- Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Infobox Austrian Royalty|archduke
name =Ferdinand II
title =Archduke of Further Austria
caption =
reign =1564-1595
coronation =
predecessor =Ferdinand I
successor =Matthias
spouse =Philippine Welser Anne Juliana Gonzaga
issue =Andrew, Margrave of Burgau
Charles, Prince of Burgau
Anna, Holy Roman Empress
royal house =House of Habsburg
father =Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
mother =Anna of Hungary
issue =
styles =
date of birth =14 June 1529
place of birth =Linz ,Austria
date of death =24 January 1595
place of death =|Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria (
Linz ,June 14 ,1529 –January 24 ,1595 ) was ruler ofFurther Austria includingTirol .Life account
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was the second son of
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor andAnna of Bohemia and Hungary . He was a younger brother of Emperor Maximilian II. At the behest of his father, he was put into charge of the administration ofBohemia in 1547. Also, he led the campaign against the Turks inHungary in 1556.In 1557, he was secretly married to Philippine
Welser , daughter of a patrician fromAugsburg , with whom he had several children. The marriage was only permitted by Emperor Ferdinand I in 1559 under the condition of secrecy. The children were to receive the name "of Austria" but would only be entitled to inherit if the House ofHabsburg would become totally extinct in the male line (Also see:morganatic marriage ). The sons born of this marriage received the titleMargrave of Burgau , an old Habsburg possession in Further Austria. The younger of the sons, who survived his father, later received princely rank, becoming Fürst zu Burgau.After his father's death in 1564, Ferdinand received the rulership over
Tyrol and otherFurther Austria n possessions under his father's will. However, he remained as governor of Bohemia inPrague until 1567 following the wishes of his brother Maximilian II.In his own lands, Ferdinand made sure that the Catholic
counterreformation would prevail. Since he was an avid collector of art, the collection of the famousCastle Ambras was started in his time. He had begun to work on it even during his time in Bohemia and subsequently moved it to Tyrol. In particular, the gallery of portraits and the collection of armor were highly expensive, which is why thearchduke had incurred a high level of debt. Today, those collections are in theKunsthistorisches Museum inVienna .After the death of Philippine in 1580, he married Anne Catherine, a daughter of
William I, Duke of Mantua , in 1582.Archduke Ferdinand died on
January 24 ,1595 . Since his sons from the first marriage were not entitled to the inheritance, and the second produced only surviving daughters, Tirol was reunified with the other Habsburg lines. His daughter from the Mantuan marriage became the Empress Anna, consort ofEmperor Mathias , who received his Further Austrian inheritance.Karl II of Austria ,Margrave of Burgau ,morganatic son ofFerdinand II, Archduke of Austria married Sibylle [http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower1570.htm] (1557-1627), daughter of William, Duke of Jülich-Berg-Ravensberg-Kleve-Mark (28 July 1516 -5 January 1592 ), and Maria, Archduchess of Austria, daughter ofFerdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor .Children
He and his first wife
Philippine Welser were parents of four children:*Andreas of Austria [ [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1576.htm The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographical Dictionary - Consistory of November 19, 1576 ] ] (
June 15 ,1558 -November 12 ,1600 ). Became a Cardinal in 1576,Margrave of Burgau in 1578,Bishop of Constance in 1589 andBishop of Brixen in 1591. He had two illegitimate children.
*Karl of Austria (November 22 ,1560 -November 12 ,1627 ). BecameFürst of Burgau. Married his first cousin Sibylle of Cleves, youngest daughter ofWilhelm, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Habsburg, Archduchess of Austria. They had no legitimate children. He and his mistress Chiara Elisa di Ferrero had three illegitimate children.
*Philipp of Austria (August 7 ,1562 -January 9 ,1563 ).
*Maria of Austria (August 7 ,1562 -January 25 ,1563 ), twin of Philipp.On
May 14 ,1582 , Ferdinand married his nieceAnne Juliana Gonzaga . She was a daughter ofWilliam I, Duke of Mantua andEleonora of Austria , younger sister of Ferdinand. They were parents to three daughters:*Anna Eleonore of Austria (
June 26 ,1583 -January 15 ,1584 ).
*Maria of Austria (June 16 ,1584 -March 2 ,1649 ), a nun.
*Anna of Austria (October 4 ,1585 -December 14 /December 15 ,1618 ). Married her first cousinMatthias, Holy Roman Emperor .He had at least two illegitimate children but their great difference in age suggests different mothers:
*Veronika von Villanders (1551–1589). Married Giovanni Francesco di Gonzaga.
*Hans Christoph von Hertenberg (c. 1592 -September 2 ,1613 ). His mother was Johanna Lydl von Mayenburg. He married Ursula Gienger.Ancestors
Notes
External links
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