Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-II-Holy-Roman-emperor, The Metropolitan Museum of Arts - Prague during the Rule of Rudolf II. However, Julius died in 1609 after showing signs of schizophrenia, refusing to bathe, and living in squalor; his death was apparently caused by an ulcer that ruptured. Rudolf II (1552 – 1612). At the same time, seeing a moment of royal weakness, Bohemian Protestants demanded greater religious liberty, which Rudolf granted in the Letter of Majesty in 1609. Rudolf's successors did not appreciate the collection and the Kunstkammer gradually fell into disarray. As was typical of the time, Rudolf II had a portrait painted in the studio of the renowned Alonso Sanchez Coello. As mentioned before, Rudolf also attracted some of the best scientific instrument makers of the time, such as Jost Buergi, Erasmus Habermel and Hans Christoph Schissler. Akin to an autograph book, Hainhofer’s register is replete with the marks of Cosimo II de’ Medici, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, and Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, to name a few. After his return to Vienna, his father was concerned about Rudolf's aloof and stiff manner, typical of the more conservative Spanish court, rather than the more relaxed and open Austrian court; but his Spanish mother saw in him courtliness and refinement. The emperor was the subject of a whispering campaign by his enemies in his family and the Church in the years before he was deposed. He put his primary support behind conciliarists, irenicists, and humanists. So Rudolf prepared to start a new war with the Turks. Rudolf II (July 18, 1552 – January 20, 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). Rudolf's Kunstkammer was not a typical "cabinet of curiosities" - a haphazard collection of unrelated specimens. Rudolf II (July 18, 1552 – January 20, 1612), Holy Roman Emperor as Rudolf II (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia, as Rudolf (1572–1608), King of Bohemia as Rudolf II (1575-1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria as Rudolf V (1576–1608). Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). Rudolf has a mixed legacy, which is overshadowed by his mistakes that led directly to the Thirty Years’ War. It was housed at Prague Castle, where between 1587 and 1605 he built the northern wing to house his growing collections. First, in 1251, to Gertrude of Hohenberg and second, in 1284, to Isabelle of Burgundy. His ill health and unpopularity prevented him from restraining the religious dissensions that eventually led to the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48). Rudolf II (1552 – 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia, and Archduke of Austria. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor as Rudolf II (1576-1612), King of Hungary as Rudolf (1572-1608), King of Bohemia as Rudolf II (1575-1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria as Rudolf V (1576-1608). Ceremonial swords and musical instruments, clocks, water works, astrolabes, compasses, telescopes and other scientific instruments, were all produced for him by some of the best craftsmen in Europe. Initially a war between various Protestant and Catholic states in the fragmented Holy Roman Empire, it gradually developed into a more general conflict involving most of the great powers. In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg had settled religious disputes in the Holy Roman Empire by enshrining the principle of Cuius regio, eius religio, allowing a prince to determine the religion of his subjects. Omissions? Since 1526, the Kingdom of Bohemia had been governed by Habsburg kings who did not force their Catholic religion on their largely Protestant subjects. The Thirty Years’ War was a series of wars in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648. Rudolf gave Prague a mystical reputation that persists in part to this day, with Alchemists' Alley on the grounds of Prague Castle a popular visiting place and tourist attraction. Rudolf was angry with his brother's concessions, which he saw as giving away too much in order to further Matthias' hold on power. Subject to fits of severe depression, Rudolf soon retired to Prague, where he lived in seclusion, dabbling in the arts and sciences. When mutinous imperial troops under the archduke Leopold ravaged Bohemia with Rudolf ’s support in 1611, the Bohemian Estates sought help from Matthias, whose army virtually held Rudolf prisoner in Prague until he yielded Bohemia to Matthias in May. One of