Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa was the ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the only woman to hold the position suo jure (in her own right).
Queen
May 13, 1717
November 29, 1780
63
Maria Theresa (1717-1780) was the sole female ruler of the Habsburg Empire, reigning from 1740 to 1780. She introduced numerous reforms in various sectors, including education, economy, and legal codes. Her most notable achievement was the implementation of the Pragmatic Sanction, which enabled her to ascend to the throne despite her gender. Maria Theresa played a significant role in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War.
She also established the Theresianum, a renowned academic institution in Vienna. Maria Theresa had a strong passion for the arts, especially music, and employed renowned composers such as Christoph Willibald Gluck and Franz Joseph Haydn. She even composed music and wrote lyrics for pieces performed at her court. Her reign was characterized by lasting reforms, including legal and administrative changes that led to the formation of an authoritarian administrative state. However, her reforms were primarily pragmatic, focusing on practicality rather than democratic principles.
