Maximilian I#
b. Wiener Neustadt (Lower Austria), March 22, 1459, d. Wels (Upper Austria), Jan. 12, 1519, Emperor, son of Emperor Friedrich III, father of Philipp I (the Handsome). After his marriage to Mary of Burgundy in 1477 lived in the Netherlands, where he secured the Burgundy patrimony for his children (Peace of Senlis, 1493). 1486 was elected Roman King, he purchased Tyrol and the forelands from Archduke Sigmund in 1490 (by adoption and renunciation), reoccupied Lower Austria after Matthias Corvinus' death, 1493 inherited the rest of the Habsburg countries from his father and united them all. Had himself proclaimed "Elected Roman Emperor" in Trento. Also claimed Bohemia and Hungary under the Treaty of Inheritance of 1463 and secured his possessions at the Vienna Conference of Princes in 1515 by marriages. From the counts of Gorizia he inherited East Tyrol in 1500; conquered Kufstein in the Bavarian Palatine War of Succession in 1504, won the towns of Rattenberg and Kitzbuehel in 1505 as well as the towns of Mondsee, St. Wolfgang, Neuhaus and Rannariedl in Upper Austria in 1506. After a war against Venice 1508 to 1516 he held Rovereto, Riva and Ala (the southern border of Tyrol until 1918). Was not successful against the Swiss, who left the Empire in 1499, and was defeated by the French in Upper Italy.
M. resided in Augsburg, but mostly in Innsbruck, which grew
considerably in his era Goldenes Dachl, Hofburg, Zeughaus) Innsbruck
gained importance in the field of armour and artillery production.
M. introduced an administration through local princes for the first
time, which divided the countries into 2 groups. The Upper Austrian
countries, with their centre in Innsbruck, included Tyrol, Vorarlberg
and the forelands, Gorizia, Istria with Trieste as well as Friuli. The
Lower Austrian countries with their authorities in Vienna, Wiener
Neustadt and Linz, comprised what was then called "Austria", (today's
Upper Austria and Lower Austria), Styria, Carinthia and Carniola. He
also set up financial and judicial authorities. In order to
accommodate the Estates, M. held a Diet in Innsbruck in 1518. For the
extraction of silver and copper in Schwaz M. had to turn to the
Fugger family, who granted him credit against security. His aspiration
to be the most powerful Emperor since Charlemagne had to be financed
by the Austrian countries since his attempts to reorganize the Empire
were unsuccessful.
M. was very religious, spoke 7 languages, was humorous, skilled in the
production of arms, loved tournaments and hunting. He was an important
patron of the sciences and arts, but also insisted on demonstrating
his and his dynasty's power and influence (triumphal procession and
arc of honour, portraits by A. Duerer etc.). He dictated
autobiographical works "Weisskunig" (story of his father and his
youth) and "Theuerdank" (about his journey to Burgundy to take Mary
for his wife and the fight for her heritage). M. employed scholars to
investigate his genealogy and had several magnificent manuscripts made
- was a true Renaissance Prince. He had his tomb built during his
lifetime ( Maximilian, Tomb of) which was not set up at Wiener
Neustadt, as initially intended, but in the Hofkirche church in
Innsbruck. He was buried according to his wish in St.George's church
in Wiener Neustadt.
Literature#
H. Wiesflecker, Ks. M., 5 vols., 1971-1986; Ks. M., 1992.