View source for Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria

{{Short description|Austrian archduke and politician (1827–1913)}}
{{Expand German|topic=bio|Rainer von Österreich (1827–1913)|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox Prime Minister
 | honorific-prefix=[[His Imperial and Royal Highness]]
 | name= Archduke Rainer of Austria
 | honorific-suffix = 
 | image=Archduke Rainer of Austria (1827-1913).jpg
 | caption=
 | order         =3rd
 | office        =Chairman of the Austrian Ministers' Conference
 | term_start    =4 February 1861
 | term_end      =26 June 1865
 | monarch       =[[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Francis Joseph I]]
 | predecessor   =[[Count Johann Bernhard von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen|Johann Bernhard Graf von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen]]
 | successor     =[[Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly, Prince Dietrichstein von Nicolsburg|Alexander Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly]]
 | birth_date    ={{birth date|1827|1|11|df=y}}
 | death_date    ={{death date and age|1913|1|27|1827|1|11|df=y}}
 | birth_place   =[[Milan]], [[Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia]], Austrian Empire
 | death_place   =[[Hofburg Palace]], Vienna, [[Austria-Hungary]]
 | resting_place =[[Imperial Crypt]]
 | spouse        ={{marriage|[[Archduchess Maria Karoline of Austria]]|1852}}
 | alma_mater    =[[University of Vienna]]
 | party         =
 | signature     = 
 | module        = {{Infobox royalty|embed=yes |father=[[Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria]] |mother=[[Princess Elisabeth of Savoy]] |full name=Rainer Ferdinand Maria Johann Evangelist Franz Ignaz |house=[[Habsburg-Lorraine]]}}
}}
'''Archduke Rainer Ferdinand Maria Johann Evangelist Franz Ignaz of Austria''' (11 January 1827 – 27 January 1913) was an Austrian prince and politician who served as [[Minister-President of Austria]] from 1861 to 1865. Later in his life, he took up the collection of preserved [[papyri]], largely from Egypt, and served as a benefactor and patron while working with the [[Oriental studies]] department of the [[University of Vienna]]. His purchases of papyri from Egypt formed the [[Rainer collection]] at the [[Austrian National Library]].

==Biography==
Archduke Rainer Ferdinand was born in [[Milan]], the capital of the Austrian [[Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia]]. He was a son of the [[viceroy]], [[Archduke Rainer Joseph]], and [[Princess Elisabeth of Savoy]]. He spent most of his youth at the [[Royal Villa of Monza]]. Rainer studied law at the [[University of Vienna]] and in 1843 joined the [[Imperial Austrian Army (1806-1867)|Austrian Imperial Army]] in the rank of an ''[[Oberst]]'' (Colonel).
[[File:Erzherzog Rainer und Marie.jpg|thumb|left|Rainer and Maria, 1902]]
In 1852, Archduke Rainer married his cousin [[Archduchess Maria Karoline of Austria (1825–1915)|Archduchess Maria Karoline]] (1825–1915), whose father, [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Charles]], was known for his victory at the 1809 [[Battle of Aspern]]. The marriage was a very happy one, and, with numerous public appearances and charitable activities, the couple was probably the most popular amongst the Habsburg family. The lavish celebration of their [[diamond wedding]] in 1912 was rated as one of the last great events of the [[Austro-Hungarian Monarchy]] before [[World War I]]. However, the marriage remained childless. 

In 1854, Rainer achieved the rank of ''[[Generalmajor]]'' in the Imperial Army and in 1861 was raised to ''[[Feldmarschall-Leutnant]]'' (Field marshal lieutenant). In 1857, Archduke Rainer was appointed president of the Austrian [[Imperial Council (Austria)|Imperial Council]] by Emperor [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Francis Joseph I]]. In the course of the implementation of the 1861 [[February Patent]] constitution, he took up office as nominal Minister-President chairing the liberal cabinet of State Minister [[Anton von Schmerling]].

Rainer was popular with the nonaristocratic population of Vienna, often walking the streets on foot.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ep1wxrUgXW4C Rivista enciclopedica contemporanea], Editore Francesco Vallardi, Milan, (1913), entry by AB, page 21.</ref>

