John Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (born 1 September 1579 in
Gottorp, a part of today's
Schleswig; died 3 September 1634 in , a part of today's
Buxtehude) was the
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
Administrator of the
Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, the
Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck and the
Prince-Bishopric of Verden.
Life
His parents were
Adolf I, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and
Christine, Landgravine of Hesse-Cassel. ''John Frederick'' and
Anna Dobbel from
Bremervörde, the Bremian prince-archiepiscopal residence, had two children: ''Friedrich'' and ''Christine''. In 1621
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, legitimated them and ennobled them as ''von Holstein''.
After ''John Frederick's'' brother
John Adolf succeeded their brother
Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp as
Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, the Bremian Chapter feared ''John Adolf'' would integrate the
Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen into his inheritable ducal monarchy. The Chapter demanded that John Adolf would resign, what he did in 1596 in favour of ''John Frederick''. In 1607 ''John Adolf'' also handed over the
Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck to his brother.
At the beginning of the
Thirty Years' War ''John Frederick'' and his prince-bishoprics of Bremen and Lübeck maintained neutrality, as did most of the territories in the
Lower Saxon Circle.
After 1613 King
Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, being in personal union Duke of
Holstein within the ''Holy Roman Empire'', turned his attention to gain grounds by acquiring the prince-bishoprics of
Bremen,
Verden,
Minden and
Halberstadt.
He skillfully took advantage of the alarm of the German
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
s after the
Battle of White Mountain in 1620, to stipulate with Bremen's Chapter and ''John Frederick'', his cousin of second degree, to grant coadjutorship of the See of Bremen for his son
Frederick, later Crown Prince of Denmark (September 1621). Coadjutorship usually included the succession of a See.
In November 1619
Christian IV of Denmark, Duke of Holstein stationed Danish troops in the Bremian city of
Stade, officially on behalf of his son the provided to be Administrator successor, suppressing an unrest of its burghers.
In 1620
Christian, ''the Younger'', titular Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg-Wolfenbüttel, the Lutheran Administrator of the
Prince-Bishopric Halberstadt requested that the Lutheran ''Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen'' would join the war coalition of the
Protestant Union. ''John Frederick'' and the Bremian
Estates met in a Diet and declared for their territory their loyalty to
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, and their neutrality in the conflict.
With Danish troops within his territory and ''Christian the Younger's'' request ''John Frederick'' tried desperately to keep his Prince-Archbishopric out of the war, being in complete agreement with the Estates and the city of
Bremen. When in 1623 the
Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, fighting in the
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
for its independence against
Habsburg's Spanish and imperial forces, requested its
Calvinist
Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...
co-religionist of the city of ''Bremen'' to join, the city refused, but started to enforce its fortifications.
In 1623 the territories comprising the
Lower Saxon Circle decided to recruit an army in order to maintain an armed neutrality, with troops of the
Catholic League already operating in the neighboured
Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle and dangerously approaching their region. The concomitant effects of the war,
debasements and dearness, had already caused an inflation also in the region. The population suffered from
billeting and alimenting
Baden-Durlachian, Danish,
Halberstadtian,
Leaguist, and
Palatine troops, whose marching through the John Frederick had to tolerate in order to prevent entering into armed conflict.
In 1623 the
Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, diplomatically supported by
James I, King of England, the brother-in-law of
Christian IV of Denmark, started a new anti-
Habsburg campaign. Thus the troops of the
Catholic League were bound and the Prince-Archbishopric seemed relieved. But soon after the imperial troops under
Albrecht von Wallenstein headed for the North in an attempt to destroy the fading
Hanseatic League, in order to subject the Hanseatic cities of
Bremen,
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
and
Lübeck and to establish a Baltic trade monopoly, to be run by some imperial favourites including Spaniards and Poles. The idea was to win
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
's and
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
's support, both of which since long were after the destruction of the ''Hanseatic League''.
In May 1625
Christian IV of Denmark, Duke of Holstein was elected – in the latter of his functions – by the
Lower Saxon Circle's member territories commander-in-chief of the Lower Saxon troops. More troops were recruited and to be billeted and alimented in the Lower Saxon territories, including the Prince-Archbishopric. In the same year ''Christian IV'' joined the Anglo-Dutch war coalition. In 1625
Johan 't Serclaes, Count of Tilly warned John Frederick to further accept the stationing of Danish troops and
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, demanded the immediate end of his and ''Verden's'' alliance with
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, with ''Verden'' being already ruled by ''Christian's'' son
Frederick II, Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Verden, being as well the provided successor of ''John Frederick''. He declared again his loyalty to the Emperor and neutrality in the conflict. But all in vain.
