View source for Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor

{{short description|Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 to 1493}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Frederick III
| title        = [[Imperator Romanorum]]
| image        = Hans Burgkmair d. Ä. 005.jpg
| image_size   = 
| caption      = Portrait by [[Hans Burgkmair]], {{Circa|1500}}
| succession   = {{ubl|[[Holy Roman Emperor]]|[[King of Italy]]}}
| reign        = {{nowrap|19 March 1452 – 19 August 1493}}
| cor-type     = hre
| coronation   = 19 March 1452
| predecessor  = [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]]
| successor    = [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]]
| succession1  = [[King of the Romans]]<br/>[[King of Germany]]
| reign1       = 2 February 1440 – {{nowrap|19 August 1493}}
| coronation1  = 17 June 1442
| predecessor1 = [[Albert II of Germany|Albert II]]
| successor1   = [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]]
| reg-type1    = Alongside
| regent1      = [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] (1486–1493)
| succession2  = [[Archduke of Austria]]
| reign2       = 23 November 1457 – {{nowrap|19 August 1493}}
| predecessor2 = [[Ladislaus the Posthumous|Ladislaus]]
| successor2   = [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]]
| reg-type2    = Alongside
| regent2      = [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert VI]] (1457–1463)
| succession3  = [[Duchy of Styria|Duke of Styria]], [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthia]] and [[Duchy of Carniola|Carniola]]<br />([[Inner Austria]])
| reign3       = 10 June 1424 – 19 August 1493
| predecessor3 = [[Ernest, Duke of Austria|Ernest]]
| successor3   = [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]]
| reg-type3    = Alongside
| regent3      = [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert VI]] (1424–1463)
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress|Eleanor of Portugal]] <br/>|1452|1467|end=d}}
| issue        = {{ubl | [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor]] | [[Kunigunde of Austria|Kunigunde, Duchess of Bavaria]] }}
| issue-link   = #Marriage and children
| issue-pipe   = more...
| house        = [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]]
| father       = [[Ernest, Duke of Austria]]
| mother       = [[Cymburgis of Masovia]]
| birth_date   = 21 September 1415
| birth_place  = [[Innsbruck]], [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1493|8|19|1415|9|21|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Linz]], [[Archduchy of Austria|Austria]]
| burial_date  = 
| burial_place = [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna]]
| signature    = 
}}

'''Frederick III''' ([[German language|German]]: ''Friedrich III,'' 21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was [[Holy Roman Emperor]] from 1452 until his death in 1493. He was the penultimate emperor to be [[Coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor|crowned]] by the [[pope]], and the last to be crowned in Rome. He was the fourth King of the Romans and the first Holy Roman Emperor from the [[House of Habsburg]], which was to retain the title with one gap until it was declared at an end by [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Francis II]], in 1806.

Prior to his imperial coronation, he was duke of the [[Inner Austria]]n lands of [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]], [[Duchy of Carinthia|Carinthia]] and [[Duchy of Carniola|Carniola]] from 1424, and also acted as [[regent]] over the [[Duchy of Austria]] from 1439. He was [[imperial election of 1440|elected]] and crowned [[King of Germany]] in 1440.<ref>He was the fourth Frederick to rule Germany in the Habsburgs' preferred enumeration, which counted [[Frederick the Fair]] ("Frederick III") as a legitimate king, although he was elected by only a minority of electors. Cf. Anthony Radcliffe (1986), "The Habsburg Images: Cigoli, Terzio and Reichle", ''The Burlington Magazine'', 128 (995), 103–06.</ref> His reign of 53 years is the longest in the history of the Holy Roman Empire or the German monarchy. Upon his death in 1493 he was succeeded by his son [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian]].

During his reign, Frederick concentrated on re-uniting the Habsburg "[[Erblande|hereditary lands]]" of Austria and took a lesser interest in [[Holy Roman Empire|Imperial]] affairs. Nevertheless, by his dynastic entitlement to [[Kingdom of Hungary (1301–1526)|Hungary]] as well as by the [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundian]] inheritance, he laid the foundations for the later Habsburg Empire. Despite being mocked as "Arch-Sleepyhead of the Holy Roman Empire" ({{langx|de|Erzschlafmütze}}) during his lifetime,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Curtis |first=Benjamin |title=The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]] |year=2013 |page=36}}</ref> he is today increasingly seen as an effective ruler.

