piety expected of him and the gentle manners appropriate to

3750-467: Is among the best-preserved examples of fresco from the sixteenth century. The representations of princely virtues and muses, female and male heroes, and diverse heroic acts sought to display the royalty as exemplary. They relate to their commissioner Archduke Ferdinand II, patron of the arts and host of lavish festivities. In cultural historical terms the Bathing Chambers of Philippine Welser ,

3900-598: Is dominated by the 27 full-length portraits of the princely rulers of the Tyrol. Today rather famous classical concerts take place in this hall. The Chamber of Art and Wonders of Archduke Ferdinand II is the only Renaissance Kunstkammer which can still be seen in its original place. Others had been plundered like the ones in Munich , Prague or Stuttgart , or their character had been changed like in Dresden or Kassel . In

4050-770: Is represented by the works of nineteenth century historians like Heinrich Ullmann or Leopold von Ranke, which criticize him for selfishly exploiting the German nation and putting the interest of his dynasty over his Germanic nation, thus impeding the unification process; the more recent side is represented by Hermann Wiesflecker's biography of 1971–86, which praises him for being "a talented and successful ruler, notable not only for his Realpolitik but also for his cultural activities generally and for his literary and artistic patronage in particular". Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; Hungarian : I. Lipót ; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705)

4200-656: Is unknown, since both of his parents greatly favoured the Jews. In 1509, relying on the influence of Kunigunde , Maximilian's pious sister and the Cologne Dominicans, the anti-Jewish agitator Johannes Pfefferkorn was authorized by Maximilian to confiscate all offending Jewish books (including prayer books), except the Bible. The confiscations happened in Frankfurt, Bingen, Mainz and other German cities. Responding to

4350-659: The 10 euro Ambras Castle coin . On the obverse of the coin there is a general view of the castle to the south of Innsbruck with its Renaissance style gardens forms the central design. On the reverse , three court musicians cross the floor of the Spanish Hall, based on a picture from 1569. This design recalls the court festivals for which Fedinand II had the Spanish Hall specially constructed. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519)

4500-642: The Austrian National Library . In 1805, the remaining Ambras collections were threatened by the defeat of Austria by the French Empire . Fortunately, after he recognized the private-law character of the Ambras collection, Napoleon (1769–1821) had it brought to safety in Vienna. In 1855, Archduke Karl Ludwig , then governor of Tyrol, had the palace remodeled to use as a summer residence. Significant changes were made during this time to

4650-833: The Burgundian State , heiress of Charles the Bold , though he also lost his family's original lands in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy . Through the marriage of his son Philip the Handsome to eventual queen Joanna of Castile in 1496, Maximilian helped to establish the Habsburg dynasty in Spain , which allowed his grandson Charles to hold the thrones of both Castile and Aragon . The historian Thomas A. Brady Jr. describes him as "the first Holy Roman Emperor in 250 years who ruled as well as reigned" and also,

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4800-512: The County of Tyrol and Duchy of Bavaria went to war in the late 15th century. Bavaria demanded money from Tyrol that had been loaned on the collateral of Tyrolean lands. In 1490, the two states demanded that Maximilian I step in to mediate the dispute. His Habsburg cousin, the childless Archduke Sigismund , was negotiating to sell Tyrol to their Wittelsbach rivals rather than let Emperor Frederick inherit it. Maximilian's charm and tact though led to

4950-636: The Duchy of Milan . In 1499–1500 he conquered it and drove the Sforza regent Lodovico il Moro into exile. This brought him into a potential conflict with Maximilian, who on 16 March 1494 had married Bianca Maria Sforza , a daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza , duke of Milan. However, Maximilian was unable to hinder the French from taking over Milan. The prolonged Italian Wars resulted in Maximilian joining

5100-517: The Holy League to counter the French. His campaigns in Italy generally were not successful, and his progress there was quickly checked. Maximilian's Italian campaigns tend to be criticized for being wasteful and gaining him little. Despite the emperor's work in enhancing his army technically and organization-wise, due to financial difficulties, the forces he could muster were always too small to make

5250-540: The House of Hapsburg . He was both a composer and considerable patron of music. Leopold's reign is known for conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the Great Turkish War (1683–1699) and rivalry with Louis XIV , a contemporary and first cousin (on the maternal side; fourth cousin on the paternal side), in the west. After more than a decade of warfare, Leopold emerged victorious in the east thanks to

5400-568: The Kusthistorisches Museum, Vienna . The Upper Castle, the oldest part of Ambras Castle, contains the Habsburg Portrait Gallery . About 300 portraits from the 15th to the 19th century, including King Albert II , Emperor Maximilian I , Charles V and Ferdinand I , to the last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Francis II , a contemporary of Napoleon Bonaparte . Because of the various dynastic relations,

5550-525: The Siege of Neuss (1474–75), he was successful. Perhaps as preparation for his task in the Netherlands, in 1476, at the age of 17, in the name of his father, apparently Maximilian commanded a military campaign against Hungary—the first actual battlefield experience in his life (command responsibility was likely shared with more experienced generals though). The wedding between Maximilian and Mary took place on 19 August 1477. Maximilian's wife had inherited

5700-638: The Treaty of Senlis , with which Artois and Franche-Comté returned to Burgundian rule while Picardy was confirmed as French possession. The French also continued to keep the Duchy of Burgundy. Thus a large part of the Netherlands (known as the Seventeen Provinces ) stayed in the Habsburg patrimony. On 8 January 1488, using a similar 1373 French ordinance as the model, together with Philip, he issued

5850-658: The Viennese Jewish community, which used to live in an area called "Im Werd" across the Danube Canal. After the expulsion of the Jewish population, with popular support, the area was renamed Leopoldstadt as a thanksgiving. But Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg , issued an edict in 1677, in which he announced his special protection for 50 families of these expelled Jews. In governing his own lands Leopold found his chief difficulties in Hungary, where unrest

6000-437: The brothers of Glymes–Bergen . In early 1486, he retook Mortaigne, l'Ecluse, Honnecourt and even Thérouanne, but the same thing like in 1479 happened—he lacked financial resources to exploit and keep his gains. Only in 1492, with a stable internal situation, he was able to reconquer and keep Franche-Comté and Arras on the pretext that the French had repudiated his daughter. In 1493, Maximilian and Charles VIII of France signed

