RUDOLF II, Holy Roman emperor: b. Vienna, 18 July 1552; d. Prague, 20 Jan. 1612. He was educated in Spain, and before the death of his father, Maximilian II, was crowned king of Hungary in 1572, king of Bohemia in 1575, the same year being also crowned at Ratisbon as Roman emperor. He succeeded to the Austrian throne, 12 Oct. 1576. His disposition was mild- and his tastes inclined toward litera ture rather than toward government. Early in began to impose restrictions upon the- of public offices by Protestants and in some districts civil war resulted. The west ern parts of the empire were enabled to over come the designs of the king, and by 1603 the Protestants •formed..ait offensive and defensive. alliance ,at Heidelberg to maintain their civil and religious, liberties. In.' Austria, • Bohemia and Hungary, however, the Protestant religion was for a time practically suppressed.. • The:
Turks made constant inroads in the. east and in 1596 Mahomet invaded Hungary,, captured rlau and defeated the Austrians tinder Arch duke Maximilian, though he ceased his incur sions at this point. In P508. Rudolf's brother Matthias, who had made a treaty with the Turks and pacified the disaffected Hungarians, compelled Rudolf to acknowledge him king of Hungary andgovernor of Austria and Moravia. With this confirmation of Matthias' power the states of Austria regained the religious privi leges they had enjoyed under Maximilian. In 1611 Rudolf was formally deposed and Mat thias succeeded him. Rudolf was the patron of Kepler and Tycho Brahe and the astronomical calculations produced by these two are known as the
Tables." Consult Gendely,