Historian Thomas A. Brady Jr. credited Frederick with leaving a credible claim on the imperial title and a secure grip on the Austrian lands, now organized as a single state, for his son. This imperial revival (as well as the rise of the territorial state) began under the reign of Frederick.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brady |first1=Thomas A. Jr. |title=German Histories in the Age of Reformations, 1400–1650 |date=13 July 2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-48115-1 |pages=104–106, 116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5OcgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA105 |access-date=21 January 2022}}</ref>

==Early life==
Born at the [[County of Tyrol|Tyrolean]] residence of [[Innsbruck]] in 1415, Frederick was the eldest son of the Inner Austrian duke [[Ernest the Iron]], a member of the [[Leopoldian line]] of the Habsburg dynasty, and his second wife [[Cymburgis of Masovia]]. According to the 1379 [[Treaty of Neuberg]], the Leopoldinian branch ruled over the duchies of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, or what was referred to as Inner Austria. Only three of Frederick's eight siblings survived childhood: his younger brother [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert]] (later to be Albert VI, archduke of Austria), and his sisters [[Margaret of Austria, Electress of Saxony|Margaret]] (later the electress of [[Saxony]]) and [[Catherine of Austria (1420–1493)|Catherine]]. In 1424, nine-year-old Frederick's father died, making Frederick the duke of Inner Austria, as Frederick V, with his uncle, Duke [[Frederick IV, Duke of Austria|Frederick IV of Tyrol]], acting as regent.

From 1431, Frederick tried to obtain majority (to be declared "of age", and thus allowed to rule) but for several years was denied by his relatives. Finally, in 1435, [[Albert II of Germany|Albert V, duke of Austria]] (later Albert II, the king of Germany), awarded him the rule over his Inner Austrian heritage. Almost from the beginning, Frederick's younger brother Albert asserted his rights as a co-ruler, as the beginning of a long rivalry. Already in these years, Frederick had begun to use the symbolic [[A.E.I.O.U.]] signature as a kind of [[motto]] with various meanings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=GmbH |first=Typoheads |title=Emblem of the Theresan Military Academy |url=https://www.milak.at/en/about-us/the-emblem |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.milak.at |language=en}}</ref> In 1436 he made a pilgrimage to the [[Holy Land]], accompanied by numerous nobles knighted by the [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|Order of the Holy Sepulchre]], which earned him great reputation.

Upon the death of his uncle Duke Frederick IV in 1439, Frederick took over the regency of Tyrol and [[Further Austria]] for the duke's heir [[Sigismund, Archduke of Austria|Sigismund]]. Again he had to ward off the claims raised by his brother Albert VI; he prevailed by the support of the Tyrolean aristocracy. Likewise he acted as regent for his nephew [[Ladislaus the Posthumous]], son of late King Albert II and his consort [[Elizabeth of Luxembourg]], in the [[duchy of Austria]] (Further Austria). (Ladislaus would die before coming of age). Frederick was now the undisputed head of the Habsburg dynasty, though his regency in the lands of the [[Albertinian Line]] (Further Austria) was still viewed with suspicion.

As a cousin of late King Albert II, Frederick became a candidate for the [[1440 imperial election]]. On 2 February 1440, the [[prince-electors]] convened at [[Frankfurt]] and unanimously elected him [[King of the Romans]] as Frederick IV; his rule was still based on his hereditary lands of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, or Inner Austria.

In 1442, Frederick allied himself with [[Rudolf Stüssi]], [[burgomaster]] of [[Zürich]], against the [[Old Swiss Confederacy]] in the [[Old Zürich War]] (Alter Zürichkrieg) but lost. In 1448, he entered into the [[Concordat of Vienna]] with the [[Holy See]], which remained in force until 1806 and regulated the relationship between the Habsburgs and the Holy See.

In 1452, at the age of 37, Frederick III travelled to Italy to receive his bride and to be crowned [[Holy Roman Emperor]]. His fiancée, the 17-year-old ''infanta'' [[Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress|Eleanor]], daughter of King [[Edward of Portugal]], landed at [[Livorno]] (Leghorn) after a 104-day trip. Her dowry would help Frederick alleviate his debts and cement his power. The couple met at [[Siena]] on 24 February and proceeded together to Rome. As per tradition, they spent a night outside the walls of Rome before entering the city on 9 March, where Frederick and [[Pope Nicholas V]] exchanged friendly greetings. Because the emperor had been unable to retrieve the [[Iron Crown of Lombardy]] from the [[cathedral of Monza]] where it was kept, nor be crowned [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|King of Italy]] by the [[archbishop of Milan]] (on account of Frederick's dispute with [[Francesco I Sforza|Francesco Sforza]], lord of Milan), he convinced the pope to crown him as such with the German crown, which had been brought for the purpose. This coronation took place on the morning of 16 March, in spite of the protests of the Milanese ambassadors, and in the afternoon Frederick and Eleanor were married by the pope. Finally, on 19 March, Frederick and Eleanor were anointed in [[St Peter's Basilica]] by the Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal [[Francesco Condulmer]], and Frederick was then crowned with the [[Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire|Imperial Crown]] by the pope.<ref>M. Creighton, ''A History of the Papacy During the Period of the Reformation, Volume II: The Council of Basel to the Papal Restoration, 1418–1464'' (London: Longmans, 1882), pp. 297–99.</ref> Frederick was the last Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned in Rome.{{sfn|Rickett|1966|p=27}} His great-grandson [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] was the last emperor to be crowned, but this was done in [[Bologna]].

