Today, 413 years ago, on 20 January 1612 (Calendar 18 December 1611), the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II died. Rudolf II (Rudolf II, Vienna, 18 July 1552 ¨C Prague, 20 January 1612) was the Holy Roman Emperor of the Habsburg dynasty (1576¨C1612). He was also the King of Hungary (called Rudolf, 1576¨C1608), the King of Bohemia (called Rudolf II, 1576¨C1611) and the Grand Duch of Austria (called Rudolf V, 1576¨C1608). Traditional historical views believe that Rudolf was a hard-working ruler, his political error led directly to the outbreak of a three-year war; he was also a loyal lover of the art of the Renaissance, and an enthusiast for art, prom