George Rudolf of Liegnitz
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George Rudolf of Liegnitz (german: Georg Rudolf von Liegnitz; pl, Jerzy Rudolf Legnicki) (22 January 1595 – 14 January 1653) was
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
of Liegnitz-Wohlau (present-day Legnica-
Wołów Wołów (german: Wohlau, cz, Volov) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Wołów County and Gmina Wołów. It lies approximately north-west of the regional capital Wrocław. , the town has a popul ...
) from 1602 to 1653. A humanist, patron of arts, composer and poet, he was also Upper Governor of Silesia during 1621-1628 and from 1641 onwards.


Life

George Rudolf was born in Ohlau, the third but second surviving son of
Joachim Frederick of Brieg Joachim Frederick of (Legnica-)Brieg (german: Joachim Friedrich von Liegnitz-Brieg; pl, Joachim Fryderyk legnicko-brzeski; 29 September 1550 – Brzeg, 25 March 1602), was a Duke of Oława and Wołów (since 1586 with his brother as a co-ruler ...
, Duke of Liegnitz-Brieg (Legnica-Brzeg) and
Anna Maria of Anhalt Anna Maria of Anhalt ( pl, Anna Maria Anhalcka; Zerbst, 13 June 1561 – Brzeg, 14 November 1605), was by birth a member of the House of Ascania and a princess of Anhalt. After her marriage, she was Duchess of Legnica-Brzeg-Oława-Wołów. Anna M ...
, daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt. At the death of their father in 1602, George Rudolf and his older brother John Christian were minors, and their mother, the Dowager Duchess Anna Maria, became regent. After her death in 1605, the regency was taken by the paternal aunt of the young Dukes (the only surviving sibling of the late Joachim Frederick), Elisabeth Magdalena of Brieg and her husband, Karl II of Poděbrady, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (
Ziębice Ziębice (german: Münsterberg) is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. The town lies on the Oława River, approximately east of Ząbkowice Śląskie and south of the regional capital ...
-
Oleśnica Oleśnica (pronounced ; german: Oels; szl, Ôleśnica) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, within the Wrocław metropolitan area. It is the administrative seat of Oleśnica County and also of the rural district of ...
). In 1609 John Christian became an adult and handled the government and George Rudolf's guardianship. When in 1612 George Rudolf became of age, the brothers divided their domains, Georg Rudolf ruling over "Liegnitz" (present-day Legnica,
Wołów Wołów (german: Wohlau, cz, Volov) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Wołów County and Gmina Wołów. It lies approximately north-west of the regional capital Wrocław. , the town has a popul ...
,
Złotoryja Złotoryja (; german: Goldberg, ; Latin: ''Aureus Mons'', ''Aurum'') is a historic town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in southwestern Poland, the administrative seat of Złotoryja County, and of the smaller Gmina Złotoryja. Having been granted ...
, Grodźca,
Lubin Lubin (; german: Lüben, szl, Lubin) is a city in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Lubin County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Lubin, although it is not part of the territory of ...
,
Prochowice Prochowice (german: Parchwitz) is a town in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Prochowice. It lies approximately north-east of Legnica, and w ...
,
Wińsko Wińsko (german: Winzig) is a village (former town) in Wołów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Wińsko. It lies approximately north of Wołów, and ...
,
Wąsosz Wąsosz (formerly german: Herrnstadt) is a town in Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district ( gmina) called Gmina Wąsosz. It lies approximately south-east of Góra, and north ...
,
Ryczeń Ryczeń is a village (former town) in the administrative district of Gmina Góra, within Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany. It lies approximately south-west of Góra, and north-w ...
and Rudna and from 1616 on
Chojnów Chojnów (german: Haynau, Silesian German: Hoyn, Silesian language: ''Chojnůw'') is a small town in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is located on the Skora river, a tributary of the Kaczawa at an ave ...
) and John Christian over "Brieg" (present-day
Brzeg Brzeg (; Latin: ''Alta Ripa'', German: ''Brieg'', Silesian German: ''Brigg'', , ) is a town in southwestern Poland with 34,778 inhabitants (December 2021) and the capital of Brzeg County. It is situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on t ...
