The Tyrolean Prince Frederick IV (1382 - 1439) lived during a turbulent period in Habsburg and Innsbruck history. Although the Habsburgs had been in the high nobility for some time, their power had not yet been consolidated. Frederick's face was covered with a long beard. In many chronicles and reports, he was described as arbitrary, power-hungry, deceitful and devious. Contemporaries regarded him as Sexaholicwho, when in doubt, did not shy away from violence to enforce his will. This was not unusual, however, if you look at the biographies of other princes of the late Middle Ages. Whether he was a miserly moral scoundrel or a skilful politician and friend of the common man - the key dates of his life would be suitable material for an adventurous medieval film.

At the age of 24, Frederick took over the county of Tyrol as well as the regency of Vorderösterreich. Vorderösterreich? So Vorarlberg? Not quite. Vorderösterreich was understood to mean the Habsburg possessions in Switzerland, Vorarlberg, Alsace and Baden-Württemberg, among others. Tyrol and Vorderösterreich had been administered jointly since Frederick as Upper Austria. This made him one of the most powerful princes of the Heiligen Römischen Reiches. From the beginning of his reign, he was involved in costly wars against hostile powers on the country's borders and competition within the Heiligen Römischen Reiches involved. In the west, the Appenzellers rose up against the Habsburgs, in the south there was an uprising in Trento and Henry of Rottenburg instigated a feud north of the Inn. These were the last conflicts to be fought in the manner of pure knightly armies.

Like his predecessor Margarethe in the princely chair, Frederick also came into conflict with the Pope. In his time, there was a pope in Avignon, France, as well as a pope in Rome. This papal issue was to be resolved at the Council of Constance, perhaps the most important political event of the late Middle Ages in Europe. Frederick sided with John XXIII. The King of the Holy Roman Empire Sigismund from the Luxembourg dynasty, who backed the antipope in Avignon, had his rival within the empire, Frederick, rewarded with the Eight and imprisoned. This meant not only deprivation of liberty and expulsion from the church, but also the loss of his territories and property. His opponents gave him the nickname Friedl mit der leeren Tasche.

Back in Innsbruck after an adventurous escape from prison, Frederick had to grant reforms to the population, especially the landowning lesser nobility and the towns, in recognition of their support in times of great need. In addition to the clergy, nobility and towns, the courts, which were responsible for the administration of the rural communities, were also allowed to send their representatives to the provincial parliament.

Frederick's nickname remained in the vernacular, even though at the end of his reign he was one of the richest princes in Europe of his time thanks to the rich mining wealth in Schwaz and Gossensass as well as customs duties and tolls on trade between Venice and Augsburg. The largest silver mine in Europe and the mining industry also had a lasting effect on the social structure of Innsbruck. The power of the guilds increased. Although Innsbruck was dependent on the surrounding area for food supplies, the growing prosperity of the city made it easier to manoeuvre through this time of crisis than in purely rural areas. When Frederick died, Tyrol had risen to become an important province within the Habsburg Empire thanks to the silver discoveries in Schwaz.

His residence also changed. Although Innsbruck had already grown, it was still a small town. In 1420, Frederick decided to make the city on the Inn his residence. Merano had been the ancestral seat of the Counts of Tyrol and remained the official Tyrolean capital until 1849. In fact, Innsbruck had been in the lead since Frederick's move at the latest. It was during his reign that the arcades in Herzog-Friedrich-Straße were laid out and the city tower was built. Throughout Europe, the 15th century was an economically difficult time, characterised by poor harvests due to the generally worse climate than in previous periods. However, thanks to trade and the impetus provided by the relocation of the court, Innsbruck flourished against the European trend. Schwaz, Meran and Innsbruck were the centres of Tyrol. Schwaz, like Detroit in the 20th century, was a booming working-class town thanks to the silver mines, the venerable old town of Merano as the capital resembled Washington and the residential and trading city of Innsbruck became the New York of Tyrol, the centre of power at the time.

Along with the court, which comprised around 400 people, came officials, servants, merchants, financiers and soldiers who brought money into the city. Above all, the craft guilds were to become the economic engine and the basis for the later early industrial production. It is difficult to say what specific effect the relocation of the residence had on Innsbruck's population. However, Frederick's court brought with it a new lifestyle with its new way of doing business. Public houses opened and offered variety in everyday life. Travelling theatres and show artists came to the city. As in many European cities in German-speaking countries, urbanisation spilled over from the Italian countries and brought a specialisation of the professional world and an even greater division of labour.

Immigration and the rapid change in the social fabric also caused problems. The xenophobia of the superstitious, often illiterate and poorly educated population did not diminish at the same pace as conditions changed. Tensions between long-established and new citizens, craftsmen, merchants, farmers and members of the court were part of everyday life in Frederick's Innsbruck.

Due to his many disputes with other princes and the Pope, his wealth from customs duties and the Schwaz mines and his probably eccentric character, Frederick IV was regarded by his contemporaries as a kind of robber baron. It was only later that he received a more favourable press due to the many legends that have grown up around his person since then. He is said to have travelled the country disguised as a beggar in order to find out what the people really thought of him. From the reports commissioned by the Habsburgs from the 16th century onwards, he comes off much better. His affectionate nickname Friedl mit der leeren Tasche carries this image of the good-natured, awkward prince of Tyrol right up to the present day.