Archduke Joseph Anton of Austria (; ; 9 March 1776 – 13 January 1847) was the 103rd and penultimate

palatine of Hungary The Palatine of Hungary ( or , , ) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were representatives of the monarchs, later (from 1723) the vice-regent (vi ...

who served for over fifty years from 1796 to 1847, after a period as

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

in 1795. The latter half of his service coincided with the

Hungarian Reform Era The Hungarian Reform Era was a period of Hungarian history in the 19th century characterized by a distancing from Habsburg rule. Its beginning was marked by the reconvening of the Diet of Hungary of 1825 and the foundation of the Hungarian Acade ...

, and he mediated between the government of Francis I, King of Hungary and Holy Roman Emperor and the

Hungarian nobility The Kingdom of Hungary held a Nobility, noble class of individuals, most of whom owned landed property, from the 11th century until the mid-20th century. Initially, a diverse body of people were described as noblemen, but from the lat ...

, representing the country's interests in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. He played a prominent role in the development of Pest as a cultural and economic centre; the neoclassical buildings constructed on his initiative define the city's modern appearance. The

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...

of the City Park of

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

and

Margaret Island Margaret Island ( ; ) is a long island, wide, ( in area) in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest, Hungary. The island is mostly covered by landscape parks, and is a popular recreational area. Its medieval ruins are reminders of its impo ...

happened under his supervision. He supported

public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-f ...

, technical higher education,

the arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive range of m ...

, the construction of

railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...

, and various progressive-thinking societies and associations. He donated substantially towards the establishment of the

Hungarian National Museum The Hungarian National Museum (, ) was founded in 1802 and is the national museum for the history, art, and archaeology of Hungary, including areas not within Hungary's modern borders, such as Transylvania; it is separate to the collection of int ...

, the

Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( , MTA) is Hungary’s foremost and most prestigious learned society. Its headquarters are located along the banks of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. The Academy's primar ...

, and the

National Széchényi Library The National Széchényi Library (, ) (OSZK) is a library in Budapest, Hungary, located in Buda Castle. It is one of two Hungarian national libraries, the other being University of Debrecen Library. History The library was founded in 1802 by th ...

. He was an

archduke Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and a prince of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, and

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

as the son of

Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II (Peter Leopold Josef Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard; 5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792) was the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, as well as King of Hungary, Croatia and King of Bohemia, Bohemia, and List of rulers of Austria, Archduke of Austri ...

. The Hungarian or Palatinal branch of the

House of Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine () originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Habsburg monarchy, Austria, later successively List of Bohemian monarchs, Queen ...

descends from him. In the Imperial Army, and later in the Austrian Army, he bore the rank of ''

Feldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several List of states in the Holy Roman Empire, German states and the Holy ...

.''

Early life and education

Childhood in Tuscany

Archduke Joseph Anton Johann Baptist of Austria was born on 9 March 1776 in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

as the ninth child and seventh son of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Tuscany and

Infanta Infante (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to the ...

Maria Luisa of Spain Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain ( Spanish: ''María Luisa'', German: ''Maria Ludovika''; 24 November 1745 – 15 May 1792) was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the spouse of Leopold II, ...

. He had fifteen siblings, two of whom died in infancy. Through his father, he was a grandson of

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

, Holy Roman Empress

Dowager A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property – a "dower" – derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles. In popular usage, the n ...

Queen Regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...

and

. The family lived in the

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

in Florence, spent summers in the Villa del Poggio Imperiale or the Villa di Poggio a Caiano, and some winters in

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

. The grand ducal couple created a warm, intimate environment for their children. They raised them according to the modern principles of the age, paying special attention to their diet and regular physical exercise. Their education plan was based both on traditional courtly values, emphasising

etiquette Etiquette ( /ˈɛtikɛt, -kɪt/) can be defined as a set of norms of personal behavior in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and ...

and royal duty, and on the newer ideas of

John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...

and

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...

. Until they turned four, the children were entrusted to an all-female staff composed of German-, Italian-, and French-speaking women who were only allowed to use their respective mother tongues with them. Instruction in reading and writing started at the age of three, and regular language classes a year later. According to the desires of the children's grandmother, Empress Dowager Maria Theresa, the family's life revolved around the strict observance of

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

rituals. Every day, the children listened to religious texts while getting ready in the morning, attended

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

, studied the

catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...

, and prayed the

rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

. The Empress followed their development closely through her correspondence with their parents and educational staff. It was Maria Theresa who appointed the young archdukes' , Count , assisted by the ,

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Marquess Federigo Manfredini, and tutors. Grand Duke Leopold and Count Colloredo aimed to teach the children to lead a simple life, be humble, dutiful, and devoted to the well-being of their subjects. In their studies, they were taught to be inquisitive and independent. The Grand Duke wished for his children to live as free and unrestricted as possible, while the ''ajo'' expected them to be graceful, serious, and disciplined beyond their years, leading to disagreements. Archduke Joseph was only under Colloredo's guidance for two and a half years, and when he left in 1782, Major Manfredini was promoted to ''ajo''. He allowed his charges more freedom. Sigismund Anton Graf von Hohenwart

The preparatory stage of Joseph's education lasted until the age of nine, by when he had learned to speak and write in German, French, Italian, and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. He received the traditional education of Austrian archdukes, learning etiquette and ''conduite'' (the behaviour expected in

high society High society, sometimes simply Society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth, power, fame and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open ...

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

, geography, history,

ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

, law,

natural law Natural law (, ) is a Philosophy, philosophical and legal theory that posits the existence of a set of inherent laws derived from nature and universal moral principles, which are discoverable through reason. In ethics, natural law theory asserts ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

, and mathematics. Joseph had a preference for history,

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

, and

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, and was not as apt in mathematics. It was important for his parents that all of their children learned some form of

manual labour Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word ''manual ...

; Joseph was instructed in gardening,

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

, and

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

. He learned the

binomial nomenclature In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...

and

taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

of over six thousand plants. The teacher to have the greatest impact on the children was Count Sigismund Anton von Hohenwarth, an ex- Jesuit who later became prince-archbishop of Vienna. His pedagogical philosophy was based on

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

ideas, and he taught the archdukes that a person's 'true vocation' was to strive for the happiness of themselves and others, which could only be achieved in a society. With them he analysed examples of good and bad statesmanship, focusing on the importance of institutions,

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred ...

, education, the sciences, the arts, and different aspects of the economy. He taught them to assess all matters objectively.

Youth in Vienna

Archduke Joseph's father, Grand Duke Leopold, was

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

to the thrones of his brother,

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I, ...