the surviving items from the Kunstkammer is a "fine chair" looted by the Swedes in 1648 and now owned by the Earl of Radnor at Longford Castle, United Kingdom; others survive in museums. Exact Title Match Include Uniform Titles. Rudolf II (July 18, 1552, Vienna, Austria - January 20, 1612, Prague, Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic) was King of Hungary (as Rudolf, 1572-1608), King of Bohemia (as Rudolf II, 1575-1608/1611), Archduke of Austria (as Rudolf V, 1576-1608), and Holy Roman Emperor (as Rudolf II, 1576-1612). He was also patron to some of the best contemporary artists, who mainly produced new works in the Northern Mannerist style, such as Bartholomeus Spranger, Hans von Aachen, Giambologna, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Aegidius Sadeler, Roelant Savery, and Adrian de Vries, as well as commissioning works from Italians like Veronese. He had several illegitimate children with his mistress Catherina Strada. He was a member of the House of Habsburg. A lion and a tiger were allowed to roam the castle, documented by the account books which record compensation paid to survivors of attacks, or to family members of victims. He was a member of the House of Habsburg. Rudolf's legacy has traditionally been viewed in three ways: an ineffectual ruler whose mistakes led directly to the Thirty Years' War; a great and influential patron of Northern Mannerist art; and a devotee of occult arts and learning which helped seed the scientific revolution. Although Rudolf prevented Matthias’ preliminary election as king of the Romans (successor-designate to the empire), Matthias gained the imperial throne five months after Rudolf’s death. Covered in red velvet, “Album Amicorum” was part of a larger trend to record family, friends, and acquaintances that began in the 16th Century. Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. They were born on a Friday. Julius lived at ?eský Krumlov when in 1608 he reportedly abused and murdered the daughter of a local barber, who had been living in the castle, and then disfigured her body. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, 1552-1612 Sources found : Rudolʹfint︠s︡y, 1996: p. 3 (Rudolʹfa II--cheshskogo koroli︠a︡ i imperatora Svi︠a︡shchennoĭ Rimskoĭ Imperii (1576-1612)) In 1782, the remainder of the collection was sold piecemeal to private parties by Joseph II. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Rudolf was even alleged by one person to have owned the Voynich manuscript, a codex whose author and purpose, as well as the language and script and posited cipher remain unidentified to this day. Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). etc. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Many artworks commissioned by Rudolf are unusually erotic. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Imperial Crown of Austria (German: Österreichische Kaiserkrone) was made in 1602 in Prague by Jan Vermeyen as the personal crown of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, and therefore is also known as the Crown of Emperor Rudolf II (German: Rudolfskrone). Henceforward the title of emperor, though it continued, usually did not have the sanction of personal crowning by a pope or papal legate. Like his contemporary, Elizabeth I of England, Rudolf dangled himself as a prize in a string of diplomatic negotiations for marriages, but never in fact married. They had direct contact with the court astronomers and, through the financial support of the court, they were economically independent to develop scientific instruments and manufacturing techniques. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria (1552-1612) Портрет Рудольфа II. Rudolf II, (born July 18, 1552, Vienna, Habsburg domain [now in Austria]—died January 20, 1612, Prague, Bohemia [now in Czech Republic]), Holy Roman emperor from 1576 to 1612. Born in Graz, the eldest son of Emperor Ferdinand II of Habsburg and his first wife, Maria Anna of Bavaria, and was baptised as Ferdinand Ernst. No evidence in support of this single piece of hearsay has ever been discovered. He was a member of the Habsburg family. He was the eldest son and successor of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, and King of Hungary and Croatia; his mother was Maria of Spain, a daughter of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. He was a member of the Habsburg family. Rudolf II, (born July 18, 1552, Vienna, Habsburg domain [now in Austria]—died January 20, 1612, Prague, Bohemia [now in Czech Republic]), Holy Roman emperor from 1576 