==Personality==
[[File:Monogramm Friedrichs des III..png|200 px|thumb|[[Signum manus]] of Frederick III]]

Frederick's style of rulership was marked by hesitation and a sluggish pace of decision making. The Italian humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini, later [[Pope Pius II]], who at one time worked at Frederick's court, described the Emperor as a person who wanted to conquer the world while remaining seated. Although this was regarded as a character flaw in older academic research, his delaying tactics are now viewed as a means of coping with political challenges in far-flung territorial possessions. Frederick is credited with having the ability to sit out difficult political situations patiently.<ref name="heimann">"Heinz-Dieter Heimann: Die Habsburger. Dynastie und Kaiserreiche." {{ISBN|3-406-44754-6}}. pp.38–45</ref>

According to contemporary accounts, Frederick had difficulties developing emotional closeness to other persons, including his children and wife [[Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress|Eleanor]]. Unlike his brother Albert and his son Maximilian, Frederick maintained a reserved lifestyle. Although he was willing to appear in social events like festivals and tournaments, he disliked lavish feasts. Later he became horrified when his son, still in early teen years, displayed a tendency towards wine, feasts and women.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wiesflecker |first1=Hermann |title=Kaiser Maximilian I.: Jugend, burgundisches Erbe und Römisches Königtum bis zur Alleinherrschaft, 1459–1493 |date=1971 |publisher=Verlag für Geschichte und Politik |isbn=978-3-486-47391-9 |page=334 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yg5oAAAAMAAJ |access-date=21 February 2022 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Kahl |first1=Christian |title=Lehrjahre eines Kaisers - Stationen der Persönlichkeitsentwicklung Karls V. (1500–1558): eine Betrachtung habsburgischer Fürstenerziehung/-bildung zum Ende des Mittelalters |date=2018 |pages=65,66 |publisher=Universität Trier |doi=10.25353/ubtr-xxxx-e013-d28d |url=https://ubt.opus.hbz-nrw.de/opus45-ubtr/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/322/file/DISSERTATION_Karl_V._Erziehung.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416012931/https://ubt.opus.hbz-nrw.de/opus45-ubtr/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/322/file/DISSERTATION_Karl_V._Erziehung.pdf |archive-date=2020-04-16 |url-status=live |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> As Frederick was rather distant to his family, Eleanor had a great influence on the raising and education of Frederick's children, and she therefore played an important role in the House of Habsburg's rise to prominence. Despite the fact that their marriage had been unhappy, when Eleanor died the Emperor was affected by her loss and remained widowed for the rest of his long life.<ref name=heimann/>

==Emperor==
[[File:Pintoricchio 002a.jpg|thumb|200px|Detail of ''[[Pope Pius II|Aeneas Piccolomini]] introduces [[Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress|Eleonora of Portugal]] to Frederick III'' by [[Pinturicchio]] (1454–1513)]]
[[File:Frederick III Coronation Tapestry.jpg|thumb|A tapestry depicting the coronation of Frederick III, which misattributes the Pope in attendance as Pope Pius II.]]
Frederick's political initiatives were hardly bold, but they were still successful. Frederick III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1452, the first since the death of Emperor [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]]. His ascension to the role of Emperor came with the stipulation that should the previous queen of Bohemia (wife of Albert V of the Albertine line) give birth to a male heir, Frederick would become his guardian. When the queen gave birth to [[Ladislaus the Posthumous]], as according to the stipulations, Frederick took on his guardianship.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pope Pius II |title=Europe (c.1400–1458)}}</ref> This led to conflicts between Frederick and other members of the royal family and nobility. His first major opponent was his brother [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert VI]], who challenged his rule. He did not manage to win a single conflict on the battlefield against him, and thus resorted to more subtle means. He held his [[consanguinity|second cousin once removed]] [[Ladislaus the Posthumous]], the ruler of the [[Archduchy of Austria]], Hungary and Bohemia, (born in 1440) as a prisoner and attempted to extend his guardianship over him in perpetuity to maintain his control over [[Lower Austria]]. Ladislaus was freed in 1452 by the Lower Austrian estates. He acted similarly towards his first cousin [[Sigismund, Archduke of Austria|Sigismund]] of the Tyrolian line of the Habsburg family. One of his important advisors during this time was [[Friedrich II von Graben]].<ref>"Wien und Niederösterreich – eine untrennbare Beziehung?", Festschrift für Willibald Rosner zum 65. Geburtstag. Herausgegeben von Elisabeth Loining, Stefan Eminger und [[Andreas Weigl]], p 442; In: Studien und Forschungen aus dem Niederösterreichischen Institut für Landeskunde. Herausgegeben von Elisabeth Loining (Band 70)</ref>

