List of rulers of Austria
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List_of_rulers_of_Austria".

This is a list of margraves, dukes, archdukes, and emperors of Austria. The territory was ruled by the Babenberg family until 1246 and by the Habsburg family from 1282 to 1918.

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Contents

Margraves of Austria

The March of Austria was first formed in 976 out of the lands that had once been the March of Pannonia in Carolingian times. In 1156, the Privilegium Minus elevated the march to a Duchy independent of the Duchy of Bavaria.

Babenberg dynasty

Dukes of Austria

Babenberg dynasty

acquired the Duchy of Styria in 1192

Interregnum

After Frederick's death, the succession of the Duchy was disputed between various claimants:

He married Frederick's niece Gertrude of Austria in 1247 and was acclaimed by the nobility as the future Duke but died soon afterwards.
He married Gertrude after Vladislav's death but was rejected by the Austrian estates and could not establish his rule.
Wenceslaus invaded Austria in 1250 and installed his son as governor. Ottokar was acclaimed by the nobility as Duke in 1251 and married Duke Frederick II's sister Margaret in 1252. In 1260 he was invested as Duke by King Richard of Cornwall, King of Germany.

Habsburg Dukes and Archdukes of Austria

Austria in the Late Middle Ages

In 1278, Rudolph 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 Habsburg dynasty:

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:

The territories were divided between the brothers and their descendants in the Treaty of Neuberg in 1379:

The Albertinian Line received the Archduchy of Austria, later called Lower Austria (not to be confused with the namesake modern state):

After Ladislaus' death his territories passed to the Leopoldinian Line:

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 Ernestine line received the Duchies of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, also called Inner Austria:
The Elder 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):
In 1490 these territories were handed over to
  • 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.

In Early Modern Europen times

The Austrian territories were again reunited in 1493 under:

In 1564 the Austrian territories were again divided among Emperor Ferdinand's sons:

Lower Austria (Austria proper) passed to Ferdinand's 1st son Maximilian:

  • Maximilian II, Archduke 1564-1576, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect, King of Bohemia and Hungary
  • Rudolph V, 1st son of Emperor Maximilian II, Archduke 1576-1608, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect, King of Bohemia and Hungary
  • Matthias, 2nd son of Emperor Maximilian II, Archduke 1608-1619, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect, King of Bohemia and Hungary
Rudolf and Matthias died without issue and the territories passed to the descendants of Emperor Ferdinand's 3rd son Charles.

Upper Austria (Tyrol, Further Austria) passed to Emperor Ferdinand's 2nd son Ferdinand:

Ferdinand died without an agnatic heir and his territories passed to the descendants of his brother Maximilian:
Matthias died without issue and the territories passed to the descendants of Emperor Ferdinand's 3rd son Charles.

Inner Austria (Styria, Carinthia and Carniola) passed to Emperor Ferdinand's 3rd son Charles:

Reunited and redivided, again

The Austrian territories were reunited again by inheritance in 1619 under Ferdinand II, 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):

  • Ferdinand III, Archduke 1590/1619-1637, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect (as Ferdinand II), King of Bohemia and Hungary
  • Ferdinand IV, Archduke 1637-1657, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect (as Ferdinand III), King of Bohemia and Hungary
  • Leopold VI, Archduke 1657-1705, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect (as Leopold I), King of Bohemia and Hungary.

Upper Austria passed to the Younger Tyrolean Line:

After Sigismund Francis died without issue and his territories reverted to the elder line.

The Austrian territories were conclusively reunited in 1665 under:

By some 'schools of historical classifications'... 
Maria Theresa's rule spans the beginning of the Modern Europen era, and the end of the Early Modern era.

Habsburg-Lorraine Archdukes of Austria

  • Joseph II, Archduke 1780-1790, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect, King of Bohemia and Hungary
  • Leopold VII, Archduke 1790-1792, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect (as Leopold II), King of Bohemia and Hungary
  • Francis I, Archduke 1792-1835, also King of Germany and Emperor-elect (as Francis II) until 1806, King of Bohemia and Hungary, Emperor of Austria (as Francis I) since 1804

Emperors of Austria

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.

Picture Name Born - Died Emperor From Emperor Until
Francis I 1768 - 1835 11 August 1804 2 March 1835
Ferdinand I 1793 - 1875 2 March 1835 2 December 1848 (abdicated)
Francis Joseph I 1830 - 1916 2 December 1848 21 November 1916
Charles I 1887 - 1922 21 November 1916 11 November 1918 (deposed)

Republic of Austria

In 1918, a republic was established which lasted until 1938. Following World War II, a republic was reestablished in 1945. The head of state is the Federal President (Bundespräsident); however, in practice, the Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) or Head of Government is far more important.

For lists of officeholders, see

See also
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