Treaty of Rheinfelden
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Rheinfelden was the first Habsburg order of succession
concluded on June 1, 1283 at the Imperial City
of Rheinfelden
.
Rudolph of Habsburg
had been chosen King of the Romans
in 1273 and had defeated his rival Ottokar II of Bohemia
who was killed at the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld. Ottokar's son Wenceslaus II retained the Bohemian Kingdom
, while Ottokar's estates in Austria
, Styria
, Carinthia
and Carniola
fell back to the Holy Roman Empire
.
King Rudolph had reached an agreement with the Prince-elector
s to award these territories to his sons and at the Diet of Augsburg
in 1282 Albert I
and his brother Rudolph II
"jointly and severally" received Austria, Styria, Carniola and the Windic March
. However in 1286 Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol
became Duke of Carinthia as recompensation for supporting King Rudolph against Ottokar and also retained Carniola and the Windic March as a fief.
Deviating from these decisions the Rheinfelden Treaty set down the primogeniture
order: then eleven-year-old Duke Rudolph II had to waive all his rights to the thrones of Austria and Styria to the benefit of his elder brother Albert I. According to the terms of the agreement, Rudolf should receive some territories in Further Austria
in return but was never compensated until his death in 1290. This fact induced his son John Parricida
to murder Albert in 1308.
The adoption of the primogenitur right crucially strengthened the Habsburg influence within the Holy Roman Empire as it allowed the dynasty to constitute a compact allodial territory (Hausmacht) it could rely on. It nevertheless did not prevent the partition by the 1379 Treaty of Neuberg
.
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
concluded on June 1, 1283 at the Imperial City
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
of Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in...
.
Rudolph of Habsburg
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
had been chosen King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
in 1273 and had defeated his rival Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II , called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria , Styria , Carinthia and Carniola also....
who was killed at the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld. Ottokar's son Wenceslaus II retained the Bohemian Kingdom
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
, while Ottokar's estates in Austria
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...
, Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
, Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
and Carniola
March of Carniola
The March of Carniola was a southeastern state of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages, the predecessor of the Duchy of Carniola. It corresponded roughly to the central Carniolan region of present-day Slovenia...
fell back to the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
King Rudolph had reached an agreement with the Prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s to award these territories to his sons and at the Diet of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in 1282 Albert I
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
and his brother Rudolph II
Rudolf II, Duke of Austria
Rudolph II of Austria , the younger son of King Rudolph of Habsburg and Gertrude of Hohenburg, was Duke of Austria and Styria from 1282 until 1283, jointly with his elder brother Albert I, who succeeded him....
"jointly and severally" received Austria, Styria, Carniola and the Windic March
Windic march
The Windic march or marca Vindica was a province of the Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, corresponding more or less to modern Lower Carniola in Slovenia. In Medieval German language, the term "Windisch" was a common name for some Slavic peoples The Windic march or marca Vindica was a...
. However in 1286 Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol
Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia
Meinhard II from the House of Meinhardin was ruling Count of Gorizia from 1258 until 1271 and Count of Tyrol from 1258 until his death...
became Duke of Carinthia as recompensation for supporting King Rudolph against Ottokar and also retained Carniola and the Windic March as a fief.
Deviating from these decisions the Rheinfelden Treaty set down the primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
order: then eleven-year-old Duke Rudolph II had to waive all his rights to the thrones of Austria and Styria to the benefit of his elder brother Albert I. According to the terms of the agreement, Rudolf should receive some territories in Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
in return but was never compensated until his death in 1290. This fact induced his son John Parricida
John Parricida
John Parricida, or John the Parricide or Johann Parricida , also called John of Swabia from the House of Habsburg was a son of Rudolf II, former Duke of Austria and Agnes, daughter of King Ottokar II Přemysl of Bohemia...
to murder Albert in 1308.
The adoption of the primogenitur right crucially strengthened the Habsburg influence within the Holy Roman Empire as it allowed the dynasty to constitute a compact allodial territory (Hausmacht) it could rely on. It nevertheless did not prevent the partition by the 1379 Treaty of Neuberg
Treaty of Neuberg
In the Treaty of Neuberg, concluded between the Habsburg Dukes Albert III and Leopold III on September 9, 1379 in Neuberg an der Mürz, the Habsburg lands were divided between the two brothers...
.