The dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 raised the question of the future of the German states. Was there to be a new German Empire under Habsburg leadership (the ‘Greater German Solution’), or under Prussian leadership and excluding Austria (the ‘Lesser German Solution’)? In two victorious wars against Austria (1866) and France (1871), Prussia prosecuted the Lesser German Solution, establishing a German Empire under the Hohenzollern dynasty.
The Habsburg dynasty: Here you can read potted biographies, examine portraits from seven centuries and dip into the historical contexts of past epochs.
Select a period in Habsburg history, from the beginnings of Habsburg rule in the Middle Ages to the collapse of the Monarchy during the First World War.
The map shows the territorial development of the Habsburg Monarchy as it evolved into a sprawling, geographically fragmented empire.
Monarchical rule was legitimized by descent. The classic form of representing these relationships is the genealogical table or family tree.
Collected themes - browse stories and anecdotes from the history of the Habsburg Monarchy.
Most viewed stories
Choose from various themes to access and explore the history of the Habsburg Monarchy, for example 'work', 'love' or 'death'.
Journey through the different epochs of Habsburg history from the Middle Ages to the First World War.
All the members of the Habsburg dynasty. Read biographical notes and explore the historical context.
