Henry I of Bohemia
Encyclopedia
Henry VI of Carinthia from the House of Meinhardin was King of Bohemia
in 1306 and again from 1307 until 1310 as well as Count of Tyrol
and Duke of Carinthia
and Carniola
from 1295 until his death.
duke Otto II Wittelsbach
. His father bequeathed him the estates of Carinthia and Tyrol, which he at first ruled jointly with his brothers Otto and Louis, until he outlived them. He secured his position by supporting his brother-in-law, the Austrian
duke Albert I of Habsburg
, who defeated his rival Adolf of Nassau at the 1298 Battle of Göllheim
and was elected King of the Romans
in the same year.
However tensions with the House of Habsburg arose when in 1306 Henry married Anna Přemyslovna
, daughter of the dead King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. As the last Přemyslid ruler, Wenceslaus III
was murdered in the same year, his brother-in-law Henry was elected actual King of Bohemia and titular King of Poland (1307–1310) - against the will of German king Albert I of Habsburg, who intended to install his eldest son Rudolph
on the Bohemian throne. The Habsburgs immediately campaigned Bohemia, sieged Prague
and deposed Henry, who had to yield to their superior forces.
Rudolph however was never accepted by the Bohemian nobility, and after he died on 4 July 1307, Henry was elected King of Bohemia again, on 15 August. The threat by the Habsburg dynasty fell apart with the assassination of King Albert I in 1308; however, Henry's rule was not stabilized and the new German king Henry VII of Luxembourg
also had cast a covetous eye on the Bohemian kingdom. In 1310 he arranged the marriage of his eldest son John the Blind with Elisabeth Přemyslovna, the younger sister of the deceased King Wenceslaus III. Backed by local nobles and his father, John campaigned Bohemia and deposed Henry for the second time. John was crowned king the next year, while Henry and Anna were forced to retire to Carinthia.
Henry managed to retain his Carinthian and Tyrolean estates by reconciliation with the Habsburg dynasty. Insisting on the title of a "King of Bohemia" and the involved electoral
dignity, he took part in the 1314 election of the rex Romanorum, voting for the Habsburg Frederick the Fair. His contested right to vote was one of the reasons for the ambiguous result, as Henry's rival John of Luxembourg gave the Bohemian vote to Louis IV of Wittelsbach
. Henry later helped to arrange an amicable settlement between the competitors.
In 1306, he married Anna Přemyslovna (1290–1313). This marriage produced no children.
In 1313, he wed Adelaide of Brunswick (1285–1320), daughter of Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
. This marriage produced two daughters:
In 1327, he married Beatrice (1310–1331), daughter of Count Amadeus V of Savoy
. This marriage produced no children.
Henry also reconciled with the House of Luxembourg
and in 1330 married his daughter Margaret off to King John's son John Henry
. Since he was the last male heir of the Tyrolean Meinhardiner dynasty, he attempted to maintain their possessions, but ultimately failed. Even though Emperor Louis IV, in return for Henry's mediation in the dispute with Frederick the Fair, had assured him in 1330 that his daughter could succeed him, Louis reneged on his promise in a secret treaty
with the House of Habsburg in the same year. After Henry's death in 1335, the Austrian duke Albert II of Habsburg
and his brother Otto IV the Merry
took control of Carinthia and Carniola. Henry's daughter Margaret could only succeed him in Tyrol, but in 1363 had to bequeath her land to Albert's II son Rudolf IV of Habsburg
as well.
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
in 1306 and again from 1307 until 1310 as well as Count of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and Duke of Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
and Carniola
March of Carniola
The March of Carniola was a southeastern state of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages, the predecessor of the Duchy of Carniola. It corresponded roughly to the central Carniolan region of present-day Slovenia...
from 1295 until his death.
Life
Henry was the son of Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol and Elisabeth, daughter of the BavarianHistory of Bavaria
The history of Bavaria stretches from its earliest settlement and its formation as a stem duchy in the 6th century through its inclusion in the Holy Roman Empires to its status as an independent kingdom and, finally, as a large and significant Bundesland of the modern Federal Republic of...
duke Otto II Wittelsbach
Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
Otto II of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine . He was a son of Louis I and Ludmilla of Bohemia and a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty.- Biography :...
. His father bequeathed him the estates of Carinthia and Tyrol, which he at first ruled jointly with his brothers Otto and Louis, until he outlived them. He secured his position by supporting his brother-in-law, the Austrian
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
duke Albert I of Habsburg
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
, who defeated his rival Adolf of Nassau at the 1298 Battle of Göllheim
Battle of Göllheim
The Battle of Göllheim was fought on 2 July 1298 between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.After the death of Rudolph I at Germesheim on 15 July 1291, his son, Albert I seemed to be the inevitable successor to the throne of Holy Empire...
and was elected King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
in the same year.
