Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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https://smallwhale.org/articles/joseph-ii-holy-roman-emperor

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1. When was Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor born?March 13, 1741
2. When did Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor die?February 20, 1790 (age 48)
3. Where was Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor born?Vienna, Austria
4. What is the related topics?Enlightenment, Enlightened Absolutism, Habsburg Dynasty, Josephinism, Mozart, Salieri
5. Who was Joseph II and when did he become emperor?Joseph II was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa. He became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1765 and ruled the Habsburg monarchy alone from 1780.
6. What were some of Joseph II's big changes?He ended serfdom in 1781, gave religious freedom to many Christians and Jews, made school compulsory, and tried to make German the main language.

Enlightened Absolutism: A political theory where rulers used their absolute power to enact reforms inspired by Enlightenment ideals of reason and progress.
Josephinism: The comprehensive set of reforms and policies enacted by Joseph II, characterized by state centralization, secularization, and social liberalization.
Patent of Toleration: A decree issued by Joseph II granting limited religious freedom and civil rights to non-Catholic Christian denominations within the Habsburg lands.