, who had no surviving children. When he died in 1790, Leopold and his family moved to Vienna, where Joseph and his brothers arrived on 13 May. With his approaching fifteenth birthday, the final, three-year stage of his education started. Focused on

military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

and

, this included subjects such as politics, investigative history, and law, which he learned from ''

Hofrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal, or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in Ge ...

'' ('Court Councillor') . He and his brothers travelled extensively and inspected institutions, recording their experiences in diaries. Francis I being crowned King of Hungary

First visit to Pest-Buda

In 1792, sixteen-year-old Joseph lost both of his parents in three months, and his eldest brother,

Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...

, became emperor-king. Joseph accompanied him to his coronations in

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, and

Buda Buda (, ) is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill (), which was constructed by Béla IV between 1247 and ...

, where he spent twenty-seven days. This was his first visit to Pest-Buda, and he went to see the ,

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

, and natural history collection of the

Royal University of Pest Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, ...

(today Eötvös Loránd University). He met leaders of the country, spending the most time with the

Prince-Primate Prince-primate ( German: ''Fürstprimas'', Hungarian: ''hercegprímás'') is a rare princely title held by individual (prince-) archbishops of specific sees in a presiding capacity in an august assembly of mainly secular princes, notably the fo ...

, , Prince-Archbishop of Esztergom, but also seeing

Judge Royal The judge royal, also justiciar,Rady 2000, p. 49. chief justiceSegeš 2002, p. 202. or Lord Chief JusticeFallenbüchl 1988, p. 145. (,Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 72. ,Zsoldos 2011, p. 26. , ), was the second-highest judge, preceded only by the Palati ...

Károly Zichy and

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

. He preferred Pest to Buda.

Visit to the Austrian Netherlands

In 1794, Joseph went on on a trip to the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...

, which the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

had temporarily regained during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

. After his brother's swearing-in in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

, he studied the culture and economy of the country. From 14 April to 31 May, he was on the battlefield and witnessed one minor win and multiple losses. He analysed the tactics of the Imperial Army and the

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army () was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1802. In the beginning, the French armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great nu ...

, and drew

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

s of imperial military leaders. Alexander Leopold Habsburg 1772 1795 Palatin

Death of Archduke Alexander Leopold

When Joseph's father became king of Hungary in 1790, he re-established the office of

palatine A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman Empire, Roman times.

('')'', which had been vacant since 1765. The

Diet of Hungary The Diet of Hungary or originally: Parlamentum Publicum / Parlamentum Generale () was the most important political assembly in Hungary since the 12th century, which emerged to the position of the supreme legislative institution in the Kingdom ...

elected one of his younger sons, fourth-born Archduke Alexander Leopold. In 1795, he uncovered and repressed a

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

by the led by

Ignác Martinovics Ignác Martinovics (, Игњат Мартиновић; 20 July 1755 – 20 May 1795) was a Kingdom of Hungary, Hungarian scholar, chemist, philosopher, writer, secret agent, Freemason and a leader of the Hungary, Hungarian Jacobin movement. He ...

. He then joined his family for a holiday in

Laxenburg castles Laxenburg castles are imperial palaces and castles outside Vienna, in the town of Laxenburg owned in equal parts by Vienna and Lower Austria.Amalia with a display of fireworks on her

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, as well as Christian communities elsewhere. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively t ...

. As an enthusiastic

pyrotechnician Pyrotechnicians are people who are responsible for the safe storage, handling, and functioning of pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic devices. Although the term is generally used in reference to individuals who operate pyrotechnics in the entertainment ...

, he prepared the

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...

s himself. On 10 July, the day of the planned festivities, between 12 and 1 p.m., something caught fire, causing all of the prepared rockets and the remaining gunpowder to explode. His brother

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

rushed to the rescue with servants, but they struggled to break down the door. This delay was probably what led to Alexander Leopold's death. He was found lying unconscious on the floor, his neck, back, and arms covered in burns from his clothes that had caught fire. He soon regained consciousness and lived another forty hours in agony, before passing away on 12 July.

Governor of Hungary

Background

The death of Alexander Leopold was greatly mourned by progressive Hungarian nobles, who had hoped that he would help them establish a

constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...

Conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...

emerged that he had been murderd by the Viennese court for planning to seize the crown with the help of Judge Royal Zichy. A , Count , '' főispán'' of

Békés Békés (; ; ) is a town in Békés County, Hungary. It lies about north of Békéscsaba and east of Budapest. History The area of the present town has been inhabited since ancient times, due to its good soil and proximity to rivers. After ...

and Ugocsa Counties advised the King to allow for the election of another member of the imperial family to calm tensions.

Moson County Moson (German language, German: Wieselburg, Slovak language, Slovak: Mošon) was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, situated mostly on the right (south) side of the Danube river. Its t ...

proposed Albert, Duke of Teschen, the King's uncle-in-law, who had served as

of Hungary from 1765 to 1781. Others would have preferred Archduke Charles, who had become popular with his military successes in the French Revolutionary Wars, and Count Teleki himself suggested Joseph. Although on 18 July Emperor-King Francis asked for more time to prepare an election, on the 20th he appointed Joseph governor of Hungary. The appointment of a governor instead of the election of a palatine was an important win for the

reactionary In politics, a reactionary is a person who favors a return to a previous state of society which they believe possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary.''The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought'' Third Edition, (1999) p. 729. ...

party of the Hungarian nobility led by Baron József Izdenczy, and seen by others as a step back on the road of constitutional development. Izdenczy's circles had painted a grim picture of Hungary to the King, convincing him that a rebellion was imminent. Francis decided that he would not call for a diet because of the Martinovics uprising, and Izdenczy's party also hoped to abolish the office of palatine. Nevertheless, to avoid upsetting progressive circles, the Baron advised the King to give more power to Joseph than that of the previous governor, so that his position would be more similar to that of a palatine. Thus, Joseph was not welcomed with unequivocal enthusiasm, especially because many of the holders of the highest Hungarian public offices were replaced at the same time, signalling a possible regime change. Before he was sent to Buda, the new governor received an education in Hungarian law from the Josephinist

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

yer György Zsigmond Lakics, recommended by Izdenczy. He also received instructions from King Francis who advised him to 'keep ishouse in order, manage it well, ..treat isentourage humanely and ot totolerate intrigue'. His brother suggested that Joseph travel around Hungary to get to know his new subjects while avoiding spending too much money on this tour. He reminded him that his first duty would be justice to his people. Archduke Joseph entered Buda on 19 September 1795, heading a

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

under

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

es, received by a cheering crowd. On the 21st, he was inaugurated as ''főispán'' of

Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun County Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun is the name of an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Hungary, comprising roughly the territory of the present Hungarian county Pest ( ...