to 1612. In 1606 they recognized Matthias as their head and as their candidate for Rudolf’s succession. He was a member of the House of Habsburg. He succeeded his father as emperor and as archduke of Austria (as Rudolf V) on October 12, 1576. Engraved by unknown artist and published in Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, Germany, 1859. The Bohemians continued to press for further freedoms, and Rudolf used his army to repress them. By 1604 his Hungarian subjects were exhausted by the war and revolted, led by Stephen Bocskay. It was on this day in 1552 that Rudolf von Habsburg, the future Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation, was born in Vienna, Austria to Emperor Maximilian II and his Empress Maria of Spain. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Rudolf was married twice. All children were from the first marriage. In 1609, Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia (1576–1612), increased Protestant rights. One of these, Philip Lang, ruled him for years and was hated by those seeking favour with the emperor. His conflict with the Ottoman Empire was the final cause of his undoing. When Rudolf was a prince, Nostradamus prepared a horoscope which was dedicated to him as 'Prince and King'. Rudolf even performed his own experiments in a private alchemy laboratory. Their eldest son, Don Julius Caesar d'Austria, was likely born between 1584 and 1586 and received an education and opportunities for political and social prominence from his father. His lifelong quest was to find the Philosopher's Stone and Rudolf spared no expense in bringing Europe's best alchemists to court, such as Edward Kelley and John Dee. Corrections? Rudolf's collections were the most impressive in the Europe of his day, and the greatest collection of Northern Mannerist art ever assembled. The crown was used as a private crown of the Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Hungary and Bohemia from the House of Habsburg. In 1605 Rudolf was forced by his other family members to cede control of Hungarian affairs to his younger brother Archduke Matthias. These became worse with age, and were manifested by a withdrawal from the world and its affairs into his private interests. More recently historians have re-evaluated this view and see his patronage of the arts and occult sciences as a triumph and key part of the Renaissance, while his political failures are seen as a legitimate attempt to create a unified Christian empire, which was undermined by the realities of religious, political and intellectual disintegrations of the time. The collection became an invaluable research tool during the flowering of 17th-century European philosophy, the "Age of Reason". Rudolf II ( July 18, 1552 - January 20, 1612) was King of Hungary (as Rudolf, 1572-1608), King of Bohemia (as Rudolf II, 1575-1608/1611), Archduke of Austria (as Rudolf V, 1576-1608), and Holy Roman Emperor (as Rudolf II, 1576-1612). Rather, the Rudolfine Kunstkammer was systematically arranged in an encyclopaedic fashion. Holy Roman Empire - Holy Roman Empire - The empire after Frederick II: It is characteristic of the new situation that Rudolf I of Habsburg, though he made a number of attempts, never formally achieved the imperial dignity. When building was completed in 1605, the collection was moved to the dedicated Kunstkammer. They died on a Friday. He came to the various Habsburg thrones from 1572 to 1576 as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia, King of Germany and finally as the Emperor-Elect. Tycho Brahe developed the Rudolfine tables (finished by Kepler, after Brahe's death), the first comprehensive table of data of the movements of the planets. He was a member of the House of Habsburg. Rudolf was born in Vienna on 18 July 1552. Unwilling to compromise with the Turks, and stubbornly determined that he could unify all of Christendom with a new Crusade, he started a long and indecisive war with the Turks in 1593. The project began when Rudolf's predecessor, Ferdinand I, commissioned master calligrapher Georg Bocskay to create a model book of calligraphy. Rudolf's legacy has Holy Roman Emperor of the Habsburg dynasty from 1576 until his death in 1612, and who also reigned as the king of Bohemia and of Hungary.The son of Emperor Maximilian II and Maria of Spain, Rudolf was educated at the court of King Philip II of Spain, Maximilian's cousin. In 1607, Rudolf sent Julius to live at ?eský Krumlov in Bohemia (in the modern-day Czech Republic) castle, which Rudolf purchased from the last of the House of Rosenberg (Peter Vok/Wok von Rosenberg) after he fell into financial ruin. He was a member of the Habsburg family. By 1597, the collection occupied three rooms of the incomplete northern wing. