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- BIOGRAPHY
Rudolf was born on 1 May 1218, the son of Albrecht IV 'the Wise', Graf von Habsburg, Landgraf in Elzas, and Heilwig von Kyburg. In 1245 he married Gertrud von Hohenberg, daughter of Burchard V, Graf von Hohenberg, and Mechtild von Tübingen. They had ten children of whom two sons and five daughters would have progeny.
In 1272, after the 'Great Interregnum' of over twenty years confusion following the death of Emperor Friedrich II' son Conrad IV, Pope Gregory X ordered the German electors to restore order and elect an emperor. With the pope's approval they elected Rudolf, by then 54 years old, not because he was strong but exactly the opposite, as this would enable them to give or deny support at will.
Rudolf was trying to quell a rebellion in Basel when the news of his election was brought to him by a Hohenzollern who was the first to pay homage to him as emperor elect. The bishop of Basel, who had engineered the uprising, took fright and exclaimed: 'Sit fast, Lord God, or Rudolf will also have Thy throne!'
By the time of his election, Rudolf had spent most of his years fighting bandits in an effort to restore peace in his territories. In these campaigns he was not only brave but also ingenious. Once while besieging a castle he realised that at regular times a party of foragers on grey horses would venture into the surrounding countryside. He found about the same number of grey horses for some of his own men whom he dressed similarly, and at the appropriate time had them approach the castle while being pursued by his soldiers. The guards of the castle, presuming them to be their own, opened the gate to them and were killed, so that Rudolf's army was able to enter and capture the castle.
Another contender for the imperial crown had been King Ottokar Przemysl of Bohemia. Rich and powerful, he was not willing to accept Rudolf, and it was this resentment that forged Austria as the Habsburg stronghold. Ottokar Przemysl had obtained parts of Austria when the Babenbergs died out simply by moving in his soldiers. Rudolf brought his army to Vienna; again realising that a lengthy siege could only harm both sides he asked the Viennese to open their gates for their emperor or else he would destroy their considerable vineyards. Vienna gave in as apparently did Ottokar Przemysl, as he then allowed two of his children to be betrothed to two of Rudolf's. In 1278 Ottokar Przemysl arrived with a large army intending to re-take Vienna. Emperor Rudolf was outnumbered but he attacked first, making use of surprise. He shattered the Bohemians and Ottokar Przemysl was killed. Now in his position as emperor, he transferred the Austrian lands to his family. Having removed the Slavs from Austria, the Germans would from now on dominate the centre of Europe.
Gertrud died in 1281, and about 1284 Rudolf married the young Isabelle de Bourgogne, dame de Vieux-Château et d'Aigney-le-Duc, daughter of Hugues IV, duke of Burgundy, and his second wife Béatrix de Champagne, dame de L'Isle-sous-Montréal. This marriage did not result in progeny, but by an unnamed mistress Rudolf had a son Albrecht who would have progeny. Rudolf died at Spiers on 15 July 1291.
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