Now ''Christian IV'' ordered his troops to capture all the important traffic hubs in the Prince-Archbishopric and entered into the
Battle of Lutter am Barenberge, on 27 August 1626, where he was defeated by the
Leaguist troops under ''Tilly''. ''Christian IV'' and his surviving troops fled to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen and took their headquarters in ''Stade''. ''John Frederick'' fled to his
Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck and left the rule in the ''Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen'' to the Chapter and the Estates.
By 1627 ''Christian IV'' had de facto dismissed his cousin ''John Frederick'' from the Bremian See. In the same year ''Christian IV'' withdrew from the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, in order to fight ''Wallenstein's'' invasion of his
Duchy of Holstein. ''Tilly'' then invaded the Prince-Archbishopric and captured its southern parts. The city of
Bremen shut its city gates and entrenched behind its improved fortifications. In 1628 ''Tilly'' beleaguered ''Stade'' with its remaining garrison of 3,500 Danish and English soldiers. On May 5, 1628 ''Tilly'' granted them safe-conduct to England and Denmark and the whole Prince-Archbishopric was in his hands. Now ''Tilly'' turned to the city of
Bremen, which paid him a ransom of 10,000
rixdollars in order to spare its siege. The city remained unoccupied.
''Wallenstein'' had meanwhile conquered all the
Jutish Peninsula, which made ''Christian IV'' to sign the
Treaty of Lübeck, on May 22, 1629, in order to regain possession of all his feoffs on the peninsula, he in return agreed to formally end Denmark's participation in the
Thirty Years' War and waived for his son
Frederick II, Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Verden, the administration of that prince-bishopric as well as the provided succession as Administrator of the
Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt.
''John Frederick'', exiled in the
Imperial Free City of Lübeck, was in a markedly weak position. So in 1628 he consented that the Lutheran convent in the former
Premonstratensian in ''Stade'' – under Leaguist occupation – was restituted to Catholic rite and manned with foreign monks, if the Chapter would also agree. Again passing the buck on to the Chapter.
The Leaguist takeover enabled
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, to implement the
Edict of Restitution, decreed March 6, 1629, within the ''Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen''. The Bremian monasteries still maintaining Roman Catholic rite –
Altkloster, ''
Harsefeld'' ,
Neukloster, and – became the local strongholds for a reCatholicisation within the scope of
Counter-Reformation.
Under the threat of the
Edict of Restitution ''John Frederick'' consented to
Canonical Visitations of the remaining monasteries, those clinging to Roman Catholic rite and those converted to voluntary Lutheran convents alike. Nunneries had traditionally been institutions to provide unmarried daughters of the better off, who couldn't be provided a husband befitting their social status or who didn't want to marry, with a decent livelihood. So when an unmarried woman of that status joined a nunnery she would bestow earning assets (real estate) or – restricted to her lifetime – regular revenues paid by her male relatives, on the nunnery, making up in the former case part of the nunnery's
estates (not to be confused with the political body of the
Estates).
In many territories, where the majority of the population adopted
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
, the nunneries' function to provide sustenance for unmarried women wasn't to be given up. So it happened that the Prince-Archbishopric's former Roman Catholic
nunneries of Himmelpforten, ''
Lilienthal'' ,
Neuenwalde,
[Neuenwalde Convent has been re-established as Lutheran convent after the end of the Catholic occupation and is functioning up to the present day as such an institution.] and
Osterholz with all their estates had turned into such foundations (German: das ''Stift'', more particular:
''Damenstift'', literally ''Ladies' foundation''), while the nunnery of
Zeven was in the process of becoming one, with – among a majority of Catholic nuns – a number of ''nuns'' of Lutheran denomination, usually called conventuals. Other expressions like abbess, for the chairwoman, and prioress for conventuals of certain hierarchic function, were – and are partly – continued to be used in such Lutheran ''Stifte''.
Within the scope of the
visitations by the end of the year 1629 the Roman Catholic ''visitors'' issued an ultimatum to the Lutheran conventuals to convert to
Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
or to leave the
convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
s. No conversion had been recorded, so at different dates between before Christmas 1629 and April 1631 all Lutheran conventuals had been thrown out from the nunneries, with the estates of ''Himmelpforten'' and ''Neuenwalde'' then being bestowed to the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, in order to finance them and their missioning in the course of the ''Counter-Reformation'' in the Prince-Archbishopric. The expelled conventuals were denied to get the real estate restituted, which they bestowed on the nunnery, when they entered it.
