John George of Brandenburg (; 11 September 1525 – 8 January 1598) was a

prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

of the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg () was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that, having electoral status although being quite poor, grew rapidly in importance after inheriting the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 and then came ...

(1571–1598).

Early life

Born as a member of the

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, ; , ; ) is a formerly royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) German dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern Castle, Hohenzollern, Margraviate of Bran ...

, he was the son of

Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim II ( or ''Hektor''; 13 January 1505 – 3 January 1571) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1535–1571), the sixth member of the House of Hohenzollern. Joachim II was the eldest son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Br ...

, and his first wife Princess

Magdalena of Saxony Magdalena of Saxony (7 March 1507 – 25 January 1534) was Margravine of Brandenburg, as well as Electoral Princess of Brandenburg. She was the daughter of George ''the Bearded'', Duke of Saxony and his wife Barbara. Magdalena's maternal grandp ...

Biography

Faced with large debts of 2.5 million

guilder Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' (" gold penny"). This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Rom ...

accumulated during the reign of his father, John George instituted a grain tax which drove part of the peasantry into dependence on a nobility that was exempt from taxation. He had Jews expelled from Brandenburg in 1573, stripped of their assets and prohibited from returning. Though a staunch

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 ...

opposed to the rise of

Calvinism 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 Christian, Presbyteri ...

, he permitted the admission of Calvinist refugees from the wars in the

Spanish Netherlands The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. On 13 July 1574, he founded the

Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster The Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, located in suburban Schmargendorf, Berlin, is an independent school with a humanistic profile, known as one of the most prestigious schools in Germany. Founded by the Evangelical Church in West Ber ...

, the first humanistic educational institution in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. He was succeeded by his son Joachim Frederick. Upon the death of his kinsman

Albert I, Duke of Prussia Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street ...

in 1568, the

Duchy of Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (, , ) or Ducal Prussia (; ) was a duchy in the region of Prussia established as a result of secularization of the Monastic Prussia, the territory that remained under the control of the State of the Teutonic Order until t ...

was inherited by the latter's underage son

Albert Frederick Albert Frederick (; ; 7 May 1553 – 27 August 1618) was the Duke of Prussia, from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He was the second and last Prussian duke of the Ansbach branch ...

. John George's father was a co-inheritor of the Duchy of Prussia. In 1577 the Brandenburg electors became co-regent with Duke Albert Frederick of Prussia.

Family and children

John George was married three times. His first wife was Princess

Sophie of Legnica Princess Sophie of Legnica (1525 – 6 February 1546) was wife and consort of the Elector of Brandenburg. Early life Born into the House of Schlesien-Piast, she was the daughter of Frederick II, Duke of Legnica, Brzeg, and Wohlau, and h ...

(ca. 1525 – 6 February 1546), whom he married in 1545. They had one child together: # Joachim Frederick (27 January 1546 – 18 July 1608) Secondly, he married

Margravine Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Empir ...

Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach (12 May 1529 – 2 November 1575), daughter of

George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach George of Brandenburg-Ansbach ( German: ''Georg''; 4 March 1484 – 27 December 1543), known as George the Pious (''Georg der Fromme''), was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern. Biography Early life He was ...

, in 1548. They had the following children:''Sabine Princess of Brandenburg'' in: tree.familyhistory.uk.com
etrieved 14 November 2015 # George Albert (19 February 1555 – 8 January 1557) died in early childhood. # John (1 March 1557), died at birth, twin with Albert. # Albert (1 March 1557), died at birth, twin with John. # Magdalena Sabina (9 September 1559) died at birth. # Erdmuthe (26 June 1561 – 13 November 1623), married in 1577 to Duke John Frederick of Pomerania # Marie (13 September 1562) died at birth. # Hedwig (19 August 1563) died at birth. # Magdalena (31 July 1564) died at birth. # Margaret (19 September 1565) died at birth. # Anna Maria (3 February 1567 – 4 November 1618), married in 1581 to Duke Barnim X of Pomerania #

Sophie Sophie is a feminine given name, another version of Sophia, from the Greek word for "wisdom". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Soph ...

(6 June 1568 – 7 December 1622), married in 1582 to Elector Christian I of Saxony Thirdly, he married Princess

Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst (15 September 1563 – 8 November 1607) was Electress of Brandenburg by marriage to John George, Elector of Brandenburg. Early life Elizabeth was a daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt (1536–1585), from ...

( – 5 October 1607) in 1577. They had the following children: #

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

(30 January 1581 – 30 May 1655) # Magdalena (7 January 1582 – 4 May 1616), married in 1598 to

Landgrave Landgrave (, , , ; , ', ', ', ', ') was a rank of nobility used in the Holy Roman Empire, and its former territories. The German titles of ', ' ("margrave"), and ' ("count palatine") are of roughly equal rank, subordinate to ' ("duke"), and su ...

Louis V of Hesse-Darmstadt Louis V of Hesse-Darmstadt (; 24 September 1577 – 27 July 1626) was the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1596 to 1626. Early life He was born on 24 September 1577 as the son of George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Magdalene of Lip ...

# Joachim Ernest (22 June 1583 – 7 March 1625) # Agnes (17 July 1584 – 26 March 1629), married: ## in 1604 Duke Philipp Julius of Pomerania; ## in 1628 Duke

Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg (2 May 1594 – 30 November 1660 in Neuhaus) was a prince of Saxe-Lauenburg and a general during the Thirty Years' War. Life Francis Charles was a son of the Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg (1547–1619) f ...

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

(22 March 1588 – 19 May 1611) # Elisabeth Sophia (13 July 1589 – 24 December 1629), married: ## in 1613 to

Reichsfürst Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...

(Prince) Janusz Radziwiłł; ## on 27 February 1628 to Duke

Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg Julius Henry (9 April 1586 – 20 November 1665) was duke of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1656 and 1665. Before ascending to the throne he served as Field Marshal in the imperial army. Life Before regency Born at Wolfenbüttel, he was a son of Duke ...

# Dorothea Sibylle (19 October 1590 – 9 March 1625), married in 1610 to Duke John Christian of Brieg # George Albert (20 November 1591 – 29 November 1615) # Sigismund (20 November 1592 – 30 April 1640) died aged 47 unmarried with no issue. # John (13 July 1597 – 23 September 1627), Bishop of Havelberg died unmarried with no issue. # John George (4 August 1598 – 27 January 1637) died unmarried with no issue.

Ancestors

References

External links

A portrait with ducal title
ged 72 {{DEFAULTSORT:John George, Elector of Brandenburg 1525 births 1598 deaths Prince-electors of Brandenburg German Lutherans Lutheran prince-bishops of Brandenburg Burials at Berlin Cathedral