Rudolf I of Germany (1 May 1218-15 July 1291) was King of the Romans from 29 September 1273 to 15 July 1291, succeeding Richard of Germany and preceding Adolf of Germany. Rudolf was the first Habsburg ruler of Germany, and he introduced an era of 600 years of Habsburg rule in Austria and Styria after his victory over Ottokar II of Bohemia at the Battle on the Marchfeld in 1278.
Biography[]
Rudolf was born on 1 May 1218, the son of Albert IV of Aargau and Hedwig of Kyburg. He was elected King of the Romans on 29 September 1273 after a 23-year interregnum following Frederick II of Germany's death, having previously been Count of Swabia. In 1278, he acquired Austria and Styria from Ottokar II of Bohemia after the Battle on the Marchfeld, beginning over 600 years of Habsburg rule over the two regions; he was the first Habsburg ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Rudolf was among a number of count-kings in the Middle Ages that had to compete with rival houses, namely the House of Luxembourg and House of Wittelsbach, having given up attempts to impose imperial rights on Rome and papal territory. In December 1289, he destroyed several robber castles in Thuringia, and he died in 1291 after failing to secure his son's election as Albert I of Germany; he would later achieve this goal.