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Emperor Rudolf II

Vienna, 28 Jul 1552 – Prague, 20 Jan 1612

12 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born28 Jul 1552, Viennanot verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Electoror Holy Roman Emperor, 1576–1612 · Apostolic King of Hungary, 1576–1608 · King of Bohemia, 1576–1611not verified1 source
  • TitleApostolic King of Hungary, 1576–1608or Holy Roman Emperor, 1576–1612 · King of Bohemia, 1576–1611 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Bohemia, 1576–1611or Holy Roman Emperor, 1576–1612 · Apostolic King of Hungary, 1576–1608 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • TitleHoly Roman Emperor, 1576–1612or Apostolic King of Hungary, 1576–1608 · King of Bohemia, 1576–1611 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • Died20 Jan 1612, Praguenot verified1 source
  • FatherMaximilian II, Holy Roman Emperornot verified1 source
  • MotherMaria of Austria, Holy Roman Empressnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 28 Jul 1552

    Born in Vienna

  2. 1576–1608

    Apostolic King of Hungary

  3. 1576–1611

    King of Bohemia

  4. 1576–1612

    Holy Roman Emperor

  5. 1580–1611

    4 children are born

  6. 20 Jan 1612

    Dies in Prague, aged 59

Family

See the tree

Parents

Children · 6

During his lifetime

He lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Vienna.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1550s · Emperor is born in Vienna

What people wore

Common rural clothing in the 1500s

In the second half of the 16th century, common rural clothing for men included shirts, caps, cloaks, woollen coats, and trousers known as poctivice. Women's wardrobes comprised shirts, aprons, various types of skirts, bodices, and furs such as those made of rabbit or fox.

Daily life

Water carried from public wells

Water was not piped and had to be laboriously carried from public wells in wooden buckets. Some households utilized specialized ceramic jugs to keep drinking water cool.

Work

Common occupations and labor regulations

Common urban jobs included brewers, bakers, butchers, smiths, tailors, and porters, while many households also functioned as combined work units for production and trade. In mining regions, workers were subject to strict regulations governing their shifts and compensation, such as mandatory notice periods of one week for laborers.

Music

City trumpeters and tower music

City trumpeters employed by councils, such as the Old Town Council in Prague, were responsible for announcing hours and performing music from town hall towers. By 1585, instructions reveal these instrumentalists were expected to perform sophisticated polyphony like motets twice a day during warmer months.

At the table

Shared eating tools and bread plates

Diners typically used their own personal knives and spoons to eat, while a single large serving fork was shared by everyone at the table. Meat was often placed directly on top of slices of bread, which served as a rudimentary plate.

Getting around

High cost of travel

Travel costs were significant, with a typical trip from Dvur Kralove to Prague costing one kopa of groschen, which equaled the yearly salary of a teacher. The cost included wagon fees, gratuities, and food for the driver.

What it cost

Purchasing power plummeted during the price revolution

Between 1543 and the period 1618-1620, the cost of living surged, causing the purchasing power of a thaler to drop from 30 kg of meat to only 5.6 kg.