However tensions with the House of Habsburg arose when in 1306 Henry married Anna Přemyslovna
Anne of Bohemia (1290-1313)
Anne of Bohemia was the eldest surviving daughter of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and Poland and his first wife Judith of Habsburg. Her siblings were Elisabeth of Bohemia and Wenceslaus III of Bohemia.-Family:...
, daughter of the dead King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. As the last Přemyslid ruler, Wenceslaus III
Wenceslaus III of Bohemia
Wenceslaus III Premyslid was the King of Hungary , King of Bohemia and the king of Poland ....
was murdered in the same year, his brother-in-law Henry was elected actual King of Bohemia and titular King of Poland (1307–1310) - against the will of German king Albert I of Habsburg, who intended to install his eldest son Rudolph
Rudolph I of Bohemia
Rudolf I of Habsburg was Duke of Austria and Styria from 1298 and King of Bohemia and titular King of Poland from 1306 until his death...
on the Bohemian throne. The Habsburgs immediately campaigned Bohemia, sieged Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and deposed Henry, who had to yield to their superior forces.
Rudolph however was never accepted by the Bohemian nobility, and after he died on 4 July 1307, Henry was elected King of Bohemia again, on 15 August. The threat by the Habsburg dynasty fell apart with the assassination of King Albert I in 1308; however, Henry's rule was not stabilized and the new German king Henry VII of Luxembourg
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg...
also had cast a covetous eye on the Bohemian kingdom. In 1310 he arranged the marriage of his eldest son John the Blind with Elisabeth Přemyslovna, the younger sister of the deceased King Wenceslaus III. Backed by local nobles and his father, John campaigned Bohemia and deposed Henry for the second time. John was crowned king the next year, while Henry and Anna were forced to retire to Carinthia.
Henry managed to retain his Carinthian and Tyrolean estates by reconciliation with the Habsburg dynasty. Insisting on the title of a "King of Bohemia" and the involved electoral
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
dignity, he took part in the 1314 election of the rex Romanorum, voting for the Habsburg Frederick the Fair. His contested right to vote was one of the reasons for the ambiguous result, as Henry's rival John of Luxembourg gave the Bohemian vote to Louis IV of Wittelsbach
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
. Henry later helped to arrange an amicable settlement between the competitors.
Marriage and issue
Henry was married three times:In 1306, he married Anna Přemyslovna (1290–1313). This marriage produced no children.
In 1313, he wed Adelaide of Brunswick (1285–1320), daughter of Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called the Admirable , was the first ruler of the Principality of Grubenhagen....
. This marriage produced two daughters:
- Adelaide (1317–25 May 1325).
- Margaret "Maultasch" (1318–3 October 1369, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
), Countess of TyrolCounty of TyrolThe County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
from 1335 to 1363.
In 1327, he married Beatrice (1310–1331), daughter of Count Amadeus V of Savoy
Amadeus V, Count of Savoy
Amadeus V , surnamed the Great for his wisdom and success as a ruler, was the Count of Savoy from 1285 to 1323. He established Chambéry as his seat...
. This marriage produced no children.
Henry also reconciled with the House of Luxembourg
House of Luxembourg
The House of Luxembourg was a late medieval German dynasty, which between 1308 and 1437 ruled the Holy Roman Empire, twice interrupted by the rivaling House of Wittelsbach.-History:...
and in 1330 married his daughter Margaret off to King John's son John Henry
John Henry, Margrave of Moravia
John Henry of Luxembourg, Czech: Jan Jindřich, German: Johann Heinrich , was Count of Tyrol from 1335 to 1341 and Margrave of Moravia from 1349 until his death....
. Since he was the last male heir of the Tyrolean Meinhardiner dynasty, he attempted to maintain their possessions, but ultimately failed. Even though Emperor Louis IV, in return for Henry's mediation in the dispute with Frederick the Fair, had assured him in 1330 that his daughter could succeed him, Louis reneged on his promise in a secret treaty
Secret treaty
A secret treaty is a treaty between nations that is not revealed to other nations or interested observers. An example would be a secret alliance between two nations to support each other in the event of war...
with the House of Habsburg in the same year. After Henry's death in 1335, the Austrian duke Albert II of Habsburg
Albert II, Duke of Austria
Albert II of Austria , known as the Wise or the Lame, was Duke of Austria.-Life:Albert II was born at Habsburg, the son of Albert I of Germany, Rex Romanorum, and Elisabeth of Tirol...
and his brother Otto IV the Merry
Otto, Duke of Austria
Otto IV, the Merry was a Duke of Austria and the youngest son of Albert I of Germany and Elisabeth of Tirol.Otto was born in Vienna. He had two brothers, namely Frederick the Handsome and Albert II...
took control of Carinthia and Carniola. Henry's daughter Margaret could only succeed him in Tyrol, but in 1363 had to bequeath her land to Albert's II son Rudolf IV of Habsburg
Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
Rudolf IV der Stifter was a scion of the House of Habsburg and Duke of Austria and Duke of Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as Count of Tyrol from 1363 and first Duke of Carniola from 1364 until his death...
as well.