6150-468: The "ablest royal warlord of his generation". Nicknamed "Coeur d'acier" ("Heart of steel") by Olivier de la Marche and later historians (either as praise for his courage and soldierly qualities or reproach for his ruthlessness as a warlike ruler), Maximilian has entered the public consciousness, at least in the German-speaking world, as "the last knight" ( der letzte Ritter ), especially since

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6300-534: The 1474 war against Burgundy though and placed him under the care of the Bishop of Augsburg instead. The Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold , was the chief political opponent of Maximilian's father Frederick III. Frederick was concerned about Burgundy's expansionist tendencies on the western border of his Holy Roman Empire , and, to forestall military conflict, he attempted to secure the marriage of Charles' only daughter, Mary of Burgundy, to his son Maximilian. After

6450-580: The 1512–1551 period, before being supplanted by the matricular system which allowed common burdens to be assessed at imperial as well as Kreis level. To create a rival for the Reichskammergericht , Maximilian established the Reichshofrat , which had its seat in Vienna. Unlike the Reichskammergericht , the Reichshofrat looked into criminal matters and even allowed the emperors the means to depose rulers who did not live up to expectations. Pavlac and Lott note that, during Maximilian's reign, this council

6600-733: The Ambras-collections is, that they are still where they were meant to be seen. Still you can find corals arranged in cabinet-boxes, turnery made of wood or ivory , glass figures, or porcelain and silk paintings which belong to the oldest European collections of Asian, African and American art ( exotica ). Also important works of European artists, like the carved "little death" made of wood by Hans Leinberger can be found, as well as typical Kunstkammer - objects like handstones, goblets made of rhinoceros horn, coconut or rock crystal , animals made of bronze, music- and measuring instruments, automats and clocks. A very important part of

6750-790: The Bold and then proved loyalty to Maximilian, or representatives of the mercantile elites), and at an alarming speed for the traditional elites. After the rebellions, concerning the aristocracy, although Maximilian punished few with death (unlike what he himself later described in Theuerdank ), their properties were largely confiscated and they were replaced with a new elite class loyal to the Habsburgs—among whom, there were noblemen who had been part of traditional high nobility but elevated to supranational importance only in this period. The most important of these were John III and Frederik of Egmont , Engelbrecht II of Nassau , Henry of Witthem and

6900-593: The Bold's campaigns (Mary had to pawn her jewels to obtain loans), he carried out a campaign against the French during 1478–1479 and reconquered Le Quesnoy , Conde and Antoing . He defeated the French forces at the Battle of Guinegate , in modern Enguinegatte , on 7 August 1479. Despite winning, Maximilian had to abandon the siege of Thérouanne and disband his army, either because the Netherlanders did not want him to become too strong or because his treasury

7050-432: The Chamber of Art and Wonders at Ambras Castle artificialia , naturalia , scientifica , exotica , and mirabilia are to be seen: natural wonders (rare, unique and excellent things of nature) as well as precious objects, scientific items, toys, or luxury items of the time, and so on. In contents the natural and artistic objects represent the programme of the late Renaissance encyclopedic collections. The special thing about

7200-586: The Court Chancery at Innsbruck competed with the Imperial Chancery (which was under the elector-archbishop of Mainz, the senior Imperial chancellor). By referring the political matters in Tyrol, Austria as well as Imperial problems to the Court Chancery, Maximilian gradually centralized its authority. The two chanceries became combined in 1502. Jan-Dirk Müller opines that this chancery became the decisive government institution since 1502. In 1496,

7350-429: The European pinnacle of dynastic power" largely on the back of loans. Historians of the second half of the nineteenth century like Leopold von Ranke tended to criticize Maximilian for putting the interest of his dynasty above that of Germany, hampering the nation's unification process. Ever since Hermann Wiesflecker 's Kaiser Maximilian I. Das Reich, Österreich und Europa an der Wende zur Neuzeit (1971–1986) became

7500-666: The French Cardinal Mazarin , who sought to place the Imperial Crown on the head of Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria or some other non-Habsburg prince. To conciliate France , which had considerable influence in German affairs thanks to the League of the Rhine , the newly elected emperor promised not to assist Spain, then at war with France . This marked the beginning of a nearly 47-year reign characterized by

7650-937: The Habsburg-controlled Austrian lands, which facilitated some imperial geographic continuity. From 1497/98, Maximilian negotiated an inheritance contract with the last Meinhardin prince, Count Leonhard of Gorizia , which was intended to bring the County of Gorizia to the Habsburgs. However, it was only after a dispute with the Republic of Venice that was finally won that the Gorizia stadtholder Virgil von Graben , who had been won over with high honours, finally succeeded in realizing this contract. Beatrice of Naples , Matthias Corvinus's widow, initially supported Maximilian out of hope that he would marry her, but Maximilian did not want this liaison. The Hungarian magnates found Maximilian impressive, but they wanted

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7800-476: The Habsburgs as emperors but strengthen them in their own lands. Leopold was the first to realize this altered state of affairs and act in accordance with it. The reign of Leopold saw some important changes made in the constitution of the Empire. In 1663 the Imperial Diet entered upon the last stage of its existence, and became a body permanently in session at Regensburg. This perpetual diet would become

7950-402: The Habsburgs would inherit the throne on the extinction of Vladislaus's male line and the Austrian side also received 100,000 golden florins as war reparations. It was with Maximilian that the Croatians began to harbour a connection to the House of Habsburg. Except the two most powerful noblemen (Duke Ivanis Corvinus and Bernardin Frankopan), the Croatian nobility wanted him as King. Worrying that

8100-612: The Holy Roman Empire. Jewish policy under Maximilian fluctuated greatly, usually influenced by financial considerations and the emperor's vacillating attitude when facing opposing views. In 1496, Maximilian issued a decree which expelled all Jews from Styria and Wiener Neustadt . Between 1494 and 1510, he authorized no less than thirteen expulsions of Jews in return of sizeable fiscal compensations from local government (The expelled Jews were allowed to resettle in Lower Austria. Buttaroni comments that this inconsistency showed that even Maximilian himself did not believe his expulsion decision

