Home > Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

Ferdinand was born in Madrid, the son of Philip von Habsburg (1478-1506) and his wife Juana of Castile (1479-1555).

Ferdinand was the younger brother of Charles who became the Emperor, and was instead given control of the Habsburg Hereditary Lands (roughly modern-day Austria). On May 25, 1521 in Linz, Austria, he married Anne of Bohemia (1503-1547), daughter of King Ladislaus V of Hungary and his wife Anne de Foix . He generally ruled the Empire during his brother's absence, and in 1531 was elected King of the Romans, making him his brother's designated heir.

After Suleiman the MagnificentSuleiman I ( November 6, 1494 September 5/ 6, 1566); in Turkish Suleyman , (nicknamed 'the Magnificent' or 'the Lawgiver', in Turkish 'Kanuni') was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566 and successor to Selim I. He was born at Trabzon, Turkey defeated Louis II on August 29August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. Events 1261 Urban IV becomes Pope, the last man to do so without being a Cardinal first 1475 Treaty of Picquigny ends a brief war between Fran 1526Events January 14 Treaty of Madrid. Peace between Francis I of France and Charles V. Francis agrees to cede Burgundy to Charles, and abandons all claims to Flanders, Artois, Naples, and Milan. May 22 Francis repudiates the Treaty of Madrid and forms the L, king of Bohemia and Hungary and Ferdinand's brother-in-law, Ferdinand was elected king of Bohemia on October 24October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. Events 69 Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus, the commander of the Danube armies, loyal to Vespasian, defeat the forces, while the Kingdom of HungaryThe Republic of Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. It is known locally as the Country of the Magyars or Magyarorszag''. Magyar Koztarsasag ( In Detail) ( Full s became subject to a dynastic dispute between the Habsburgs and the Zapolyas, headed by John Zápolya, prince of TransylvaniaTransylvania Transilvania or Ardeal in Romanian, Erdely in Hungarian, Siebenburgen in German, Urdul in Turkish, Sedmohradsko in Slovak, Siedmiogrod in Polish) is a historic region that forms the western and the central parts of Romania. Geography A high p. Each was supported by a certain amount of the nobility from the Hungarian kingdom, while Ferdinand also had the support of his brother Charles.

In 1529, his forces successfully repelled Suleiman's assault on his capital at Vienna ( First Battle of Vienna), although Ferdinand had notably already fled for Bohemia. Finally, in 1533 Ferdinand signed a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire, splitting the Kingdom of Hungary between the Habsburg part in the west and John Zápolya's domain in the east.

Starting with Ferdinand in 1527, Habsburgs would eventually convert the elected crowns of both Bohemia and Hungary into their hereditary possession. In 1538, by the Treaty of Nagyvárad/Grosswardein, Ferdinand became Zápolya's successor, but was unable to enforce this agreement during his lifetime.

After the abdication of his brother, Charles V, Ferdinand ruled the European section of the Holy Roman Empire (Austria, Bohemia and parts of Germany) as emperor between 1556 and 1564. Charles also agreed to exclude his son Philip from the German succession, which instead passed to Ferdinand's eldest son Maximilian (1527-1576).

Other children of Ferdinand and Anne included:

• Marie (1531-1581)
• Johanna (1547-1578)
• Anna (1528-~1590)
• Karl II (1540-1590)
• Elisabeth
• Catharine

He died in Vienna and is buried in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Names in other languages: German/Czech/Slovak/Croatian: Ferdinand I., Hungarian: I. Ferdinánd