Elwan, Armschiene, Sultan Süleyman I. der Prächtige, um 1560
This year’s programme offers a wide-ranging selection of topics - from the courtly hunt to Renaissance military architecture. Due to its 500th anniversary, the fateful Battle of Mohács is also in the spotlight. In 1526, the Hungarian army under King Louis II suffered a crushing defeat at the hands Sultan Suleiman I’s troops. As a result, the Ottoman Empire was able to conquer large parts of Hungary. At the same time, with the death of Louis II on the battlefield, the crowns of Hungary and Bohemia passed to the future Emperor Ferdinand I - an important step in the Habsburg dynasty’s development into a European superpower. In the late sixteenth century, Archduke Ferdinand II acquired magnificent armours and weapons belonging to the protagonists of both sides at Mohács for his “Armoury of Heroes” at Ambras Castle, Innsbruck. These are still on display today in the Imperial Armoury.