8250-476: The Hungarian civil war, new possibilities were opened for Maximilan. From July 1490, Maximilian began a series of short sieges that reconquered cities and fortresses that his father had lost in Austria. Maximilian entered Vienna without siege, already evacuated by the Hungarians, in August 1490. He was injured while attacking the citadel guarded by a garrison of 400 Hungarians troops who twice repelled his forces, but after some days they surrendered. In addition,

8400-503: The Jewish books, especially the Talmud . Reuchlin's arguments seemed to leave an impression on the emperor (who followed his advice, against the recommendation of his own commission), who gradually developed an intellectual interest in the Talmud and other Jewish books. Maximilian later urged the Hebraist Petrus Galatinus to defend Reuchlin's position. Galatinus dedicated his work De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis , which provided 'a literary "threshold" where Jews and gentiles might meet', to

8550-665: The Low Countries and more flexible as a politician than Maximilian, while also being a capable general. By 1492, rebellions were completely suppressed. Maximilian revoked the Great Privilege and established a strong ducal monarchy undisturbed by particularism. But he would not reintroduce Charles the Bold's centralizing ordinances. Since 1489 (after his departure), the government under Albert of Saxony had made more efforts in consulting representative institutions and showed more restraint in subjugating recalcitrant territories. Notables who had previously supported rebellions returned to city administrations. The Estates General continued to develop as

8700-464: The Low Countries with foreign armies, in 1513, at the head of Henry VIII 's army, Maximilian gained a victory against the French at the Battle of the Spurs , at little cost to himself or his daughter (in fact according to Margaret, the Low Countries got a profit of one million of gold from supplying the English army). For the sake of his grandson Charles's Burgundian lands, he ordered Thérouanne's walls to be demolished (the stronghold had often served as

8850-416: The Ordinance of Admiralty, that organized the Admiralty as a state institution and strove to centralize maritime authority (this was a departure from the policy of Philip the Good, whose 1458 ordinance tried to restore maritime order by decentralizing power). This was the beginning of the Dutch navy , although initially the policy faced opposition and unfavourable political climate, which only improved with

9000-418: The Protestant aristocracy in Habsburg territories had been decimated, and the ties between Vienna and the Habsburg domains in Bohemia and elsewhere were greatly strengthened. These changes would allow Leopold to initiate necessary political and institutional reforms during his reign to develop somewhat of an absolutist state along French lines. The most important consequences of the war was in retrospect to weaken

9150-408: The affairs of Transylvania, always an unruly state, and this interference brought on a war with the Holy Roman Empire , which after some desultory operations really began in 1663. By a personal appeal to the diet at Regensburg Leopold induced the princes to send assistance for the campaign; troops were also sent by France, and in August 1664, the great Imperial general Raimondo Montecuccoli gained

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9300-446: The aid of allies including György II Rákóczi , Prince of Transylvania . Leopold's predecessor, Ferdinand III , had allied with King John II Casimir Vasa of Poland in 1656. In 1657, Leopold expanded this alliance to include Austrian troops (paid by Poland). These troops helped defeat the Transylvanian army, and campaigned as far as Denmark. The war ended with the Treaty of Oliwa in 1660. The Ottoman Empire often interfered in

9450-429: The allies, and in September 1697, England, Spain and the United Provinces made peace with France at the Treaty of Rijswijk . Leopold refused to assent to the treaty, as he considered that his allies had somewhat neglected his interests, but in the following month he came to terms and a number of places were transferred from France to the Holy Roman Empire. The peace with France lasted for about four years and then Europe

9600-462: The appointment of Philip of Burgundy-Beveren in 1491. A permanent navy only took shape after 1555 under the governorship of his granddaughter Mary of Hungary. In 1493, Frederick III died, thus Maximilian I became de facto leader of the Holy Roman Empire. He decided to transfer power to the 15-year-old Philip. During the time in the Low Countries, he contracted such emotional problems that except for rare, necessary occasions, he would never return to

9750-433: The archduke's private armour and the armour of the court of Innsbruck. Ferdinand's collection of armour was one of the most important of its kind, not only because of the collection idea, but also because of the quality and quantity of his objects. Today, selected objects still illustrate the museum idea in Innsbruck at Ambras Castle, whereas many of the armour is exhibited at the Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer (Imperial Armoury) of

9900-519: The art history museum Schloss Ambras Innsbruck Archived 2019-03-29 at the Wayback Machine is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna . Philippine became a popular and beloved figure through her charity and willingness to help others, particularly the common people of Tyrol. Even the nobility brought their petitions to the former commoner. As signs of affection, people addressed their written petitions to "Merciful Miss" or "serene Princess Mrs. Philippine of Austria". After Ferdinand's death in 1595,

10050-447: The artillery, and eventually captured. This resulted in a disgraceful scene of looting and slaughter that Maximilian and his officers were unable to prevent. The next day became a turning point in Maximilian's campaign, his mercenaries openly mutinied due to the prohibition of looting. Faced with a severe winter, the troops refused to continue the war, requesting Maximilian to double their pay, which he could not afford. The revolt turned

10200-420: The bishop of Utrecht, hoping to share spoils, gave Philip aid. Maximilian invested his own son with Guelders and Zutphen. Within months and with his father's skilled use of field artillery, Philip conquered the whole land and Charles of Egmond was forced to prostrate himself in front of Philip. Maximilian would like to see the Guelders matter to be dealt with once and for all, but as Charles later escaped and Philip

10350-420: The brink of destruction, which led Leopold to agree to an alliance with Brandenburg-Prussia and the Republic on 25 June. However, he was also facing a revolt in Hungary and viewed French conquests in the Rhineland a higher priority than helping the Dutch. His commander, Raimondo Montecuccoli , was ordered to remain on the defensive and avoid a direct conflict. Chaotic logistics made it impossible to maintain

