RUDOLPH OF HABSBURG (1858-1889), crown prince of Austria, was born on Aug. 21, 1858, the only son of the em peror Francis Joseph of Austria (q.v.) and his wife Elizabeth. Great hopes centred on the boy, who possessed unusual tal ents. Although his father was chiefly intent on his military edu cation, Rudolph's own chief interests were natural history and literature. The monumental description of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Oesterreich-Ungarn in Wort and Bild, was truly his conception and in part his work; he also wrote some minor works of his own. He early developed an interest in modern literature and thought ; became known as a free-thinker, and even a revolu tionary, and made no secret of his anti-clerical views. He thus drifted into increasing opposition to his father, which was accentu ated by his notoriously easy morality. His marriage with Stephanie, daughter of the king of the Belgians, took place on May 1o, 1881, and was at first happy, although its only fruit— unfortunately for the Austrian succession—was one daughter, Elizabeth (afterwards Princess Windischgratz). Later he devel oped a deep passion for the young and beautiful Baroness Marie Vetsera, and on Jan. 3o, 5889, the sudden and appalling news reached Vienna that the bodies of the two lovers had been found in Rudolph's hunting lodge of Mayerling, near Vienna. It was at once officially announced that the pair had committed suicide.
All persons in any way connected with the story were sworn to secrecy, and the official dossier was excluded from the State archives. Numerous extraordinary rumours naturally arose, con necting the death with the Jesuits, the Hungarian nobles, or an injured husband ; but it is generally accepted that the crown prince actually shot his lover, and afterwards committed suicide in a fit of despair, partly due to his father's order to break off the liaison. (C. A. M.) RUDOLSTADT, a town of Germany, in the Land of Thuringia, on the left bank of the Saale, 18 m. S.W. of Jena, by the railway to Saalfeld. Pop. (1933) 16,863. The name of Rudolstadt occurs in an inventory of the possessions of the abbey of Hersfeld in the year Soo. After passing under various rulers, it came into the hands of the counts of Schwarzburg in 1335. Its civic rights were confirmed in 1404, and from 1599 it was the residence of the ruling house of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The town is a favourite tourist resort. The former residence of the prince is the Heidecksburg, a palace which was rebuilt after a fire in 1735 on an eminence 20o ft. above the Saale. The Lud wigsburg is another palace in the town built in 1742. The town also has a hydropathic establishment. The industries of the place include the manufacture of porcelain, chemicals, machinery, dyestuffs and thermos flasks.