2021-05-05 Wed

Leopold-I was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. Elected in 1658, Leopold ruled the Holy Roman Empire until his death in 1705, becoming the longest-ruling Habsburg emperor (46 years and 9 months).

Born on 9 June 1640 in Vienna, Leopold received the traditional program of education in the Liberal arts, history, literature, natural science, and astronomy. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 by the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV.

Leopold's reign is known for conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the Great Turkish War (1683-1699) and rivalry with Louis XIV, a contemporary and first cousin, in the west. After more than a decade of warfare, Leopold emerged victorious in the east. By the Treaty of Karlowitz, Leopold recovered almost all of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had fallen under Turkish power in the years after the 1526 Battle of Mohacs.

The reign of Leopold saw some important changes made in the constitution of the Roman Empire . Depicted here is Hungarian Thaler of Leopold I minted in 1692. It depicts Latin inscription translated as "Leopold, by the grace of God, Emperor of the Romans, Ever Augustus, King of Germany, Hungary, and Bohemia; Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Margrave of Moravia, Count of Tyrol 1692"

Image Source: Wikipedia.org