Ultimately, Frederick prevailed in all those conflicts by outliving his opponents and sometimes inheriting their lands, as was the case with Ladislaus, from whom he gained Lower Austria in 1457, and with his brother Albert VI, whom he succeeded in [[Upper Austria]]. In 1462, his brother Albert raised an insurrection against him in [[Vienna]] and the emperor was besieged in his residence by rebellious subjects. In this war between the brothers, Frederick received support from the King of Bohemia, [[George of Poděbrady]]. These conflicts forced him into an anachronistic itinerant existence, as he had to move his court between various places through the years, residing in [[Graz]], [[Linz]] and {{lang|de|[[Wiener Neustadt]]}}.<ref>Joachim Laczny: ''{{lang|de|Friedrich III. (1440–1493) auf Reisen. Die Erstellung des Itinerars eines spätmittelalterlichen Herrschers unter Anwendung eines}} Historical Geographic Information System (Historical GIS).'' Joachim Laczny, Jürgen Sarnowsky eds., In: Perzeption und Rezeption. Wahrnehmung und Deutung im Mittelalter und in der Moderne, Göttingen 2014, {{ISBN|9783847102489}}, pp. 33–65. [http://www.friedrichiii.his-gis.net/index_en.html Joachim Laczny: The late medieval ruler Frederick III (1440–1493) on the journey. The creation of the itinerary using a Historical Geographic Information System (Historical GIS)].</ref> {{lang|de|Wiener Neustadt}} owes him its castle and the "New Monastery". In 1469 Friedrich founded the [[Order of Saint George (House of Habsburg)|Order of St. George]], which still exists today, whereby the first investiture in the [[Lateran Basilica]] in Rome was carried out by him and [[Pope Paul II]].<ref>Heinrich Koller: Der St.-Georgs-Ritterorden Kaiser Friedrichs III, In: Die geistlichen Ritterorden Europas. (1980) pp 417.</ref><ref>Winkelbauer: Kaiser Maximilian I. und St. Georg. In: Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 7/1954, pp 523.</ref>

[[File:166Friedrich III und Karl von Burgund.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Frederick III meeting with [[Charles the Bold]]]]

[[Mary of Burgundy]], sole heir to the rich Burgundian kingdom, after the death of her father [[Charles the Bold]], soon made her choice among the many suitors for her hand by selecting Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (son of Frederick III) who became her co-ruler.<ref>Kendall 1971, p. 319.</ref> With the inheritance of Burgundy, the House of Habsburg began to rise to predominance in Europe. This gave rise to the saying "Let others wage wars, but you, happy Austria, shall marry", which became a motto of the dynasty.

Frederick secured in 1486 the succession of the son in his own lifetime. On 16 February 1486 Maximilian was unanimously elected Roman-German king at the Frankfurt Reichstag by the six electors present. The Elector of Bohemia was not invited because the Bohemian spa law might have been claimed by the Hungarian King Corvinus. There are still discussions regarding whether Frederick actively provided the initiative for his son's election or not. As Frederick's only surviving male heir though, Maximilian was a natural choice for Frederick and the Estates to counter Hungary's ambitions.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Wanders |first1=Patrick |title=Maximilian I and the Holy Roman Empire: The Authority of a King of the Romans (1486–1490) |date=2014 |pages=3–8 |url=https://www.academia.edu/9533296 |access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref> On the occasion of the election of Maximilian, a ten-year land peace was decided. In order to safeguard the peace of the land and against the expansive territorial policy of the [[Wittelsbachs|House of Wittelsbach]], numerous affected empire-related states of Swabia joined in 1488 on Frederick's initiative for the Swabian League. After the royal election Frederick accompanied his son to Aachen, where Maximilian was crowned on 9 April 1486. There seemed to be tensions between father and son due to differences in personalities and leadership styles. But Frederick saw Maximilian's values in negotiating with the Estates, thus even though he was wary of infringements on his imperial power, Maximilian quickly became an essential partner in imperial politics.{{sfn|Wanders|2014|pp=8,37}}

In 1487, his daughter [[Kunigunde of Austria|Kunigunde]] married [[Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria]]. Albert illegally took control of some imperial [[fief]]s and then asked to marry Kunigunde (who lived in Innsbruck, far from her father), offering to give her the fiefs as a [[dower]]. Frederick agreed at first, but after Albert took over yet another fief, [[Regensburg]], Frederick withdrew his consent. On 2 January 1487, however, before Frederick's change of heart could be communicated to his daughter, Kunigunde married Albert. A war was prevented only through the mediation of the Emperor's son, Maximilian.

In some smaller matters, Frederick was quite successful: in 1469 he managed to establish [[bishopric]]s in [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna|Vienna]] and {{lang|de|[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Wiener Neustadt|Wiener Neustadt]]}}, a step that no previous Duke of Austria had been able to achieve.

