11 May

Archduke Johann passed away on 11 May 1859. He was the ninth son of Emperor Leopold II and Empress Maria Luisa of Spain, and the younger brother of Emperor Francis II.

Born in Florence in 1782, during his parents’ rule over the Duchy of Tuscany, he received an exemplary education in languages, history, and geography. In his youth, Johann reluctantly accepted a military position, the traditional career path for Habsburg archdukes. Despite his personal bravery, his modest success in the Napoleonic Wars drew criticism from his brother, the Emperor.

For the next two decades, Johann was dismissed from official duties and withdrew into private life in Styria. There, he dedicated himself to agriculture, technology, and alpinism, becoming a recognised moderniser and educator. He took a keen interest in local traditions and heritage, founding educational and research institutions to preserve them. He led a modest bourgeois lifestyle and entered into a morganatic marriage with Anna Plochl, a local woman from the middle class. They had one son.

Although kept away from politics and excluded from the line of succession, Johann’s talents proved indispensable when the Imperial family fled Vienna during the 1848 uprising. For a few critical months, he served as the Emperor’s representative in the absence of the regular administration. He was then appointed Regent of the German Empire – a short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to create a unified German government.

In the final decades of his life, Johann retired to Styria, where he enjoyed the lasting respect of the local population. His legacy remains a significant part of Styrian identity.