Maria Theresa Autograph

Profession:
(1717-1780) The only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg.

Year of Birth: 1717

Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was born on May 13, 1717 in Vienna, Austria. She was the daughter of Emperor Charles VI of Austria and his wife, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was the last of the Habsburg female rulers and the only female ruler of the Austrian and Hungarian Empires. During her reign, she faced many challenges, both foreign and domestic, which she was able to successfully overcome.

As a young woman, Maria Theresa rebelled against her father's wishes for her to marry Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine. She instead married Francis Stephen's older brother, Emperor Francis I of the Holy Roman Empire. Maria Theresa and Francis I had 16 children together, of whom only 11 survived infancy. Her most famous children were Marie Antoinette, who married the future King Louis XVI of France, and Emperor Joseph II of Austria.

Maria Theresa was an enlightened ruler and was known for her progressive reforms. She liberalized censorship and allowed religious freedom to all faiths, including Judaism. She also abolished torture and reduced the death penalty. Maria Theresa was a strong advocate for the education of women and founded a university in Vienna. She also sought to modernize the economy and improved infrastructure, such as roads and bridges.

Maria Theresa was a successful military leader and was able to keep the Austrian Empire intact despite numerous wars and foreign invasions. She also successfully defended her territories from the Prussians in the War of the Austrian Succession. She was able to secure the right for her son, Joseph II, to succeed her as ruler of the Austrian Empire.

Maria Theresa was a patron of the arts, and she commissioned many works of art from prominent painters and sculptors. She was also a patron of music and sponsored the works of composers such as Haydn and Mozart. Maria Theresa was a strong supporter of the sciences and founded the Vienna Academy of Sciences.

Maria Theresa died on November 29, 1780 in Vienna, Austria. Her legacy is still remembered today as one of the most influential female rulers in European history. Her reforms had a lasting effect on the Austrian Empire and shaped the course of European history.