!!!Spätmittelalter
Late Middle Ages: The years between 1250 to 1522 in Austria were
characterised by a high degree of homogeneity both in terms of its
political history (Habsburg rule) and the development of the arts (the
Gothic period). The beginning of this period was marked by the efforts
of the Bohemian king Přemysl Otakar II to unite the whole
Danube region and to establish an empire stretching from the River
Oder to the Adriatic. He conquered the Babenberg domains and inherited
land from the Sponheim family in Carinthia (Podbrady Bequest in
1268), gained influence in Salzburg and was at first supported by the
Austrians. In Tirol he was confronted with opposition from the
Meinhardiner family, the house of the Counts of Gorizia, who supported
Rudolf of Habsburg, the German king, when he claimed the Babenberg
domains for his empire in 1273. After the first campaign against him
Otakar surrendered in 1276; two years later, in an attempt to reassert
his rights, Otakar marched on Vienna, but was defeated and killed in
the Battle of Duernkrut (between Duernkrut and Jedenspeigen) on August
26, 1278. During his rule, the towns of Marchegg, Bruck
an der Mur and Leoben were founded.
\\
Rudolf of Habsburg invested his sons with the Babenberg domains in
1282 (from 1283 under Albrecht's I sole rule), Count Meinhard of
Tirol was bequeathed Carinthia and Carniola.
\\
The relentless rule of the first Habsburg, who came from western
Switzerland and brought his entourage with him, roused opposition in
Austria. Albrecht was also involved in conflicts with the Archbishop
of Salzburg over salt mining, wanted to acquire land in Hungary, and
finally ascended the German throne. His sons succeeded in establishing
their rule in Austria, but were otherwise beset by misfortune.
Rudolf III, who was elected king in Bohemia, died as early as
1307, Friedrich III was defeated by his rival, Louis of Bavaria,
in the war over the German crown and Heinrich lost a desicive battle
to the Swiss at Morgarten in 1315. Although physically handicapped,
Albrecht II not only managed to establish Habsburg rule in the
Austrian domains owing to his political skills but also acquired
Carinthia in 1335. In Carinthia, Otto, who had also established the
monastery of Neuberg in Styria, had himself elected duke on the
Zollfeld plain in accordance with an age-old tradition. During this
period the Carthusian monasteries of Mauerbach and Gaming in Lower
Austria were founded. The early years of the 14%%sup th/% century
were marked by severe natural disasters (earthquake in 1348) and the
plague; it was during this period that Vienna became the capital.
Albrecht's son Rudolf IV (1358-1365) founded the University of
Vienna and had St. Stephen's Cathedral rebuilt in Gothic style. He
also tried to make Vienna a diocese and claimed immense privileges for
Austria by a forged charter ("Privilegium maius"), which Emperor Karl
IV refused to accept; however, it was later sanctioned by the Habsburg
Friedrich III when he became emperor, thus endowing the members
of the Habsburg family with the title of archduke.
\\
Under the rule of Margarete Maultasch in Tirol, the family of the
Meinhardiner were involved in rivalries with the Wittelsbachs of
Bavaria and the Luxembourgs in Bohemia; Rudolf IV took advantage of
the situation and gained Tirol in 1363, when his domains comprised
almost the entire territory of present-day Austria. A few years later
Habsburgs acquired lands west of the Arlberg pass (present-day
Vorarlberg). By the acquisition of Trieste, the Habsburgs also gained
a foothold on the Adriatic.
\\
At this stage Austria was affected by the partition of the Habsburg
family lands due to quarrels between the Dukes Albrecht III and
Leopold III in 1379, a partition which lasted for 100 years.
Albrecht received the Austrian lands on the River Danube and Leopold
gained the lands of Inneroesterreich (Styria, Carinthia and Carniola,
Tirol and the lands in the west stretching to the river Rhine). In the
west, lands were lost to the Swiss on various occasions,
Leopold III became involved in conflicts with the Swiss, was
defeated and died in battle near Sempach 1386; the Habsburgs were
again defeated near Naefels in 1388, but succeeded in compensating for
these losses by the acquisition of the city of Freiburg.
\\
On account of its location on the River Danube, Vienna developed into
a commercial centre, roads leading to the south were built across
mountains, ore mining activity at Erzberg Mountain and in Carinthia
increased considerably. Building construction also flourished during
that period, as manifested in many preserved buildings in Gothic
style. In the fields of painting and poetry significant works were
accomplished.
\\
Duke Albrecht III was an important patron of the arts, he founded
Laxenburg Castle and commissioned Leopold Stainreuter to write the
"Chronik von den 95 Herrschaften" ("Chronicle of the 95
Realms").
\\
The early years of the 15%%sup th/% century were marked by conflicts
between the various lines of the Habsburg family. Thus the Estates
gained more influence as the people's representatives, they assembled
in diets "to advise and support" the sovereign. Finally,
Albrecht V managed to restore a strong and energetic rule after
1411, but was soon forced to defend Austria against the Hussites, who
came from Bohemia and Moravia and ravaged Austrian lands north of the
River Danube on numerous occasions. Albrecht V had married Elisabeth,
the daughter of Emperor Siegmund of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia and
Hungary. After his death in 1437 Albrecht became not only King of
Bohemia and Hungary but also King of Germany. Albrecht himself died
prematurely in 1439, before his son Ladislaus was born.
