Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria

Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria (14 June 1529 – 24 January 1595) was ruler of Further Austria and Imperial Count of Tyrol since 1564. The son of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, he first married Philippine Welser, and later Anna Caterina Gonzaga. Through his second marriage he was the father of Anna of Tyrol, the future Holy Roman Empress.

Biography

Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was the second son of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. He was a younger brother of Emperor Maximilian II.

He grew up in Innsbruck, where his father governed the Austrian hereditary lands on behalf of Ferdinand's uncle Charles V.

Ferdinand was said to be the favorite son of his father. He was described by a visiting dignitary to court as "handsome and friendlier" than his brother Maximilian.[citation needed]

Ferdinand and his siblings were raised very strictly and given a thorough education. Among his teachers were Kaspar Ursinus Velius and Georg Tannstätter. Ferdinand and his brother were educated in languages, and other young noble boys were invited to court to be educated alongside the two archdukes. They were not to speak to them in German, only in Latin, Czech or other foreign languages.[citation needed]

Ferdinand was also instructed in the Catholic religion and their God-given right to rule, and that this was a gift based on the condition that they were to fear and love God.

At the behest of his father, he was put in charge of the administration of Bohemia in 1547. He also led the campaign against the Turks in Hungary in 1556.

In 1557, he was secretly married to Philippine Welser, daughter of a patrician from Augsburg, with whom he had several children. The marriage was only accepted by Emperor Ferdinand I in 1559 under the condition of secrecy. The children were to receive the name "of Austria" but would only be entitled to inherit if the House of Habsburg became totally extinct in the male line, and thus the marriage had many qualities of a morganatic marriage. The sons born of this marriage received the title Margrave of Burgau, an ancient Habsburg possession in Further Austria. The younger of the sons, who survived their father, later received the princely title of Fürst zu Burgau.

After his father's death in 1564, Ferdinand became the ruler of Tyrol and other Further Austrian possessions under his father's will. However, he remained governor of Bohemia in Prague until 1567, according to the wishes of his brother Maximilian II.[citation needed]

In his own lands, Ferdinand made sure that the Catholic Counter-Reformation would prevail. He also was instrumental in promoting the Renaissance in central Europe and was an avid collector of art. He accommodated his world-famous collections in a museum built specifically for that purpose, making Ambras Castle the oldest museum in the world, and as the only Renaissance Kunstkammer of its kind to have been preserved at its original location, the Chamber of Art and Curiosities at Ambras Castle represents an unrivalled cultural monument.[citation needed] The collection was started during Ferdinand's time in Bohemia, and he subsequently moved it to Tyrol. In particular, the Chamber of Art and Curiosities, the gallery of portraits, and the collection of armor were very expensive, leading Ferdinand to incur a high level of debt. Part of the collections remained in Innsbruck, and part ultimately was moved to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.[citation needed]

After the death of his wife Philippine in 1580, he married his niece, Anna Caterina Gonzaga, a daughter of William I, Duke of Mantua, in 1582.

Archduke Ferdinand died on 24 January 1595. Since his sons from the first marriage were not entitled to the inheritance, and the second produced only surviving daughters, Tyrol was reunified with the other Habsburg lands. His daughter from the Mantuan marriage to Anna Caterina (later Anna Juliana) became Empress Anna, consort of Mathias, Holy Roman Emperor, who received his Further Austrian inheritance.[citation needed]

Children

He and his first wife Philippine Welser were parents of four children:

Margrave Andrew of Burgau (15 June 1558 – 12 November 1600). Became a cardinal in 1576, Margrave of Burgau in 1578, Bishop of Constance in 1589 and Bishop of Brixen in 1591. He had two illegitimate children.
Charles, Margrave of Burgau (22 November 1560 – 30 October 1618), Margrave of Burgau. He married his first cousin, Sibylle (1557–1627), the youngest daughter of daughter of William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (28 July 1516 – 5 January 1592), and Maria, Archduchess of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. They had no legitimate children. He and his mistress Chiara Elisa di Ferrero had three illegitimate children.
Philip of Austria (7 August 1562 – 9 January 1563), twin of Maria.
Maria of Austria (7 August 1562 – 25 January 1563), twin of Philip.

