Romantic, debtor, and founder of a world empire: How Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) entered history. In retrospect, he did everything right: Through his own marriage alliances and those of his children and grandchildren, he "conquered" Hungary and Bohemia, Spain, and the Netherlands for the Habsburgs. Through tricks in the election of kings and the coronation of emperors, as well as with the support of the banker Jakob Fugger, he secured the dominance of the House of Austria in the Holy Roman Empire for centuries. Through art and literature, he created a lasting memory of himself as the "last knight." For he knew: "Whoever does not care for their memory in life will have no memory after death, and that person will be forgotten with the sound of the bell." In the Maximilian Year 2019, this unforgettable legacy is commemorated. Sabine Weiss provides a comprehensive and richly illustrated account.