Anna of Austria (1528-1590)

Archduchess Anna of Austria (1528-1590)
Portrait by Jakob Seisenegger

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Anna of Austria (Prague, July 7 1528 - Munich, October 16 1590) was the daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503-1547).

She was engaged several times as a child, first to Prince Theodor of Bavaria (1526-1534), then to Charles of Orleans (1522-1545), but both died young.

Anna finally married on July 4, 1546 in Regensburg at the age of 17 , Duke Albert V, Duke of Bavaria, the brother of her first fiancé. The wedding gift was 50.000 Guilder. The couple lived at the Trausnitz Castle in Landshut, until Albert became Duke.

Anna and Albert had great influence on the spiritual life in the Duchy, and enhanced the reputation of Munchen as a city of art, by founding several musea and the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek.
Anna and Albert were also patrons to the painter Hans Müelich, and composer Orlando di Lasso.

[edit] Children

• Karl (7 Sept 1547 - 7 Dec 1547)
• William V (1548–1626)
• Ferdinand (20 Jan 1550 – 30 Jan 1608)
• Maria Anna (1551–1608) married Archduke Charles II of Austria
• Maximiliana Maria (4 July 1552 – 11 July 1614)
• Friedrich (26 July 1553 – 18 April 1554)
• Ernst (17 Dec 1554 – 17 Feb 1612), Archbishop of Cologne