Whose Birthday Is It? July 13, 2018

Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608)

When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III ascended the throne, the Thirty Years’ War had been raging for 20 years. After his accession, the war took a disastrous turn. Though he prohibited religious freedom in his own domains, he compromised with Europe’s Protestant powers and agreed to the Peace of Westphalia. The treaty ended 30 years of religious strife in central Europe but greatly reduced the central power of the Holy Roman Empire. Despite the war, Ferdinand made time to pursue what pastime? More…