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Otton VeseliyDuke of Austria and Styria (since 1330) and Duke of Carinthia (as Otto IV) (since 1335) from the Habsburg dynasty.
Country:
 Austria |
Content:
- Early Life and Family
- Contention and Partition
- Accession to Carinthia
- Reign and Legacy
- Marriages and Children
Early Life and Family
Otto was born on July 23, 1301, in Vienna as the youngest son of Albrecht I, King of Germany and Duke of Austria, and Elisabeth of Gorizia, daughter of Meinhard II, Duke of Carinthia and Count of Tyrol. After his father's assassination in 1308, Otto's elder brothers Frederick I and Leopold I inherited the Duchy of Austria.
Contention and Partition
Upon reaching adulthood, Otto claimed a share in the Austrian inheritance. In 1328, he revolted against Frederick I and secured Hainburg in Lower Austria and the right to participate in the distribution of Habsburg revenues. With Frederick's death in 1330, Otto was recognized as Duke of Austria and Styria, co-ruling with his brother, Albert II.
Accession to Carinthia
In 1335, the last male member of the Gorizia-Tyrol dynasty, Duke Henry VI, died. According to the 1282 Neuberg Partition Treaty, Carinthia was to pass to the Habsburgs. Emperor Louis IV confirmed this, enfeoffing Otto with Carinthia and South Tyrol on May 2, 1335. While Otto failed to secure Tyrol, which was claimed by Margaret Maultasch, Henry VI's daughter, he was crowned Duke of Carinthia in Klagenfurt.
Reign and Legacy
Otto focused on Carinthia and left the administration of Austria proper to Albert II. He actively promoted religious life, founding the Neuberg an der Mürz monastery in Styria and the St. George Church in Vienna. In 1337, he established the Societas Templois, a knightly order for crusades against pagan Prussia and Lithuania. Otto earned the nickname "the Merry" for his court's numerous festivities.
Marriages and Children
Otto married twice:- Elizabeth of Bavaria (1325-1330)
- Anna of Luxembourg (1335-1338)
He had three children:
- Frederick II (1327-1344)
- Leopold II (1328-1344)
- Elisabeth (d. 1358)
Death and Succession
Otto died on February 17, 1339, in Neuberg, which he had founded. His death left his young sons and Albert II as his heirs, marking the beginning of a co-rulership that would lead to the eventual division of the Habsburg lands.