, followed by mass in the

Matthias Church The Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle (), more commonly known as the Matthias Church () and more rarely as the Coronation Church of Buda, is a Catholic church in Holy Trinity Square, Budapest, Hungary, in front of the Fisherman's Bastion ...

, a lunch hosted by Prince-Primate Battyhány with six hundred guests, and a ball at night. On the next day, he took his seat as president of the governing council. He continued studying Hungarian history and law with Lakics, and started learning the language from who had participated in the Hungarian Jacobin movement.

Work as governor

The first issue Joseph needed to settle was the case of eight university and secondary school teachers who had allegedly been associated with Imre Martinovics and

freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

. The accusations were one of them translating

La Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "". The French Na ...

to Hungarian, and others organising gatherings with convicted freemasons and Martinovics co-conspirators or teaching

pantheism Pantheism can refer to a number of philosophical and religious beliefs, such as the belief that the universe is God, or panentheism, the belief in a non-corporeal divine intelligence or God out of which the universe arisesAnn Thomson; Bodies ...

. The King ordered an investigation, which was not in the interest of János Németh, head of the Royal Directorate and close ally of Izdenczy, as he lacked proof. He persuaded Joseph to propose to the King the dismissal of five of the accused teachers, which Francis accepted. According to Domanovszky, in this first matter, which he had to solve three weeks after arriving in Buda, the Governor did have a mind of his own and relied entirely on a referral he had received from Németh. The other important matter in Joseph's first year in Hungary was that of the Royal University of Pest. Since 1790, there had been plans to move it to a smaller city, namely Nagyszombat (today Trnava,

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

Esztergom Esztergom (; ; or ; , known by Names of European cities in different languages: E–H#E, alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the righ ...

Vác Vác (; ; ; ) is a thousand-year old city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spelling of the name is ''Vácz''. Location Vác is located north of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube river, below t ...

, or

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...

. In 1794, these cities urged their respective counties to reach an agreement, while Pest tried to keep the institution. Most of the clerical elite,

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

aristocrats, and the gentry's deputies wanted to see it removed. On 23 October 1795, the referral reached the governing council. The Governor himself followed public opinion. The first problem Joseph resolved on his own was an outbreak of plague in

Syrmia County Syrmia County (, , , ) was a historic administrative subdivision ('' županija'') of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( Transleithania), the Hungarian par ...

, worsened by hurried and inconsistent countermeasures. Joseph ordered a

lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...

of the infected area with a '' cordon sanitaire'' guarded armed civilians from nearby uninfected villages under military supervision. This led to a revolt in two villages, who let out their

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

d neighbours and attempted to break through the cordon. The Governor appealed for an arms shipment to the martial council in Vienna, which generally opposed arming civilians in fear of a rebellion. Joseph negotiated and obtained the necessary weapons, preventing the disease from spreading to other parts of the country. The King mainly tasked Joseph with policing dissenters and uncovering suspected conspiracies. In smaller debates on

religious tolerance Religious tolerance or religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, ...

(which he supported despite being a devout Catholic), wine export (which he supported), or giving refuge to French priests (which he refused to do as he feared that they would be too much of a burden and keep local priests from advancing in their careers), he proved to be a level-headed and caring leader.

Palatine of Hungary

Palatinal election

Contrary to the hopes of the reactionary party, most members of the aristocracy and the

gentry Gentry (from Old French , from ) are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. ''Gentry'', in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to Landed property, landed es ...

wanted to see Archduke Joseph as elected palatine, a sentiment that was only strengthened after they met him. However, the body to elect the palatine was the

, which Emperor-King Francis had no intention of allowing to happen. As he needed the assistance of Hungarians in fighting the French Revolutionary Wars he was eventually convinced to gather a diet with the sole purpose of electing a palatine. After much negotiation, during which the Governor tried to convince the King that a diet and a palatine were necessary to attain the required aid, while Izdenczy argued against him, Francis conceded to Joseph. On 8 November 1796, the diet had its first session in

Pozsony Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

(today Bratislava, Slovakia), Archduke Joseph was elected palatine on 12 November and inaugurated on the 14th.

Work as palatine

1796–1802

After his election as palatine, Joseph assumed a more active role in Hungary. While previously he had mostly relied on the opinions and decisions of Izdenczy's ultra-conservative party and supported the removal of progressive teachers accused of corrupting the youth, he now realised that their investigation lacked proof and was not properly conducted. He criticised this to the Viennese court and reprimanded Németh. Economic considerations first appeared in Archduke Joseph's letters in early 1796. In early February, he alerted Emperor-King Francis to the devastation that the loss of the Polish market for Hungarian wine caused after Poland had been partitioned twice. His proposal that the Emperor-King should help out wine trade was his first individual idea, but was rejected as Vienna wanted to maintain the economic dominance of the Habsburg hereditary lands''.'' In early September, while the sovereign continued to demand soldiers and

ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...

from Hungary for the ongoing war, the Palatine relayed the nobility's wish for another diet, which was fervently opposed by the court. This might have convinced Joseph that Vienna was partial against Hungary and that many of their decisions were biassed. During these first years of his palatinate, the majority of the Archduke's time was taken up by war preparations, equipping and training Hungarian soldiers. In early 1797, after military failures, Emperor-King Francis sent his family to Buda for their safety. Around this time, a shift can be observed in the tone of the letters exchanged by the brothers: Joseph stopped merely executing Francis' will and became the more pro-active party. He remained a conservative and worried that the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers could 'confuse' the less-educated. He warned the Emperor to keep an eye on returning

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

who might have picked up revolutionary ideas in France. In early 1798, he suggested the establishment of a police force against the 'strong advance of the revolutionary spirit'' and proposed a

secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...

for bigger cities. These ideas had already been brought up during the reign of Joseph II but were too fiercely opposed by the nobility.' While a secret police was established to monitor the mood in ten cities, there is no proof of the Palatine ever collaborating with them.'

Effect of first two visits to Russia

A major turning point in Archduke Joseph's attitude towards his office were his travels to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. In 1798 and 1799, he visited

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

twice to finalise marriage plans with Emperor Paul I's daughter. During the negotiations, he suffered humiliations because of diplomatic mistakes by the Viennese court, which led to him to view his brother's administration with a critical eye. Prior to 1798, he served to execute imperial will in Hungary, and during his short first marriage, he worked little. After the loss of his wife, when his focus returned to public matters, he approached them with an opinion of his own. On 9 June 1801, he wrote a referral to his brother asking him to release the remaining

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although ...

s of the Martinovics uprising, including author and language reformer

Ferenc Kazinczy Ferenc Kazinczy (), (in older English: Francis Kazinczy, October 27, 1759 – August 23, 1831) was a Hungarian author, poet, translator, neologist, an agent in the regeneration of the Hungarian language and literature at the turn of the 19th c ...

