Habsburg-Lorrain

The Habsburg-Lorraine is a royal family dynasty that founded and ruled Austria and other European territories from the 18th to early 20th centuries. It originated when the Habsburg family, a prominent European noble family, married into the Lorraine family, bringing together the Habsburg and Lorraine lines. This alliance strengthened their power, leading to a period of political influence, especially within the Austrian Empire. The Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty included notable rulers like Maria Theresa and Franz Joseph I. Their legacy is marked by central European stability, cultural patronage, and complex dynastic politics until the empire's dissolution after World War I.