HABSBURG, THE HOUSE OF, was the original title of the House of Austria. Rudolf, the founder of the Austrian dynasty, was born in 1213, aud was the son of Albert, count of Ilabeburg in Aargau, and of Iledwige of Kyburg, who was descended through her mother from the once powerful House of Zdringen. In his youth ho was engaged in frequent warfare with the neighbouring barons, and with the banditti who infested hie own or the neighbouring territories, and afterwards he served under Ottocar, king of Bohemia, against the Prussians and the Hungarians. In 1264 Rudolf succeeded to the rich inheritance of his uncle, Hartmann the Elder, count of Kyburg, which included the greater part of the Aargau, and portions of the present cantons of Bern, Lucern, Zurich, and Zug, besides the advo cacy or protectorship of the Waldstiitter, or forest canton,. By this inheritance Rudolf, whose domains were at first very limited, became lord of considerable territory, though he was by no means equal to the great electoral princes of Germany. But he found a powerful friend in Werner, archbishop of Mainz, who was no pleased with the abilities, the wisdom, and justice which Rudolf displayed in the administration of his enlarged territories, that he cast, Ida eyes upon him as a fit occupant of the imperial throne. The archbishop sounded the other electors, and won them all over to his views, except Ottocar, king of Bohemia, whose ambaesaders protested, though in vain, against Rudolf's election, which took place at Frankfurt in 1273. Rudolf was then besieging Basel, the burghers of which city had killed some of his relatives in an affray. On the news of his elevation the people of Basel were the first to hail him as the head of the empire and to swear allegiance to him, and Rudolf hastened to Aix-la-Chapelle, where he was crowned king of the Romans by his friend the archbishop of Mainz. The next thing was to have his election acknowledged by the papal see, and here no difficulty was found. Gregory X., then pope, wax a man of a moderate disposition and conciliatory temper, and he willingly acknowledged Rudolf as head of the Western empire, while Rudolf on his part made several concessions : ho renounced all jurisdiction over Rome, all feudal superiority over the marches of Ancona and the duchy of Spoleto, all interference in ecclesiastical elections, and, excepting the right of temporal investiture of newly elected bishops, which he retained, he acknowledged the independence of the Germanio church on the crown. This was a happy termination
of the quarrel of two centuries' duration between the church and the empire. Rudolf turned next to Ottocar, king of Bohemia, who refused allegiance to him. Ottocar, besides Bohemia, had taken possession of Moravia, Austria, Styria, Carinthia, in short, of the greatest part of the resent Austrian empire. Rudolf laid siege to Vienna, and crowing the Danube on a bridge of boats, defeated Ottocar, who sued for and obtained peace by giving up Austria, Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola. Rudolf confirmed him in the possession of Bohemia and Moravia. Rudolf appointed his two surviving sone, Albert and Rudolf, joint-dukes of Austria and Styria, giving Carinthia to Mein bard, count of the Tyrol, whose daughter had married his eon Albert, but stipulating for the right of reversion to his own family in the event of the extinction of Meinhard'a male posterity. Ottocar hawing soon after revolted, was .gain defeated and killed in battle, and his son Wencedane, who had married a daughter of Rudolf, succeeded him as king of Bohemia, and continued the peaceful liege of his father-in.law. But the great merit of Rudolf is that of having restored order and tranquillity in the internal administration of Germany. In successive diet* he compelled or persuaded the princes to submit their clifTeronces to arbitration, to swear to the observance of the public peaoe, and to consent to the demolition of the fortressee which had been erected by the nobles for plunder as well as for war.