On 14 May 1582, Ferdinand married his niece Anna Caterina Gonzaga. She was a daughter of William I, Duke of Mantua, and Eleonora of Austria, younger sister of Ferdinand. They were parents to three daughters:

Archduchess Anna Eleonore of Austria (26 June 1583 – 15 January 1584).
Archduchess Maria of Austria (16 June 1584 – 2 March 1649), a nun.
Archduchess Anna of Austria (4 October 1585 – 14 December/15 December 1618); married her first cousin Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor.

He had at least two illegitimate children:

With Anna von Obrizon:

Veronika von Villanders (1551–1589). Married Giovan Francesco di Gonzaga-Novellara, Lord of Campitello.

With Johanna Lydl von Mayenburg:

Hans Christoph von Hertenberg (c. 1592 – 2 September 1613). Married Ursula Gienger.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
8. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor4. Philip I of Castile9. Mary, Duchess of Burgundy2. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor10. Ferdinand II of Aragon5. Joanna I of Castile11. Isabella I of Castile1. Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria12. Casimir IV Jagiellon6. Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary13. Elisabeth of Austria3. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary14. Gaston de Foix, Count of Candale7. Anne of Foix-Candale15. Catherine of Foix
		8. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor



	4. Philip I of Castile



	9. Mary, Duchess of Burgundy



	2. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor



	10. Ferdinand II of Aragon



	5. Joanna I of Castile



	11. Isabella I of Castile



	1. Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria



	12. Casimir IV Jagiellon



	6. Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary



	13. Elisabeth of Austria



	3. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary



	14. Gaston de Foix, Count of Candale



	7. Anne of Foix-Candale



	15. Catherine of Foix

Male-line family tree

vteHouse of Habsburg
Original line Albert Count of Habsburg c.1188–1239 Rudolf I of Germany c.1218–1291 Albert I of Germany 1255–1308Hartmann 1263–1281Rudolf II Duke of Austria 1270–1290 Rudolf I of Bohemia 1281–1307Frederick the Fair c.1289–1330Leopold I Duke of Austria 1290–1326Albert II Duke of Austria 1298–1358Henry the Friendly 1299–1327Otto Duke of Austria 1301–1339John Parricida c.1290–1312/1313 Albertinian line Leopoldian line Rudolf IV Duke of Austria 1339–1365Frederick III 1347–1362Albert III Duke of Austria 1349–1395Leopold III Duke of Austria 1351–1386Frederick II Duke of Austria 1327–1344Leopold II Duke of Austria 1328–1344 Albert IV Duke of Austria 1377–1404William Duke of Austria c.1370–1406Leopold IV Duke of Austria 1371–1411Ernest Duke of Austria 1377–1424Frederick IV Duke of Austria 1382–1439 Albert II of Germany 1397–1439Frederick III HRE 1415–1493Albert VI Archduke of Austria 1418–1463Sigismund Archduke of Austria 1427–1496 Ladislaus the Posthumous 1440–1457Maximilian I HRE 1459–1519 Philip I of Castile 1478–1506 Spanish / Iberian line Austrian / HRE line Charles V HRE 1500–1558Ferdinand I HRE 1503–1564 Philip II of Spain 1527–1598Maximilian II HRE 1527–1576Ferdinand II Archduke of Austria 1529–1595Charles II Archduke of Austria 1540–1590 Carlos Prince of Asturias 1545–1568Philip III of Spain 1578–1621Rudolf II HRE 1552–1612Ernest of Austria 1553–1595Matthias HRE 1557–1619Maximilian III Archduke of Austria 1558–1618Albert VII Archduke of Austria 1559–1621Wenceslaus Archduke of Austria 1561–1578Andrew Margrave of Burgau 1558–1600Charles Margrave of Burgau 1560–1618Ferdinand II HRE 1578–1637Maximilian Ernest of Austria 1583–1616Leopold V Archduke of Austria 1586–1632Charles of Austria 1590–1624 Philip IV of Spain 1605–1665Charles of Austria 1607–1632Ferdinand of Austria 1609–1641John-Charles of Austria 1605–1619Ferdinand III HRE 1608–1657Leopold Wilhelm of Austria 1614–1662Ferdinand Charles Archduke of Austria 1628–1662Sigismund Francis Archduke of Austria 1630–1665 Balthasar Charles Prince of Asturias 1629–1646Charles II of Spain 1661–1700Ferdinand IV King of the Romans 1633–1654Leopold I HRE 1640–1705Charles Joseph of Austria 1649–1664 Joseph I HRE 1678–1711Charles VI HRE 1685–1740 Lorraine Maria Theresa HRE 1740–1780Francis I HRE 1745–1765 Habsburg-Lorraine Joseph II HRE 1765–1790Leopold II HRE 1790–1792 Francis II HRE 1792–1806
												Original line
												Albert Count of Habsburg c.1188–1239

