Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III |
Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria[1][1] |
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King of Hungary and Croatia
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Reign |
1637 (1625)-1657 |
Coronation |
8 December 1626, Sopron |
Predecessor |
Ferdinand II |
Successor |
Leopold I |
King of Bohemia
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Reign |
1637 (1627)-1657 |
Coronation |
21 November 1627, Prague |
Predecessor |
Ferdinand II |
Successor |
Leopold I |
King of the Romans (King of Germany)
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Reign |
22 December 1636-1657 |
Coronation |
30 December 1636, Regensburg |
Predecessor |
Ferdinand II |
Successor |
Leopold I |
Holy Roman Emperor;
Archduke of Austria
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Reign |
1637-1657 |
Predecessor |
Ferdinand II |
Successor |
Leopold I |
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Spouse |
Maria Anna of Spain
Maria Leopoldine of Austria
Eleonora Gonzaga |
Issue |
Ferdinand IV of Hungary
Mariana, Queen of Spain
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Archduke Charles Joseph
Eleanora, Queen of Poland, Duchess of Lorraine
Maria Anna Josepha, Electoral Princess of the Palatinate |
House |
House of Habsburg |
Father |
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor |
Mother |
Maria Anna of Bavaria |
Born |
13 July 1608
Graz, Austria |
Died |
2 April 1657(1657-04-02) (aged 48)
Vienna, Austria |
Burial |
Imperial Crypt, Vienna, Austria |
Religion |
Roman Catholicism |
Ferdinand III (13 July 1608 – 2 April 1657) was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.
Life
Ferdinand was born in Graz, the eldest son of Emperor Ferdinand II of Habsburg and his first wife, Maria Anna of Bavaria. Educated by the Jesuits, he became King of Hungary in 1625, King of Bohemia in 1627 and Archduke of Austria in 1621.
In 1627 Ferdinand enhanced his authority and set an important legal and military precedent by issuing a Revised Land Ordinance that deprived the Bohemian estates of their right to raise soldiers, reserving this power solely for the monarch.[2]
Following the death of Wallenstein (who had previously denied him the overall military command of the Catholic side) in 1634, he was made titular head of the Imperial Army in the Thirty Years' War, and later that year joined with his cousin, the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, being nominally responsible of the capture of Donauwörth and Regensburg, and of defeat of the Swedes at the Battle of Nördlingen. Leader of the peace party at court, he helped negotiate the Peace of Prague with the Protestant states, especially Saxony in 1635.
Having been elected King of the Romans in 1636, he succeeded his father as Holy Roman Emperor in 1637. He hoped to be able to make peace soon with France and Sweden, but the war dragged on for another 11 years, finally coming to an end with the Peace of Westphalia (Treaty of Münster with France, Treaty of Osnabrück with Sweden) in 1648, both negotiated by his envoy Maximilian von und zu Trauttmansdorff, a diplomat who had been made a count in 1623 by his father Ferdinand II.
During the last period of the war, in 1644 Ferdinand III gave to all rulers of German states the right to conduct their own foreign policy (ius belli ac pacis). This way the emperor was trying to gain more allies in the negotiations with France and Sweden. This very edict contributed to the gradual erosion of the imperial authority in the Holy Roman Empire.
After 1648 the emperor was engaged in carrying out the terms of the treaty and ridding Germany of the foreign soldiery. In 1656 he sent an army into Italy to assist Spain in her struggle with France, and he had just concluded an alliance with Poland to check the aggressions of Charles X of Sweden when he died on 2 April 1657.
Marriages and children
On 20 February 1631 Ferdinand III married his first wife Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. She was the youngest daughter of Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria. They were first cousins as Maria Anna's mother was a sister of Ferdinand's father. They were parents to six children:
In 1648, Ferdinand III married his second wife Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria. She was a daughter of Leopold V, Archduke of Austria and Claudia de' Medici. They were first cousins as male-line grandchildren of Charles II, Archduke of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria. They had a single son:
In 1651, Ferdinand III married Eleonora Gonzaga. She was a daughter of Charles IV Gonzaga, Duke of Rethel. They were parents to four children:
Music
Ferdinand III was a well-known patron of music and a composer. He studied music under Giovanni Valentini, who bequeathed his musical works to him, and had close ties with Johann Jakob Froberger, one of the most important keyboard composers of the 17th century. Froberger lamented the emperor's death and dedicated to him one of his most celebrated works, Lamentation faite sur la mort très douloureuse de Sa Majesté Impériale, Ferdinand le troisième; a tombeau for Ferdinand III's death was composed by the renowned violinist Johann Heinrich Schmelzer. Some of Ferdinand's own compositions survive in manuscripts: masses, motets, hymns and other sacred music, as well as a few secular pieces. His Drama musicum was praised by Athanasius Kircher, and the extant works, although clearly influenced by Valentini, show a composer with an individual style and a solid technique.[3]
Recordings of Ferdinand's compositions include:
- Jesu Redemptor Omnium. Deus Tuorum. Humanae Salutis. With Schmelzer: Lamento Sopra La Morte de Ferdinand III. Joseph I: Regina Coeli. Leopold I: Sonata Piena; Laudate Pueri. Wiener Akademie, dir. Martin Haselböck, CPO 1997.
