The Habsburgs

The Habsburg dynasty is descended from a line of Alemannic counts from the Aargau (today in Switzerland). After Rudolf I of Habsburg had been elected Roman-German King in 1273, he enfeoffed his sons with the former Babenberg archduchies of Austria and Styria in 1282. This date marks the beginning of Habsburg hegemony in Austria, which was to last more than 630 years from the late 13th century to the end of the First World War in 1918.

Shrewd and energetically pursued policies ultimately led to these small possessions on and around the Danube and in Styria developing over the course of the centuries into a global empire which at its height stretched from central Europe to South America.

* The first date refers to the year of birth, the second denotes the start of the monarch's reign and the third marks the end of the monarch's reign and/or the year of death.

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