Frederick failed to gain control over [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] and [[Bohemia]] in the [[Bohemian–Hungarian War (1468–78)]]. Frederick proclaimed himself King of Hungary on 27 February 1459, but this did not intimidate [[Mathias Corvinus]]. Frederick decided to invade, but his army never got far, as he was no general. From Mantua, [[Pius II]] (who was also Frederick's former secretary) urged the Emperor to leave Mathias alone. Hungary, he proclaimed, "is the shield of all Christendom under cover of which we have hitherto been safe. [...] If the road is thus opened to the barbarians, destruction will break in over all and the consequences of such a disaster will be imputed by God to its authors."<ref>Tanner, Marcus. ''The Raven King: Matthias Corvinus, and the Fate of his Library.'' Yale University Press, 2008. pp. 53–54.</ref> Frederick was even defeated in the [[Austrian–Hungarian War (1477–88)]] by [[Matthias Corvinus]] in 1485, who managed to maintain residence in [[Vienna]] until his death five years later in the [[Siege of Vienna (1485)|Siege of Vienna]]. Emperor Frederick failed to procure help from the [[Prince-elector]]s and the [[Imperial State]]s. In 1483 he had to leave his [[Hofburg Palace|Hofburg]] residence in [[Vienna]] and fled to [[Wiener Neustadt]], where he also was besieged by Matthias' troops for 18 months until the fortress was captured in 1487. Humiliated, Frederick fled to [[Graz]], and later to [[Linz]] in [[Upper Austria]].

[[File:Niederösterreichische Landesausstellung 2019 - Friedrich III im Alter.jpg|thumb|left|Frederick in old age]]
Frederick's personal motto was the mysterious string [[A.E.I.O.U.]], which he imprinted on all his belongings. He never explained its meaning, leading to many different interpretations being presented, although it has been claimed that shortly before his death he said it stands for ''{{lang|la|Austriae Est Imperare Orbi Universali}}'' or ''{{lang|de|Alles Erdreich ist Österreich untertan}}'' ("All the world is subject to Austria"). It may well symbolise his own understanding of the historical importance and meaning of his rule and of the early gaining of the Imperial title.<ref name="heimann" />

Frederick had been very careful regarding the reform movement in the empire. For most of his reign, he considered reform as a threat to his imperial prerogatives. He avoided direct confrontation, which might lead to humiliation if the princes refused to give way.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Peter H. |title=The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe's History |date=28 January 2016 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-0-14-195691-6 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5lFCgAAQBAJ&pg=PR79 |access-date=21 January 2022}}</ref> After 1440, the reform of the Empire and Church was sustained and led by local and regional powers, particularly the territorial princes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=William Bradford |title=Reformation and the German Territorial State: Upper Franconia, 1300–1630 |date=2008 |publisher=University Rochester Press |isbn=978-1-58046-274-7 |page=45 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUcEmkYpdFQC&pg=PA45 |access-date=21 January 2022}}</ref> In his last years, however, there was more pressure on him taking action from a higher level. [[Berthold von Henneberg]], the Archbishop of Mainz, who spoke on behalf of reform-minded princes (who wanted to reform the Empire without strengthening the imperial hand), capitalized on Frederick's desire to secure the imperial election for Maximilian. Thus in his last years, he presided over the initial phase of Imperial Reform, which would mainly unfold under his son Maximilian. Maximilian himself was more open to reform, although naturally he also wanted to preserve and enhance imperial prerogatives. After Frederick retired to Linz in 1488, as a compromise, Maximilian acted as mediator between the princes and his father. When he attained sole rule after Frederick's death, he would continued this policy of brokerage, acting as the impartial judge between options suggested by the princes.{{sfn|Wilson|2016|p=79}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brady |first1=Thomas A. Jr. |title=German Histories in the Age of Reformations, 1400–1650 |date=13 July 2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-48115-1 |pages=104–106 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5OcgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA105 |access-date=21 January 2022}}</ref>

==Patronage of the arts==
Frederick was an important and powerful patron of music, with a "preference for importing Western talent". This, combined with the efforts by non-courtly institutions like the Cathedral at Trent, would contribute to the flourishing of music under Maximilian I.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burn |first1=David J. |title=The mass-proper cycles of Henricus Isaac : genesis, transmission, and authenticity |date=2002 |publisher=University of Oxford |page=44 |url=https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/i/m/201609200003.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012812/https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/i/m/201609200003.pdf |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live |access-date=21 December 2021}}</ref>

