Erzherzog Karl Ludwig

Karl Ludwig Franz Joseph of Austria was born on July 30, 1833, at Schönbrunn Palace. He was the son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria-Tuscany and Sophie of Bavaria, and the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Although he embarked on a military career at an early age, his true interests lay chiefly in art and culture. On February 25, 1848, he received the rank of colonel and became proprietor of the 7th Uhlan Regiment of the Imperial and Royal Army. That same year, he was scheduled to undertake an extensive tour of Europe with his brother Franz Joseph, particularly through the Austrian territories of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. The outbreak of the Revolution of 1848 brought these plans to an end. Karl Ludwig returned with his family and remained in refuge in Olmütz until 1849. After a journey to the Orient in the autumn of 1850 and the completion of his studies, Karl Ludwig took on an important political responsibility. On July 30, 1855, he was appointed governor-general of Tyrol; the previous day, he had been promoted to major general. He administered the region conscientiously for six years, although he had not assumed the office out of personal inclination. He devoted particular attention to reforming the school system. He promoted the expansion and beautification of Innsbruck, worked to preserve the city’s historic buildings, and supported Tyrol’s economic development. On his initiative, the region’s first national art exhibition was also held. At the same time, he became patron of several artists’ associations. Karl Ludwig also played an important role in Franz Joseph’s personal life. He was a close ally of his brother, but at one point was also his romantic rival. Karl Ludwig had originally been promised in marriage to Elisabeth, who later became known as “Sissi.” She eventually married Franz Joseph and became Empress of Austria. On April 11, 1856, Karl Ludwig married Princess Margarethe of Saxony in Dresden, the daughter of King John of Saxony and Princess Amalia Augusta of Bavaria. The marriage remained childless. Margarethe died on September 15, 1858, only two years after the wedding. Her death deeply affected Karl Ludwig. He even considered entering a monastery and withdrawing from social life. A journey to Rome and a meeting with Pope Pius IX, however, helped him overcome this crisis. He subsequently returned to Innsbruck and resumed his duties. His return to Tyrol took place during a period of mounting military tensions. Preparations for local mobilization were made under his leadership in anticipation of the war against Piedmont and France. Vorarlberg responded to the call with a contingent of nearly 50,000 men, including more than 8,000 riflemen. In 1860, a dispute arose in Tyrol over the region’s religious unity. On the one hand, Karl Ludwig was influenced by the Catholic majority in the provincial parliament; on the other, as a representative of a constitutional government, he believed that freedom of religion had to be guaranteed without restrictions. When he ordered a popular referendum on the issue on June 17, 1861, Franz Joseph firmly opposed him. The emperor emphasized the central importance of the Catholic faith to Austrian culture. Karl Ludwig nevertheless maintained his impartial position and resigned as governor-general of Tyrol on July 11, 1861. Earlier that year, he had been appointed lieutenant field marshal. After his resignation, Karl Ludwig devoted himself primarily to diplomatic responsibilities in the service of the empire. Among other things, he helped restore relations between Austria and Russia, which had been strained after the Crimean War. In 1884, he was promoted to general of cavalry. Following the death in 1889 of Crown Prince Rudolf, Franz Joseph’s only son, Karl Ludwig became heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. At the Viennese court, however, he continued to keep a relatively low profile and rarely appeared in public. Karl Ludwig entered his second marriage in 1862 with Princess Maria Annunziata of Bourbon-Sicily, daughter of King Ferdinand II and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Austria-Teschen. The marriage was concluded by proxy in Rome on October 16 and personally celebrated in Venice on October 21. They had four children: Franz Ferdinand, Otto Franz, Ferdinand Karl, and Margarethe Sophie. Franz Ferdinand married Sophie Chotek von Chotkowa. His later assassination became the immediate occasion for the outbreak of the First World War. Otto Franz married Maria Josepha of Saxony; among their children was Charles I, the future Emperor of Austria. Ferdinand Karl married Bertha Czuber but had no children. Margarethe Sophie married Duke Albrecht of Württemberg and had seven children. After Maria Annunziata’s death, Karl Ludwig married Maria Theresa of Braganza on July 23, 1873, in Kleinheubach. She was an infanta of Portugal and the daughter of the former Portuguese King Michael. The couple had two daughters. Maria Annunziata later became abbess-princess of the Royal and Imperial Theresian Noble Ladies’ Chapter of St. George on the Hradčany in Prague. Elisabeth Amalia married Prince Alois of Liechtenstein. Among their eight children was Franz Joseph II, who later became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. Karl Ludwig died on May 19, 1896, at Schönbrunn Palace. The illness that claimed his life at the age of 62 had been contracted during a journey to Cairo and Palestine in the preceding winter. His death brought to an end the life of an archduke whose career combined military obligations, regional administration, diplomacy, and the dynastic responsibilities of the House of Habsburg.