Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria
| Rudolf IV | |
|---|---|
The half-frontal portrait, displayed above Rudolf's grave in the Stephansdom of Vienna for several decades after his death, now in the Museum of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna. Apart from the (invented) archducal crown, the foreshortening of which the artist did not completely master, the portrait is realistic, since even the duke's incipient facial palsy is shown. | |
| Duke of Austria | |
| Reign | 1358–1365 |
| Predecessor | Albert II |
| Successor | Albert III & Leopold III |
| Born | 1 November 1339 Vienna |
| Died | 27 July 1365 (aged 25) Milan |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Catherine of Luxembourg |
| House | House of Habsburg |
| Father | Albert II, Duke of Austria |
| Mother | Joanna of Pfirt |
Rudolf IV (1 November 1339 – 27 July 1365), also called Rudolf the Founder (German: der Stifter), was a scion of the House of Habsburg who ruled as duke of Austria (self-proclaimed archduke), Styria and Carinthia from 1358, as well as count of Tyrol from 1363 and as the first duke of Carniola from 1364 until his death. He succeeded his father Albert II, Duke of Austria (d. 1358), who was not included among the seven imperial prince-electors by the Golden Bull of 1356. In order to acquire titles and honors higher than ducal, Rudolf commissioned the "Privilegium Maius", a forged document accompanied by several other forgeries, that were divised in order to elevate Austrian dukes to various titles, rights and privileges. The Emperor Charles IV refused to recognize and confirm the validity of those claims, but in spite of that, Rudolf started to use the archducal title by the middle of 1359, and continued to assert those claims until his death.