The 110 books he collected form the core collection of the later ''Bibliotheca Regia'', that was the predecessor of the later Imperial Library and the current [[Austrian National Library]] (''Österreichische Nationalbibliothek'').<ref name=Nationalbibliothek-FriedrichIII>{{cite web |title=1440: Kaiser Friedrich III. und das böhmische Erbe – Österreichische Nationalbibliothek |url=https://www.onb.ac.at/ueber-uns/650-jahre/timeline/1440-kaiser-friedrich-iii-und-das-boehmische-erbe |website=www.onb.ac.at |access-date=22 November 2021 |archive-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318060723/https://www.onb.ac.at/ueber-uns/650-jahre/timeline/1440-kaiser-friedrich-iii-und-das-boehmische-erbe |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Legacy==
German historians tend to be more critical of Frederick than Austrian ones. Austrian historian Adam Wandruszka opines that while he was not an impressive emperor, Frederick III was effective in defending and expanding his family's dynastic interests. Wandruszka calls him the "true founder of the Habsburg imperial position".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Watanabe |first1=Morimichi |editor-last=Christianson |editor-first=Gerald |title=Nicholas of Cusa – A Companion to his Life and his Times |date=6 May 2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-08751-9 |pages=243, 244 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BCMfDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT243 |access-date=10 October 2022}}</ref> German historians Paul-Joachim Heinig (author of ''Kaiser Friedrich III. (1440–1493). Hof, Regierung und Politik'', Böhlau, 1997) writes that it would be unfair to say that Maximilian stood on the shoulders of a giant, yet nevertheless Frederick provided the shoulders without which Maximilian could not have become a giant himself.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Heinig |first1=Paul-Joachim |contribution=Friedrich III. und Maximilian I. Gleiches und Ungleiches |title="Per tot discrimina rerum" ? Maximilian I. (1459–1519) |date=4 September 2022 |pages=33–46 |doi=10.7767/9783205216032.33 |publisher=Böhlau Verlag|doi-access=free |isbn=978-3-205-21602-5 }}</ref>

Frederick was a great benefactor to the Jews – his enemies described him as "more of a Jew than a Holy Roman Emperor". He favoured such Jewish scholars like {{ill|Jacob ben Jechiel Loans|de|lt=Jacob ben Jehiel Loans}}, who was the teacher of the Hebraist [[Johann Reuchlin]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopaedia Judaica |date=1971 |publisher=Encyclopaedia Judaica |page=115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h3YbAQAAMAAJ |access-date=10 October 2022}}</ref> His empress Eleanor also favoured Jews. For unknown reasons, their son Maximilian developed a dislike for the Jews as a child though, to the horror of both parents.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Noflatscher |first1=Heinz |last2=Péterfi |first2=Bence |contribution=Der frühe Maximilian, das Haus Habsburg, der Hof und die Juden |title="Per tot discrimina rerum" ? Maximilian I. (1459–1519) |date=4 September 2022 |pages=129–156 |doi=10.7767/9783205216032.129 |publisher=Böhlau Verlag|isbn=978-3-205-21602-5 |doi-access=free }}</ref> His own relationship with the Jews evolved over the years though. [[Ursula Schattner-Rieser]] opines that the foundation of Modern [[Judaism]], arising in the eras of Frederick and Maximilian, was "embedded in the principles of humanism".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Schattner-Rieser |first1=Ursula |contribution=Notizen zu zwei jüdisch-stämmigen Leibärzten im Umfeld Maximilians I. Wegbereiter des humanistischen Interesses an der Hebraistik |title="Per tot discrimina rerum" ? Maximilian I. (1459–1519) |date=4 September 2022 |pages=157–170 |doi=10.7767/9783205216032.157 |publisher=Böhlau Verlag|doi-access=free |isbn=978-3-205-21602-5 }}</ref>

==Marriage and children==
[[File:Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal.jpg|thumb|200px|Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal.]]

Frederick had five children from his marriage with [[Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress|Eleanor of Portugal]], daughter of [[Edward, King of Portugal]]:
* Christoph (16 November 1455 – 21 March 1456)
* [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian]] (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), Holy Roman Emperor, married
# 1477 [[Mary of Burgundy]] (1457–1482), daughter of [[Charles the Bold]], Duke of Burgundy
# 1490 [[Anne of Brittany]] (1477–1514), daughter of [[Francis II, Duke of Brittany|Francis II]], Duke of Brittany
# 1494 [[Bianca Maria Sforza]] (1472–1510), daughter of [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]], Duke of Milan
* Helene (3 November 1460 – 28 February 1462)
* [[Kunigunde of Austria|Kunigunde]] (16 March 1465 – 6 August 1520), married 1487 [[Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria]]
* Johannes (9 August 1466 – 10 February 1467)
For the last 10 years of Frederick's life, he and Maximilian ruled jointly.