. He urged the Emperor to gather a diet, allow a reform of public education, establish a second university, and take measures to boost trade. He was concerned with what a 'relatively sparse population' the 'vast, abundant area' of Hungary supported (different estimations give between 8.1 and 9 million inhabitants for an area of 282,870 km²/109,220 sq mi in 1790) and at what a 'backwards stage of culture, among what primitive economic conditions' these people lived.

The report of 1801

On 17 June 1801, Joseph submitted a report to Emperor-King Francis, explaining his view and opinions on Hungary. He characterised public opinion and morale as high, except for a few ' atheistic and

freethinking Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an unorthodox attitude or belief. A freethinker holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and should instead be reached by other meth ...

' young people. While he was mostly satisfied with the work of priests, he would have preferred to have less

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

es but all of them with good pastors. He criticised members of the aristocracy for not striving for knowledge and 'useful occupations', that few of them ran for public office and most of those who did neglected their positions. He proposed that in the future, only those should be promoted to the coveted rank of chamberlain or court councillor who had proved themselves in public service. Joseph also emphasised the potential of the

lower nobility The minor or petty nobility is the lower nobility classes. Finland Petty nobility in Finland is dated at least back to the 13th century and was formed by nobles around their strategic interests. The idea was more capable peasants with leader role ...

, advising the court to show more appreciation towards them. In detailing his view on all classes of Hungarian society, he was the most dissatisfied with the

bureaucracy Bureaucracy ( ) is a system of organization where laws or regulatory authority are implemented by civil servants or non-elected officials (most of the time). Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments ...

, faulting them for a lack of 'zeal' and 'diligence' and for not keeping

classified information Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...

secret. His proposed solutions focused not on oppressing opposition but on maintaining the country's good spirits, for example by permitting diets.

The diet of 1802

= Background

= During the French Revolutionary Wars, Archduke Charles, Joseph's brother and leader of the Imperial Army, planned a major reform of

and

service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...

, and demanded recruits and money from Hungary. This could only be granted by the diet, and the Viennese court was afraid that the nobility would bring up their many complaints if one was gathered. Joseph worked to convince his brother otherwise, presenting his arguments in his report of June 1801. Two days later, on 19 June, he asked Francis to declare the time and place of the diet, proposing March 1802 and Buda. He also suggested that the sovereign resolve some of the grievances the Hungarian nobility ahead of the diet, such as re-attaching

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

to Hungary, or allowing a free export of

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...

(which had been forbidden to keep the enemy French from acquiring it) to boost the economy. The pressing situation of the Imperial Army in the ongoing war finally led to the Viennese court accepting that the diet needed to be consulted, but in May and in Pozsony. Despite tragedies in his personal life (the death of his infant daughter and his wife in early 1801), as well health concerns, the Palatine prepared thoroughly for the assembly, struggling with the reluctance of the Emperor and his ministers who were unwilling to compromise. They denied to help the Hungarian economy in any way and did not want to consider re-attaching Dalmatia. They also refused to consider any educational reforms, arguing that this matter was to be decided by the monarch alone, without having to consulting the nobility. The Viennese legislature thought that Hungary did not contribute proportionally to the Habsburg monarchy, while many Hungarians criticised the government for suppressing opportunities for industrial development.

= The diet

= After a preliminary session on 6 May, the Diet of 1802 was opened on the 13th, with multiple members of the Habsburg dynasty present. In his opening speech, Joseph aligned himself more with Hungarians than with his own family, promising to protect the country's rights if the Emperor-King tried to infringe upon them, but emphasised the importance of 'complete trust' in the sovereign. The main goals of the deputies was to pass legislation to support the

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

and industrial development of Hungary, stifled by the and Joseph II. Cities, towns, and

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

s compiled proof and wrote explanations of why the existing system was unjust and unsustainable, asking for an equal treatment of all parts of the Habsburg monarchy in economic regulations. Deputies were selected to present this material, including , a member of the governing council and , ''főispán'' of

Zagreb County Zagreb County () is a county in Northern Croatia. It surrounds, but does not contain, the nation's capital Zagreb, which is a separate territorial unit. For that reason, the county is often nicknamed "Zagreb ring" (). According to the 2021 censu ...

. Skerlecz argued that the main goal of Austrian customs regulations was to prevent the founding of

factories A factory, manufacturing plant or production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. Th ...

in Hungary and to exclude Hungarian merchants from

international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...

. Another economist supporting a major reform was Gergely Berzeviczy. He wrote a detailed thesis endorsing the deputies' recommendations, including rebuttals against accusations by the Viennese government who claimed that it was the 'laziness' and 'primitiveness' of Hungarians that made the country less useful than it could have been to the Habsburg monarchy. In summary, the Hungarians wanted a more independent economy, free from the 'shackles' put in place by previous sovereigns. Despite their efforts, Austrians were dismissive, and Emperor-King Francis committed to the old regulations. Another problem raised at the diet was that of

banknote A banknote or bank notealso called a bill (North American English) or simply a noteis a type of paper money that is made and distributed ("issued") by a bank of issue, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued by commerc ...

s, which had been used since 1762. The acceptance of banknotes as payment was made compulsory in 1800. As a result of government debt,

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...

was concerning. Already before the diet, the Palatine had alerted the King that the Hungarian nobles would bring up these issues. Given how serious the monarchy's troubles were and how distrustful the Viennese government and the Hungarian nobility were of each other, the diet promised to be difficult. One possibility was that the more radical Hungarian proposals would cause the Austrian party to become antagonistic and defensive, strengthening their

and absolutist factions. This would have made necessary reforms impossible. Despite these signs of probable failure, the Palatine worked hard, studying previous negotiations between the two parties. When he learned that the ''főispán''s of each county were commanded to submit the instructions given to their respective envoys to the Austrian chancellery, he was concerned that this would cause distrust among Hungarians. He gave frequent descriptions of public sentiment to the Emperor-King, telling him that while most people deemed the royal demands just and necessary, opinions differed on methods of execution. To elevate spirits, some members of the imperial family moved to Pozsony for the time of the assembly, and various feasts and religious ceremonies were held. As a result of private meetings, the sentiments of envoys with more extreme opinions were consolidated by the time of the diet, and initial negotiations seemed to be promising. However, the royal propositions of 13 May did not mention any of the subjects that concerned the Hungarians but asked for new recruits and higher

