In one year ho razed seventy of these strongholds, and he condemned to death no fewer than twenty-nine nobles of Thuringia, who still presumed to disturb the public peace. Rudolf granted a number of charters to many towns and rising municipalities. His reign exhibited a remarkable novelty for Germany—leternal tranquillity. His probity became proverbial, and his respect for religion is attested by many facts. Ile forgot personal wrongs, and gratefully rewarded personal services, eepecinlly in those who had rendered him assistance in his early life, and he was accessible to the humblest of his people.
Rudolf I. died iu 1291, in a good old age, leaving only one surviving son, Albert, besides severe] daughters. His other eon, Rudolf, died before his father, leaving one eon, John, under Albert's guardianship. Albert I., duke of Austria, was elected emperor in 1293, and was mur dered at Windisch, in Aargau, by his nephew John, to whom he would not give up his paternal inheritance. (A[mee I., Duel or Anemia.] lie left a numerous progeny. His eldest eon, Rudolf, married the widow of Wenceslaus, and suocceded to the crown of Bohemia in 1306, but died shortly after. Albert's second son, Frederick the Handsome, duke of Austria, died in 1330, without issue. Ilia brother Leopold, who shared with Frederick the administration of the Austrian dominion; marched against the Swiss, and was defeated by them at the battle of Morgarten, 15th November 1318. Ile died in 1320.
Albert's fourth son, Albert H., called the Wise, succeeded his brother Frederick as duke of Austria and of Styria, and died in 1353, leaving a numerous family. His eldest son, Rudolf 'IL, duke of Austria, became, in 1363, count of Tyrol and Carinthia by the extinction of Meinhard'n male posterity, and died in 1365. Ho was succeeded by his brother Albert III. jointly with his other brother, who is styled
Leopold II., and who fought against the Swiss, and was defeated and killed at the battle of Sempach, 9th July 13S6. Albert himself died in 1395, leaving his dominions divided between his two sons : the elder, Albert IV., became duke of Austria, and the other, Leopold, duke of Styria and Carinthia. Albert IV. died in 1401, and was succeeded by his son Albert V. of Austria, who married Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor Sigismund, whom he succeeded as king of Hungary and Bohemia in 1437, and in the following year was elected emperor by the name of Albert II. of Germany. Ile died in 1439, in a village of Hungary, while defending that country against Amurath H., sultan of the Ottomans. His posthumous son Ladis laus succeeded to the titles of duke of Austria and king of Hungary and Bohemia, under the guardianship of his cousin Frederick, duke of Styria. The Hungarians however would not acknowledge the infant Ladislaus, and offered the crown to another Ladislaus, king of Poland, who was shortly after killed at tho battle of Varna against the Turks in 1444. The Hungarians then chose as their regeut John Hunniades, under a nominal allegiance to Ladislaus the Posthumous.
The Bohemians refused to acknowledge Ladislaus and chose Podie brad as their leader. In 1451 however Ladislaus was acknowledged king of Bohemia, Podiebrad submitted to him, and was confirmed in his authority. Ladislaus was but a nominal king, and he died at Prague in 1453, leaving his cousin Frederick of Styria, who had been elected emperor by the name of Frederick III., heir to his numerous titles. The reign of Frederick, which lasted more than half a oentury, was inglorious to himself and disastrous to his subjects. (FRE