Rudolf I (c.1282 – 3/4 July 1307), also known as Rudolf of Habsburg, was a member of the House of Habsburg, the King of Bohemia and titular King of Poland from 1306 until his death. He was also Duke of Austria (as Rudolf III) and Styria from 1298.

Early life

Rudolf was the eldest son of Duke Albert I of Austria and his wife Elizabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol, thereby the grandson of King Rudolf I of Germany. After lengthy struggles with Adolf of Nassau, his father was elected King of Germany in 1298 and vested sixteen-year-old Rudolf as a co-ruler with the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburg dynasty. According to the Treaty of Rheinfelden, Rudolf acted as regent on behalf of his younger brothers Frederick the Fair and Leopold I.

On 25 May 1300 King Albert I arranged his marriage with Blanche, a daughter of King Philip III of France. The intended union failed as the couple's son and daughter died young and Blanche herself died, probably after a miscarriage or premature birth, in 1305. Rudolf accompanied his father on his 1304 expedition against King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, who had placed his son Wenceslaus III on the Hungarian throne after the Árpád dynasty died out in 1301 with the death of King Andrew III.

King of Bohemia

Rudolph III of Habsburg

Another opportunity for a Habsburg gain in power opened when in 1306 King Wenceslaus III, the last Bohemian ruler of the Přemyslid dynasty, was killed and Albert I was able to seize his kingdom as an escheated fief. Rudolph was then vested with the Bohemian throne. This was contested by his maternal uncle Duke Henry of Carinthia, husband of Wenceslaus' sister Anne. When several Bohemian nobles elected Henry King of Bohemia, Albert I placed his brother-in-law under the Imperial ban and marched against Prague. Henry fled, first to Bavaria, then back to his Carinthian homelands. To further legitimate the Habsburg claims to the Bohemian and the Polish throne, Albert had Rudolph married to Elizabeth Richeza of Poland, widow of King Wenceslaus II.

Mocked as král kaše ("king porridge") for his thriftiness rather than stomach problems, Rudolf was rejected by several Bohemian nobles, who continued to hold out for Henry. His aims to take hold of the silver deposits at Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg) sparked a rebellion led by the noble House of Strakonice. The king besieged the rebel fortress of Horažďovice, but died at the campsite in the night of 3 to 4 July 1307, probably of gastrointestinal perforation.

As Rudolf left no surviving children, the first grab of the Habsburgs for the Crown of Saint Wenceslas failed when the Bohemian nobles restored Henry as king in return for a charter of privileges, who in turn had to renounce the throne in favour of Count John of Luxembourg three years later. Instead Rudolph's enfeoffment intensified the inner Habsburg inheritance conflict, culminating in the assassination of King Albert I by his nephew John Parricida in 1308. Rudolph is buried at the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Marriages and children

In 1298 or 1300 Rudolph married Blanche, daughter of Philip III of France. They had two children, both of whom died at birth or shortly after.

On 16 October 1306 Rudolph married Elizabeth Richeza of Poland. There is one record that says the Queen gave birth to a son after her husband's death. If true, the Prince died soon after birth, as his claims to the throne were never brought up by Habsburgs.

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 lineLeopoldian 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 lineAustrian / 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 1255–1308Hartmann 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 lineLeopoldian 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 lineAustrian / 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
Notes:

Sources

  • Morrison, Elizabeth; Hedeman, Anne Dawson, eds. (2010). Imagining the Past in France: History in Manuscript Painting, 1250-1500. J. Paul Getty Museum.

External links

Rudolf I of BohemiaHouse of HabsburgBorn: c.1281Died: 3 or 4 July 1307
Preceded byHenryKing of Bohemia 1306–1307Succeeded byHenry
Preceded byAlbert I (alone)Duke of Austria and Styria Count of Habsburg with Albert I 1298–1307Succeeded byAlbert I (alone)