Rudolf II. biography

Rudolf born on 18th July 1552. He was not well-balance person suffering from psychic illness. He had a genetic presumption to it. His father Maxmilián II had married his cousin Mary of Spanish. And Rudolf ´s grandmother had got a psychic disorder too. Eccentric Rudolf stayed single, but he kept relation with Katherine Stradová. They had got a few children, one of them was Julius Caesar d´Austria, madman, who killed a girl in Č. Krumlov. He became king when he was 20 and Emperor when he was 24 years old, after his father’s death. Rudolf had got a positive interesting too. Since 1583 Prague was his residence and therefore it stayed cultural and spiritual heart of Central Europe. Rudolf´s famous collection consisted of the works of art from the most famous Europe artists. He liked alchemy and black magic. In this time famous astrologers stayed in Prague, like as Edward Kelley, Tycho de Brahe and Johannes Kepler. At the same time exciting legend about artificial human - Golem - appeared. It believed that wise rabbi Jehuda Low ben Bezalel had been author of the Golem.
When Rudolf´s brother Matyáš acquired on his side Austrian, Moravian and Hungarian states, he attempted to usurp throne. Rudolf remained ruler over Bohemia only. In 1609 had to give off Imperial Charter. In 1611 he had to resign for a title Czech King, he kept only title of Emperor of Holy Roman Empire. Rudolf II died 20th January 1612. His death ended age epoch of Prague as royal town residence. After Rudolf´s death Matyáš became Emperor.