Henry the Middle (15 September 1468 – 9 February 1532) , also known as “Heinrich der Mittlere” in German, was a member of the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Mo ...

and ruled as the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

of Brunswick-Lüneburg. His official title was

of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, a principality within the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. Henry earned the nickname “the Middle” to distinguish him from other Henrys in the Welf dynasty.

Life

Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the son of Otto V of Lüneburg and Anne of Nassau-Siegen, was born in 1468. In 1486, Henry took control of Lüneburg from his mother, who had been regent since the death of Henry's grandfather, Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Henry's reign was marked by the complications relating to the Hildesheim Prince-Bishopric Feud. Henry was on the side of the bishop, and was against the nobility of Hildesheim and the Welfs of Brunswick. In 1519, Henry was victorious in the Battle of Soltau, though the intervention of the newly elected Emperor Charles V transformed the victory achieved on the battlefield into a defeat. Henry was on the side of the French during the election, and so earned the enmity of Charles V. Henry's two eldest sons became regents of the country, and Henry went into exile at the French king's court. Henry returned in 1527 during the beginning of the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

in Lüneburg, and tried to regain control of the land with help from those opposed to the Reformation. His attempt failed, and Henry returned to France, only to return in 1530. He spent his last days in the princely house in Lüneburg, which had been given to him by his eldest son. After the death of his first wife, Margaret of Saxony, Henry married, unequally, Anna von Campe. He was buried in the abbey of Wienhausen where his gravestone can still be seen today.

Children

Henry and Margarete of Saxony (1469–1528) had the following children: *Anne (1492–??) * Elisabeth (1494–1572) m.

Charles II, Duke of Guelders Charles II (9 November 1467 – 30 June 1538) was a member of the House of Egmond who ruled as Duke of Guelders and Count of Zutphen from 1492 until his death. He had a principal role in the Frisian peasant rebellion and the Guelders Wars. Life ...

(1467–1538) * Otto I (1495–1549) * Ernest I the Confessor (1497–1546) *Apollonia (1499–1571) Nun * Anna (1502–1568) m. February 2, 1525 Duke Barnim IX of Pomerania (1501–1573) *

Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...

(1508–1549) From his second marriage to Anna von Campe he had two sons: *Franz Heinrich, died young in France *Heinrich, died young in captivity in Celle

Ancestors

Literature

*Ferdinand Spehr: Heinrich der Mittlere. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Bd. 11, Leipzig 1880, S. 492–495.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, the Middle, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg 1468 births 1532 deaths Princes of Lüneburg Middle House of Lüneburg