LEOPOLD II., Emperor of Germany, 1747-92; b. Germany; son of emperor Francis I., of Lorraine, and Maria Theresa of Austria, and brother of Marie Antoinette. In 1765, on attaining his majority. be succeeded to the throne of Tus cany, which had been taken in the place of Lorraine, as Leopold I. of Tuscany, and ruled 23 years. He then resided in Florence. He governed with great dis cretion, advocating reform in every department of church and state, making a revo lution in ecclesiastical matters, a new criminal code and penitentiaries. In 1782 he abolished the inquisition, and establishing his reign removed the penally of death, equalized the land tax, and favored free trade. He founded schools and alms houses. In 1790, on the death of his brother, Joseph II., he assumed the govern ment of the Austrian dominions and the German empire, and removed to Vienna. Finding that with his possessions he had inherited a troublous condition of state affairs, in 1790 made satisfactory terms with Frederick William II. at Reichenbach,
and was unanimously elected emperor of Germany. Out of respect to Hungary, he bound himself by an oath to act strictly in accordance with constituticmal law. restoring to the Belgians the privileges of which they had been deprived, and Tuscany to his son Ferdinand. In 1791 pacific terms were arranged with Turkey at Sistora, and at Pilnitz, in a council composed of Frederick William Augustus of Sax ony and others, a plan was concerted relative to the anticipated movement of the French revolution and the restoration of Louis XVI. In 1792 he formed an alliance with Prussia. His wife was Maria Louisa, daughter of Charles Ill. of Spain. Ile had 16 children. His eldest son, Francis, was the last of the elective rulers, and was styled Francis I. of Austria and Francis II. of Germany. In 1874 his correspondence with Francis II. and the empress Catharine was published.