==Death==
[[File:Wien - Stephansdom, Grabmal Kaiser Friedrichs III.JPG|thumb|200px|Frederick III's tomb, Vienna]]
In his last years Friedrich remained in the region on the Danube, in Vienna and in Linz. In 1492 he was elected Knight of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]]. Since February 1493, Frederick's health deteriorated increasingly. In the Lent of 1493, Friedrich's personal physicians diagnosed Kaiser in the left leg as a symptom, usually referred to as age-burning, in the research literature, which according to current medical terminology is considered to be the result of arteriosclerosis. On 8 June 1493 he was amputated under the direction of the surgeon Hans Seyff in the Linz castle of the affected area of the leg. This leg amputation is considered one of the most famous and best-documented surgical procedures of the entire Middle Ages.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pangerl |first1=D. C. |title="Item als man dem kayser Fridrichen sin funss abschnitt". Die Beinamputation an Kaiser Friedrich III. am 8. Juni 1493 in Linz ["Item as Kaiser Friedrich's foot was amputated". The leg amputation of Kaiser Friedrich III on 8 June 1493 in Linz] |journal=Sudhoffs Archiv |date=2010 |volume=94 |issue=2 |pages=195–200 |doi=10.25162/sudhoff-2010-0024 |pmid=21322920 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21322920/ |access-date=11 December 2023 |ref=FriedrichLegAmputation}}</ref>
Although Frederick initially survived the procedure well, he died on 19 August 1493 in Linz at the age of 77. The contemporaries cited as the cause of death the consequences of leg amputation, senility or rapid [[diarrhea]] caused by melon consumption. His bowels were probably buried separately on 24 August 1493 in the Linz parish church. The arrival of Turks in Carinthia and the [[Carniola|Krain]] delayed the arrival of Maximilian and with it the funeral service. On 6 and 7 December 1493, the funeral took place in St. Stephen's Cathedral.

His grave, built by [[Nikolaus Gerhaert|Nikolaus Gerhaert von Leyden]], in [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna]], is one of the most important works of sculptural art of the [[Late Middle Ages]]. (His amputated leg was buried with him.) The heavily adorned tomb was not completed until 1513, two decades after Frederick's death, and has survived in its original condition.<ref>Rudolf J. Meyer: ''Königs- und Kaiserbegräbnisse im Spätmittelalter. Von Rudolf von Habsburg bis zu Friedrich III.'' Köln 2000, pp. 186–188.</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Heraldry==
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100% align="center"
|-
! style="background:#ccccff;"|Heraldry of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
|-
|
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|[[File:Armoiries Habsbourg-Styrie.svg|150px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of the King of the Romans (c.1433-1486).svg|155px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of the Holy Roman Emperor (c.1433-c.1450).svg|180px]]
|[[File:CoA Frederick III of Habsburg.svg|180px]]
|-
|Coat of arms as Archduke and Duke of Inner Austria (Styria, Carinthia and Carniola )
|Coat of arms as King of the Romans<br/><small>(1440–1493)</small>
|Coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br/><small>(1452–1493)</small>
|Alternative coat of arms as Holy Roman Emperor<br/><small>(1452–1493)</small>
|}
|}

==Ancestry==
{{Main|Family tree of the German monarchs}}
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor'''
|2= 2. [[Ernest, Duke of Austria]]
|3= 3. [[Cymburgis of Masovia]]
|4= 4. [[Leopold III, Duke of Austria]]<ref name="BLKO-Ernst">{{BLKO |wstitle=Habsburg, Ernst der Eiserne |volume=6 |page=178}}</ref>
|5= 5. [[Viridis Visconti]]<ref name="BLKO-Ernst" />
|6= 6. [[Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia]]<ref name="BLKO-Cimburgis">{{BLKO |wstitle=Habsburg, Cimburgis von Masovien |volume=6 |page=158}}</ref>
|7= 7. [[Alexandra of Lithuania]]<ref name="BLKO-Cimburgis" />
|8= 8. [[Albert II, Duke of Austria]]<ref name="ADB-Leopold III">{{cite ADB|29|392|395|Leopold III.|Huber, Alfons|ADB:Leopold III. (Herzog von Österreich, Steiermark, Kärnten und Krain)}}</ref>
|9= 9. [[Joanna of Pfirt]]<ref name="ADB-Leopold III" />
|10= 10. [[Bernabò Visconti]]<ref name="BLKO-Viridis">{{BLKO |wstitle=Visconti, Viridis |volume=51 |page=54}}</ref>
|11= 11. [[Beatrice Regina della Scala]]<ref name="BLKO-Viridis" />
|12= 12. [[Siemowit III, Duke of Masovia]]<ref name="IPSB">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Siemowit IV |encyclopedia=Internetowy Polski Słownik Biograficzny [Internet Polish Biographical Dictionary] |publisher=[[:pl:Filmoteka Narodowa – Instytut Audiowizualny|Filmoteka Narodowa – Instytut Audiowizualny]] |url=https://www.ipsb.nina.gov.pl/a/biografia/siemowit-iv |last=Supruniuk |first=Anna |language=pl |access-date=2019-03-01 |archive-date=2020-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405222719/https://www.ipsb.nina.gov.pl/a/biografia/siemowit-iv |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|13= 13. Euphemia of Opava<ref name="IPSB" />
|14= 14. [[Algirdas|Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania]]<ref name="LE">{{Cite encyclopedia |year=1933–1944 |title=Aleksandra |encyclopedia=Lietuviškoji enciklopedija |publisher=Spaudos Fondas |location=Kaunas |editor-last=Biržiška |editor-first=Vaclovas |volume=I |page=219 |language=lt}}</ref>
|15= 15. [[Uliana of Tver]]<ref name="LE" />
}}

