| Archduke Friedrich of Austria | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Teschen | |
| Spouse | Princess Isabella of Croÿ |
| Issue | |
| Maria Christina, Hereditary Princess of Salm-Salm Maria Anna, Princess Elias of Bourbon-Parma Maria Henrietta, Princess Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingfurst Archduchess Natalie Maria Archduchess Stephanie Maria Isabelle Archduchess Gabriele Maria Theresia Isabella, Princess Georg of Bavaria Maria Alice, Baroness von Bassenheim Archduke Albrecht Franz, Duke of Teschen |
|
| House | House of Habsburg-Lorraine |
| Father | Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria |
| Mother | Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria |
| Born | 4 June 1856 Gross-Seelowitz, Moravia |
| Died | 30 December 1936 (aged 80) Magyaróvár, Hungary |
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (Friedrich Maria Albrecht Wilhelm Karl; 4 June 1856 – 30 December 1936) was a member of the House of Habsburg and the Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.
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Friedrich was born at the castle Gross-Seelowitz (now Židlochovice, near Brno in Moravia) the son of Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria.
Amongst his siblings were Queen Maria Theresia of Bavaria, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, Archduke Charles Stephen of Austria, and Archduke Eugen of Austria.
When Friedrich's uncle Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen died in 1895, he and his brothers each inherited large estates. Friedrich owned properties at Ungarisch-Altenburg (now Mosonmagyaróvár in Hungary), Belleje, Saybusch (now Żywiec in Poland), Seelowitz (now Židlochovice) and Frýdek in the Czech Republic, and Pressburg (now Bratislava in Slovakia). His Vienna residence, the Palais-Albrecht, housed the Albertina art collection which he owned.
On 8 October 1878 Friedrich married at Château L'Hermitage in Belgium, Princess Isabella of Croÿ (1856–1931), daughter of Rudolf, Duke of Croÿ, and his wife Princess Natalie of Ligne. They had nine children together.
On 11 July 1914 Friedrich was appointed Supreme Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army by Emperor Franz Joseph I; it was thought that he would not interfere with the operational and tactical talents of Franz Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf. He was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall on 8 December 1914. Friedrich remained Supreme Commander until February 1917 when Emperor Charles I decided to take the office himself.
After World War I the governments of Austria and Czechoslovakia confiscated all of Friedrich's properties within their borders. These included his palace in Vienna and his art collection. He retained his properties in Hungary however. In 1929 he won a court case requiring compensation from the Czechoslovak government.[1]
Friedrich died at Ungarisch-Altenburg (Magyaróvár,, now Mosonmagyaróvár) in 1936. His death was the biggest royal event for Hungary since the coronation of King Karl in 1916. The funeral and burial in the Pfarrkirche in Mosonmagyaróvár was attended by his nephew, the exiled King of Spain; by numerous archdukes; by all the surviving Austro-Hungarian Feldmarshals; by personal representatives of Hitler; by members of the House of Savoy; by the diplomatic corps; by a son of exiled German Kaiser Wilhelm; by representatives of the governments of Germany, Italy and Austria, and by Hungary's Regent, Miklós Horthy and his wife. There were members of the Hungarian government and delegates of the German and Austrian in attendance as well. Entire battalions of the Hungarian army were present to pay their last respects to their former Supreme Commander.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Archduke_Friedrich,_Duke_of_Teschen Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen] at Wikimedia Commons
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Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Cadet branch of the House of Lorraine
Born: 4 June 1856 Died: 30 December 1936 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Archduke Albert |
Duke of Teschen 1895–1918 |
Succeeded by Monarchy abolished |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Loss of title Monarchy abolished
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— TITULAR — Duke of Teschen 1918–1936 |
Succeeded by Archduke Albrecht Franz |
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