'Leopold IV of Austria',
Duke of Further Austria (
1371 -
June 3,
1411) was an
Austrian
Habsburg Duke of the ''Leopoldinian Line''.
He was the second son of
Leopold III. His eldest brother Duke
William of Inner Austria took him as his effective co-ruler, putting him in particular charge of
Further Austria, which also meant ancestral Habsburg lands in Swiss Aargau etc. Leopold was to face Swiss opposition to Austrian administration.
From 1391 onwards, he was the effective ruler of
Further Austria, and from 1396 to
1406 he was ruler in
Tyrol too.
He married Catherine de Valois of Burgundy, daughter of
Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, in 1393. She died in 1425, and they had no surviving children.
His younger brothers
Ernest the Iron and
Frederick were, for the time being, left to grow up. They were initiated with ducal positions in 1402. In 1406 their eldest brother Duke William died without leaving heirs, and Leopold became the next head of their family. Unfortunately, Leopold had no sons either. The younger brothers made an agreement how to divide the patrimony in the future: Ernest was to receive
Inner Austria and Frederick
Further Austria, including
Tyrol. Ernest took the reins in
Styria, etc. Frederick was only barely in his twenties, but was put in charge in Tyrol. Leopold was left with responsibility of the Further Austrian territories, together with the position of head of the family.
In 1406, Leopold took over the guardianship of their young cousin
Albert V, which resulted in conflicts with his brother Ernest.
Leopold died in Vienna and was buried in the
Ducal Crypt in the
city's cathedral.