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

es. On the 21st, the nobles asked for time to discuss the demands and for economic reforms to ease the introduction of higher taxes. Emperor-King Francis received their referral well, and it seemed that the efforts of Archduke Joseph would result in a smoother process. However, conservative and anti-constitutional circles in Vienna raised concerns about the assembly debating the Emperor-King's proposals in any way, and while negotiations were peaceful and well-intentioned, both parties remained unwilling to compromise. During the following talks, Joseph played the role of mediator and calmed the Hungarians, who worried that the Viennese court wanted to introduce continuous recruitment to render diets unnecessary. Tensions were increased by a formal royal letter on 12 July, which emphasised

royal prerogative The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, Privilege (law), privilege, and immunity recognised in common law (and sometimes in Civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy) as belonging to the monarch, so ...

s on the counsel of Archduke Charles. From this, the envoys deduced that the King did not want to respect their right to grant new taxes and recruits. On 18 July, a report to Archduke Charles characterised the mood of participants as 'confused' and 'withdrawn'. To avoid further escalation, Joseph talked to Francis personally in early August. He described how determined the envoys were to achieve their goals and that they represented the general opinion of Hungary; he openly told the King that if Vienna insisted on the content of the letter of 12 July, the situation would deteriorate beyond help. He expressed his support for some of the economic concerns of the assembly. As a result, a new royal letter on 14 August focused more on achieving consensus and stated that all decisions would only be in effect until the next diet. In a separate, confidential letter, the sovereign entrusted the Palatine with settling matters 'favourably for the state', giving guidelines. By this time, however, participating nobles had become distrustful of the King and insisted on all of their demands, despite Joseph trying to convince them to compromise. He told the envoys that if they did not accept his mediation, he would advise the Emperor to refuse all of their requests. In response, the diet voted to allow for twelve thousand new recruits and promised to find a solution for continuous recruitment on the next diet. The Diet of 1804 did not deliver on these promises. Joseph had grown tired of the assembly by mid-August, and he asked the Emperor-King to settle some minor issues and close the diet. Economic reforms were never seriously considered, especially because the issue was brought up on 14 July, the same day the ill-received royal letter of the 12nd was presented to the envoys. After more peaceful negotiations during September, the Emperor-King's hesitance to re-attach

Modruš-Rijeka County The Modruš-Rijeka County (; ) was a historic administrative subdivision () of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( Transleithania), the Hungarian part of t ...

meant that the diet ended in distrust and pessimism in October. To the Palatine, King Francis wrote that Hungarian nobles 'only want gains for themselves, without looking to the good of the whole' empire, and that he would need 'great resignation' to forget their 'behaviour against im.

Third journey to Russia

Since Archduke Joseph had developed a close relationship with the

House of Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...

and especially his former mother-in-law Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna, his brother relied on his help in keeping the Russians allied during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. In December 1802, the Empress Dowager invited Joseph to Saint Petersburg. He arrived on 30 March, and found the imperial court in three factions around the Emperor

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...

, Empress Consort Elizabeth Alexeievna, and the Dowager Empress. Joseph joined the Dowager's circles. While he tried to seem neutral, his inclinations soon became public knowledge. During his stay, he ate lunch with the Emperor almost every day and spent the afternoons with him. Alexander disclosed his opinions and worries, which Joseph reported to Vienna. Still, he enjoyed the company of the Empress Dowager and Grand Duchesses Maria and Catherine Pavlovna more, spending evenings with them. Joseph's preference for the Dowager's faction displeased the Russian court, particularly when he declined a tour of the country with the Emperor. The imperial couple found the fact that he ignored the Empress Consort's sister, Princess Amalia of Baden offensive, as they wished him to marry her. When it became obvious that he was not interested in the Princess, it seemed unclear why he had even travelled to Saint Petersburg. Sensing these tensions, the Archduke's ''Hofmeister'' János Szapáry urged him to return to Buda and asked Emperor Francis to order him back under some pretense. Joseph refused to consider leaving. Eventually, after the imperial family tried to pressure him into marrying Princess Amalia, he decided to leave in June, and spent his last few weeks in Pavlovsk as the Empress Dowager's personal guest. Once he had returned to Vienna, he honestly described the foreign opinion on the Habsburg monarchy to Emperor Francis and urged him to be more pro-active in his governance.

Other achievements

During the decades of his palatinate, Archduke Joseph continued to mediate between his dynasty and the Hungarian people. He tried to moderate and unify the latter, especially at the Diet of 1832–1836. Then, he persuaded the

House of Magnates The House of Magnates (; ; ; ) was the upper chamber of the Diet of Hungary. This chamber was operational from 1867 to 1918 and subsequently from 1927 to 1945. The house was, like the current House of Lords in the United Kingdom, composed of ...

to not

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

the proposals of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

. In 1840, he obtained imperial amnesty for the Hungarian progressives László Lovassy,

Lajos Kossuth Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva (; ; ; ; 19 September 1802 – 20 March 1894) was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman and governor-president of the Kingdom of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, r ...

, and Miklós Wesselényi. When, in 1843, the Viennese government tried to shut down the '','' an association helping Hungarian industries by promoting and purchasing their products, it was the Palatine who protected it.

Hungarian education

In 1802, Joseph supported the establishment of a national library, which would later develop into the

and the

. He contributed valuable

codices The codex (: codices ) was the historical ancestor format of the modern book. Technically, the vast majority of modern books use the codex format of a stack of pages bound at one edge, along the side of the text. But the term ''codex'' is now r ...

and books to its collection. In 1826, he founded the National Royal Joseph Institute and School of the Blind (today the National Institute for the Blind). In 1835, he participated in founding of The Royal Hungarian Ludovica Defense Academy (today ) to provide training for

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

s. At the Diet of 1825, which was gathered after a break of thirteen years on Joseph's insistence, the

was established, to which he contributed ten thousand forints. In 1846, he founded the Royal Joseph Polytechnic (today's

Budapest University of Technology and Economics The Budapest University of Technology and Economics ( or in short ), official abbreviation BME, is a public research university located in Budapest, Hungary. It is the most significant university of technology in the country and is considered ...

Transportation and economy

For the development of Hungarian transportation, he founded the

Kőbánya Kőbánya (, , ) is the 10th district of Budapest () and one of the largest by territory. It is located in southeast Pest (city), Pest, easily accessible from the downtown by Budapest Metro, Metro 3, whose Terminal station, terminus is named ' ...

horsecar A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is a tram or streetcar pulled by a horse. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public transport, public rail transport, ...

line in 1827–28 and the first train line of the country between Pest and

. On this, he collaborated with Count

István Széchenyi Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (, ; archaically English: Stephen Széchenyi; 21 September 1791 – 8 April 1860) was a Hungarian politician, political theorist, and writer. Widely considered one of the greatest statesme ...

. He helped to establish the , and ran a

demonstration farm A demonstration farm, experimental farm or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by ...

on his Alcsút estate, introducing new methods and species to Hungary.

