# Abdication of Charles V (1556)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/1556-abdication-of-charles-v
Location: Brussels
Categories: ruler-change

Exhausted, Charles V abdicated in 1555-1556, leaving Spain to his son Philip II and the empire to his brother Ferdinand I. The Habsburgs split into Spanish and Austrian branches. Charles died in a Spanish monastery in 1558.

## Why it matters
The empire's rulers were henceforth the Austrian Habsburgs.

Ruler at the time: [Ferdinand I](https://germany-history.com/rulers/ferdinand-i)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_V,_Holy_Roman_Emperor)
- [Wikipedia – Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-V-Holy-Roman-emperor)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica – Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdinand-I-Holy-Roman-emperor)