Albrecht II

Albrecht II.

Albrecht von und zu Habsburg, boh. Olprecht II., *1651 – †1723

Rudolf’s younger brother Albrecht became Margrave in 1669 after his brother became a king, but he was not satisfied with this situation and he committed murder on his brother during the war with Ottoman Sultanate in 1670. As it looked like an unfortunate accident, there was no problem with succession. He became king at 1670, absolutistic in fact, ruling ruthlessly. He partially stopped Turks in south Felvidék (Slevania) and was able to hold Hungarian crown, thus he ensured his position. He forced the free municipalities to become administrated by Royal Court. He has had three sons and he legalised the following rule for future; the first born son becomes margrave and later king, the second-born becomes an archbishop of Prague and any other son will serve in army.

Vatican, to interfere into Bohemian matters, found at 1704 a new archbishopric in Olmütz and they put Moravian aristocrat Johann von und zu Schlick as an archbishop. King Albrecht II. had introduced in 1705 his son Dietrich as the highest church authority not only for catholics, but also for Protestants, being inspired by introduction of Arnošt of Pardubice (Ernšt foncu Pártupic) by Hussits 1344. He took the right to impose any church authority on the territory of the Kingdom by his royal decision. He also grabbed the Rome imposed archbishop in Olmütz and let him imprison to demonstrate his power. It helped him to pacify Estates, who tried to find a new ally in Rome. With these his acts, the so called Bohemian Way (Ta Pémiša Štrásna) started. To ensure his positions against High Estates, he abolished Estate Council (Standesrat) and substituted it with Royal Court only (Königliches Kabinett; 3 court-official and 3 ministers). To further strike aristocracy and nobles, he also abolished in Bohemian Crown Lands (not in Hungary) corvée in 1710 and at the end of his reign in 1721 he also abolished servitude, preparing thus unwillingly good starting conditions for kingdom in the forthcoming age of capitalism.

In Austro-Dalmatian Monarchy, Karl VI. has introduced on 19th April 1713 so-called Pragmatic Sanction, which allows the throne to be herited also matrilinearly. Albrecht II. approved it, including that the Bohemian king has no claim on the Austrian-Dalmatian throne and vice versa.

Preceded by: king Rudolf IV.

Bohemian king 1670-1723

Succeeded by: king Friedrich II.