Maria Theresa and Tyrol

This chapter explores Maria Theresa's deep emotional and political connection to Tyrol, a province she saw as a spiritual refuge and treated with unusual autonomy. Tyrol's nobility enjoyed unique privileges, including tax exemptions and powerful Estates Committees, while military conscription and census efforts were successfully resisted. The chapter highlights how Maria Theresa, guided by pragmatism and affection, protected Tyrol from centralising reforms. It details her support of Catholicism and the university in Innsbruck, while tolerating local customs like the refusal to number houses. The chapter underscores Maria Theresa's understanding of Tyrolean independence and loyalty, which endured through armed rebellions against Joseph II's reforms and later devotion during the Napoleonic Wars, reflecting the long-lasting bond between the province and their Great Empress.