Rudolph of Austria (Cardinal)

Johann Baptist von Lampi : Cardinal Rudolph of Austria

Josef Lanzedelli the Elder A .: Archduke Rudolph (lithograph, 1823)

Rudolf monument in Bad Ischl

Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainer of Austria (born January 8, 1788 in Florence , † July 24, 1831 in Baden near Vienna ) was Archduke of Austria, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Olomouc and Cardinal of the House of Habsburg-Lothringen . In today's memory he is mainly present as a composer and as a patron of Beethoven .

Life

Rudolph was the 12th and youngest son of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and later Emperor Leopold II. At first he seems to have embarked on a military career, because for a few years (1802–1809) he was the owner of Infantry Regiment No. 14 . In 1816, however, he entered the clergy and was raised in the consistory of June 4, 1818 by Pope Pius VII to cardinal with the titular church of San Pietro in Montorio . In 1819 he was appointed Archbishop of Olomouc and enthroned as such.

Rudolph died in Baden near Vienna and was buried in the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna . His heart was buried in the Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc .

patron

Rudolph was a great friend and patron of the arts. He played the piano himself and also composed. Around 1808 he became a student of Ludwig van Beethoven and was also the only one who Beethoven still taught at that time. From 1809 he paid him an annual pension of 1,500 thalers to keep him in Vienna. Beethoven dedicated numerous important works to him, including:

• 4th Piano Concerto in G major op.58
• 5th Piano Concerto in E flat major op.73
• Piano Sonata in E flat major, op.81a ( Les adieux )
• Violin Sonata in G major op.96 (1812)
• Piano Trio in B flat major op.97 ( Archduke Trio )
• Piano Sonata in B flat major, Op. 106 ( Fortepiano Sonata )
• Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 111
• Large fugue in B flat major for string quartet op.133
• Arrangement of the Great Fugue for piano four hands (1826), op.134

In addition, the Missa solemnis op. 123 was written for Rudolph's enthronement as Archbishop of Olomouc.

Musical works (selection)

• Serenade in B flat major for clarinet, viola, bassoon and guitar (ca.1812)
• Sonata for piano and violin in F minor (ca.1812)
• Trio in E flat major for clarinet, violoncello and piano (1814)
• 40 Variations op. 1 on a theme by Ludwig van Beethoven for piano (1818-19)
• Sonata in A major op.2 for clarinet and piano (1822)
• Septet in E minor for clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass (1830)
• Theme and variations on Ja mam Konè ( I have horses ) for basset horn and piano

ancestors

Pedigree of Rudolf of Austria
Great-great-grandparents	Duke Karl V. Leopold (1643–1690) ⚭ 1678 Eleanor of Austria (1653–1697)	Philip I of Bourbon (1640–1701) ⚭ 1671 Elisabeth of the Palatinate (1652–1722)	Emperor Leopold I (1640–1705) ⚭ 1676 Eleonore Magdalene von der Pfalz (1655–1720)	Duke Ludwig Rudolf of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1671–1735) ⚭ 1690 Christine Luise von Oettingen (1671–1747)	Louis of France (1661–1711) ⚭ 1680 Maria Anna of Bavaria (1660–1690)	Odoardo II. Farnese (1666–1693) ⚭ 1690 Dorothea Sophie von der Pfalz (1670–1748)	King August II (1670–1733) ⚭ 1693 Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1671–1727)	Emperor Joseph I (1678–1711) ⚭ 1699 Wilhelmine Amalie von Braunschweig-Lüneburg (1673–1742)
Great grandparents	Duke Leopold Joseph of Lorraine (1679–1729) ⚭ 1698 Élisabeth Charlotte de Bourbon-Orléans (1676–1744)		Emperor Charles VI. (1685–1740) ⚭ 1708 Elisabeth Christine von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1691–1750)		King Philip V (1683–1746) ⚭ 1714 Elisabetta Farnese (1692–1766)		King August III. (1696–1763) ⚭ 1719 Maria Josepha of Austria (1699–1757)
Grandparents	Emperor Franz I Stephan (1708–1765) ⚭ 1736 Maria Theresia (1717–1780)				King Charles III (1716–1788) ⚭ 1738 Maria Amalia of Saxony (1724–1760)
parents	Emperor Leopold II (1747–1792) ⚭ 1765 Maria Ludovica of Spain (1745–1792)
Rudolph of Austria

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Rudolph Johann Joseph Rainer, Archduke, Cardinal and Archbishop of Olmütz .  No. 280. In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 7th part. Imperial-Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1861, p. 145 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Anton Weis:  Rudolf (Archbishop of Olomouc) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 29, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1889, p. 547 f.
• AK Huber – H. Rider:  Rudolf Johann Josef Rainer. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 9, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7001-1483-4 , p. 316 f. (Direct links on p. 316 , p. 317 ).
• Peter Urbanitsch :  Rudolf. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 22, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-428-11203-2 , p. 180 f. ( Digitized version ).

Web links

Commons : Rudolf von Österreich  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Literature by and about Rudolf of Austria in the catalog of the German National Library
• Entry on Rudolph of Austria on catholic-hierarchy.org
• HABSBURG-LOTHARINGEN, Rudolf Johannes Joseph Rainier from. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed March 31, 2016.

predecessor	Office	successor
Maria Thaddäus von Trautmannsdorff	Archbishop of Olomouc 1819–1831	Ferdinand Maria von Chotek
Leopold Ernst von Firmian	Cardinal priest of San Pietro in Montorio 1819–1831	Antonio Tosti