Innsbruck, Maximilian and the Habsburg legacy

My partner and I have just returned from a weekend away in Innsbruck, if you've never been I would definitely recommend it, especially at Christmas. When I booked the trip I didn't know much about Innsbruck apart from that it was in Austria and a popular skiing resort. While we were there we visited the Hofburg, the imperial palace which was expanded and made into one of the finest gothic buildings in Europe by Maximilian I the Holy Roman Emperor.

This year the Hofburg Museum has had a special exhibit on to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Maximilian's death in 1519. The exhibit was fascinating and it was obvious that a lot of work had been put into it. I'll confess that the history of the Habsburg's is not a speciality of mine, nevertheless, I wanted to share some of the main points which I took away from the experience.

Firstly, the exhibit was successful in putting across how important Maximilian was to the city of Innsbruck. Although its geographical location meant that the city had been an important strategic base since the Roman times, Maximilian's decision to make the city his capital extended its influence and was the basis for Innsbruck's prosperity. A modern commentator could be forgiven for thinking Maximilian chose Innsbruck because of its natural beauty, however, I think a more likely explanation is the same as why Roman's built a fortress there - the mountain ranges surrounding it make it practically impenetrable. This would make sense as Maximilian's wars with France and the internal politics of the Holy Roman Empire meant that he faced constant threats from inside and out, Innsbruck served as the perfect base. The impact of the emperor's presence in Innsbruck can be seen in the architecture of the city; from the expanded Hofburg palace, to the Goldenes Dachl and the Hofkirche. Moreover, Maximilian reformed the governance of Innsbruck and introduced a law code to the city - this helped tackle the corruption which had taken root and end the extreme financial exploitation of the populace by the nobility.

Secondly, Maximilian was the progenitor of the Habsburg dynasty, through his military campaigns and marriage he established the Habsburg's as Europe's most powerful family, a role they would hold for almost 400 years until the end of the First World War and the collapse of the Austria-Hungary Empire. Consequently, Maximilian's legacy was responsible for the development of much Europe's history in the centuries following his death. For example, his grandson Charles V, was arguably one of the most successful European leaders in the same league as Caesar or Napoleon. At the height of his power Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, King of Spain, King of Italy, Archduke of Austria and had expanded his possessions to the new world. His Empire was the first to be described as the Empire on which the sun never sets.

Finally, Maximilian was a contradiction, his successes equalled his failures. Although he was an accomplished military leader, he had multiple setbacks in his campaign in Italy and was eventually forced to back down. This quest for warfare also caused him domestic problems, the nobility throughout the Holy Roman Empire believed the continuous drive for conquest was at their detriment and as such Maximilian faced constant challenges on his authority. A champion of the arts and sciences, Maximilian was in many ways a renaissance leader, however, he still ordered the Jews to be expelled from large straits of Austria and the destruction of Jewish literature. On his death his estate was divided amongst his heirs and charitable causes including hospitals and the poor, however, this generosity to extend to his final wife, Bianca Maria Sforza, whose funeral he did not attend, he didn't even provide her with a tombstone.

In death Maximilian wanted to be remembered as a humble pious man, he gave specific instructions for his body to be mutilated and publicly displayed as an example of the fleeting glory of earthly power. Yet, he simultaneously commissioned the construction of an elaborate memorial surrounded by bronze statues of past heroes. One thing is clear from the exhibition, Maximilian was a conflicted individual - he sought of the glory of conquest and the immortality of posterity, however, he also struggled to reconcile this with his personal piety.