Friedrich III of Styria (from 1440 King and from 1452 Emperor)
became Ladislaus's guardian; his reign was marked by almost ceaseless
strife with the Estates (the nobility, knights, prelates and towns),
who had become very powerful. They forced Friedrich to release
Ladislaus from tutelage and forged alliances with the national leaders
in Hungary and Bohemia. When Ladislaus Postumus died prematurely in
1457, Matthias Corvinus became King of Hungary and in Bohemia George
of Podbrady was elected king.
\\
In Tirol Duke Friedrich IV had trouble remaining in power as he
laid himself open to criticism at the Council of Constance. He also
had to assert himself against a rebellion of his nobles in Tirol. The
profits from the silver mines in the Inntal Valley enabled Friedrich's
son, Sigmund, to have many buildings constructed (e.g. Ambras Castle,
church in Schwaz). Ernst, who was later called "der Eiserne" (the
"Iron Ruler"), ruled in Styria and Carinthia; these regions prospered
under his reign and continued to do so under the rule of his son
Friedrich III ( AEIOU), who made Wiener Neustadt his preferred
residence and also extended the fortress of Graz.
\\
During the second half of the 15%%sup th/% century Styria and
Carinthia were often threatened by the Turks, who were pushing on
towards the North; for defence, castles and town walls were
strengthened and extended, in villages churches were fortified. The
farmers, who saw themselves neglected and endangered, rose against
their liege-lords on several occasions. Emperor Friedrich III
tried to restore peace with the Austrian Estates but failed on account
of weakness of his own and the activities of Matthias Corvinus. The
latter invaded Austria the first time in 1477 and occupied
considerable parts of the country after 1482. He took residence in
Vienna, where he died unexpectedly in 1490.
\\
One of the reasons why Matthias Corvinus invaded Austria was the
situation in the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the diocese of Passau.
Since the 14%%sup th/% century archbishops and bishops of Salzburg
and Passau had been members of noble families from the neighbouring
lands; there were rivalries between Austrian and Bavarian candidates
and sometimes two candidates were elected to the same office. In the
early years of the 15%%sup th/% century knights and citizens of
Salzburg founded the "Igelbund" ("Hedgehog") alliance and
established estates; in the second half of the century the archbishops
were short of money. The Archbishop of Gran fled and sought refuge at
Friedrich's III court and when Friedrich installed him as the new
prelate of Salzburg, the conflict with the Hungarian king, Matthias
Corvinus, reached its climax, resulting in Corvinus' receiving
possessions of the Passau diocese in Austria as a pledge.
\\
Unlike the court of Matthias Corvinus, where the Renaissance was
already flourishing, the Habsburg court and the Austrian lands were
still cultivating the Gothic style. Owing to the Danube School, the
Gothic style did not die out until the early years of the 16%%sup th/%
century. Many magnificent Winged Altars were produced, churches and
town houses were built in more monumental and impressive form than
ever before. The castles of Wiener Neustadt, Graz and Linz are some
fine examples of building activity under Friedrich, in Salzburg
Leonhard von Keutschach had Hohensalzburg Castle built.
\\
During the second half of the 15%%sup th/% century the economic
situation improved considerably. In some areas trade prospered, large
ironworks were established (early-capitalist enterprises), salt was
mined in Tirol, Styria and near Hallein in Salzburg, gold mining
yielded considerable profits in the valleys of the Tauern mountains in
Salzburg und Carinthia, silver was mined in Oberzeiring (Styria) and
Schwaz (Tirol). A pension scheme for the miners working in mines of
the Eisenerz Alps was introduced.
\\
When Emperor Friedrich's III son, Maximilian, married Mary of
Burgundy, the foundations were laid for the significant role the House
of Habsburg was to play throughout the world. Augsburg and Innsbruck
were the main residential towns of Maximilian I, who was a patron
of the arts and promoted the Renaissance style, even though, as a
German prince, he did so in the tradition of his own family. He
appointed scientists and artists to his court and had a magnificent
monument built for himself ( Tomb of Maximilian), which was planned to
be erected in Wiener Neustadt but was finally built in Innsbruck.
During Maximilian I's rule (died at Wels in 1519) the period of
the Middle Ages came to an end. New developments were taking place all
around the world: America was "discovered", Humanism was flourishing,
the German Reformation was just beginning and the Ottomans were
pushing on towards the Balkans and Hungary.
!Literature
A. Lhotsky, Geschichte Oesterreichs seit der Mitte des
13. Jahrhunderts (1281-1358), 1967; H. Wiesflecker, Kaiser
Maximilian, 5 vols., 1970ff.; A. Kusternigg, Die Zeit Koenig
Ottokars in Oesterreich, 1978; Die Zeit der fruehen Habsburger,
exhibition catalogue, Wiener Neustadt 1982; B. Rill,
Friedrich III., Matthias Corvinus und die Renaissance in Ungarn,
exhibition catalogue, Schallaburg 1982; O. Brunner, Land und
Herrschaft, %%sup 5/%1984; Habsburgs europaeischer Durchbruch, 1987;
G. Hoedl, Habsburg und Oesterreich 1277-1494, 1988; Eines Fuersten
Traum, exhibition catalogue, Schloss Tirol und Stams 1995.
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