House of Habsburg facts for kids
The Habsburg family was a very powerful group of dukes, kings, and monarchs (rulers) in Europe. They were super important in European history for many centuries.
They started ruling parts of Switzerland in the 1200s. Over time, they gained control of many other lands. They ruled Austria, and later Austria-Hungary, for over 600 years! They also sometimes ruled Spain and the Netherlands. From about 1280 to 1806, they were also the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire. They even ruled the Kingdom of Sardinia until the mid-1800s.
In 1515, an important agreement was made in Vienna. It was between the Habsburg family and the Jagiellon family, who ruled Poland and Lithuania. This agreement said that if the Jagiellon kings of Bohemia and Hungary didn't have a son to take over, then the Habsburg ruler of Austria would get their lands. This helped the Habsburgs become even more powerful.
The End of the Habsburg Rule
The main line of the Habsburg family eventually ended. The Spanish part of the family finished when Charles II of Spain died in 1700. After him, the House of Bourbon took over Spain.
Charles II had many health issues and physical problems. These were likely caused by many close family members marrying each other over several generations. For example, his father, Philip IV, married his own sister's daughter.
The other main branch of the Habsburg family, the Austrian one, also ended. The last male ruler was Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who died in 1740. The family completely ended in 1780 with the death of his oldest daughter, Maria Theresa of Austria.
A new family, the House of Lorraine, then took over. They called themselves the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. But many people still just called them the House of Habsburg.
The last empress from this family was Zita of Bourbon-Parma. She ruled with her husband, Charles I of Austria, from 1916 to 1918. She passed away in Switzerland in 1989.
Images for kids
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The Habsburg lands around 1200 in Switzerland are shown in pink.
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Habsburg lands (in green) in 1547. This map does not show the Holy Roman Empire or the Spanish colonies.
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The lands ruled by Philip II in 1598, including Spain and Portugal.
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The European lands of the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs around 1700.
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A portrait of Leopold I showing his "Habsburg jaw."
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"PLUS OULTRE" (meaning "Further Beyond"), the motto of Charles V, on a ceiling in the Palace of Charles V in Granada.
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The current family symbol of the head of the House of Habsburg.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Habsburgo para niños
