!!!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.

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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.

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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.

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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.



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