Abstract
The paper deals with the institution of monarchical abdication, which it considers a problematic phenomenon, using the example of Emperor Ferdinand the Good. The topic is opened with an introduction on abdications in general, in which it is shown in various cases what undesirable phenomena can be caused by abdication.
This is followed by a brief sketch of Ferdinand's life up to the abdication, with special attention paid to his illness. The main part then focuses on the specifics of Ferdinand's position after the abdication, concluding that the coexistence of the two living emperors did not become a complication for Austria, although this was due more to Ferdinand's character than to institutional security.