Archduchy of Austria

Archduchy of Austria
Erzherzogtum Österreich  (German)
State of the Holy Roman Empire (1453–1806) Crown land of the Habsburg Monarchy (from 1526)
1453–1806
Coat of arms
Motto Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan "All the world is subject to Austria"
Archduchy of Austria within the Habsburg hereditary lands (orange), 1477
Capital		Vienna
Languages		Central Bavarian
Religion		Roman Catholic
Government		Principality
Archduke1
•	1453–1457	Ladislaus the Posthumous (first formal archduke)
•	1792–1806	Francis I (last)
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Duke Rudolf IV forged Privilegium Maius	1358/59
•	Emperor Frederick III acknowledged archducal title	6 January 1453
•	Joined Austrian Circle	1512
•	Ferdinand I regent according to Worms agreement	28 April 21
•	War of the Austrian Succession	1740–1748
•	Holy Roman Empire dissolved	6 August 1806
Currency		Conventionsthaler
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Austria Lower Austria Upper Austria
Today part of		Austria
1 The title "Archduke of Austria" remained part of the official grand title of the rulers of Austria until 1918.

Coat of arms

The Archduchy of Austria (German: Erzherzogtum Österreich) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy. With its capital at Vienna, the archduchy was centered at the Empire's southeastern periphery.

The Archduchy developed out of the Bavarian Margraviate of Austria, elevated to the Duchy of Austria according to the 1156 Privilegium Minus by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The House of Habsburg came to the Austrian throne in Vienna in 1282 and in 1453 Emperor Frederick III, also Austrian ruler, officially adopted the archducal title. From the 15th century onwards, all Holy Roman Emperors but one were Austrian archdukes and with the acquisition of the Bohemian and Hungarian crown lands in 1526, the Habsburg "hereditary lands" became the centre of a major European power.