Privilegium Maius

The Privilegium Maius was a medievel document dated 1358/59 forged at the behest of Duke Rudolf IV of Austria (1358-1365), which was essentially a modified version of the Privilegium Minus of 1156, which had elevated Austria to a Duchy. In the Privilegium Maius, Austria was declared an Archduchy and endowed with rights similar to those of the electors of the Holy Roman Empire, it also created the Title “Pfalzerzherzog” “Arch-Count Palatine” while other prince electors still were “Count Palatine”such as:

• inseparability of the territory;
• automatic inheritance of the first-born (= Primogeniture) (later extended to female heirs in the Pragmatic Sanction);
• independent jurisdiction and legislatur, without any possibility to appeal to the Emperor, "privilegium de non evocando"
• permission to display certain symbols of rule.

The Privilegium Maius consists of five forged deeds, some of which purported to have been issued by Caesar and Nero to historic “regnum noricum” nearly simmilar to the modern Austrian Borders.

Emperor Charles IV refused to confirm the Privilegium Maius. Only the Habsburg emperor Frederick III did so in 1453, as did Rudolf II and Charles VI. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, it finally lost its meaning. In 1852, it was identified as a forgery by Wilhelm Wattenbach.

Also see: Privilegium Minus