Frederick III
As Frederick V Duke of Styria from 1435 and (Arch-) Duke of Austria from 1457/63; as Frederick IV Roman-German King from 1442, and as Frederick III Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from his coronation in Rome in 1452
Born in Innsbruck on 21 September 1415
Died in Linz on 19 August 1493
Motto: A.E.I.O.U.
Lasting fifty-three years, Frederick’s reign was the longest of any king or emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He was tenacious rather than decisive – he succeeded in overcoming many of his political adversaries simply by surviving them. Frederick’s main claim to fame is the device consisting of the letters AEIOU that he used everywhere and which has been the subject of many different interpretations.
