Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria

Duke of Austria

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Lived 1339–1365, aged 26Austria

Austria Historical Figures

Wikipedia
38 languages
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Era
1339–1365
Aged 26

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

A medieval duke so hungry for status he commissioned an entire fake imperial charter—complete with made-up titles and privileges—then styled himself "archduke" anyway when the emperor called his bluff.

Biography

About

Rudolf IV inherited the duchy of Austria in 1358 after his father Albert II was shut out of the elite circle of seven imperial prince-electors by the Golden Bull of 1356. Stung by the snub, Rudolf had scribes forge the "Privilegium Maius" and accompanying documents to claim archducal rank and rights far beyond what any duke legitimately held. Emperor Charles IV refused to validate the forgeries. Rudolf went ahead and adopted the archducal title by mid-1359 regardless, spending the rest of his short life insisting on honors he'd invented. He added Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol, and Carniola to his h…

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