The Habsburgs' rise to power was accompanied by many coincidences. One of these was a daring theft carried out by a royal chambermaid—she stole a crown, disrupting the course of Central and Eastern European history. Centered around the autobiography of Helene Kottanner, Andreas Pfeifer and Mariella Gittler explore how gender roles influenced life in society at the time. Many of the images we commonly hold about this era today turn out to be mere clichés.

In the Early Modern Period, Europe was ravaged by wars and crises. One significant cause may have been a prolonged cold period known as the Little Ice Age, a centuries-long era of failed harvests and natural disasters that led to struggles over resources. Episode five of the new ORF III series Austria – The Complete History illustrates the effects of this chilling era through the story of the Styrian farming family Paurnknap. The Little Ice Age, which peaked around 1600, brought solar storms, volcanic activity, earthquakes, locust plagues, and crop failures, compounding the already harsh lives of the people. The average drop in temperature by two degrees Celsius compared to the preceding warm period plunged the continent into chaos.