Rudolf II

I've been reading all about a historical figure who had a great impact on the development of Czech Republic and specifically Prague into what it is today.

Rudolf II was born in Vienna in the mid-16th C at the height of the mighty Habsburg dynasty. Their empire stretched from Madrid to Vienna, Naples to Brussels, Prague to Mexico. Only France and Enland stood outside the Habsburb's grasp. To hold their sprawling empire together, the Habsburgs realized the importance of maintaining the mystique and power of the monarchy. They used every means at their disposal to grow their empire through strategic marriages and were ruthless supporters (read enforcers?) of Rome and its Catholic trappings. In one such arranged marriage, Catherine of Aragon became the first wife of Henry VIII of England.

Then along came Rudolf who advocated religious freedom, thereby offending every sensibility humanly possible in the Vatican. In his formative years, Rudolf had been sent to Madrid - which was at the time the seat of world politics - to learn the ways of world domination. But upon seeing the irrational zeal with which his uncle Philip II of Spain practiced Catholicism, Rudolf vowed to find his own spiritual path.

Through his upbringing, Rudolf was exposed to burnt heretics, extreme religious bigotry and mysticism. He was evidently quite affected by these elements. Rudolf became an avid student of esoteric art and the occult sciences. His greatest passion was to understand the riddle of existence and had little time for the pending invasion of Turks in the south or the power politics of the empire.

He eventually spent some years at Hradcany Castle here in Prague and had the ear of many an alchemist and astrologer, many of whom were charlatans but some of whom were the forebears of modern science. Very cool stuff!