10500-412: The brutality described shows Maximilian and the Habsburg dynasty's insatiable greed of expansion and inability to adapt to local traditions, while Jean-François Lassalmonie opines that the nation building process (successful, with the establishment of a common tax) was remarkably similar to the same process in France, including the hesitation in working with local levels of the political society, except that

10650-451: The castle up, leaving it in ruins. They fled as supposedly Hungarian rebel troops under the command of Imre Thököly, cooperating with the Turks, and sacked the city of Bielsko in 1682. In 1692, Leopold gave up his rights to the property, giving his rights by donation to Theresia Keglević . Espousing the cause of the rebels Sultan Mehmed IV sent an enormous army into Austria early in 1683; this advanced almost unchecked to Vienna , which

10800-400: The change was Maximilian's success in expanding imperial taxing over German Jewry: at this point, he probably considered the possibility of generating tax money from stable Jewish communities, instead of temporary financial compensations from local jurisdictions who sought to expel Jews. Noflatscher and Péterfi note that Maximilian had a deep dislike for Jews since childhood, the reason of which

10950-640: The collection also shows members of other European dynasties. The portraits were painted by well-known artists such as Lucas Cranach the Elder , Antonis Mor , Titian , Anthony van Dyck and Diego Velázquez . The Strasser Collection of Glass is amongst the most important of its kind in the world. Built up by Professor Rudolf Strasser over a period of more than fifty years this collection includes valuable Renaissance and Baroque Period glasses from Europe's most important glass producing regions, for example Venice, Bohemia, Hall, Innsbruck and Silesia. The high quality of

11100-584: The collection is quite comparable with the collection of these epochs in the Corning Museum of Glass . The Collection of Gothic Sculpture presents objects date from the time of Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519). The main work is the imposing St George altar-piece which was made by Sebold Bocksdorfer commissioned by Maximilian and important for the Habsburg's Order of Saint George . The Inner Courtyard , decorated between 1564 and 1567 with grisaille painting al fresco (grey painting on still-wet plaster),

11250-408: The collection were portraits of wondrous persons like the hairy people, Vlad Dracula and others. Archduke Ferdinand II's idea of a museum was a novelty: he systematically collected armour from famous personalities of his time. He presented this armour "to the eternal memory" of that persons - mostly military commanders - in the " Heldenrüstkammer " (Heroes' Armoury); some on display today still in

11400-646: The conclusion of peace Louis renewed his aggressions on the German frontier through the Réunions policy . Engaged in a serious struggle with the Ottoman Empire, the emperor was again slow to move, and although he joined the Association League against France in 1682 he was glad to make a truce at Regensburg two years later. The whole European position was now bound up with events in England , and

11550-507: The conclusion of the war, however, Leopold had taken measures to strengthen his hold upon this country. In 1687, the Diet of Hungary in Pressburg (now Bratislava) changed the constitution; the right of the Habsburgs to succeed to the throne without election was admitted and the emperor's elder son Joseph I was crowned hereditary King of Hungary. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 had been

11700-406: The cost of war, Maximilian's spendthrift liberality and the interests enforced by his German bankers did cause huge expenditure while income was falling. Jelle Haemers comments that the Estates stopped their support towards the young and ambitious impresario (director) of war (who took personal control of both the military and financial details during the war) because they knew that after Guinegate,

11850-483: The country that made the Burgundian monarchy survive. Jean Berenger and C.A. Simpson argue that Maximilian, as a gifted military champion and organizer, did save the Netherlands from France, although the conflict between the Estates and his personal ambitions caused a catastrophic situation in the short term. Peter Spufford opines that the invasion was prevented by a combination of the Estates and Maximilian, although

12000-511: The de facto lord of Guelders continued to cause trouble. In 1511, Margaret made an alliance with England and besieged Venlo, but Charles of Egmont invaded Holland so the siege had to be lifted. James D. Tracy opines that Maximilian and Margaret were reasonable in demanding more stern measures against Guelders, but their critics in the Estates General (that had continuously voted against providing funds for wars against Guelders) and among

12150-531: The emperor created a general treasury ( Hofkammer ) in Innsbruck, which became responsible for all the hereditary lands. The chamber of accounts ( Raitkammer ) at Vienna was made subordinate to this body. Under Paul von Liechtenstein , the Hofkammer was entrusted with not only hereditary lands' affairs, but Maximilian's affairs as the German king too. Historian Joachim Whaley points out that there are usually two opposite views on Maximilian's rulership: one side

12300-455: The emperor over the princes of the empire and to compel him to rely more and more upon his position as ruler of the Austrian archduchies and of Hungary and Bohemia. Leopold was a man of industry and education, and during his later years, he showed some political ability. Regarding himself as an absolute sovereign, he was extremely tenacious of his rights. Greatly influenced by the Jesuits , he

12450-535: The emperor. It was Maximilian's support that enabled Reuchlin to fully devote himself to Jewish literature. Like his father Frederick III and his grandson Ferdinand I, he held Jewish physicians and teachers in high esteem. In 1514, he appointed Paulus Ricius , a Jew who converted to Christianity, as his personal physician. He was more interested in Ricius's Hebrew skills than in his medical abilities though. In 1515, he reminded his treasurer Jakob Villinger that Ricius

12600-487: The entire Spanish inheritance, disregarding the will of the late Charles II . Leopold started a war that soon engulfed much of Europe. The early years of the war went fairly well for Austria , with victories at Schellenberg and Blenheim , but the war would drag on until 1714, nine years after Leopold's death, which barely had an effect on the warring states. When peace returned with the Treaty of Rastatt , Austria could not be said to have emerged as triumphant as it had from

12750-409: The eponymous poem by Anastasius Grün was published (although the nickname likely existed even in Maximilian's lifetime). Scholarly debates still discuss whether he was truly the last knight (either as an idealized medieval ruler leading people on horseback, or a Don Quixote -type dreamer and misadventurer), or the first Renaissance prince—an amoral Machiavellian politician who carried his family "to

12900-497: The existing medieval fortress into a Renaissance castle for his untitled wife Philippine Welser (1527–1580), whom he had married in secret. Ferdinand II prepared his family's residence in the Upper Castle, beneath which he constructed one of the most artistically important halls of the late Renaissance—known as the "Spanish Hall" since the nineteenth century. In 1567, Ferdinand II made his entry into Innsbruck, prior to that, he

