Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor

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Holy Roman Emperor Matthias.

Matthias (February 24, 1557 - March 20, 1619) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1612, King of Hungary from 1608 (as Matthias II) and King of Bohemia from 1611. He was a member of the House of Habsburg[1]

[edit] Biography

Matthias was born in the Austrian capital of Vienna to Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria of Spain.

Matthias married Archduchess Anna of Austria, daughter of his uncle Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria, whose successor in Further Austria Matthias became in 1595. Their marriage did not produce surviving children.

In 1593 he was appointed governor of Austria by his brother, Emperor Rudolf II. He formed a close association there with the Bishop of Vienna, Melchior Klesl, who later became his chief adviser. In 1605 Matthias forced the ailing emperor to allow him to deal with the Hungarian Protestant rebels. The result was the Peace of Vienna of 1606, which guaranteed religious freedom in Hungary. In the same year Matthias was recognized as head of the House of Habsburg and as the future Holy Roman Emperor, as a result of Rudolf's illness. Allying himself with the estates of Hungary, Austria, and Moravia, Matthias forced his brother to yield rule of these lands to him in 1608; Rudolf later ceded Bohemia in 1611.

After Matthias's accession as Holy Roman Emperor, his policy was dominated by Klesl, who hoped to bring about a compromise between Catholic and Protestant states within the Holy Roman Empire in order to strengthen it. Matthias had already been forced to grant religious concessions to Protestants in Austria and Moravia, as well as in Hungary, when he had allied with them against Rudolf.

Austrian Royalty House of Habsburg Armorial of the Holy Roman Empire Ferdinand I Children include    Archduchess Elisabeth    Maximilian II    Archduchess Anna, Duchess of Bavaria    Archduke Ferdinand    Archduchess Maria    Archduchess Catherine    Archduchess Eleanor    Archduchess Barbara    Archduke Charles    Archduchess Johanna Grandchildren include    Archduchess Anna, Queen of Poland and Sweden    Ferdinand II    Archduchess Margaret, Queen of Spain    Archduke Leopold    Archduchess Constance, Queen of Poland and Sweden    Archduchess Maria Magdalena, Grand Duchess of Tuscany Maximilian II Children include    Archduchess Anna, Queen of Spain    Rudolf II    Archduke Ernest    Archduchess Elisabeth, Queen of France    Matthias    Archduke Maximilian    Archduke Albert Rudolf II Matthias Ferdinand II

His conciliatory policies were opposed by the more intransigent Catholic Habsburgs, particularly Matthias's brother Archduke Maximilian, who hoped to secure the succession for the inflexible Catholic Archduke Ferdinand (later Emperor Ferdinand II). The start of the Bohemian Protestant revolt in 1618 provoked Maximilian to imprison Klesl and revise his policies. Matthias, old and ailing, was unable to prevent a takeover by Maximilian's faction. Ferdinand, who had already been crowned King of Bohemia (1617) and of Hungary (1618), succeeded Matthias as Holy Roman Emperor.

Matthias died in Vienna in 1619.

[edit] Names

Names in other languages:

• German: Matthias
• Czech: Matyáš
• Hungarian: II. Mátyás
• Slovak: Matej
• Croatian: Matija
• Romanian: Matei
• Polish: Maciej

[edit] Ancestors

[edit] Titles

Matthias, by the grace of God elected Holy Roman Emperor, forever August, King in Germany, of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, etc. Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Luxemburg, Württemberg, the Upper and Lower Silesia, Prince of Swabia, Margrave of the Holy Roman Empire, Burgau, Moravia, the Upper and Lower Lusatia, Princely Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Ferrette, Kyburg, Gorizia, Landgrave of Alsace, Lord of the Wendish March, Pordenone and Salins, etc. etc.

[edit] See also

• Kings of Germany family tree. He was related to every other king of Germany.

v • d • e Holy Roman Emperors Carolingian Empire Charles I (Charlemagne) · Louis I · Lothair I · Louis II · Charles II · Charles III · Guy · Lambert · Arnulf  · Louis III · Berengar Holy Roman Empire Otto I · Otto II · Otto III · Henry II · Conrad II · Henry III · Henry IV · Henry V · Lothair II · Frederick I · Henry VI · Otto IV · Frederick II · Henry VII · Louis IV · Charles IV · Sigismund · Frederick III · Maximilian I · Charles V · Ferdinand I · Maximilian II · Rudolph II · Matthias · Ferdinand II · Ferdinand III · Leopold I · Joseph I · Charles VI · Charles VII · Francis I · Joseph II · Leopold II · Francis II

v • d • e Monarchs of Germany Kingdom of Germany (843-1806) Louis II • Carloman • Louis III • Charles III • Arnulf • Louis the Child • Conrad I • Henry I • Otto I • Otto II • Otto III • Henry II • Conrad II • Henry III • Henry IV • Henry V • Lothair III • Conrad III • Frederick I • Henry VI • Philip • Otto IV • Frederick II • Conrad IV • Rudolf I • Adolf • Albert I • Henry VII • Louis IV • Charles IV • Wenceslaus • Rupert • Sigismund • Albert II • Frederick III • Maximilian I • Charles V • Ferdinand I • Maximilian II • Rudolph II • Matthias • Ferdinand II • Ferdinand III • Leopold I • Joseph I • Charles VI • Charles VII • Francis I • Joseph II • Leopold II • Francis II Confederation of the Rhine (1806-1813) Napoleon I German Confederation (1815-1848) Francis II • Ferdinand I German Empire (1849) Frederick William IV (emperor-elect) German Union (1849-1850) Frederick William IV German Confederation (1850-1866) Franz Joseph I North German Confederation (1867-1871) Wilhelm I German Empire (1871-1918) Wilhelm I • Frederick III • Wilhelm II

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