European royal family, former imperial house of Austria-Hungary. A Habsburg, Rudolf I, became king of Germany in 1273 and began the family's control of Austria and Styria. They acquired a series of lands and titles, including that of Holy Roman Emperor which they held during 127391, 12981308, 14381740, and 17451806. The Habsburgs reached the zenith of their power under the emperor Charles V (15191556) who divided his lands, creating an Austrian Habsburg line (which ruled until 1918) and a Spanish line (which ruled to 1700).
The name comes from the family castle in Aargau, Switzerland.
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