13050-680: The fifteenth to nineteenth centuries was completed. In 1981, the Armouries was reopened in the Lower Castle. Schloss Ambras is a federal museum of the Republic of Austria. It is administratively part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna and belongs to the KHM-Museumsverband. Ferdinand II was one of the most important patrons of the Habsburg family. He founded the notable collections of Ambras and had

13200-461: The following years, Ambras Castle no longer had the status of an official residence and was seldom lived in. Inadequate preservation measures led to the loss of valuable books, manuscripts, and hand sketches, and soon the palace fell largely into disrepair. In the seventeenth century, Emperor Leopold I (1640–1705) had some of the most valuable holdings of the Ambras collections—mostly books and manuscripts—moved to Vienna, where they can still be seen at

13350-543: The gentry's hostility to the Habsburg, he managed to gain many supporters from higher aristocracy, including several of Corvinus's former supporters. One of them, Jakob Székely, handed over the Styrian castles to him. He claimed his status as King of Hungary. In the meantime, Vladislas was proclaimed King of Hungary on July 15, 1490, and was crowned at Székesfehérvár in September. Maximilian responded with great energy, using

13500-516: The grace of God elected Holy Roman Emperor, forever August, King of Germany, King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Rama, Serbia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Cumania, Bulgaria, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Margrave of Moravia, Duke of Luxemburg, of the Upper and Lower Silesia, of Württemberg and Teck, Prince of Swabia, Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Kyburg and Gorizia, Landgrave of Alsace, Marquess of

13650-461: The great victory of Blenheim before Leopold died on 5 May 1705. The emperor himself defined the guidelines of the politics. Johann Weikhard of Auersperg was dismissed in 1669 as the leading minister. He was followed by Wenzel Eusebius, Prince of Lobkowicz . Both had arranged some connections to France without the knowledge of the emperor. In 1674 Lobkowicz also lost his appointment. He also expelled Jewish communities from his realm, for example

13800-407: The help of many notable scholars and artists, in his lifetime, the emperor—"the promoter, coordinator, and prime mover, an artistic impresario and entrepreneur with seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm and an unfailing eye for detail"—had built for himself "a virtual royal self" of a quality that historians call "unmatched" or "hitherto unimagined". To this image, new layers have been added by

13950-568: The influence of Bertali and Viennese composers in general (in oratorios and other dramatic works), and of Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (in ballets and German comedies). His sacred music is perhaps his most successful, particularly Missa angeli custodis , a Requiem Mass for his first wife, and Three Lections , composed for the burial of his second wife. Much of Leopold's music was published with works by his father, and described as "works of exceeding high merit." The full titulature of Leopold after he had become emperor went as follows: "Leopold I, by

14100-631: The land again after gaining control. When the Estates sent a delegation to offer him the regency after Philip's death in 1506, he evaded them for months. As suzerain, Maximilian continued to involve himself with the Low Countries from afar. His son's and daughter's governments tried to maintain a compromise between the states and the Empire. Philip, in particular, sought to maintain an independent Burgundian policy, which sometimes caused disagreements with his father. As Philip preferred to maintain peace and economic development for his land, Maximilian

14250-551: The large Burgundian domains in France and the Low Countries upon her father's death in the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477. The Duchy of Burgundy was also claimed by the French crown under Salic law , with Louis XI of France vigorously asserting his claim through military force. Maximilian at once undertook the defence of his wife's dominions. Without support from the Empire and with an empty treasury left by Charles

14400-614: The large number of supplications he received). In 1500, as Maximilian urgently needed assistance for his military plans, he agreed to establish an organ called the Reichsregiment (central imperial government, consisting of twenty members including the Electors, with the Emperor or his representative as its chairman), first organized in 1501 in Nuremberg and consisted of the deputies of the Emperor, local rulers, commoners, and

14550-491: The love of science and culture on his own terms though, especially during his time in Burgundy, under the influence of Mary of Burgundy). Although the two remained on good terms overall and the emperor encouraged Maximilian's interest in weapons and the hunt, as well as let him attend important meetings, Frederick was horrified by his only surviving son and heir's overzealousness in chivalric contests, extravagance, and especially

14700-480: The material from the original structure was later used in the modern building. In 1248, the castle ruins and property passed by inheritance from the Counts of Andechs to Albert IV, Count of Tyrol . The modern Ambras Castle was built by Archduke Ferdinand II (1529–1595), the second son of Emperor Ferdinand I . When he was made provincial sovereign of Tyrol in 1564, Ferdinand II ordered two Italian architects to turn

14850-711: The military talents of Prince Eugene of Savoy . By the Treaty of Karlowitz , Leopold recovered almost all of the Kingdom of Hungary , which had fallen under Turkish power in the years after the 1526 Battle of Mohács . Leopold fought three wars against France: the Franco-Dutch War , the Nine Years' War , and the War of the Spanish Succession . In this last, Leopold sought to give his younger son Charles

15000-400: The most favored language at his court. Likewise he had received comprehensive ecclesiastical training as he had originally been selected for a career in the higher clergy. This plan, though, was dropped upon the 1654 death of his older brother, Ferdinand IV , when Leopold became heir apparent. Nonetheless, Leopold's spiritual education had had a manifest impact on him. Leopold remained under

15150-519: The nature of the war was not defensive anymore. Maximilian and his followers had managed to achieve remarkable success in stabilizing the situation though, and a stalemate was kept in Ghent as well as in Bruges, before the tragic death of Mary in 1482 completely turned the political landscape in the whole country upside down. According to Haemers, while Willem Zoete's indictment of Maximilian's government

15300-600: The nobles naively thought that Charles of Egmont could be controlled by maintaining the peaceful relationship with the King of France, his patron. Leading Humanists in the Netherlands like Erasmus and Hadrianus Barlandus displayed a distrust towards the government and especially the person of Maximilian, whom they believed to be a warlike and greedy prince. After the brutal 1517 campaign of Charles of Egmont in Friesland and Holland, these Humanists, in their mistaken belief, spread