- Ferdinand III: Hymnus "Jesu Corona Virginum". On Musik für Gamben-Consort. Klaus Mertens, Hamburger Ratsmusik, dir. Simone Eckert CPO 2010
Ancestors
Ancestors of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor |
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16. Philip I of Castile |
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8. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor |
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17. Joanna of Castile |
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4. Charles II, Archduke of Austria |
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18. Vladislas II of Bohemia and Hungary |
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9. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary |
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19. Anna of Foix-Candale |
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2. Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor |
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20. William IV, Duke of Bavaria |
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10. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria |
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21. Marie of Baden-Sponheim |
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5. Maria Anna of Bavaria |
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22. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (= 8) |
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11. Anna of Austria |
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23. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (= 9) |
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1. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor |
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24. William IV, Duke of Bavaria (= 20) |
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12. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria (= 10) |
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25. Marie of Baden-Sponheim (= 21) |
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6. William V, Duke of Bavaria |
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26. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (= 8) |
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13. Anna of Austria (= 11) |
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27. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (= 9) |
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3. Maria Anna of Bavaria |
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28. Antoine, Duke of Lorraine |
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14. Francis I, Duke of Lorraine |
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29. Renée of Bourbon-Montpensier |
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7. Renata of Lorraine |
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30. Christian II of Denmark |
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15. Christina of Denmark |
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31. Isabella of Austria |
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Titles
Ferdinand III, by the grace of God elected Holy Roman Emperor, forever August, King of Germany, King of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Rama, Serbia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Cumania and Bulgaria, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Margrave of Moravia, Duke of Luxemburg, of the Higher and Lower Silesia, of Württemberg and Teck, Prince of Swabia, Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Kyburg and Goritia, Marquess of the Holy Roman Empire, Burgovia, the Higher and Lower Lusace, Lord of the Marquisate of Slavonia, of Port Naon and Salines, etc. etc.
See also
References
- Lothar Höbelt, Ferdinand III. (1608–1657). Friedenskaiser wider Willen (Graz: Ares Verlag. 2008), 488 S.
External links
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1st generation |
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2nd generation |
Archduke Cristopher · Maximilian I · Archduke John · Archduke Wolfgang
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3rd generation |
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4th generation |
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5th generation |
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6th generation |
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7th generation |
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8th generation |
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9th generation |
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10th generation |
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11th generation |
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12th generation |
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13th generation |
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14th generation |
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15th generation |
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16th generation |
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17th generation |
Crown Prince Otto · Archduke Robert*** · Archduke Felix · Archduke Carl Ludwig · Archduke Rudolf · Archduke Ferdinand Karl · Archduke Heinrich Maria · Archduke Leopold Franz** · Archduke Guntram** · Archduke Radbot** · Archduke Johann** · Archduke Georg** · Archduke Stephan** · Archduke Dominic** · Archduke Friederich Salvator** · Archduke Andreas Salvator** · Archduke Markus** · Archduke Johann** · Archduke Michael** · Archduke Franz Salvator** · Archduke Karl Salvator** · Archduke Joseph Karl · Archduke Andreas Agustinus · Archduke Nicholas Franz · Archduke Johann Jacob · Archduke Edward Karl · Archduke Paul Rudolf
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18th generation |
Archduke Karl · Archduke Georg · Archduke Lorenz*** · Archduke Gerhard*** · Archduke Martin*** · Archduke Karl Philipp · Archduke Raimund Joseph · Archduke Itsván · Archduke Rudolf · Archduke Carl Christian · Archduke Karl Peter · Archduke Simeon · Archduke Johannes · Archduke Maximilian Heinrich · Archduke Philipp Joachim · Archduke Ferdinand Karl · Archduke Konrad · Archduke Sigismund** · Archduke Georg** · Archduke Guntram** · Archduke Leopold** · Archduke Alexander Salvator** · Archduke Thaddäus Salvator** · Archduke Casimir Salvator** · Archduke Matthias** · Archduke Johannes** · Archduke Bernhard** · Archduke Benedikt · Archduke Joseph Albrecht · Archduke Paul Leo · Archduke Friedrich Cyprian · Archduke Benedikt Alexander · Archduke Nicolás · Archduke Santiago · Archduke Paul Benedikt
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19th generation |
Archduke Ferdinand Zvonimir · Archduke Karl Konstantin · Archduke Amedeo*** · Archduke Joachim*** · Archduke Bartholomaeus*** · Archduke Emmanuel*** · Archduke Luigi*** · Archduke Felix Carl · Archduke Andreas Franz · Archduke Paul Johannes · Archduke Carl Christian · Archduke Johannes · Archduke Thomas · Archduke Franz Ludwig · Archduke Michael · Archduke Joseph · Archduke Imre · Archduke Imre · Archduke Christoph · Archduke Alexander · Archduke Lorenz Carl · Archduke Wilhelm · Archduke Johannes · Archduke Ludwig · Archduke Philipp · Archduke Nicholas · Archduke Constantin · Archduke Jacob Maximilian · Archduke Leopold Amedeo** · Archduke Maximilian** · Archduke Leopold** · Archduke Constantin Salvator** · Archduke Paul Salvator**
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*also an infante of Spain
**also a prince of Tuscany
***also a prince of Modena
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Spouse(s)
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Children
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grandhildren
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Persondata |
Name |
Ferdinand Iii, Holy Roman Emperor |
Alternative names |
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Short description |
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Date of birth |
13 July 1608 |
Place of birth |
Graz, Austria |
Date of death |
2 April 1657 |
Place of death |
Vienna, Austria |