Ernest, Duke of Austria
Encyclopedia
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
(collectively Inner Austria
Inner Austria
Inner Austria was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the Windic March, the County of Gorizia , the city of Trieste and assorted smaller possessions...
) from 1406 until his death. He was a member of the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
dynasty, of the Leopoldian line
Leopoldian line
The Leopoldian line was a line of the Habsburg dynasty. It was begun by Leopold III, duke of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola .The division of the Habsburg territories between the Albertinian line and the Leopoldian line was a result of the early death of Rudolf IV...
, whose head of the family he was from 1411 to 1424.
Biography
Ernest was born in Bruck an der MurBruck an der Mur
Bruck an der Mur is a city of some 13,500 people located in the Austrian state of Styria. It is located at the confluence of the Mur and Mürz Rivers. Its manufactures include metal products and paper; Bruck is an important rail junction in the region located on the Graz to Vienna main...
, Styria, the third son of Leopold III, Duke of Inner Austria
Leopold III, Duke of Austria
Duke Leopold III of Austria from the Habsburg family, was Duke of Austria from 1365 to 1379, and Duke of Styria and Carinthia in 1365–1386.-Life:...
. After the death of his father in the Battle of Sempach
Battle of Sempach
An armistice was agreed upon on 12 October, followed by a peace agreement valid for one year, beginning on 14 January 1387.The battle was a severe blow to Austrian interests in the region, and allowed for the further growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy....
in 1386, he stood under the guardianship of Albert III. In 1401 he accompanied the German King Rupert
Rupert of Germany
Rupert of Germany from the House of Wittelsbach was Elector Palatine from 1398 and German King from 1400 until his death...
on his campaign in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Upon the death of their eldest brother William, Duke of Inner Austria in 1406, the remaining three brothers agreed about the future partition of their patrimony. In the separation agreement of 1406, Ernest received Styria, Carinthia and Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
, and jointly with his elder brother duke Leopold IV (the head of the Leopoldian line), held the guardianship over young Albert V, Duke of Austria. In 1407, conflicts between Leopold and Ernest resulted in a civil war that lasted until May 1409. When Leopold died without a male heir in 1411, Ernest became the uncontested head of the Leopoldian family. In 1414, he became the last Duke to be enthroned according to the traditional rite in Carinthia, and from that time on called himself Archduke
Archduke
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and Habsburg-Lorraine....
. He was the first Habsburg to actually use this title, which had been invented by Rudolf IV.
Order of the Dragon
The Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund, King of Hungary and later Holy Roman Emperor The Order of the Dragon (Latin Societas Draconistrarum) was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund,...
, but later became bitter with Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
from 1412 onwards when his brother Frederick IV, Duke of Further Austria (ruler of Tirol) was banned by the Emperor in 1417, Ernest first attempted to gain control over Frederick's territories himself, but then came to an agreement with him and successfully defended Tirol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
against the Emperor's pretensions.
Ernest died at Bruck an der Mur, and was buried in the Cistercian monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Rein
Rein Abbey, Austria
Rein Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Rein near Gratwein, Styria, in Austria. Also known as the "Cradle of Styria" , it is the oldest surviving Cistercian community in the world.- History :...
. His nickname the Iron only came into use after his death.
Family and children
On 14 January 1392, Ernest married his first wife Margaret of Pomerania. She was a daughter of Bogusław V, Duke of Pomerania and his second wife Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen. They had no children. She died in 1407 or 1410 according to contradictory necrologies.On 25 January 1412, Ernest married his second wife Cymburgis of Masovia
Cymburgis of Masovia
Cymburgis of Masovia in January 1412 became the second wife of the Habsburg Duke Ernest the Iron of Austria and thus a Duchess/Archduchess of the Inner Austrian line in Styria, Carinthia and Carniola.Cimburgis was born at Warsaw in the Duchy of Masovia to Duke...
, who was his equal in vitality and with whom he had nine children:
- Holy Roman Emperor Frederick IIIFrederick III, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
(21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) - MargaretMargaret of Austria, Electress of SaxonyMargaret of Austria was the elder daughter of Ernest, Duke of Austria and his second wife Cymburgis of Masovia. From her marriage she was Electress of Saxony...
(1416/17 – 12 February 1486), married on 3 June 1431 to Frederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:... - Duke Albert VIAlbert VI, Archduke of AustriaAlbert VI , also known as the Prodigal, from the House of Habsburg was, with his elder brother Emperor Frederick III, an Archduke of Inner Austria from 1424 and of Austria from 1457 until his death...
(18 December 1418 – 2 December 1463) - Alexander (died 1420)
- Rudolf (died before 1424)
- Catherine (1424 – 11 September 1493), married on 15 July 1447 to Charles I, Margrave of Baden-BadenCharles I, Margrave of Baden-BadenCharles I of Baden was a Margrave of Baden-Baden during 1454-1475.Charles was the elder son of Jacob, Margrave of Baden-Baden and his wife Catherine, daughter of Charles II, Duke of Lorraine. In 1462 he began the Baden-Palatinate war with Elector Frederick I of the Rhine...
- Leopold (died before 1424)
- Anna (died 11 November 1429)
- Ernest (d. 10 August 1432)
As the ruler of Inner Austria
Inner Austria
Inner Austria was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the Windic March, the County of Gorizia , the city of Trieste and assorted smaller possessions...
and the founder of the older Styrian Line of the Habsburg family, which, by his son, Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
survived the Albertinian
Albertinian Line
The Albertinian line was a line of the Habsburg dynasty, begun by Albert III, who, after death of his brother Rudolf IV the Founder, split the Habsburg territories with his brother. Albert was the prince of the Duchy of Austria, while the southern territories were ruled by his brother - Leopold III...
-Austrian and the Tyrolean Lines, he became the ancestor of all later Habsburg emperors.