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Ferdinand I of Austria

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Not to be confused with Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor.
Ferdinand I & V
Kaiser Ferdinand I
Portrait by Eduard Edlinger (1843)
Emperor of Austria
King of Hungary
(more...)
Reign 2 March 1835 – 2 December 1848
Coronations 28 September 1830, Pressburg
7 September 1836, Prague
6 September 1838, Milan
Predecessor Francis I
Successor Franz Joseph I
Head of the Präsidialmacht Austria
Born (1793-04-19)19 April 1793
Vienna, Archduchy of Austria,[1] Holy Roman Empire
Died 29 June 1875(1875-06-29) (aged 82)
Prague, Austria-Hungary[1]
Burial
Imperial Crypt
Spouse Maria Anna of Savoy (m. 1831)
Full name
German language: Ferdinand Karl Leopold Joseph Franz Marcelin
English: Ferdinand Charles Leopold Joseph Francis Marcelin
House Habsburg-Lorraine
Father Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily
Religion Roman Catholicism
Signature Ferdinand I & V's signature

Ferdinand I (German language: Ferdinand I. 19 April 1793 – 29 June 1875) was Emperor of Austria from March 1835 until his abdication in December 1848. He was also King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia (as Ferdinand V), King of Lombardy–Venetia and holder of many other lesser titles (see grand title of the Emperor of Austria). Due to his passive but well-intentioned character, he gained the sobriquet The Benign (German language: Der Gütige) or The Benevolent (Czech language: Ferdinand Dobrotivý , Polish: Ferdynand Dobrotliwy).[2]

Ferdinand succeeded his father Francis I upon his death on 2 March 1835. He was incapable of ruling the empire because of severe epilepsy, so his father, before he died, made a will promulgating that Ferdinand should consult his uncle Archduke Louis on all aspects of internal policy and urged him to be influenced by Prince Metternich, Austria's Foreign Minister.[3]

Following the Revolutions of 1848, Ferdinand abdicated on 2 December 1848. He was succeeded by his nephew, Franz Joseph. Following his abdication, he lived in Hradčany Palace, Prague, until his death in 1875.[4]

Ferdinand married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child of Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. They had no children.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Ferdinand was the eldest son of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Possibly as a result of his parents' genetic closeness (they were double first cousins), Ferdinand had hydrocephalus, neurological problems including epilepsy, and a speech impediment. He was educated by Baron Josef Kalasanz von Erberg, and his wife Countess Josephine von Attems.[5]

Reign[]

Coronation of King Ferdinand V in 1836 in Prague

Coronation of King Ferdinand V in 1836 in Prague

Ferdinand suffered from epilepsy. Although he has been depicted as feeble-minded and incapable of ruling, he kept a coherent and legible diary and has even been said to have had a sharp wit. However, suffering as many as twenty seizures per day severely restricted his ability to rule with any effectiveness. Though he was not declared incapacitated, a Regent's Council (Archduke Louis, Count Kolowrat, and Prince Metternich) steered the government.

minted during the reign of Ferdinand I, c

Thaler minted during the reign of Ferdinand I, c. 1840

When Ferdinand married Princess Maria Anna of Savoy, the court physician considered it unlikely that he would be able to consummate the marriage.[6] When he tried to consummate the marriage, he had five seizures. He is also remembered for his command to his cook: when told he could not have apricot dumplings (Marillenknödel) because apricots were out of season, he said "I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings!" (German language: Ich bin der Kaiser und ich will Knödel!).[7][8]

1848 Revolution[]

Portrait of Ferdinand I in the ceremonial robes of the , by , c

Portrait of Ferdinand I in the ceremonial robes of the Order of the Golden Fleece, by Leopold Kupelwieser, c. 1847

As the revolutionaries of 1848 were marching on the palace, he is supposed to have asked Metternich for an explanation. When Metternich answered that they were starting a revolution, Ferdinand is supposed to have said "But are they allowed to do that?" (Viennese German: Ja, dürfen's denn des?) He was convinced by Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg to abdicate in favour of his nephew, Franz Joseph (the next in line was Ferdinand's younger brother Franz Karl, but he was persuaded to renounce his succession rights in favour of his son) who would occupy the Austrian throne for the next 68 years.

Ferdinand recorded the events in his diary: "The affair ended with the new Emperor kneeling before his old Emperor and Lord, that is to say, me, and asking for a blessing, which I gave him, laying both hands on his head and making the sign of the Holy Cross ... then I embraced him and kissed our new master, and then we went to our room. Afterwards I and my dear wife heard Holy Mass ... After that I and my dear wife packed our bags."

