!!!Habsburger, Herrschergeschlecht

Habsburg: The former Austrian imperial dynasty is named after the 
Havichsberch (Habichtsburg, first mentioned in 1108, founded around 
1020), their ancestral castle on the right bank of the River Aare 
south west of Brugg in the canton of Aargau (Switzerland). The keep 
was also used for living accommodation and was extended during the 
12th/13th centuries. Later, however, it was reduced again and the only 
surviving part of the castle was the western side, which had often 
been altered. The castle fell to the city of Berne in 1415.

\\
According to the written history of the monastery also accommodated in 
the castle, it was founded by Muri Guntram the Rich who lived during 
the second half of the 10th century. His grandson Ratbot (d. before 
1045), Count of Klettgau, an area between Waldshut (Germany) and 
Schaffhausen (Switzerland), founded the Muri monastery, the first 
burial site of the Habsburgs. His brother-in-law (or brother) was 
Bishop Werner of Strasbourg (1002-1028). Count of H. called himself 
Otto II (d. Sept. 8, 1111). His son Werner II, Landgrave in 
Upper Alsace from 1135, probably died outside Milan in 1167. He 
established relations with the Staufen family, which continued over 
the next generations. In 1240, the family split into two lines. The 
younger Laufenburg line died out in 1415. Rudolf IV, a member of 
the main line, became German king following election on Sept. 1, 1273, 
this despite the fact that the Habsburgs were not imperial princes, 
although as counts they did hold public functions. They did not reign 
over a unified territory, but owned allodial property, fiefs and 
church territory. The family was related to leading noble families in 
Swabia and Alsace.

\\
After his victory in the Battle of Jedenspeigen (Aug. 26, 1278) over  
Otakar II  of Bohemia,  Rudolf I took over the territories 
that had formerly belonged to the Babenberg and Sponheim families and 
enfeoffed his sons  Albrecht I and  Rudolf II with them (Austria, 
Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and Slovenia). In 1286 these lands went to 
the ( Meinhardiner check bios). Although Rudolf II renounced his 
rights, the male family members of future generations had to rule over 
their fiefs "jointly and undivided", a provision which often led to 
conflicts. During the 14th century, a younger member of the family 
administered the family´s Swiss properties most of which were, 
however, lost in the course of the century.

\\
In 1379, the H. territories were divided between  Albrecht III 
and  Leopold III. The family now split into two, in 1406 into 
three lines, the properties of which were reunited under  
Maximilian I in 1493, after Albrecht´s line had died out in 
1457  Albertinian Line and after the Tyrolean line had renounced all 
rights in1490 and Sigmund I had adopted Maximilian I.

\\
Maximilian I married Maria of Burgundy, his son Philipp was 
married to Johanna of Castile and Aragon. The Habsburg family had thus 
become a major power. When Karl V inherited Spain from his 
mother, the family again split into two lines, a Spanish line 
represented by  Karl V (as King of Spain Carlos I, succeeded 
by Felipe II, Felipe III, Felipe IV and Carlos II) 
and an Austrian line, represented by  Ferdinand I and his successors. 
The two lines intermarried constantly, a policy which eventually led 
to degeneration and childlessness. The Spanish line died out in 1700.

\\
After the death of Ferdinand I, the Austrian line split again 
into three branches in 1564. The Austrian branch reigned until 1619, 
the Tyrolean branch reigned only until 1595 due to the morganatic 
marriage of  Ferdinand II (his children were not entitled to 
inherit). A new branch, founded by  Leopold V, reigned until 
1665. The family was represented by the Styrian branch until the death 
of  Karl VI in 1740.

\\
By marrying  Franz I (Franz Stephan of Lothringen/Lorraine),  
Maria Theresia founded the Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty (the couple had 
16 children). The line was continued by Peter Leopold (Emperor  
Leopold II), his son  Franz II (I) and Franz´s 
son  Franz Karl, who renounced his succession rights and whose son  
Franz Joseph I reigned longer than any other Habsburg emperor 
before him. Leopold´s second son,  Ferdinand III, founded the 
Habsburg-Toscana line, Maria Theresia´s son  Ferdinand Karl the 
Oesterreich-Este line.The reign of the Habsburg-Lothringen family in 
Austria ended in 1918. Relations between the Republic of Austria and 
the Habsburg family are regulated by the  Habsburg Law of 1919. Otto  
Habsburg-Lothringen, son of the last Emperor  Karl I, renounced 
his family´s rights and privileges in 1961.

!Literature
A. Wandruszka, Das Haus Habsburg, %%sup 5/%1984; B. 
Hamann, Die Habsburger. Ein biographisches Lexikon, %%sup 3/%1993; R. 
Reifenscheid, Die Habsburger in Lebensbildern, %%sup 3/%1994; K. 
Vocelka and L. Heller, Die Lebenswelt der Habsburger, 1997; K. Vocelka 
and L. Heller, Die private Welt der Habsburger, 1998; M. Erbe, Die 
Habsburger 1493-1918. Eine Dynastie im Reich und in Europa, 2000.


%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Habsburger,_Herrschergeschlecht|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]