Privilegium Maius
Medieval forged document; elevated Austria to archduchy / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Privilegium maius (German: Großer Freiheitsbrief 'greater privilege') was a set of medieval documents forged in 1358 or 1359 at the behest of Duke Rudolf IV of Austria (1358–65) of the House of Habsburg. It was essentially a modified version of the Privilegium minus issued by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1156, which had elevated the former March of Austria into a duchy. In a similar way, the Privilegium maius elevated the duchy into an Archduchy of Austria.
The privileges described in the documents had great influence on the Austrian political landscape, and created a unique connection between the House of Habsburg and Austria.