Remodelling of Pest

The earliest record of Archduke Joseph's ambition to transform Pest from a neglected provincial town into a modern European city dates to 16 November 1804, when he informed the city leadership that the sovereign himself desired the regulation and improvement of Pest—although there is no documented evidence of the King's personal involvement. Taking the initiative, Joseph appointed the Hungarian-German architect József Hild to oversee the city’s development. A key milestone came in October 1808, with the establishment of the Beautification Committee'','' , chaired by the Palatine himself. Under his guidance, major urban projects were launched, including the planning and construction of Lipótváros and the creation of the City Park, which he enriched with trees from his private estate in Alcsút. In 1815, he lent his support to the construction of the Buda Observatory on Gellért Hill, and later purchased

, converting it into a public park. When the devastated Pest-Buda, Joseph personally directed the rescue mission and helped relieve those affected.

Personal life

First marriage

Background

In 1798, Joseph was instructed by Emperor-King Francis to marry a member of the Russian imperial family in order to secure Emperor Paul I's support in the French Revolutionary Wars. The proposed bride was fifteen-year-old Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, Paul's eldest daughter. Archduke Charles was also considered as her husband, but there was a bigger age difference between them, and both Francis and Paul preferred Joseph. In January 1799, Joseph left for Saint Petersburg travelling under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

of 'Count Burgau', and arrived on 20 February ( O.S.). He was welcomed warmly and embraced by the Emperor and presented to the Empress and the grand duchesses. The Archduke was enchanted by the 'charm' and 'reserved modesty' of Alexandra Pavlovna, a tall, blonde girl, whom he described as 'well-built and very beautiful', as well as 'clever' and 'talented'. In a letter to his brother Francis, he declared their meeting the 'happiest moment of islife' and Alexandra a 'noble princess with whom ewould be happy'. Family of Paul I of Russia

Until the age of thirteen, Alexandra Pavlovna's education had been supervised by her grandmother

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

. She studied French, German, music, and drawing with her younger sister Elena Pavlovna, with whom she was very close. She was a diligent student and talented in the arts. She had been intended to marry King

Gustav IV Adolf Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was King of Sweden from 1792 until he was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of Finland. The occupation of Finland in 180 ...

of Sweden, but the Swedish party refused to allow her to keep her Orthodox religion, and the marriage never materialised. Joseph asked the Emperor and Empress for Alexandra Pavlovna's hand in marriage on 22 February (O.S.) in her presence, and they gave their blessing. At the betrothal ceremony, the bride wore ; engagement rings were exchanged by the Emperor. Joseph left on 20 March to assume a role of military leadership in Austria. A faction headed by Baron Johann Amadeus von Thugut was conspiring to replace Archduke Charles with Joseph (which he himself did not support). However, Emperor-King Francis was too indecisive to enter into an open conflict with his popular brother, and never appointed Joseph in his place . Emperor Paul, who would have liked to have seen his future son-in-law lead the Imperial Army, grew distrustful and questioned why Joseph had left Russia so soon. Joseph returned to Buda on 13 May to prepare for his wife's arrival, re-decorating

Buda Castle Buda Castle (, ), formerly also called the Royal Palace () and the Royal Castle (, ), is the historical castle and palace complex of the King of Hungary, Hungarian kings in Budapest. First completed in 1265, the Baroque architecture, Baroque pa ...

and gathering female courtiers. He urged his brother the Emperor to designate a day for the wedding, but Francis did not answer his letters until 19 August. Emperor Paul grew disillusioned with the alliance, so Joseph was sent back to Russia to sway him, and the wedding date announced as 30 October. Arriving on 15 October in the

Gatchina Palace The Great Gatchina Palace () is a palace in Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It was built from 1766 to 1781 by Antonio Rinaldi (architect), Antonio Rinaldi for Count Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov, who was a favourite of Catherine the Great, in ...

, he was initially welcomed warmly, but after news of lost battles, the Emperor refused to talk to him. The Viennese court complicated the situation by demanding that the Roman Catholic wedding precede the Orthodox one, and be celebrated by an archbishop who had not yet arrived in Russia. Paul was angered by the idea of postponing the ceremony. In the end, the Archbishop arrived on 26 October, and the Austrians accepted that the Orthodox ceremony would be first. On the 29th, Joseph visited the Emperor without announcement, asking for his blessing and committing himself to solving their diplomatic issues 'openly' and 'honestly'. This made a great impression on Paul and the wedding could proceed according to plans.

Marriage

On 30 October, after Emperor Paul had awarded Joseph the Order of St. Andrew, he married Alexandra Pavlovna. The wedding was celebrated according to Orthodox rites in the imperial chapel of Gatchina Palace, then the Roman Catholic ceremony was held. The following days were overshadowed by news of lost battles and subsequent tension between Austria and Russia, as well as disagreements over the specifics of the

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

and the dower. The Emperor again refused to see his son-in-law, but reconciled with him shortly before the couple's departure on 2 December, which was very emotional. After a visit to Vienna, they arrived in Buda on 11 February. The Austro-Russian alliance soon fell apart. During their short marriage, the couple lived happily. Many festivities were organised for and by Alexandra, to which she usually wore Hungarian-style dress. The couple rode and walked around Buda, once finding the village of Üröm, which Alexandra liked so much that Joseph purchased it, planning to build a summer residence there. Towards the end of her pregnancy, Alexandra often visited Üröm. She enjoyed Hungarian folk music and talked to delegations of ''Tótok, tót''Tótok, s (old name for Roman Catholic South Slavs living in Hungary) in a mix of Russian language, Russian and Slovak language, Slovak. For Joseph's birthday in 1800, she commissioned Joseph Haydn, Haydn to conduct his oratorio ''The Creation (Haydn), The Creation'' and also invited Ludwig van Beethoven, Beethoven to perform in Budapest. Alexandra was well-liked by Hungarians for her kindness and the consideration she showed to people. She was soon called ''magyar királyné'' ('Hungarian queen consort') by the commoners, to the dismay of the Viennese court and especially her sister-in-law Empress Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Maria Theresa (who was, in fact, queen consort of Hungary). Whenever the palatinal couple visited Vienna, Alexandra was humiliated in small ways, and they were not accommodated in the palace with the rest of the family but in a remote garden house.