15450-434: The only bath of the 16th century completely preserved, is something of a cultural heritage. The Chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas . Consecrated for the first time in 1330 and often rebuilt over the centuries, it was finally painted in the 19th century by the Innsbruck painter August von Wörndle . Ambras Castle is so popular and well known, that it was the subject of one of the best known famous silver collectors' coins:

15600-595: The order, the archbishop of Mainz, the city council of Frankfurt and various German princes tried to intervene in defense of the Jews. Maximilian consequently ordered the confiscated books to be returned. On 23 May 1510 though, influenced by a supposed "host desecration" and blood libel in Brandenburg, as well as pressure from Kunigunde, he ordered the creation of an investigating commission and asked for expert opinions from German universities and scholars. The prominent humanist Johann Reuchlin argued strongly in defense of

15750-456: The original 16th century showcases. His "Rüstkammern" (Armouries) contain very rare examples of arms and armour from the 15th century which originally came from the collections of Emperor Maximilian I and Archduke Sigismund . Armour for tournaments like the German joust or the German course, and the armour of the court's giant Bartlmä Bon, who took part in the tournament in Vienna in 1560, can be seen. The "Leibrüstkammer" (Court Armoury) includes

15900-451: The other hand, his piety and education may have caused in him a fatalistic strain which inclined him to reject all compromise on denominational questions, which is not always considered a positive characteristic of a ruler. Leopold was said to have typical Habsburg physical attributes, such as the prominent Habsburg lower jaw . Short, thin, and of sick constitution, Leopold was cold and reserved in public and socially inept. However, he

16050-455: The palace and the surrounding park. The Outer Bailey ( Vorschloss ) was constructed with an ivy-clad entrance ramp for carriages. The park was redesigned as an English garden. Following Archduke Karl Ludwig's renouncement of his succession rights in 1889, the palace fell once again into ruinous condition. In 1880, it was converted into a museum and subsequently renovated. In 1919, following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary , Ambras Castle became

16200-419: The period 1482–1492, attempting to regain the autonomy they had enjoyed under Mary. Flemish rebels managed to capture Philip and even Maximilian himself, but they released Maximilian when Frederick III intervened. In 1489, as he turned his attention to his hereditary lands, he left the Low Countries in the hands of Albert of Saxony , who proved to be an excellent choice, as he was less emotionally committed to

16350-409: The prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. Maximilian resented the new organization as it weakened his powers, and the Estates failed to support it. The new organ proved politically weak, and its power returned to Maximilian in 1502. According to Thomas Brady Jr. and Jan-Dirk Müller, the most important governmental changes targeted the heart of the regime: the chancery. Early in Maximilian's reign,

16500-546: The princes. Many measures were launched in the 1495 Reichstag at Worms . A new organ was introduced, the Reichskammergericht , that was to be largely independent from the Emperor. A new tax was launched to finance the Empire's affairs (above all military campaigns), the Gemeine Pfennig . It was levied for the first time between 1495 and 1499, raising 136,000 florins, and another five times during

16650-629: The property of the First Austrian Republic . In 1950, the Kunsthistorisches Museum took over the administration of the castle and its collections. Throughout the 1970s, a comprehensive restoration took place of the Spanish Hall, the Upper Castle residential quarters, and the inner courtyard. In 1974, the Chamber of Art and Wonders was completed. In 1976, the Habsburg Portrait Gallery covering

16800-450: The return of Austrian provinces and Vienna, if they would renounce the treaty of 1463 and accept Matthias as Frederick's designated heir and favoured successor as Holy Roman Emperor. Before this was settled though, Matthias died in Vienna in 1490. However, after Matthias Corvinus died from a stroke on 6 April 1490, civil war broke out in Hungary between the supporters of John Corvinus and the supporters of king Vladislaus of Bohemia . Due to

16950-564: The saddest and most turbulent in the history of the country, and despite his later great imperial career, Maximilian unfortunately could never compensate for the mistakes he made as regent in this period. Some of the Netherlander provinces were hostile to Maximilian, and, in 1482, they signed a treaty with Louis XI in Arras that forced Maximilian to give up Franche-Comté and Artois to the French crown. They openly rebelled twice in

17100-609: The scene, these became their main force). The brutal efficiency of Germanic mercenaries, together with the financial support of cities outside Flanders like Antwerp, Amsterdam, Mechelen and Brussels as well as a small group of loyal landed nobles proved decisive in the Burgundian-Habsburg regime's final triumph. Reviewing the French historian Amable Sablon du Corail's La Guerre, le prince et ses sujets. Les finances des Pays-Bas bourguignons sous Marie de Bourgogne et Maximilien d'Autriche (1477–1493) , Marc Boone comments that

17250-481: The second son of Ferdinand and Philippine, Charles, Margrave of Burgau , inherited Ambras Castle. With little interest in preserving the castle or its collections, they fell into a state of dilapidation and Charles sold them in 1606 to Emperor Rudolf II . The emperor residing in Prague left his uncle's collection nearly in its entirety at Ambras Castle, as he himself was one of the most important Habsburg collectors. In

17400-544: The situation in favour of the Jagiellonian forces. Maximilian was forced to return. He depended on his father and the territorial estates for financial support. Soon he reconquered Lower and Inner Austria for his father, who returned and settled at Linz. Worrying about his son's adventurous tendencies, Frederick decided to starve him financially. In 1491, they signed the peace treaty of Pressburg , which provided that Maximilian recognized Vladislaus as King of Hungary, but

17550-421: The spell of his clerical education and Jesuit influence throughout his life. For a monarch he was uncommonly knowledgeable about theology, metaphysics, jurisprudence and the sciences. He also retained his interest in astrology and alchemy which he had developed under Jesuit tutors. A deeply religious and devoted person, Leopold personified the pietas Austriaca , or the loyal Catholic attitude of his house. On

17700-477: The standard work, a much more positive image of the emperor has emerged. He is seen as an essentially modern, innovative ruler who carried out important reforms and promoted significant cultural achievements, even if the financial price weighed hard on the Austrians and his military expansion caused the deaths and sufferings of tens of thousands of people. Through an "unprecedented" image-building program, with

