His Imperial Majesty Ferdinand I Karl Leopold Joseph Franz Marchlin Emperor of Austria King of Hungary and Bohemia (April 19, 1793 - June 29, 1875) succeeded his father (Franz II Holy Roman Emperor/Franz I of Austria) as Emperor and King in 1835 and was forced to abdicate in 1848.

He was also the first and only Habsburg king on the throne of Lombardia-Venice.

He was both feeble-minded and epileptic and placed on the throne by Metternich, cynically, as a puppet for Metternich's own purposes. His marriage to Maria Anna of Sardinia was probably never consummated, nor is he believed to have had any other liaisons. He is famous for his one coherent command, when someone tried to keep him from eating dumplings because his digestive system could not stand them: "I'm the Emperor, and I want dumplings!" (German: "Ich bin der Kaiser und ich möchte Knödel!")

He also was very popular, because when going for a walk, he gave passersby everything he had at hand.

He was the last king of Bohemia to be crowned as such. Due to his sympathy to Bohemia (where he spent the rest of his life) he is, in Czech nicknamed :"Ferdinand V, the Good". In Austria, Ferdinand was in a similar way nicknamed "der Gütige" (the Benignant).

Preceded by: Francis

Emperor of Austria

Succeeded by: Franz Joseph

External link

• "Biography of Emperor Ferdinand" (http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/madmonarchs/ferdinand/ferdinand_bio.htm)

cs:Ferdinand_I._Dobrotivý de:Ferdinand I. (Österreich) nl:Ferdinand I van Oostenrijk