==Papyrus collection==
{{main|Rainer collection}}
While Rainer's military and political career was largely forgotten, his interest in art and science proved more lasting.  Later in his life, Archduke Rainer became interested in the emerging science of [[papyrology]], the study of preserved [[papyrus]] in the deserts of Egypt that offered primary source documents from centuries earlier.  In 1878&ndash;1879, the Viennese dealer in antiquities {{illm|Theodor Graf|de}} purchased recently found papyri from [[Faiyum]], known as Arsinoe in the [[Hellenistic period]].  Graf contacted Professor of Oriental History at the [[University of Vienna]] {{illm|Josef Karabacek|de}} and arranged the shipping of around 10,000 papyri to him.  The papyri made their way to Vienna in 1881 and 1882 while awaiting a buyer; at the end of 1883, Archduke Rainer agreed to purchase the papyri.  Professor Karabacek managed and processed both the sale and the collection.  The collection was initially stored at the ''Österreichischen Museum für Kunst und Industrie'' (the predecessor of the modern [[Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna|Museum of Applied Arts]]).  Archduke Rainer continued to expand the collection with new purchases that Graf arranged, including papyri from digs at [[Hermopolis]], [[Heracleopolis Magna]], and other sites in the Faiyum area such as [[Soknopaiou Nesos]].  Rainer gifted the collection to his uncle Emperor [[Franz Joseph I of Austria]] on August 18, 1899 as a birthday present.  At Rainer's request, Franz Joseph incorporated them as a special collection at the Imperial and Royal Court Library (now known as the [[Austrian National Library]]).<ref name="about">{{cite web |url=https://www.onb.ac.at/bibliothek/sammlungen/papyri/die-papyrussammlung |title=Forschungsstätte mit weltweitem Renommee |publisher=[[Österreichische Nationalbibliothek]] |access-date=December 25, 2022}}</ref>  Rainer's vast purchases provided the core of the collection that still exists today as one of the most significant collection of papyri in the world.  The Rainer collection at the Austrian National Library was given the honour of becoming part of the UNESCO [[Memory of the World Programme|Memory of the World Register]] in 2001.<ref name=unesco-papyrus>{{cite web|title= Papyrus Erzherzog Rainer |url= https://en.unesco.org/memoryoftheworld/registry/516  |publisher=UNESCO Memory of the World Programme |access-date=December 25, 2022}}</ref>

== Honours and awards ==
;Austro-Hungarian<ref name="Handbuch1912">{{citation|chapter-url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1912&page=333&size=45|chapter=Genealogie des Allerhöchsten Herrscherhauses|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1912|access-date=23 July 2020|pages=[http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1912&page=345&size=45 13]-14}}</ref>
* Knight of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece|Golden Fleece]], ''1852''<ref name="Handbuch1912i">{{citation|chapter-url=http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1912&page=376&size=45|chapter=Ritter-Orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1912|access-date=23 July 2020|pages=44, [http://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1912&page=379&size=45 47]}}</ref>
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary|Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen]], ''1862''<ref name="Handbuch1912i"/>
* [[Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)|Military Merit Cross, in Diamonds]]
* Bronze [[Military Merit Medal (Austria-Hungary)|Military Merit Medal]] on Red Ribbon

;Foreign<ref name="Handbuch1912"/>
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* {{flag|Baden}}: Knight of the [[House Order of Fidelity]], ''1873''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden'' (1876), "Großherzogliche Orden" [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1874640 p. 59]</ref>
* {{flag|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: [[Order of Saint Hubert|Knight of St. Hubert]], ''1860''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Bayern'' (1908), "Königliche Orden" p. [https://archive.org/details/hofundstaatshan00landgoog/page/n39/mode/2up 8]</ref>
* {{flag|Belgium}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] (military), ''2 February 1874''<ref name="Belgien1875">{{cite book|author=Belgien|title=Almanach royal officiel: 1875|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yiBoAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA55|year=1875|page=55}}</ref>
* {{flag|Empire of Brazil}}: [[Order of the Southern Cross|Grand Cross of the Southern Cross]]
* {{flagicon|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Altenburg}} {{flagicon|Saxe-Meiningen}} [[Ernestine duchies]]: Grand Cross of the [[Saxe-Ernestine House Order]]
* {{flagcountry|French Third Republic}}: [[Legion of Honour|Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour]]
* {{flagicon|Greece|royal}} [[Kingdom of Greece]]: [[Order of the Redeemer|Grand Cross of the Redeemer]]

* {{flag|Grand Duchy of Hesse}}:
** Grand Cross of the [[Ludwig Order]], ''11 September 1860''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen'' (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen" p. [https://archive.org/details/hofundstaatshan00gergoog/page/n36/mode/2up 11]</ref>
** [[House Order of the Golden Lion (Hesse)|Knight of the Golden Lion]]

