Maximilian I
Maximilian I (1459–1519), German king, 1486–1519, and Holy Roman emperor, 1493–1519. He was the son of Emperor Frederick III, a Hapsburg. In 1477 he married Mary of Burgundy. On her death in 1482, Maximilian's young son inherited the Low Countries, and Maximilian became regent. As a result of the marriages Maximilian arranged for his heirs, his grandson, Emperor Charles V, became ruler of much of Europe. Maximilian reformed the administration of the empire, enlarged the universities of Vienna and Freiburg, and wrote several books. He is called “the last of the knights” for his chivalrous behavior and love of jousting and hunting.