17850-594: The stories that the emperor and other princes were concocting clever schemes and creating wars just to expand the Habsburg dominion and extracting money. By the time Margaret became Regent, Maximilian was less inclined to help regarding the Guelders matter. He suggested to her that the Estates in the Low Countries should defend themselves, forcing her to sign the 1513 treaty with Charles. Habsburg Netherlands would only be able to incorporate Guelders and Zutphen under Charles V. Following Margaret's strategy of defending

18000-403: The struggle was shorter and after 1494 a peaceful dialogue between the prince and the estates was reached. Jelle Haemers suggests that the level of violence associated with the suppression of the revolts as traditionally imagined has been exaggerated and that most of the violence happened in a symbolical manner, but also cautions against the tendency to consider the "central state" in the sense of

18150-627: The tension lasted until 1688, when William III of Orange won the English crown through the Glorious Revolution and Louis invaded Germany. In May 1689, the Grand Alliance was formed, including the emperor, the kings of England, Spain and Denmark, the Elector of Brandenburg and others, and a fierce struggle against France was waged throughout almost the whole of Western Europe. In general the several campaigns were favourable to

18300-522: The territories he had conceded and some Venetian possessions. Most of the Slovene-inhabited areas were transferred to the Habsburgs. But atrocities and expenses for war devastated Austria and Carniola. Lack of financial means meant that he depended on allies' resources, and just like in the Low Countries, he sometimes practically functioned as the condottiero. When Schiner suggested that they should let war feed war though, he did not agree or

18450-517: The throne." Her early death pushed him even more towards a man's world, where one grew up first as a warrior rather than a politician. Despite the efforts of his father Frederick and his tutor Peter Engelbrecht (whom Maximilian held in contempt all his life because of his violent teaching methods which, according to Cuspinianus , only made Maximilian hate science), Maximilian became an indifferent, at times belligerent student, who much preferred physical activities than learning (he would later rediscover

18600-839: The troops and Brandenburg left the war in June 1673 under the Treaty of Vossem . An anti-French Quadruple Alliance was formed in August, consisting of the Dutch Republic, Spain , Emperor Leopold, and the Duke of Lorraine , while in May 1674, the Imperial Diet declared it an Imperial war . The 1678 Treaty of Nijmegen is generally seen as a French victory, although the Alliance succeeded in limiting their gains. Almost immediately after

18750-605: The war against the Turks. Born on 9 June 1640 in Vienna , Leopold received the traditional program of education in the liberal arts , history, literature, natural science and astronomy. He was particularly interested in music, as his father Emperor Ferdinand III had been. From an early age Leopold showed an inclination toward learning. He became fluent in Latin , Italian , German , and Spanish . In addition to German, Italian would be

18900-582: The whole of Hungary (including Serbs in Vojvodina ) to the Habsburg monarchy . As the Habsburg forces retreated, they withdrew 37,000 Serb families under Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć . In 1690 and 1691 Emperor Leopold I had conceived through a number of edicts (Privileges) the autonomy of Serbs in his dominions, which would last and develop for more than two centuries until its abolition in 1912. Before

19050-528: The works of later artists in the centuries following his death, both as continuation of deliberately crafted images developed by his program as well as development of spontaneous sources and exploration of actual historical events, creating what Elaine Tennant dubs the " Maximilian industry ". Maximilian was born at Wiener Neustadt on 22 March 1459. His father, Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor , named him for an obscure saint, Maximilian of Tebessa , who Frederick believed had once warned him of imminent peril in

19200-555: Was Claudia Felicitas of Austria , who died in 1676 at the age of 22. Neither of their two daughters survived: His third wife was Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg . They had the following children: Like his father, Leopold was a patron of music and a composer himself. He continued to enrich the court's musical life by employing and providing support for distinguished composers such as Antonio Bertali , Giovanni Bononcini , Johann Kaspar Kerll , Ferdinand Tobias Richter , Alessandro Poglietti , and Johann Fux . Leopold's surviving works show

19350-476: Was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary , Croatia , and Bohemia . The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor , by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain , Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 after the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV . Elected in 1658, Leopold ruled the Holy Roman Empire until his death in 1705, becoming the second longest-ruling emperor (46 years and 9 months) of

19500-567: Was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death in 1519. He was never crowned by the Pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians . He proclaimed himself elected emperor in 1508 ( Pope Julius II later recognized this) at Trent , thus breaking the long tradition of requiring a papal coronation for the adoption of the Imperial title. Maximilian

19650-452: Was a heavy blow personally (Maximilian's entourage seemed to have concealed the incident from him for more than ten days) and also politically, as by this time, he had become his father's most important international ally, although he retained his independent judgement. All their joint ventures fell apart, including the planned Italian expedition in 1508. The Estates preferred to maintain peace with France and Guelders. But Charles of Egmont,

19800-597: Was a one-sided picture that exaggerated the negative points and the Regency Council displayed many of the same problems, Maximilian and his followers could have been more prudent when dealing with the complaints of their opponents before matters became bigger. During his time in the Low Countries, he had experimented with all kinds of military models available, first urban militia and vassalic troops, then French-style companies that were too rigid and costly, and finally Germanic mercenaries (when Albert of Saxony came to

19950-555: Was a staunch proponent of the Counter-Reformation . In person, he was short, but strong and healthy. Although he had no inclination for a military life, he loved outdoors exercise, such as hunting and riding. He also had a taste and talent for music and composed several Oratorios and Suites of Dances. Perhaps due to inbreeding among his progenitors, the hereditary Habsburg jaw was most prominent in Leopold. Because his jaw

20100-464: Was admitted for the purpose of translating the Talmud into Latin, and urged Villinger to keep an eye on him. Perhaps overwhelmed by the emperor's request, Ricius only managed to translate two out of sixty-three Mishna tractates before the emperor's death. Ricius managed to publish a translation of Joseph Gikatilla 's Kabbalistic work The Gates of Light , which was dedicated to Maximilian, though. It