,
Oława Oława (pronounced , , szl, Oława) is a historic town in south-western Poland with 33,029 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (from 1975–1998 it was in the former Wrocław Voivodeship), within the Wrocław ...
,
Strzelin Strzelin (german: Strehlen, cz, Střelín) is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located on the Oława river, a tributary of the Oder, about south of the region's capital Wrocław. It is part of the Wrocław me ...
,
Niemcza Niemcza (german: Nimptsch) is a town in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Niemcza. The town lies on the Ślęza River, approximately e ...
,
Kluczbork Kluczbork (german: Kreuzburg O.S., szl, Kluczborek) is a town in southern Poland with 23,554 inhabitants (2019), situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Kluczbork County and an important railroad junction. In Kluczbork the major ...
and
Byczyna Byczyna (Latin: ''Bicina'', ''Bicinium''; german: Pitschen) is a town in Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,490 inhabitants as of December 2021. History The town of Byczyna was first mention in 1054 when it temporarily served as ...
). Following the example of his brother, George Rudolf converted to
Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
in 1614. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, he was exiled for fifteen years (1633–1648) as a result of the occupation of his land by the
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
Imperial army, though he nominally retained the government. George Rudolf, as a ruler, was thoroughly educated and supported the development of culture and science. In particular, he is known as the creator of the famous ''Biblioteca Rudolphina''. In his court were reunited prominent scholars, poets and composers such as
Martin Opitz Martin Opitz von Boberfeld (23 December 1597 – 20 August 1639) was a German poet, regarded as the greatest of that nation during his lifetime. Biography Opitz was born in Bunzlau (Bolesławiec) in Lower Silesia, in the Principality of ...
and
Friedrich von Logau Friedrich von Logau (January 1605 – 24 July 1655) was a German poet and epigrammatist of the Baroque era. Life He was born the son of Georg von Logau, estate owner in Brockut near Nimptsch in Silesia (present-day Niemcza, Poland). His fathe ...
, who often found asylum and protection at his court. He also promoted musical education; the Duke trained in composing competitions during a stay in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, and collected prints and manuscripts of music works. During this time, he met one of the most prominent composers of his era,
Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...
, who dedicated to George Rudolf his collection of religious songs ''Cantiones sacrae''. Some surviving compositions by George Rudolf were recorded by Ars Nova on the CD "Rudolphina - Legnica Treasures" under direction of the Polish musician Jacek Urbaniak. In Dessau on 4 November 1614, George Rudolf married his first cousin Sophie Elisabeth (10 February 1589 – 9 February 1622), daughter of his maternal uncle
John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau , house = House of Ascania , father = Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt , mother = Agnes of Barby-Mühlingen , birth_date = , birth_place = Harzgerode,Principality of Anhalt-Dessau,Upper Saxon Circle,Holy Roman Empire , death_date = , dea ...
. His second marriage (on 25 November 1624) was to another first cousin: Elisabeth Magdalena (29 May 1599 – 4 November 1631), daughter of aforementioned Duke Karl II and George Rudolf's paternal aunt Elisabeth Magdalena of Brieg. Both marriages were childless. Twice widowed, George Rudolf remained single for the next twenty-two years, until his death at Breslau. His lands were inherited by his nephews George III, Louis IV and Christian, the three only surviving sons of the first (and only equal) marriage of his brother John Christian, who had died in 1639.


Sources and references

*von Isenburg, Prince W.K. & Schwennicke D.; ''
Europäische Stammtafeln ''Europäische Stammtafeln'' - German for ''European Family Trees'' - is a series of twenty-nine books which contain sets of genealogical tables of the most influential families of Medieval European history. It is a standard reference work for thos ...
'' (Vol III, Part I, Table 11), Marburg (1984) * *
Chronological Dates in StoyanKultura polska: RUDOLPHINA. SKARBY LEGNICY
{{Authority control 1595 births 1653 deaths Dukes of Legnica People from Oława