* {{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}: [[Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation|Knight of the Annunciation]], ''21 September 1873''<ref name="dell'interno1898">{{cite book|author=Italia : Ministero dell'interno|title=Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0dnhcmSJ6FcC&pg=PP5|year=1898|publisher=Unione tipografico-editrice|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=0dnhcmSJ6FcC&pg=PA53 53]}}</ref>
* {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} [[Mecklenburg]]: [[House Order of the Wendish Crown|Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown]]
* {{flag|Monaco}}: [[Order of Saint-Charles|Grand Cross of St. Charles]]
* {{flagicon|Nassau}} [[House of Nassau-Weilburg|Nassau Ducal Family]]: [[Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau|Knight of the Gold Lion of Nassau]]
* {{flag|Netherlands}}: [[Order of the Netherlands Lion|Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion]]
* {{flag|Kingdom of Portugal}}: [[Order of the Tower and Sword|Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} [[Kingdom of Prussia]]:
** [[Order of the Black Eagle|Knight of the Black Eagle]], ''4 June 1853''<ref name="prus">{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|volume=1|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=4&skin=2021|chapter=Schwarzer Adler-orden|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=13&skin=2021 5]|lang=German|location=Berlin|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
** [[Order of the Red Eagle|Knight of the Red Eagle]], 1st Class
* {{flag|Kingdom of Romania}}: [[Order of the Star of Romania|Grand Cross of the Star of Romania]]
* {{flag|Russian Empire}}:
** [[Order of St. Andrew|Knight of St. Andrew]]
** [[Order of St. Alexander Nevsky|Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky]]
** [[Order of the White Eagle (Russia)|Knight of the White Eagle]]
** [[Order of St. Anna|Knight of St. Anna]], 1st Class
* {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: [[Order of the White Falcon|Grand Cross of the White Falcon]], ''1885''<ref>''Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach'' (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" [https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00185861/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_16_0245.tif p. 16] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906150133/https://zs.thulb.uni-jena.de/rsc/viewer/jportal_derivate_00185861/Staatshandbuch_Film_Nr_16_0245.tif |date=2020-09-06 }}</ref>
* {{flag|Kingdom of Saxony}}: [[Order of the Rue Crown|Knight of the Rue Crown]], ''1891''<ref>{{cite book|author=Sachsen|title=Staatshandbuch für den Königreich Sachsen: 1901|year=1901|publisher=Heinrich|chapter=Königlich Orden|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015030492006&view=1up&seq=44&skin=2021 4]|location=Dresden|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|Restoration (Spain)}}: Grand Cross of the [[Order of Charles III]], with Collar, ''24 November 1879''<ref>{{citation|chapter-url=http://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/issue.vm?id=0001003698&search=&lang=es|chapter=Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III|title=Guía Oficial de España|date=1911|access-date=23 July 2020|page=163}}</ref>
* {{flag|Sweden}}: [[Order of the Seraphim|Knight of the Seraphim]], ''5 December 1908''<ref>{{citation|title=Sveriges Statskalender|year=1909|url=https://runeberg.org/rikskal/1909/0698.html|via=runeberg.org|access-date=2018-01-06|language=sv|page=614}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]]: [[Order of Saint Joseph|Grand Cross of St. Joseph]]
* {{flag|Two Sicilies}}:
** [[Order of Saint Januarius|Knight of St. Januarius]]
** [[Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit|Grand Cross of St. Ferdinand and Merit]]
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}: Honorary Grand Cross of the [[Royal Victorian Order]], ''9 October 1903''<ref name="LG-27604-6148">[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27604/page/6148 ''The London Gazette''], issue 27604, p. 6148</ref>
* {{flag|Württemberg}}: [[Order of the Crown (Württemberg)|Grand Cross of the Württemberg Crown]], ''1873''<ref>''Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg'' (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Pc5CAAAAYAAJ/page/n63/mode/2up 28]</ref>
}}

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Archduke Rainer of Austria'''
|2= 2. [[Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria|Archduke Rainer of Austria]]
|3= 3. [[Princess Elisabeth of Savoy]]
|4= 4. [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
|5= 5. [[Maria Louisa of Spain|Infanta Maria Louisa of Spain]]
|6= 6. [[Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Carignano]]
|7= 7. [[Princess Maria Christina of Saxony (1770–1851)|Princess Maria Christina of Saxony]]
|8= 8. [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor]]
|9= 9. [[Maria Theresa|Maria Theresa of Austria]]
|10= 10. [[Charles III of Spain]]
|11= 11. [[Maria Amalia of Saxony|Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony]]
|12= 12. [[Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Carignano]]
|13= 13. [[Princess Joséphine of Lorraine]]
|14= 14. [[Charles of Saxony, Duke of Courland|Charles, Duke of Courland]]
|15= 15. [[Franciszka Krasińska|Countess Franciszka Krasińska]]
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[Minister-President of Austria]]|before=[[Johann Bernhard von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen]]|after=[[Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly]]|years=4 February 1861 – 26 June 1865}}
{{s-end}}

{{Austrian archdukes}}
{{ATEmpirePMs}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rainer, Archduke Of Austria}}
[[Category:1827 births]]
[[Category:1913 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century minister-presidents of Austria]]
[[Category:Nobility from Milan]]
[[Category:House of Habsburg-Lorraine]]
[[Category:Austrian princes]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint-Charles]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion]]