RULERS OF AUSTRIA
Margraves of Austria
March of Austria, also known as Marcha Orientalis, was first formed in 976 out of the lands that had once been the March of Pannonia in Karlovingian times. The oldest attestation dates back to 996, where the written name "ostarrichi" occurs in a document transferring land in present-day Austria to a Bavarian monastery.
House of Babenberg
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Leopold I the Illustrious |
c. 940 |
Richardis of Sualafeldgau |
10 July 994 |
|
Henry I the Strong |
late 10th century |
never married |
23 June 1018 |
|
Adalbert the Victorious |
c. 985 |
(1) Glismod of West-Saxony |
26 May 1055 |
|
Ernest the Brave |
c. 1027 |
(1) Adelaide of Eilenburg |
10 June 1075 |
|
Leopold II the Fair |
c. 1050 |
Ida of Cham |
12 October 1095 |
|
Leopold III the Good |
c. 1073 |
(1) Maria of Perg |
15 November 1136 |
|
Leopold IV the Generous |
c. 1108 |
Maria of Bohemia |
18 October 1141 |
|
Henry II Jasomirgott |
c. 1107 |
(1) Gertrude of Süpplingenburg |
13 January 1177 |
Dukes of Austria
In 1156, the Privilegium Minus elevated the march to a duchy, independent of the Duchy of Bavaria.
House of Babenberg
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Henry II Jasomirgott |
c. 1107 |
(1) Gertrude of Süpplingenburg |
13 January 1177 |
|
Leopold V the Virtuous |
c. 1157 |
Helena of Hungary |
31 December 1194 |
|
Frederick I the Catholic |
c. 1175 |
never married |
16 April 1198 |
|
Leopold VI the Glorious |
c. 1176 |
Theodora Angelina |
28 July 1230 |
|
Frederick II the Quarrelsome |
25 April 1211 |
(1) Sophia Laskarina |
15 June 1246 |
Interregnum
Ottokar of Bohemia
After Frederick's death, the succession of the Duchy was disputed between various claimants:
- Vladislaus of Moravia, claimant 1246–1247
- Herman VI of Baden, claimant 1248–1250
- Frederick I of Baden, claimant 1250–1268
- Ottokar II of Bohemia, claimant 1251–1278
House of Habsburg
In 1278, Rudolf I, King of Germany, defeated Ottokar and took control of Austria. In 1282 he invested his sons with the Duchies of Austria and Styria, thereby securing it for the House of Habsburg.
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Rudolf I |
1 May 1218 |
(1) Gertrude of Hohenburg |
15 July 1291 |
|
Albert I |
July 1255 |
Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol |
1 May 1308 |
|
Rudolf II the Debonair |
July 1270 |
Agnes of Bohemia |
10 May 1290 |
|
Rudolf III the Good |
c. 1281 |
(1) Blanche of France |
3/4 July 1307 |
|
Frederick I the Fair |
c. 1289 |
Isabella of Aragon |
13 January 1330 |
|
Leopold I the Glorious |
4 August 1290 |
Catherine of Savoy |
28 February 1326 |
|
Albert II the Wise |
12 December 1298 |
Joanna of Pfirt |
16 August 1358 |
|
Otto I the Merry |
23 July 1301 |
(1) Elisabeth of Bavaria |
17 February 1339 |
|
Frederick II |
10 February 1327 |
never married |
11 December 1344 |
|
Leopold II |
c. 1328 |
never married |
10 August 1344 |
|
Rudolf IV the Founder |
1 November 1339 |
Catherine of Bohemia |
27 July 1365 |
Archdukes of Austria
House of Habsburg
The Privilegium Maius, fabricated by Rudolf in 1359, attempted to invest the Dukes of Austria with the special position of an "Archduke". This title was frequently used by Ernest the Iron and other Dukes but not recognized by other princes of the Holy Roman Empire until Frederick V became Emperor and confirmed the Privilegium in 1453.
Rudolf was succeeded by his brothers that at first ruled jointly:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Albert III the Pigtail |
9 September 1349 |
(1) Elisabeth of Bohemia |
29 August 1395 |
|
Leopold III the Just |
1 November 1351 |
Viridis Visconti |
9 July 1386 |
Divided rule
The territories were divided between the brothers and their descendants in the Treaty of Neuberg in 1379:
The Albertinian Line received the Duchy of Austria, later called Lower Austria (not to be confused with the namesake modern state):
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Albert III the Pigtail |
9 September 1349 |
(1) Elisabeth of Bohemia |
29 August 1395 |
|
Albert IV the Patient |
19 September 1377 |
Joanna Sophia of Bavaria |
14 September 1404 |
|
Albert V |
16 August 1397 |
Elizabeth of Luxembourg |
27 October 1439 |
|
Vacant 1439–1440 |
||||
Ladislaus I the Posthumous |
22 February 1440 |
never married |
23 November 1457 |
After Ladislaus' death his territories passed to the Leopoldinian Line:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Frederick V the Peaceful |
21 September 1415 |
Eleanor of Portugal |
19 August 1493 |
|
Albert VI the Prodigal |
12 September 1418 |
Mathilde of the Palatinate |
2 December 1463 |
The Leopoldinian Line received the Duchies of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, the County of Tyrol and Further Austria:
In 1406, the Leopoldinian lines split their territories:
The Elder Ernestine line received the Duchies of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, also called Inner Austria:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Ernest the Iron |
c. 1377 |
(1) Margaret of Pomerania |
10 June 1424 |
|
Frederick V the Peaceful |
21 September 1415 |
Eleanor of Portugal |
19 August 1493 |
|
Albert VI the Prodigal |
12 September 1418 |
Mathilde of the Palatinate |
2 December 1463 |
Both under the guardianship of
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Frederick IV of the Empty Pockets |
c. 1382 |
(1) Elisabeth of the Palatinate |
24 June 1439 |
The Junior Tyrolean Line received Tyrol and soon also Further Austria. These territories were also called Upper Austria (not to be confused with the namesake modern state):
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Frederick IV of the Empty Pockets |
c. 1382 |
(1) Elisabeth of the Palatinate |
24 June 1439 |
|
Sigismund the Rich |
26 October 1427 |
(1) Eleanor of Scotland |
4 March 1496 |
In 1490 these territories were handed over to
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Maximilian I the Last Knight |
22 March 1459 |
(1) Mary of Burgundy |
12 January 1519 |
- Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, claimed the Austrian territories and occupied Austria proper and Styria. Claiming the title "Duke of Austria", he resided in Vienna from 1485 to his death in 1490.