==Male-line family tree==
{{Habsburg family tree}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last=Rickett |first=Richard |title=A Brief Survey of Austrian History |publisher=Georg Prachner Verlag |date=1966}}
*Heinig, Paul-Joachim. "The Court of Emperor Frederick III". In ''Princes Patronage and the Nobility: The Court at the Beginning of the Modern Age, cc. 1450–1650.'' Edited by Ronald G. Asch and [[Adolf M. Birke]]. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. {{ISBN|0-19-920502-7}}.
*Langmaier, Konstantin M. Erzherzog Albrecht VI. von Österreich (1418–1463), Ein Fürst im Spannungsfeld von Dynastie, Regionen und Reich (Forschungen zur Kaiser- und Papstgeschichte des Mittelalters, Beihefte zu J. F. Böhmer, Regesta Imperii 38, Köln, Weimar, Wien 2015.
*Langmaier, Konstantin M. Kaiser Friedrich III. (1415–1493): des Reiches Erzschlafmütze? Der "schlafende Kaiser" als Klischee. In: Zeitschrift des Historischen Vereins für Steiermark. 111, 2020, 129–188 (currently the most scientific and modern study on Frederick III).

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor}}
{{Wikisource|1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Frederick III., Roman Emperor|Frederick III}}
* {{DNB-Portal|118535773|NAME=Friedrich III.}}
* {{DDB|Person|118535773}}
* {{Geschichtsquellen Person|118535773|Fridericus III Imperator}}
* {{Nömuseum|p|511}}
* [http://www.regesta-imperii.de/dbkommissionen/ Database "Sources on the Judiciary of Emperor Frederick III" (''Quellen zur Gerichtsbarkeit Kaiser Friedrichs III. (1440–1493)'']
* [http://www.friedrichiii.his-gis.net/ Joachim Laczny, Friedrich III. (1440–1493) auf Reisen. Die Erstellung des Itinerars eines spätmittelalterlichen Herrschers unter Anwendung eines historisch-Geographischen Informationssystems (his-GIS)].
* [http://www.wdr5.de/sendungen/zeitzeichen/kaiser-friedrich-der-dritte-104.html WDR-Zeitzeichensendung 1415 – Der Geburtstag von Kaiser Friedrich III.]

{{s-start}}
{{S-hou | [[House of Habsburg]] | 21 September| 1415 | 19 August| 1493 }}
{{S-reg}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Albert II of Germany|Albert II]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  =  [[King of the Romans]]<br />(informally [[List of German monarchs|King of Germany]])
        | years  = 1440–1493 }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] | rows = 4}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Holy Roman Emperor]]
        | years  = 1452–1493 }}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Ernest of Austria (Habsburg)|Ernest]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Duchy of Styria#Dukes|Duke of Styria]], [[Duchy of Carinthia#Dukes of Carinthia|Carinthia]] and [[Duchy of Carniola#Dukes|Carniola]]
        | years  = 1424–1493<br />''with [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert VI]] 1424–1463'' }}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Ladislaus Posthumus of Bohemia and Hungary|Ladislaus]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of rulers of Austria|Archduke of Austria]]
        | years  = 1457–1493<br />''with [[Albert VI, Archduke of Austria|Albert VI]] 1457–1463'' }}
{{s-end}}

{{Holy Roman Emperors}}
{{German monarchs}}
{{Antique Kings of Italy}}
{{Rulers of Austria}}
{{Austrian archdukes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick Iii, Holy Roman Emperor}}
[[Category:Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor| ]]
[[Category:1415 births]]
[[Category:1493 deaths]]
[[Category:15th-century Holy Roman Emperors]]
[[Category:15th-century archdukes of Austria]]
[[Category:Dukes of Styria|Frederick 3]]
[[Category:Dukes of Carinthia|Frederick 3]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter|Frederick 3]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece|Frederick 3]]
[[Category:Medieval child monarchs]]
[[Category:Medieval Knights of the Holy Sepulchre]]
[[Category:Pretenders to the Hungarian throne]]
[[Category:People from Innsbruck]]
[[Category:Austrian amputees]]
[[Category:German royalty and nobility with disabilities]]
[[Category:Burials at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna]]
[[Category:Deaths from diarrhea]]