In retirement (1848–1875)[]

Photograph of the aged Ferdinand dated circa 1870

Photograph of the aged Ferdinand by the 1860s

Ferdinand's sarcophagus in the

Ferdinand's sarcophagus in the Imperial Crypt, Vienna

Ferdinand was the last King of Bohemia to be crowned as such. Due to his sympathy with Bohemia (where he spent the rest of his life in Prague Castle) he was given the Czech nickname "Ferdinand V, the Good" (Ferdinand Dobrotivý). In Austria, Ferdinand was similarly nicknamed "Ferdinand der Gütige" (Ferdinand the Benign), but also ridiculed as "Gütinand der Fertige" (Goodinand the Finished).

Ferdinand was also the last ruler to be crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in his capacity as King of Lombardy-Venetia.

He is interred in tomb number 62 in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.

Titles and honours[]

He used the titles:[9]

His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty Ferdinand the First, By the Grace of God

  • Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Bohemia, fifth by this name, King of Lombardy and Venice, King of Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodomeria, and Illyria;
  • King of Jerusalem etc.
  • Archduke of Austria
  • Grand duke of Tuscany and Cracow [from 1846];
  • Duke of Lorraine, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, Upper and Lower Silesia, of Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla, of Auschwitz and Zator, of Teschen, Friuli, Ragusa, and Zara;
  • Grand prince of Transylvania;
  • Margrave of Moravia;
  • Princely Count of Habsburg, Kyburg, Tyrol, Gorizia and Gradisca;
  • Prince of Trent and Brixen;
  • Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia and in Istria, Count of Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg, etc.
  • Lord of Trieste, Cattaro and over the Windic March.

Honours[]

Ancestry[]

Ancestry of Ferdinand I of Austria

Ancestry of Ferdinand I of Austria

Ferdinand's parents were double first cousins as they shared all four grandparents (Francis' paternal grandparents were his wife's maternal grandparents and vice versa). Therefore, Ferdinand only had four great-grandparents, being descended from each of them twice. Further back in his ancestry there is more pedigree collapse due to the close intermarriage between the Houses of Austria and Spain and other Catholic monarchies.

See also[]

  • Charles II of Spain (1661–1700)
  • List of heirs to the Austrian throne
  • Rulers of Germany family tree. He was related to every other ruler of Germany.

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911) "Ferdinand I. of Austria" Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.) Cambridge University Press 
  2. ↑ Thomas Nipperdey: Deutsche Geschichte 1800-1866. Bürgerwelt und starker Staat, C.H. Beck, broschierte Sonderausgabe 1998, S. 339.
  3. ↑ Taylor, A. J. P.: "The Habsburg Monarchy 1809-1918" (Penguin Books, Great Britain, 1990, ISBN 978-0-14-013498-8), pp 52-53
  4. ↑ van der Kiste, p. 16
  5. ↑ Grafenauer, Bogo (1925–1991). "Erberg Jožef Kalasanc baron". In Cankar, Izidor (in sl). Slovenski biografski leksikon. ISBN 978-961-268-001-5. http://nl.ijs.si:8080/fedora/get/sbl:0432/VIEW/. 
  6. ↑ van der Kiste, John. Emperor Francis Joseph London: Sutton Publishing, 2005 ISBN 0-7509-3787-4. p 2
  7. ↑ According to A.J.P. Taylor, he was in fact asking for noodles - "But it is an unacceptable pun in English for a noodle to ask for noodles" - The Habsburg Monarchy 1809–1918
  8. ↑ Regan, Geoffrey. Royal Blunders page 72
  9. ↑ Velde, Francois R.. "Royal Styles". http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/royalstyle.htm#austria. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Template:BLKO
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Template:BLKO
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Template:BLKO
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Template:BLKO
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 (in fr) Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans. Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 9. https://books.google.com/books?id=AINPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA9. 

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferdinand I of Austria.
Ferdinand I of Austria
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
Cadet branch of the House of Lorraine
Born: 19 April 1793 Died: 29 June 1875
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Francis I 		Emperor of Austria
King of Dalmatia
King of Galicia and Lodomeria
King of Illyria
King of Lombardy-Venetia
King of Hungary
King of Croatia
King of Slavonia
King of Bohemia
1835–1848 		Succeeded by
Francis Joseph I
Political offices
Preceded by
Francis I of Austria 		Head of the Präsidialmacht Austria
1835–1848 		Succeeded by
Franz Joseph I of Austria

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