Charles VII Albert (
Brussels 6 August 1697 – 20 January 1745 in
Munich), a member of the
Wittelsbach family, was
Prince-elector of
Bavaria from 1726 and
Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 until his death in 1745. Charles was notably the only person not of the
House of Habsburg to become emperor-elect since the
fifteenth century.
Early life and career
He was the son of
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, and
Theresa Kunegunda Sobieska, and the grandson of
Polish King
John III Sobieski.
His family was split during the
War of the Spanish Succession and was for many years under house arrest in Austria. Only in 1715 did the family become re-united. From 3 December 1715 until 24 August 1716 Charles visited Italy and in 1717 he joined the war of the
Habsburgs against the
Turks with Bavarian auxiliaries. On 5 October 1722, Charles married
Marie Amalie, Archduchess of Austria. Marie Amalie was a daughter of
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her maternal grandfather was
John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1725 Charles Albert visited
Versailles for the wedding of
Louis XV and established a firm contact to France.
In 1726 when his father died Charles Albert became
Prince-elector of the
Holy Roman Empire and Duke of
Bavaria. He managed to maintain good relations with his Habsburg relatives but also with France.
Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII
In continuance of the policy of his father Charles Albert aspired to an even higher rank. As son-in-law of
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles Albert rejected the
Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and claimed the German territories of the Habsburg dynasty after the death of
Charles VI in 1740. With the treaty of
Nymphenburg concluded in July 1741, Charles Albert allied with France and Spain against Austria.
During the
War of the Austrian Succession Charles Albert invaded
Upper Austria in 1741 and planned to conquer
Vienna but his allied French troops were redirected to
Bohemia instead. So Charles Albert was crowned King of Bohemia in
Prague (9 December 1741) when the Habsburgs were still not defeated. He was elected 'King of the Romans' on 24 January 1742, and took the title 'Holy Roman Emperor' upon his coronation on 12 February 1742. His brother
Klemens August of Bavaria, archbishop and elector (
Kurfürst) of
Cologne, who mostly sided with the Austria Habsburg-Lorraine side during the Habsburg successions, cast his vote for him and personally crowned him emperor at
Frankfurt. Charles VII was the second Wittelsbach Emperor after
Louis IV and the first Wittelsbach King of the Romans since the rule of
Rupert of Germany.
Shortly after the coronation most of Charles Albert's territories were overrun by the Austrians and
Bavaria was occupied by the troops of
Maria Theresa. Therefore the emperor resided for almost three years in the
Palais Barckhaus in Frankfurt.
The new commander of the Bavarian army,
Friedrich Heinrich von Seckendorff fought Austria by a series of battles in 1743 and 1744. The new alliance with
Frederick II of Prussia during the
Second Silesian War finally forced the Austrian army to leave Bavaria and to retreat back into Bohemia. In October 1744 Charles VII reobtained Munich. Very
gouty, he returned, only to die three months later. His brother Klemens August then again leaned toward Austria and also his son and successor
Maximilian III Joseph made peace with Austria. With the
Treaty of Füssen Austria recognized the legitimacy of Charles VII's election as Holy Roman Emperor.
Charles Albert is buried in the crypt of the
Theatinerkirche in Munich.
Cultural legacy
Charles Albert's reign was the peak of the era of Bavarian
rococo.
François de Cuvilliés was appointed chief architect of the court and constructed also the
Amalienburg. For the
Munich Residence Charles Albert ordered to erect the Ancestral Gallery and the Ornate Rooms.
Among the most gifted
Bavarian artists of his time, were
Johann Michael Fischer,
Cosmas Damian Asam and
Egid Quirin Asam,
Johann Michael Feuchtmayer,
Matthäus Günther,
Johann Baptist Straub and
Johann Baptist Zimmermann.
Ancestors
Children
He and his wife
Marie Amalie, Archduchess of Austria were parents of seven children:
- Maximiliane, Princess of Bavaria (1723). Believed to have died young.
- Therese Benedikta, Princess of Bavaria (6 December 1725 – 29 March 1743).
- Joseph Ludvig Leo, Prince of Bavaria (25 August 1728 – 2 December 1733).
See also
Category:Holy Roman EmperorsCategory:German kingsCategory:Bohemian monarchsCategory:House of WittelsbachCategory:Dukes of BavariaCategory:Pretenders to the Bohemian throneCategory:Knights of the Golden FleeceCategory:Roman Catholic monarchsCategory:German military personnel of the War of the Austrian SuccessionCategory:1697 birthsCategory:1745 deathsCategory:People from BrusselsCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)Category:Grand Masters of the Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conceptionbs:Karlo VII, car Svetog Rimskog Carstvaca:Carles VII del Sacre Imperi Romanogermàniccs:Karel VII. Bavorskýda:Karl 7. (Tysk-romerske rige)de:Karl VII. (HRR)et:Karl VII (Saksa-Rooma keiser)es:Carlos VII del Sacro Imperio Romanoeo:Karolo la 7-a (Sankta Romia Imperio)fr:Charles VII du Saint-Empireko:카를 7세hr:Karlo VII. Albertit:Carlo VII del Sacro Romano Imperola:Carolus VII Albertuslb:Karl VII. (HRR)lt:Imperatorius Karolis VIIhu:VII. Károly német-római császármr:चार्ल्स सातवा, पवित्र रोमन सम्राटnl:Karel VII van het Heilige Roomse Rijkja:カール7世 (神聖ローマ皇帝)no:Karl VII av Det tysk-romerske rikenn:Karl VII av Det tysk-romerske riketpl:Karol VII Bawarskipt:Carlos VII, Sacro Imperador Romano-Germânicoro:Carol al VII-lea, Împărat Romanru:Карл VII (император Священной Римской империи)sc:Carlo VII de su Sacru Romanu Imperusk:Karol VII. Albrechtsl:Karel VII. Wittelsbachsr:Карло VII, цар Светог римског царстваfi:Kaarle VII (keisari)sv:Karl VII (tysk-romersk kejsare)tr:VII. Karl (Kutsal Roma İmparatoru)zh:查理七世 (神圣罗马帝国)
