Leopold was born in
Graz, and was invested as bishop in 1598, as a child, even though he had not been ordained as a priest; he became Prince-
Bishop of Strasbourg in 1607, a post which he held until 1626. From 1609 onwards he fought with his
mercenaries in the
War of the Jülich succession (Archduke Leopold in the War of the Jülich Succession), and in the
Brothers' Quarrel within the Austrian Habsburg dynasty against his first cousin
Maximilian III, Archduke of Further Austria in
Tyrol, and from 1611 for his first cousin
Rudolf II in
Bohemia. In 1614, he financed the construction of the
Church of the Jesuit College of
Molsheim, within which his
coat of arms is still prominently displayed. In 1619, upon the death of his kinsman and former rival, he became governor of Maximilian's inheritance:
Further Austria and Tyrol, where he attained the position of ruler as
Archduke of Further Austria from 1626 to his death in 1632. In 1626 he resigned his ecclesiastical positions and married
Claudia de' Medici. He had the
custom house and the Jesuit church built in
Innsbruck. He fought for the
Veltlin and defended Tyrol against the
Swedes in 1632. He died in Schwaz, Tyrol. : 1 thaler
County of Tyrol, Leopold V - 1621 ==Issue==