[The trembling heart of the monarch-Insights into the heart condition of Emperor Maximilian II].

It has long been known in historical research that the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian II (1527-1576) suffered from heart complaints throughout his life. Numerous biographers mention this fact. His medical history and even the results of the autopsy of his body have been handed down; however, it has not been sufficiently investigated how Maximilian's physicians explained his heart condition, often referred to as "tremor cordis", and what causes and triggers they held responsible for this complaint in general and in the specific case of their famous patient. This article addresses these questions, primarily on the basis of a detailed consultation by the imperial personal physician Andrea Gallo, dating from 1555. Gallo's consilium, which has been ignored by scholares so far, first summarizes the state of knowledge on heart tremors at that time. It then turns to Maximilian's case and provides revealing insights into his mental state.