Pregnancy, birth of daughter, and death

Alexandra soon became pregnant. While the first stages were easy, she developed a fever two days before giving birth. Early on 8 March 1801, a daughter was born after prolonged labour. Reportedly 'very weak', she died within the day, possibly the hour. According to Joseph's biographer Domanovszky, the child was called Alexandra, but Hankó and Kiszely, who exhumed and examined the body of the infant, state that she was registered as Paulina in her death certificate, and her casket displayed the same name. She has no entry in the baptism registry, suggesting that she was christened after her death. She was buried in the Capuchin church in the presence of Hungarian dignitaries. In 1838, she was transferred to the Palatinal Crypt with urns containing the intestines and heart of her mother. An investigation in 1978 determined that she had been a normally developed newborn, not at all 'very weak', and concluded that she probably died of Hypoxia (medical), hypoxia during the long delivery. AlexandraPavlovnaChapel

The death of the baby devastated both parents, but at first it seemed like the mother would recover. Despite being treated by four doctors, her condition did not improve, and the breast milk she could not nurse with worsened her fever. From 12 March, she was treated against typhoid fever, and early on the 15th, she became Delirium, delirious, dying on 16 March. The Embalming, embalmed body was laid on a catafalque in Alexandra's personal Orthodox chapel. It Lying in state, lay in state for three days before being placed in a separate building for six weeks to fulfill Orthodox customs. Alexandra was buried on 12 May at noon in the Capuchin Church, her clothes were remade for clerical usage and Joseph gifted her Mineral collecting, mineral collection the Royal University of Pest eight years later. On 17 March, Joseph went to Vienna, then travelled around Italy. When he returned in the spring of 1802, he started the construction of the in Üröm, where Alexandra had requested to rest. She was reburied there in 1803, and, after multiple exhumations and disturbances, is there as of 2024. After a grave robbery in the late 1980s, an investigation was carried out, determining that Alexandra Pavlovna suffered and probably died of tuberculosis. The examinations ruled out the possibility of poisoning, rumours of which had surfaced in the years following her death.

Marriage plans after Alexandra Pavlovna's death

In early 1803, Archduke Joseph visited his late wife's family on his mother-in-law's invitation. Part of the reason for the invitation was to arrange a new marriage for him: Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna wanted him to wed her older sister, Princess Amalia of Baden, a plan supported by the new emperor,

. Amalia was known for her kindness and goodness but not her beauty, and Joseph was not attracted to her, deciding early on that he would not propose. For her part, the Princess disliked Joseph's personality. Empress Elizabeth persuaded Empress Dowager Maria (who had great influence over her son-in-law) to convince the Archduke to marry Amalia. Joseph did not want to offend his mother-in-law, and waited for weeks before explicitly rejecting the idea. During his stay, he grew attached to his fifteen-year-old sister-in-law, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna, who had been promised in marriage to Electoral Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig of Bavaria. However, he knew how strict the Orthodox church was regarding incest laws prohibiting marriage between siblings-in-law, and never formally proposed. Princess Charlotte of Hildburghausen

Some time later, the Palatine considered marrying Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen after her engagement to Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia had been broken off; there is no information on why this plan never materialised. In November 1803, there were signs that the Emperor might agree to the marriage between his sister Catherine and the Palatine, who asked Empress Dowager Maria and received a final negative answer. In 1804, he attempted to find a bride from Electorate of Bavaria, Bavaria, but decided not to risk proposing because of French disapproval. The Archduke saw Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna two more times: first, in 1809, when she travelled through Hungary on her way to marry Duke George of Oldenburg, the Palatine escorted her through the country. In 1815, by when Catherine Pavlovna herself had also been widowed, they met at the Congress of Vienna. Contemporary rumour suspected that the two would revisit their old marriage plans, but there were no signs of this happening. Archduke Joseph married someone else that year, and Catherine married King William I of Württemberg and died in 1819.

Second marriage

After fourteen years of widowhood, with the Napoleonic Wars over, Joseph decided to remarry in 1815. On 30 August 1815, in Schaumburg Castle, Rhineland-Palatinate, Schaumburg Castle, he married Princess Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, the seventeen-year-old eldest daughter of the late Victor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and Princess Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg. The bride, twenty-two years younger than the groom, was from a small German state and practiced Calvinism. She became an active and well-liked ''nádorné'' ('wife of the palatine'), especially popular among Protestantism, Protestants. In 1817, she founded the first charitable women's association ''('nőegyesület')'' in Hungary. On 14 September 1817, she prematurely gave birth to twins, Archduchess Hermine of Austria, Hermine and Archduke Stephen of Austria (Palatine of Hungary), Stephen. The labour was complicated, and Hermine died of postpartum infections within twenty-four hours. Joseph was not present for the birth which had been expected for October, as he had travelled to the border to receive his mother-in-law. After lying in state for two days, Hermine was buried in the crypt of the on Kálvin tér, Széna tér (today Kálvin tér) which she had helped build with a donation in 1816. The 1838 flood damaged the crypt and carried away the urns containing her heart and intestines but left the casket intact. Afterwards, Joseph obtained an ecclesiastical license to transfer Hermine's remains to the Palatinal Crypt despite her not being a Catholic. She was placed in a separate chamber within the crypt and still rests there as of 2023, now in a more central place.

Third marriage

After two short, tragic marriages and in a difficult economic and political climate, Archduke Joseph was looking for a companion in his everyday problems. He chose twenty-two-year-old Duchess Maria Dorothea of Württemberg, daughter of Duke Louis of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. The Kingdom of Württemberg had been an ally of the Austrian Empire at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, which was probably why Emperor-King Francis supported the match. The couple with an age difference of twenty-one years married in the castle of Kirchheim unter Teck on 24 August 1819. Maria Dorothea spent her life as ''nádorné'' with charitable work, especially supporting the Lutheranism, Lutheran church in Hungary to which she belonged, besides teachers and schools. She founded and supported many charitable societies and institutions and helped Joseph in his job as palatine. Their main shared cause was making Hungarian the country's official language (instead of Latin). On New Year's Day 1826, she gave a speech in Hungarian, the first time a Habsburg archduchess addressed the country in its own language. Maria Dorothea actively participated in the social life of Pest, frequenting the houses of the Károlyis and the Széchenyis, with whom she conversed in Hungarian. On many occasions, she wore a Hungarian-style dress.

