Anna von Österreich

Anna of Austria was born on 7 July 1528 at the Bohemian court in Prague. A member of the House of Habsburg, she was the third of fifteen children of King Ferdinand I and his wife, Anna of Bohemia and Hungary from the Jagiellonian dynasty. Her siblings included Elizabeth, Queen of Poland, Emperor Maximilian II, Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria, and several later duchesses and archdukes. Through her father, Anna descended from King Philip I of Castile and Joanna of Castile; her maternal grandparents were King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and Anne de Foix-Candale. Anna was born sickly and was baptized immediately out of concern for her life. The baptism was performed by Cardinal Bernardo Clesio. Her father is said to have been especially fond of her and to have affectionately called her “little monkey.” Anna grew up in a strictly Catholic and learned environment. Since both of her parents placed great importance on education, she received a comprehensive education from the humanist Kaspar Ursinus Velius. She learned German, Italian, and French, was instructed in Catholic doctrine, and, together with her sisters, learned to play keyboard instruments and to dance. From an early age, Anna was drawn into the marriage politics of the Habsburgs. In 1530, when she was three years old, she was betrothed to Theodor of Bavaria, the son of Duke William IV. Theodor died in 1534, however, and new marriage plans had to be developed. Another possible husband was Charles II de Valois, Duke of Orléans and son of the French king Francis I. The Treaty of Crépy of 1544 was intended to end the long conflict between Francis I and Anna’s uncle, Emperor Charles V. As part of the agreement, Charles was allowed to choose between Charles V’s daughter Maria and his niece Anna. He chose Anna, but the marriage never took place because he died of the plague in 1545. In 1546, William of Cleves and Duke Albert V of Bavaria became candidates for Anna’s hand. Anna traveled with her mother and sister to Regensburg to conclude the negotiations and meet the prospective husbands. William had originally been allowed to choose between Anna and her younger sister Maria. In the end, however, a marriage between Anna and Albert appeared politically more advantageous. The Wittelsbach territories bordered Austria and could pose a threat to the Habsburgs. The marriage was intended to secure this relationship, while Albert’s support was also expected in Emperor Charles V’s war against the Schmalkaldic League. Before the wedding, Anna also had to renounce her own inheritance claims and those of her descendants against the House of Habsburg. Her dowry was set at 50,000 guilders. Since Anna and Albert were related through Kunigunde of Austria, they required a papal dispensation. Pope Paul III granted it on 17 June 1546, and the marriage contract was signed two days later. Anna and Albert married on 4 July 1546 in a lavish ceremony whose celebrations lasted eight days. The couple then moved to Bavaria and initially lived at Trausnitz Castle in Landshut. After Albert’s father died on 7 March 1550, Albert became Duke of Bavaria, and Anna thereafter held the rank of duchess. At the Munich court, the couple exerted considerable influence over the duchy’s intellectual and religious life. Anna and Albert helped enhance Munich’s reputation as a center of the arts. They founded several collections and laid important foundations for what would later become the Bavarian State Library. The artists they supported included the painter Hans Muelich and the Franco-Flemish composer Orlando di Lasso. In 1552, Albert commissioned an inventory of the jewels owned by the couple. The richly illustrated result, known as the Jewel Book of Duchess Anna of Bavaria, contains 110 drawings by Muelich and is still preserved in the Bavarian State Library. Anna was deeply religious. She made extensive donations to the Catholic monastery of Vadstena in Sweden and generously supported the Franciscan Order. She also played an influential role within her family. In particular, she gave her grandson Maximilian a strict and thorough education; he later became known as Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria. Anna and Albert had seven children. Their firstborn, Karl, died in infancy. Their eldest surviving son, William, became Duke of Bavaria as William V in 1579. Their other sons were Ferdinand, Friedrich, and Ernst, who later became Archbishop of Cologne. Their daughter Maria Anna married Archduke Charles II of Austria, while Maximiliana Maria remained unmarried. Friedrich also died as a young child. When Duke Albert died on 24 October 1579, he was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, William V. As dowager duchess, Anna maintained her own court at the Munich Residenz. Her marriage remained politically significant long after her death. In 1740, around 150 years later, her descendant Elector Charles Albert of Bavaria invoked the marriage contract between Anna and Albert to establish claims to the Austrian and Bohemian crown lands of the Habsburg monarchy. Anna died in Munich in October 1590 and was buried in the Frauenkirche. Her life connected the dynastic interests of the House of Habsburg with the political security of Bavaria, while her work at the Munich court promoted art, music, education, and Catholic intellectual life.