Fürstbischof – Putschist – Landesherr
Carolin Pecho Prince-Bishop – Rebel – Ruler

Archduke Leopold (1586–1632) in dynastic and military confraternities

Summary/Abstract: Archduke Leopold was a cleric, but he desired the title of emperor. This project met with the crisis of the Habsburg power, as Archduke Matthias, brother to Emperor Rudolf II, challenged his power. Archduke Leopold took advantage of this situation in order to install an own powerhouse and to change his family duty, supporting his brother Ferdinand in his pitch for the throne. Leopold switched his family-based confraternity to a confraternity of military parvenus, tried in the Turkish wars, but available then, as Archduke Matthias had met a ceasefire in 1606. This brass knew each other well and turned to Prague and Leopold for new opportunities. The alliance invaded Prague in 1611 and took half of the city, the rest was held by the estates. They called to Matthias and Leopold had to give up. The article is explaining confraternity, analysing the tremor of political possibilities before the thirty-years-war, and is also looking into the sources about the attack, showing how the story was told. Leopold changed his strategy afterwards. He tried to convince the family of his catholic faith and founded some projects, nowadays seen as steps to the ‘Pietas Austriaca’-myth. He succeeded and died in 1632 as ruler of Tirol.

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