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor is the most famous person who died in 1612. Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria. Rudolf died in 1612, nine months after he had been stripped of all effective power by his younger brother, except the empty title of Holy Roman Emperor, to which Matthias was elected five months later. Some 50 years after its establishment, most of the collection was packed into wooden crates and moved to Vienna. He suffered from periodic bouts of "melancholy" (depression), which was common in the Habsburg line. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552-1612) on engraving from 1859. Include Alias Names De Boodt was an avid mineral collector. English: Rudolf II (July 18, 1552, Vienna, Austria - January 20, 1612, Prague, Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic) was King of Hungary (as Rudolf, 1572-1608), King of Bohemia (as Rudolf II, 1575-1608/1611), Archduke of Austria (as Rudolf V, 1576-1608), and Holy Roman Emperor (as Rudolf II, … The Bohemian Protestants then appealed to Matthias for help; Matthias' army then held Rudolf prisoner in his castle in Prague, until 1611, when Rudolf ceded the crown of Bohemia to his brother. Rudolf II ( July 18, 1552, Vienna, Austria - January 20, 1612, Prague, Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic) was King of Hungary (as Rudolf, 1572-1608), King of Bohemia (as Rudolf II, 1575-1608/1611), Archduke of Austria (as Rudolf V, 1576-1608), and Holy Roman Emperor (as Rudolf II, 1576-1612). Completed in 1567 by Alonso Sanchez Coello, the portrait depicted Rudolf II at the age of 15. Updates? He was a mem­ber of the House of Hab­s­burg . Sexual allegations may well have formed a part of the campaign against him. Two years later Rudolf was forced to cede Hungary, Austria, and Moravia to Matthias and to promise him the succession in Bohemia. The collection remaining at Prague was looted during the last year of the Thirty Years War, by Swedish troops who sacked Prague Castle on 26 July 1648, also taking the best of the paintings, many of which later passed to the Orléans Collection after the death of Christina of Sweden. Rudolf (II) King of Bohemia 1611–1619 Succeeded by Ferdinand II: King of Hungary and Croatia 1608–1619 King in Germany 1612–1618 Holy Roman Emperor 1612–1619 Archduke of Austria 1608–1619 Succeeded by Albert VII: Preceded by Ferdinand II: Archduke of Further Austria 1608–1619 In addition, Rudolf was known to have had a succession of affairs with women, some of whom claimed to have been impregnated by him. He was the eldest son and successor of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, and King of Hungary and Croatia; his mother was Maria of Spain, a daughter of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal.. Rudolf spent eight formative years, from age 11 to 19 (1563–1571), in Spain, at the court of his maternal uncle Phillip II. Between 1607 and 1611, de Boodt catalogued the Kunstkammer, and in 1609 he published Gemmarum et Lapidum, one of the finest mineralogical treatises of the 17th century. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. When the papacy instigated the Counter-Reformation, using agents sent to his court, Rudolf backed those who he thought were the most neutral in the debate, not taking a side or trying to effect restraint, thus leading to political chaos and threatening to provoke civil war. Rudolf spent eight formative years, from age 11 to 19 (1563–1571), in Spain, at the court of his maternal uncle Phillip II. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Their Zodiac sign is ♋ Cancer.Their Chinese Zodiac sign is 鼠 Rat.They are considered the most important person in history who died in 1612. It has been proposed by A. L. Rowse that he was homosexual. The emperor’s mental instability grew worse after 1598, and in 1605 the Habsburg archdukes, long dissatisfied with his political incompetence, compelled him to entrust the conduct of Hungarian affairs to his brother Matthias. Wikipedia. Described by a noted contemporary as “the greatest art patron in the world,” Rudolf II Habsburg (1552–1612), king of Hungary and Bohemia, and Holy Roman Emperor, raised court patronage in post-Renaissance Europe to a new level of breadth and extravagance.The thriving city and era over which he reigned, from 1583 until his death twenty-nine years