(1503-1564, Holy Roman Emperor from 1556, King of Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia from 1526 and Archduke of Austria from 1521)
Fine Clerk Written Letter Signed to the Chancellor and Councillors of Lower Austria
expressing concern at the lapse of religious observances, together with a contemporary engraving, 2 sides folio with integral autograph address leaf and remains of seal, with endorsements, Vienna, 15th December
The key events during his reign were the conflict with the Ottoman Empire, which in the 1520s began a great advance into Central Europe, and the Protestant Reformation, which resulted in several wars of religion. Ferdinand was able to defend his realm and make it somewhat more cohesive, but he was unable to fully conquer Hungary. His flexible approach to Imperial problems, mainly religious, brought more results than the more confrontational attitude of his brother.