Ferdinand I. (10th 3rd 1503 - 25, 7 1564) - Roman emperor, German, Czech and Hungarian king of the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty. He stood behind the creation of the Habsburg monarchy as a state entity.

Ferdinand was born in the castle Alcal� de Henares near Madrid and Spain also spent his childhood. His parents were Castilian spolukr�l and the Duke of Burgundy Philip I. Fair and Joanna of Castile. This was due to a mental illness also known as Mad epithet. After the death of the ruler of the Austrian lands Maximilian I of Habsburg Ferdinand took his place. In Vienna was initially perceived as alien and even had to face the uprising, which, however, vigorously suppressed and the leader of the revolt had executed. After the death of Louis Jagiello was October 23, 1526 elected King of Bohemia and 24 February of the following year crowned. In November 1527, then became the King of Hungary. O power over by Hungary, however, had to fight with John Z�polsk�m, who was elected king a few weeks earlier. Ferdinand's career but inexorably rising upward. In Cologne, January 5, 1531 was elected Roman king, since 1556 it represented his ailing brother and ��mskon�meck�ho Emperor Charles V, who went into seclusion. Under Emperor Ferdinand was officially announced on March 15, 1558 in Frankfurt.

Ferdinand is regarded as the architect of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, whose reign is characterized by centralization of power and absolutism, which was strongly against the will of the Bohemian Estates. Those against the king broke down, but the opposition was rigorously suppressed. At the same time there was a period recatholisation Czech society and the country as a separate kingdom began to lose its importance. Ferdinand died July 25 in Vienna, his remains were laid in Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral.