The original manuscript of the proclaimation and other printed proclaimations of Emperor Leopold the first from 1690 with which he takes the Macedonian people under his protection

12 THE EMPEROR OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE LEOPOLD I AND HIS SUCCESSORS L et us say a few words about the person and biography of Emperor Leopold I. His full name was Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician. He was born on June 9, 1640, and died on May 5, 1705. He was the second son of the marriage between Emperor Ferdinand III of the Holy Roman Empire and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. After the death of his older brother, Ferdinand IV, in 1654, their father Ferdinand III once again ruled the state for a short period. One year after his father’s death, in 1658, Leopold I was elected Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and he ruled until his death in 1705, a total of 46 years and 9 months, making him the longest-reigning ruler of the Habsburg dynasty. Leopold I was engaged in music, composed his own works, and was a significant patron of music. He was fluent in Latin, Italian, German, and Spanish, and had extensive knowledge of theology, metaphysics, and other sciences. During his reign, Leopold I waged war against the Ottoman Empire from 1683 to 1699, which he won by restoring Hungary under his rule, a territory that had been under Turkish control since 1526. He also fought long-lasting wars against France, with mixed success. Through the Proclamations he partially or entirely dedicated to Macedonia, he is remembered as a proven friend of our people and land. After Leopold I’s death in 1705, his eldest son Joseph I ascended to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. He ruled for less than six years and died in 1711 at the age of only 33. He was succeeded by his younger brother Charles VI (1685–1740), who ruled for 29 years and was succeeded by his daughter, Maria Theresa. Joseph I and Charles VI fully continued the foreign policy of Leopold I, including his policy toward the Balkan peoples. During their reigns, both issued their own Proclamations in which they confirmed that they fully supported the Proclamations of Leopold I toward the Balkan peoples, reproducing their content in full. Below we also present facsimiles of these Proclamations.