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Rudolf II

Type Figure Region Holy Roman Empire Time 1552–1612 Also known as Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II

Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia and Hungary, who resided long in Prague after his 1576 accession;…

Timeline

  1. 1576–1600Vienna · AustriaSucceeded Maximilian II to the imperial throne, handling imperial and Ottoman frontier affairs in Vienna early on, and gradually shifting the political center to Prague.
  2. 1600–1612Prague · BohemiaGathered artists and scholars at Prague Castle and built a famous collection. In the 1600s, conflicts with his brother Matthias and with Hungarian and Bohemian nobles steadily eroded imperial power; the 1609 Letter of Majesty temporarily eased religious tensions, but he was forced to cede to Matthias in 1611 and died the following year.

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