''Ferdinand II'' suspended the capitulars from penalty, if they would dismiss the Lutheran coadjutor
Frederick, later Crown Prince of Denmark from office. The Chapter refused, still backing ''Frederick'', whom it had elected with full legal validity in 1621. So ''Ferdinand II'' himself dismissed him by way of using the ''Edict of Restitution'', in favour of his youngest son, the Roman Catholic
Leopold Wilhelm, Archduke of Austria, already prince-bishop of
Halberstadt (1628-1648),
Passau (1625-1662) and
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
(1626-1662).
''Ferdinand II'' left ''John Frederick'' in office, against Leaguist resistance, for he had always kept loyalty to him. The ''Catholic League'' wished the Roman Catholic
Franz Wilhelm, Count of Wartenberg, prince-bishopric of
Osnabrück (1625–1661), onto the See. After all, the See included at those years an annual revenue of 60,000
rixdollars at the free disposal of its holder, making up half the Prince-Archbishopric's budget.
''Franz Wilhelm, Count of Wartenberg'', appointed by ''Ferdinand II'' as chairman of the imperial ''restitution commission'', carrying out the provisions of the ''Edict of Restitution'' in the ''Lower Saxon Circle'', dismissed ''John Frederick'' in 1629, who acquiesced.
In February 1631 ''John Frederick'' conferred with
Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden and a number of Lower Saxon princes in
Leipzig, all of them troubled by Habsburg's growing influence wielded by virtue of the ''Edict of Restitution'' in a number of Northern German Lutheran prince-bishoprics. ''John Frederick'' speculated to regain the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen and therefore in June/July 1631 officially allied himself with Sweden. For the war being ''John Frederick'' accepted the supreme command of ''Gustavus II Adolphus'', who promised to restitute the Prince-Archbishopric to its former Administrator. In October an Army, newly recruited by ''John Frederick'', started to reconquer the Prince-Archbishopric and – supported by Swedish troops – to capture the neighboured Prince-Bishopric of Verden, de facto dismissing ''Verden's'' Catholic Prince-Bishop
Franz Wilhelm, Count of Wartenberg, (ruled 1630–1632) and causing the flight of the Catholic clergy wherever they arrived. The ''Prince-Bishopric of Verden'' became subject of a Swedish military administration with ''John Frederick'' being officially the Administrator.
The reconquest of the ''Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen'' – helped by forces from Sweden and from the city of Bremen – was interrupted by Leaguist forces under
Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, coming as a relief to
Stade, where they joined the Catholic imperial and Leaguist forces still holding out. On May 10, 1632, they were granted safe-conduct and left a desperately impoverished city of
Stade after its siege by ''John Frederick's'' forces. ''John Frederick'' was back in his office, only to realise the supremacy of Sweden, insisting on its supreme command until the war's end.
The ''Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen'' continuously suffered from billeting and alimenting soldiers. The relation between the Estates, who had to maintain administration under Catholic occupation, and the returned ''John Frederick'' were difficult. The Estates preferred to directly negotiate with the occupants, this time the Swedes. ''John Frederick'' wanted to secularise the monasteries in favour of his budget, but the opposing Estates prevented that.
After ''John Frederick's'' death in 1634 the Bremian Chapter and Estates regarded
Frederick's (later Danish Crown Prince) dismissal as coadjutor by
Ferdinand II by virtue of the ''Edict of Restitution'' illegitimate. But the Swedish occupants had to be persuaded first, to accept ''Frederick's'' succession. So Chapter and Estates ruled the Prince-Archbishopric until the conclusion of the negotiations with Sweden. In 1635 he succeeded as Lutheran Administrator
Frederick II in the Sees of Bremen and of Verden. But he had to render homage to the minor Queen regnant
Christina of Sweden.
In the same year
Pope Urban VIII provided the Catholic coadjutor
Leopold Wilhelm, Archduke of Austria, imposed in 1629 by his father ''Ferdinand II'', with the Archdiocese of Bremen, but due to its persisting occupation by the Swedes he never gained de facto pastoral influence let alone the power as prince-archbishop.
Ancestors
Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holstein-Gottorp, John Frederick of
Lutheran Prince-Archbishops of Bremen
Lutheran prince-bishops of Verden
Lutheran prince-bishops of Lübeck
1579 births
1634 deaths
17th century in Denmark
People from the Duchy of Holstein
House of Holstein-Gottorp
Protestant monarchs
Sons of dukes