later, is known as Rudolfine Prague. Rudolf is also the ruler in many of the legends of the Golem of Prague, either because of, or simply adding to, his occult reputation. Rudolf condemned his son's act and suggested that he should be imprisoned for the rest of his life. Rudolf's love of collecting went far beyond paintings and sculptures. During his periods of self-imposed isolation, Rudolf reportedly had affairs with his court chamberlain, Wolfgang von Rumpf, and a series of valets. He was a member of the House of Habsburg. According to hearsay passed on in a letter written by Johannes Marcus Marci in 1665, Rudolf was said to have acquired the manuscript at some unspecified time for 600 gold ducats. It was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, resulting in millions of casualties. Rudolf was born in Vienna on 18 July 1552. This painting can be seen at the Lobkowicz Palace in the Rozmberk room. Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 Jan­u­ary 1612) was Holy Roman Em­peror (1576–1612), King of Hun­gary and Croa­tia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bo­hemia (1575–1608/1611) and Arch­duke of Aus­tria (1576–1608). The court of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II produced nothing more amazing than the Mira calligraphiae monumenta, a brilliant demonstration of two arts--calligraphy and miniature painting. This war lasted till 1606, and was known as "The Long War". Matthias by 1606 forged a difficult peace with the Hungarian rebels (Peace of Vienna) and the Turks (Peace of Zsitvatorok). Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor. Historians have traditionally blamed Rudolf's preoccupation with the arts, occult sciences, and other personal interests as the reason for the political disasters of his reign. He spared no expense in acquiring great past masterworks, such as those of Dürer and Brueghel. He was increasingly viewed as unfit to govern, and other me… During the first 20 years of his rule disputes between Roman Catholic and Protestant factions crippled the political institutions of the empire. Although raised in his uncle's Catholic court in Spain, Rudolf was tolerant of Protestantism and other religions including Judaism. He died unmarried. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Maximilian’s successor as Holy Roman emperor and as archduke of Austria, his son. 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. These states employed relatively large mercenary armies, and the war became less about religion and more of a continuation o… The eldest surviving son of the emperor Maximilian II and Maria, who was the daughter of the emperor Charles V, Rudolf was crowned king of Hungary in 1572 (as Rudolf) and of Bohemia in 1575 (as Rudolf II). Rudolf kept a menagerie of exotic animals, botanical gardens, and Europe's most extensive "cabinet of curiosities" (Kunstkammer) incorporating "the three kingdoms of nature and the works of man". He largely withdrew from Catholic observances, even in death denying last sacramental rites. Naturalia (minerals and gemstones) were arranged in a 37 cabinet display that had three vaulted chambers in front, each about 5.5 metres wide by 3 metres high and 60 metres long, connected to a main chamber 33 metres long. In addition, Rudolf II employed his polyglot court physician, Anselmus Boetius de Boodt (c. 1550–1632), to curate the collection. Roman Catholicism Rudolf II (Julie 18, 1552 – Januar 20, 1612) wis Haly Roman Emperor (1576–1612), Keeng o Hungary an Croatie (as Rudolf I , 1572–1608), Keeng o Bohemie (1575–1608/1611) an Airchduke o Austrick (1576–1608). Rudolf moved the Habsburg capital from Vienna to Prague in 1583. Membership: Holy Roman Empire Association, Charter of the Holy Roman Empire Association, Heraldic Council of the Holy Roman Empire, Court of Nobility of the Holy Roman Empire, Council of the Holy Roman Empire Association, Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial immediacy of the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Household of the Holy Roman Emperor, Powers and Titles of the Holy Roman Emperor, Order of the Ancient Nobility of the Four Emperors, Order of the Defeated Dragon - Ordo Draconum, Association of the Counts Arundell of Wardour, Jesus Christ - Jesus of Nazareth - Son of God, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV of Luxemburg, Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV of Wittelsbach, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII of Luxemburg, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.