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Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor

Vienna, 1 Oct 1685 – Vienna, 20 Oct 1740

18 facts3 sources

Animated by AI

About Charles

Charles VI: imperial office and the Spanish succession

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Charles VI’s birth in Vienna in 1685 and his death there in 1740; both dates carry a probable confidence rating. He was the son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg. 12345

From 1711 to 1740, Charles VI held the titles of Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. The two offices appear in the collection for the same period, connecting his imperial role with a distinct territorial crown. 6789

A biographical summary states that Charles succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, and unsuccessfully claimed the Spanish throne following the death of his relative Charles II. In 1708, he married Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; the summary records that the couple had four children. 1011

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born1 Oct 1685, Viennanot verified1 source
  • MarriedElisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttelnot verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Electoror Apostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740 · monarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714 · Holy Roman Emperor, 1711–1740 · King of Bohemia, 1711–1740 · King of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720 · Archduke of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleArchduke of Austriaor Apostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740 · monarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714 · Holy Roman Emperor, 1711–1740 · King of Bohemia, 1711–1740 · King of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720 · Prince-Electornot verified1 source
  • Titlemonarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714or Apostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740 · Holy Roman Emperor, 1711–1740 · King of Bohemia, 1711–1740 · King of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720 · Prince-Elector · Archduke of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleHoly Roman Emperor, 1711–1740or Apostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740 · monarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714 · King of Bohemia, 1711–1740 · King of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720 · Prince-Elector · Archduke of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Bohemia, 1711–1740or Apostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740 · monarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714 · Holy Roman Emperor, 1711–1740 · King of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720 · Prince-Elector · Archduke of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleApostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740or monarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714 · Holy Roman Emperor, 1711–1740 · King of Bohemia, 1711–1740 · King of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720 · Prince-Elector · Archduke of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Sardinia and Corsica, 1713–1720or Apostolic King of Hungary, 1711–1740 · monarch of the Crown of Aragon, 1706–1714 · Holy Roman Emperor, 1711–1740 · King of Bohemia, 1711–1740 · Prince-Elector · Archduke of Austrianot verified1 source
  • EventCoronation, 1706or coronation, 1712not verified1 source
  • EventCoronation, 1712or coronation, 1706not verified1 source
  • Died20 Oct 1740, Viennanot verified1 source
  • MotherEleonor Magdalene of Neuburgnot verified1 source
  • FatherLeopold I, Holy Roman Emperornot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1 Oct 1685

    Born in Vienna

  2. 1706

    Coronation

  3. 1706–1714

    Monarch of the Crown of Aragon

  4. 1711–1740

    Holy Roman Emperor

  5. 1711–1740

    King of Bohemia

  6. 1711–1740

    Apostolic King of Hungary

  7. 1712

    Coronation

  8. 1713–1720

    King of Sardinia and Corsica

  9. 1716–1724

    4 children are born

  10. 20 Oct 1740

    Dies in Vienna, aged 55

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 4

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 1680s · Charles is born in Vienna

In the news1683

Second Turkish Siege of Vienna

Ottoman forces initiated the second Turkish Siege of Vienna, leading to widespread destruction in the surrounding area until they were defeated in September.

At the table

Coffee substitute for 1 kreuzer

For 1 kreuzer, working-class people could buy a bowl of roasted barley drink sweetened with syrup, which served as an affordable substitute for expensive coffee.

What people wore

Feast day finery and marital status attire

On feast days, rural people wore finer versions of their clothing, such as a blouse made of fine linen (harbene Pfoad) compared to the coarse linen (rupferne Pfoad) worn for daily tasks. Men sometimes distinguished their marital status through their hats, wearing green hats if unmarried and black hats after marriage.

Getting around

Travel on foot for commoners

Ordinary people generally traveled on foot, covering 20 to 35 kilometers per day, as horse-drawn transport like coaches was expensive and largely reserved for the wealthy or official use.

What it cost

Daily wages for laborers

In the late 17th century, day laborers earned about 6 kreuzer for women and up to 18 kreuzer for some skilled laborers like carpenters.

Music

Common rural dance instruments

In the seventeenth-century countryside, ordinary people primarily used bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies for dance music, before the violin became established as a popular instrument later on.

Daily life

Life in the smoke kitchen

Cooking happened in smoke kitchens where food was prepared over open fires, often sharing space with poultry kept inside at night.