!!!Rudolf II., geb. 1552

Rudolf II, b. Vienna, July 18, 1552, d. Prague (Czech 
Republic), Jan. 20, 1612, Emperor (from 1576), from 1572 King of 
Hungary, from 1575 King of Bohemia, from 1576 Emperor, son of Emperor  
Maximilian II. 1563-1571 educated at the Spanish court, moved the 
administration of the empire to Prague in 1583, where he resided 
almost exclusively, he concentrated on his interests on the arts, 
sciences and magic (alchemy and astrology). R. was the most important 
art collector of his time, the Habsburg crown was made on his order 
and was to become the crown of the Austrian empire in 1804. In Austria 
the  Counter Reformation was carried out in his name. Because he was 
inactive as a regent and careless in preparing defence against the 
Turks ( Turkish Wars), the other archdukes conspired against him from 
1600 ("Bruderzwist" - strife between brothers for the 
succession) and forced him to renounce Austria, Hungary and Moravia in 
1608 as well as to give up Bohemia in favour of his brother  Matthias 
in 1611.

!Literature
R. J. W. Evans, R. Ohnmacht und Einsamkeit, 
1980; K. Vocelka, R., 1985; Prag um 1600. Kunst und Kultur am Hofe R., 
2 vols., exhibition catalogue, Vienna 1988; J. Dauxois, Der 
Alchimist von Prag. R. v. Habsburg, 1997.


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