Three rulers, three personalities:
Three short descriptions of the Tyrolean princes: odd, heroic and unreasonable. Can you name them?
Candidate number one
This greying Tyrolean prince married a 16-year-old at age 60. He started to sell off Tyrol piece by piece to fund the construction of new and extravagant palaces in a conspicuous display of “wealth”. When the Emperor in Vienna found out about this, he had the prince deposed. Who is he?
Candidate number two
This Tyrolean prince supported the wrong papal candidate, which was seen as high treason. He was taken prisoner and his possessions were confiscated. A ruler without land... However, the tables turned: he managed to flee and get back all his possessions over time. He became one of the wealthiest Tyrolean princes but his nickname stuck. Who is he?
Candidate number three
A sporty ruler who took a hands-on approach to hunting chamois. He once climbed so far up a steep rock face that he became stranded, unable to move forwards or go back. In desperation he cried out “ach, wenn sie doch kemmaten” (“If only they would come”)! He was miraculously saved and the village at the foot of the climbing wall is now called...KEMATEN. Who is he?
The answers
Prince number one is Siegmund der Münzreiche (Siegmund the Rich). Candidate number two is Duke Friedrich IV “with the empty pockets”, who is actually rather undeserving of this disparaging nickname. Such an epithet is more suited to his son, Siegmund, who was left penniless after squandering money on a grand scale. However, as Siegmund ruled when the town of Hall was busy minting, he was ironically nicknamed the “Münzreiche” (the Rich). Candidate number three is Maximilian I, the last knight. We have him to thank for the Golden Roof, which he used for watching jousting tournaments in the centre of Innsbruck. He was also once stranded on the Martinswand while hunting chamois. The rock face is now home to the “Kaiser-Max-Grotte” (Emperor Max Grotto), located 1,200 metres above sea level.