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Matthias Corvinus |
23 February 1443 |
(1) Elizabeth of Celje |
6 April 1490 |
Reunited rule
The Austrian territories were again reunited in 1493.
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Maximilian I |
22 March 1459 |
(1) Mary of Burgundy |
12 January 1519 |
|
Charles I |
24 February 1500 |
Isabella of Portugal |
21 September 1558 |
|
Ferdinand I |
10 March 1503 |
Anne of Bohemia and Hungary |
25 July 1564 |
Divided again
In 1564 the Austrian territories were again divided among Emperor Ferdinand's sons:
Lower and Upper Austria (Austria proper) passed to Ferdinand's 1st son Maximilian:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Maximilian II |
31 July 1527 |
Maria of Spain |
12 October 1576 |
|
Rudolf V |
18 July 1552 |
never married |
20 January 1612 |
|
Matthias |
24 February 1557 |
Anna of Tyrol |
20 March 1619 |
|
Albert VII |
13 November 1559 |
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain |
13 July 1621 |
Rudolf, Matthias and Albert had no issue. The territories therefore passed to the descendants of Emperor Ferdinand's 3rd son Charles after Albert's abdication on 9 October 1619.
Tyrol and Further Austria passed to Emperor Ferdinand's 2nd son Ferdinand:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Ferdinand II |
14 June 1529 |
(1) Philippine Welser |
24 January 1595 |
Ferdinand died without an agnatic heir and his territories passed to the descendants of his brother Maximilian:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Matthias |
24 February 1557 |
Anna of Tyrol |
20 March 1619 |
|
Maximilian III |
12 October 1558 |
never married |
2 November 1618 |
Matthias died without issue and the territories passed to the descendants of Emperor Ferdinand's 3rd son Charles.
Inner Austria ("Inner-Österreich")(Styria, Carinthia and Carniola) passed to Emperor Ferdinand's 3rd son Charles:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Charles II |
3 June 1540 |
Maria Anna of Bavaria |
10 July 1590 |
|
Ferdinand III |
9 July 1578 |
(1) Maria Anna of Bavaria |
15 February 1637 |
In German Articles and Books these Archdukes' names and titles are normally completed with the territorial names of their Duchy as: "Charles II of Inner Austria" = "Karl der II. von Inner Österreich"
Reunited and redivided, again
The Austrian territories were reunited again by inheritance in 1620 under Ferdinand III, Archduke of Inner Austria (see Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor), but in 1623 five years into the Thirty Years' War he had so much to do with, Ferdinand divided them yet again, when he made his younger brother Leopold, who had been governor over Upper Austria, Archduke of those territories.
Lower Austria and Inner Austria remained with the elder line (Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor):
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Ferdinand III |
9 July 1578 |
(1) Maria Anna of Bavaria |
15 February 1637 |
|
Ferdinand IV |
13 July 1608 |
(1) Maria Anna of Spain |
2 April 1657 |
Upper Austria passed to the Younger Tyrolean Line:
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Leopold V |
9 October 1586 |
Claudia de' Medici |
13 September 1632 |
|
Ferdinand Charles |
17 May 1628 |
Anna de' Medici |
30 December 1662 |
|
Sigismund Francis |
27 November 1630 |
Hedwig of the Palatinate-Sulzbach |
25 June 1665 |
After Sigismund Francis died without issue and his territories reverted to the elder line.
The Austrian territories were conclusively reunited in 1665 under:
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
The Austrian branch technically ended in 1780 with the death of Maria Theresa of Austria and was replaced by the Vaudemont branch of the House of Lorraine in the person of her son Joseph II. However, in practice, the new successor house styled itself as Habsburg-Lorraine (Habsburg-Lothringen). All Habsburgs living today are in the agnatic descendants of Maria Theresa and Francis Stephen.
Name |
Portrait |
Birth |
Marriages |
Death |
Joseph II |
13 March 1741 |
(1) Isabella of Parma |
20 February 1790 |
|
Leopold VII |
5 May 1747 |
Maria Luisa of Spain |
1 March 1792 |
|
Francis II |
12 February 1768 |
(1) Elisabeth of Württemberg |
2 March 1835 |
Emperors of Austria
See also: Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary
In 1804 Francis I adopted the new title Emperor of Austria, but kept the title of Archduke of Austria. In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved.
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