Family life

The couple's first child, Elizabeth Caroline Henrika was born on 30 July 1820, and died twenty-three days later on 23 August. She was the first person to be buried in the Palatinal Crypt, without embalming or much ceremony. According to her death certificate, she died of 'internal hydrocephalus' ''('inneren Wasserkopfe')'', and a later investigation found signs supporting this claim, besides determining that she had been born prematurely. Their next child, Alexander Leopold Ferdinand was born on 6 June 1825. He was described as kind, clever, and being in great health. In November 1837, aged twelve, he started to suffer from diarrhea and developed symptoms of scarlet fever. It is unclear what caused his death; it could have been complications of scarlet fever or, more likely, a mysterious infectious disease appearing at times during the century which consisted of recurrent fever, jaundice, and strong sweating. Hepatitis, paratyphoid fever, and typhoid fever have also been suggested. The child was buried silently in the Palatinal Crypt. The three youngest children, Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria, Elisabeth, Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria, Joseph Karl, and Marie Henriette of Austria, Marie Henriette survived to adulthood. Maria Dorothea also raised her two step-children, and Joseph adored the older twin, Hermine, a favourite of Hungarian high society. She died unexpectedly in 1842, aged twenty-five, devastating her father, and was widely mourned. After Joseph's death in 1847, Maria Dorothea lived for the rest of her life in Alcsút Palace and did not play a significant role in culture or politics. She died after an illness on 30 March 1855, at the age of fifty-eight, and was buried in the Palatinal Crypt on 4 April. Jozsefnador palatin Hungary tombstone

Death and legacy

In September 1845, the Archduke celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his appointment to Hungary, and the next year marked the same for his palatinate. By then, he was in ill health and became bedridden in early October 1846. The press reported on his recovery, and he was well for a short time. He felt the need to secure the governorship for his elder son Stephen upon his death. On 11 January 1847, he took Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church, extreme unction and received Stephen, who brought news of his sister Elisabeth's engagement, which delighted their father. Then, they conversed about the state of their family and Hungary, with the Palatine giving advice to his son and successor. In the end, he exclaimed that he would want to achieve a few more things in Hungary, commanding Stephen do to 'what ishands can no longer do'. On 12 January, he asked to be taken to the window to look at Pest, by now a capital city with a hundred thousand inhabitants. His doctors reported on his health three times a day to the public, writing of an 'incessant decline of vitality and the accumulation of calamitous symptoms', which did not 'allow any comforting report to be made'. Kept awake by constant hiccups, he slept little and his speech was difficult to understand. On 13 January at dawn, he blessed his children before dying at nine in the morning, aged seventy. Following an autopsy, the late Archduke's body was embalmed, and he Lying in state, lay in state until his burial on 18 January. He was interred in the Palatinal Crypt wearing ''díszmagyar,'' and the cause of his death was given as ''paralysis intestinorum,'' Gastrointestinal tract, intestinal paralysis. After grave robbers had disturbed the body, a medical investigation determined that he indeed died of paralysis and a consequent Shock (circulatory), circulatory shock, but the specific diagnosis remains unknown. One proposed disorder which could lead to the symptoms he displayed was Benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate enlargement. Archduke Joseph's son Stephen was elected the next (and last) ''nádor,'' while Joseph was honoured as one who had been 'born a Habsburg but died a Hungarian'. Many eulogised him, among them his then-ruling nephew Emperor-King Ferdinand I of Austria, Ferdinand I/V, who called him a 'most valued advisor who had always guarded the constitution of Hungary with vigilant care', and

, who depicted him as a patriarch whom all parties and factions respected. The first law of 1847–48 enshrined his memory as that of one who had 'deserved the gratitude of the nation entirely' with his 'untiring zeal' in guiding the affairs of Hungary for half a century under difficult circumstances. On 25 April 1869, his statue by Johann Halbig was unveiled in the presence of the then-ruling imperial and royal couple, Franz Joseph I of Austria, Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Elisabeth, a demonstration of their trust and love of Hungary following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.

Issue

Archduke Joseph had eight children from three marriages, five daughters and three sons. Two daughters died in infancy and a further one in childhood. His three surviving children from his last marriage married and had issue; Archduke Joseph Karl continuing the Hungarian or Palatinal branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, which had been founded by his father. His older son Archduke Stephen of Austria (Palatine of Hungary), Stephen became the last palatine of Hungary, his term cut short after less than a year by the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. One of his daughters, Marie Henriette of Austria, Marie Henriette, became Monarchy of Belgium, queen consort of the Belgians and the mother of Crown Princess Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, Stéphanie of Austria. His children were: * by Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia (born 1783, married 1799, died 1801): ** Archduchess Alexandrina Paulina of Austria (8 March 1801,

, Kingdom of Hungary) died at birth; * by Princess Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (born 1797, married 1815, died 1817): ** Archduchess Archduchess Hermine of Austria, Hermine Amalie Marie of Austria (14 September 1817, Buda – 13 February 1842,

, Austrian Empire), Prince-abbot, princess-abbess of the Theresian Institution of Noble Ladies between 1835 and 1842, never married and had no issue; ** Archduke Archduke Stephen of Austria (Palatine of Hungary), Stephen Francis Victor of Austria (14 September 1817, Buda – 19 February 1867, Menton, France), palatine of Hungary between 1847 and 1848, never married and had no issue; *by Duchess Duchess Maria Dorothea of Württemberg, Maria Dorothea Louisa Wilhelmina Carolina of Württemberg (born 1797, married 1819, widowed 1847, died 1855): **Archduchess Elizabeth Caroline Henrika of Austria (30 July 1820, Buda – 23 August 1820, Buda), died in infancy; **Archduke Alexander Leopold Ferdinand of Austria (6 June 1825, Buda – 12 November 1837, Buda), died in childhood; **Archduchess Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria, Elisabeth Franziska Maria of Austria (17 January 1831, Buda – 14 February 1903, Vienna) married first her second cousin Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este in 1847 and had issue and second her first cousin Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria in 1854 and had issue; **Archduke Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria, Joseph Karl Ludwig of Austria (2 March 1833,

– 13 June 1905, Rijeka, Fiume, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia) major general in the Austro-Hungarian Army, married Princess Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1864 and had issue; **Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria, Marie Henriette Anne of Austria (23 August 1836, Buda – 19 September 1902, Spa, Belgium), queen consort of the Belgians as the wife of King Leopold II of Belgium, Leopold II, married in 1853 and had issue, including Crown Princess Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, Stéphanie of Austria; * By an unknown woman: ** Gavio Clùtos (2 March 1810 – January 1859).

Honours

* : Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Cross of the Southern Cross * : ** Order of the Golden Fleece, Knight of the Golden Fleece (1790) ** Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary, Grand Cross of St. Stephen, in Diamonds (1794) ** Gold Civil Cross of Honour (1813/14) * ** Order of the Black Eagle, Knight of the Black Eagle, 14 August 1844''Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler'' (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm IV. ernannte Ritter
p. 22
/ref> ** Order of the Red Eagle, Knight of the Red Eagle, 1st Class * ** Order of Saint Andrew (1798)

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

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External links

Collection of links to books and articles on Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary (in Hungarian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph Of Hungary, Palatine 1776 births 1847 deaths Sons of emperors Austrian princes House of Habsburg-Lorraine Palatines of Hungary Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Generals of the Holy Roman Empire Burials at Palatinal Crypt Children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Sons of kings 19th-century archdukes of Austria Sons of dukes Sons of counts