												Rudolf I of Germany c.1218–1291


												Albert I of Germany 1255–1308			Hartmann 1263–1281	Rudolf II Duke of Austria 1270–1290


						Rudolf I of Bohemia 1281–1307	Frederick the Fair c.1289–1330	Leopold I Duke of Austria 1290–1326	Albert II Duke of Austria 1298–1358	Henry the Friendly 1299–1327	Otto Duke of Austria 1301–1339	John Parricida c.1290–1312/1313


							Albertinian line					Leopoldian line
		Rudolf IV Duke of Austria 1339–1365	Frederick III 1347–1362	Albert III Duke of Austria 1349–1395					Leopold III Duke of Austria 1351–1386			Frederick II Duke of Austria 1327–1344	Leopold II Duke of Austria 1328–1344


						Albert IV Duke of Austria 1377–1404	William Duke of Austria c.1370–1406	Leopold IV Duke of Austria 1371–1411	Ernest Duke of Austria 1377–1424			Frederick IV Duke of Austria 1382–1439


						Albert II of Germany 1397–1439					Frederick III HRE 1415–1493	Albert VI Archduke of Austria 1418–1463	Sigismund Archduke of Austria 1427–1496

						Ladislaus the Posthumous 1440–1457					Maximilian I HRE 1459–1519

												Philip I of Castile 1478–1506


		Spanish / Iberian line																	Austrian / HRE line
		Charles V HRE 1500–1558																	Ferdinand I HRE 1503–1564


		Philip II of Spain 1527–1598							Maximilian II HRE 1527–1576					Ferdinand II Archduke of Austria 1529–1595			Charles II Archduke of Austria 1540–1590


Carlos Prince of Asturias 1545–1568	Philip III of Spain 1578–1621	Rudolf II HRE 1552–1612	Ernest of Austria 1553–1595	Matthias HRE 1557–1619	Maximilian III Archduke of Austria 1558–1618	Albert VII Archduke of Austria 1559–1621	Wenceslaus Archduke of Austria 1561–1578	Andrew Margrave of Burgau 1558–1600	Charles Margrave of Burgau 1560–1618	Ferdinand II HRE 1578–1637	Maximilian Ernest of Austria 1583–1616	Leopold V Archduke of Austria 1586–1632	Charles of Austria 1590–1624


		Philip IV of Spain 1605–1665	Charles of Austria 1607–1632	Ferdinand of Austria 1609–1641											John-Charles of Austria 1605–1619	Ferdinand III HRE 1608–1657	Leopold Wilhelm of Austria 1614–1662	Ferdinand Charles Archduke of Austria 1628–1662	Sigismund Francis Archduke of Austria 1630–1665


Balthasar Charles Prince of Asturias 1629–1646	Charles II of Spain 1661–1700															Ferdinand IV King of the Romans 1633–1654	Leopold I HRE 1640–1705	Charles Joseph of Austria 1649–1664


																				Joseph I HRE 1678–1711	Charles VI HRE 1685–1740
																									Lorraine
																						Maria Theresa HRE 1740–1780	Francis I HRE 1745–1765

																							Habsburg-Lorraine


																						Joseph II HRE 1765–1790	Leopold II HRE 1790–1792

																								Francis II HRE 1792–1806
Notes:

Notes

External links

Media related to Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded byFerdinand I

Archduke of Further Austria 1564–1595

Succeeded byRudolph II who allowed succession by: Mathias, Archduke of Further Austria governor appointed by Mathias: Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria