5 May 1705 King Leopold I of Bohemia died.

Leopold I belonged to the Habsburg family, which was obvious at first sight. He had a typically large, overhanging lower lip. His reign of nearly half a century was largely filled with wars. He died on 5 May 1705.

Leopold I had disputes with the Turks, Hungarian rebels and the French king Louis XIV. His main character traits included hesitancy and a reluctance to make decisions. He often followed the advice of able ministers and generals. Leopold I did not rank among the brave and courageous monarchs. Although he devoted much of his life to waging wars, he did not personally lead the troops.

"He was at the same time a man of piety, but personally intolerant; he was educated and artistic, and was not himself a bad composer of music. His characteristic ancestral physical trait, namely the thick lower Habsburg lip, was perhaps most prominent in him," Ivan Rada and Petr Čornej described the Habsburg monarch in their book History of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown.

He became King of Bohemia in 1657, when Bohemia also played an important role in the international politics of the Habsburg court. Leopold I chose Prague as the starting point for diplomatic actions to win him the imperial crown. As King of Bohemia and one of the emperor's electors, he did not only approach the other electors as a contender for the throne, but also as their equal partner.

The diplomatic mission was ultimately successful and Leopold I became emperor. "However, the aforementioned election was the last time for many decades that a major foreign policy action was carried out directly from the territory of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Nevertheless, even after the top political activities of Habsburg politicians were definitively transferred to Vienna, the Bohemian lands retained a considerable in the political life of the Habsburg monarchy," write Oldřich Tůma and Jaroslav Pánek in their book History of the Czech Lands.

The reign of Leopold I was also marked by the serf riots that erupted in 1680 and arose from the petition movement. The Emperor, King of Bohemia and Hungary, was also in Prague at the time. He was fleeing from the plague epidemic that swept through the Austrian lands at that time. Czech subjects, in the spirit of popular monarchism, convinced of a righteous monarch and evil advisors, began to bring petitions to Prague in mass, complaining about the heavy workload. Leopold I.

Leopold I had big plans for Vienna, which he wanted to turn into a baroque city. He began this new era by building the so-called Leopold Wing. A residence to match the role of the Habsburgs as world rulers. The residence was built between 1660 and 1666 by Domenico and Martin Carlon to a design by Filiberto Lucchesi. Today it serves as the official residence of the Austrian President. Leopold I died on 5 May 1705.

Sources: History of the Czech Crown Lands, Oldřich Tůma, Jaroslav Pánek: History of the Czech Lands, Lingea s.r.o.: Guide to Vienna, www.habsburger.net