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Frederick IV, Duke of Austria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frederick IV, Duke of Further of Austria, also known as Frederick of the Empty Pockets (1382 - June 24, 1439) was the Habsburg duke of Further Austria from 1402, and Count of Tyrol from 1406, until his death. He was the younger son of Leopold III, Duke of Inner Austria.
Frederick's rulership over Tyrol and the scattered Habsburg territories in southwestern Germany and in the Alsace referred to collectively as Vorderösterreich (i.e., Further Austria) was formalized in 1402 through a partition of his father's inheritance. Later, in 1406, his elder brother Leopold IV ceded Tyrol to his sole rule when their eldest brother William died; and Frederick became sole ruler in Further Austria only upon Leopold's death in 1411. The early years of Frederick's reign were marked by external and internal conflicts. He had to overcome the opposition of the local nobles (who gave him the title of "Empty Pockets") in 1406/07, and had to deal with the independence movement in Appenzell, which became a protectorate of the Old Swiss Confederacy in 1411.
When he sided with Antipope John XXIII at the Council of Constance, Emperor Sigismund banned him. Thanks to the support of the local populace he managed to keep Tyrol, but he lost the Aargau, the old homeland of the Habsburgs, to the Swiss.
By 1425, his rule over Tyrol had stabilized, parially due to successful beginning of silver mining that brought an increase in prosperity to the region.
Frederick also moved the court from Merano to Innsbruck.
On 24 December 1407, Frederick married Elisabeth von Pfalz(1381-1408), daughter of Rupert, Holy Roman Emperor in Innsbruck, but she died the following year.
On 11 June 1411 Frederick married Anna, daughter of Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg; they had one son, Sigismund.
| Preceded by Leopold IV, Duke of Further Austria |
Duke of Further Austria 1402–1439 |
Succeeded by Sigismund |
| Preceded by William the Curteous |
Count of Tyrol 1406–1439 |
Succeeded by Sigismund |