20250-489: Was already dreaded by the Turks. On 12 September 1683, the allied army fell upon the enemy, who was completely routed, and Vienna was saved. The Imperial forces, among whom Prince Eugene of Savoy was rapidly becoming prominent, followed up the victory with others, notably one near Mohács in 1687 and another at Zenta in 1697, and in January 1699, Sultan Mustafa II signed the Treaty of Karlowitz by which he ceded almost

20400-481: Was among the fallen), while Maximilian's own advance was blocked by the main Venetian force under Niccolò di Pitigliano and a French army under Alessandro Trivulzio . Bartolomeo d'Alviano then pushed into the Imperial territory, seizing Gorizia and Trieste, forcing Maximilian to sign a very unfavourable truce. Afterwards, he formed the League of Cambrai together with Spain, France and Pope Julius II and won back

20550-668: Was appointed administrating governor of the Kingdom of Bohemia , taking up residence in Prague in 1547. In 1589, he added an additional building, the Heldenrüstkammer , west of the Lower Castle for the purpose of housing his collection of "Heroes", the very first systematic presentation of objects in the history of museums. Ambras Castle was used as the residence of Philippine as well as a place for Ferdinand II to house his collection of weapons, suits of armour, portraits, natural objects, as well as rarities and precious objects. Today,

20700-480: Was at haste to make his 1506 fatal journey to Spain, troubles would soon arise again, leaving Margaret to deal with the problems. Maximilian was exasperated by the attitude of Philip (whom, in Maximilian's imagination, was probably influenced by insidious French agency) and the Estates, whom he considered to be unbelievably nonchalant and tightfisted about a threat to their own country's security. Philip's death in Burgos

20850-495: Was besieged from July to September, while Leopold took refuge at Passau . Realizing the gravity of the situation somewhat tardily, some of the German princes, among them the electors of Saxony and Bavaria , led their contingents to the Imperial Army , which was commanded by the emperor's brother-in-law, Charles, Duke of Lorraine , but the most redoubtable of Leopold's allies was the King of Poland, John III Sobieski , who

21000-578: Was caused partly by his desire to crush Protestantism and partly by the so-called Magnate conspiracy . A rising was suppressed in 1671 and for some years Hungary was treated with great severity. In 1681, after another rising, some grievances were removed and a less repressive policy was adopted, but this did not deter the Hungarians from revolting again. Austrian forces occupied the castle of Trebišov in 1675, but in 1682 Imre Thököly captured it and then fled from continuous Austrian attacks, so they blew

21150-665: Was depicted unusually large on a 1670 silver coin, Leopold was nicknamed "the Hogmouth"; however, most collectors do not believe the coin was an accurate depiction. In 1666, he married Margaret Theresa of Spain (1651–1673), daughter of King Philip IV of Spain , who was both his niece and his first cousin. She was depicted in Diego Velázquez ' paintings sent from the court of Madrid to Leopold as he waited in Vienna for his fiancée to grow up. Leopold and Margaret Theresa had four children, all but one short-lived: His second wife

21300-481: Was empty. The battle was an important landmark in military history though: the Burgundian pikemen were the precursors of the Landsknechte , while the French side derived the momentum for military reform from their loss. According to some, Maximilian and Mary's wedding contract stipulated that their children would succeed them but that the couple could not be each other's heirs. Mary tried to bypass this rule with

21450-555: Was involved in the War of the Spanish Succession . The King of Spain, Charles II , was a Habsburg by descent and was related by marriage to the Austrian branch, while a similar tie bound him to the royal house of France . He was feeble and childless, and attempts had been made by the European powers to arrange for a peaceable division of his extensive kingdom. Leopold refused to consent to any partition, and when in November 1700 Charles died, leaving his crown to Philippe, Duke of Anjou ,

21600-399: Was just.). After 1510 though, this happened only once, and he showed an unusually resolute attitude in resisting a campaign to expel Jews from Regensburg. David Price comments that during the first seventeen years of his reign, he was a great threat to the Jews, but after 1510, even if his attitude was still exploitative, his policy gradually changed. A factor that probably played a role in

21750-400: Was left fighting Charles of Egmond over Guelders on his own resources. At one point, Philip let French troops supporting Guelders's resistance to his rule pass through his own land. Only at the end of his reign, Philip decided to deal with this threat together with his father. By this time, Guelders had been affected by the continuous state of war and other problems. The duke of Cleves and

21900-459: Was not brutal enough to do that. He acknowledged French control of Milan in 1515. The situation in Italy was not the only problem Maximilian had at the time. The Swiss won a decisive victory against the Empire in the Battle of Dornach on 22 July 1499. Maximilian had no choice but to agree to a peace treaty signed on 22 September 1499 in Basel that granted the Swiss Confederacy independence from

22050-411: Was not popular though. According to Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger though, throughout the early modern period, the Reichshofrat remained by far the faster and more efficient among the two Courts. The Reichskammergericht on the other hand was often torn by matters related to confessional alliance. Around 1497–1498, as part of his administrative reforms, he restructured his Privy Council ( Geheimer Rat ),

22200-550: Was seemingly linked to the fear of the Turks (the Romani were accused of being spies for the Turks). Kenrich and Puxon explains that connect the situation with the consolidation of European nation-states, that also stimulated similar policies elsewhere. Within the Holy Roman Empire, there was also a consensus that deep reforms were needed to preserve the unity of the Empire. For most of his reign, Frederick III had considered reform as

22350-406: Was the only surviving son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor , and Eleanor of Portugal . Since his coronation as King of the Romans in 1486, he ran a double government, or Doppelregierung (with a separate court), with his father until Frederick's death in 1493. Maximilian expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy , the ruler of

22500-693: Was under Frederick and Maximilian that the foundation of Modern Judaism arose, steeped in Humanism. It was under Maximilian that policies concerning the Romani became harsher. In 1500, a notice was given to the Romani that they had to leave Germany by the next Easter, or become outlaws (the Romani had to evade the law by following a constant circuit from an area to another, and at times, obtain patronage from aristocrats). The reformation beginning in 1517 did not consider them foreigners anymore, but as local beggars, they also faced discrimination. The change in policy

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