Christian of Anhalt
Encyclopedia
Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, also known as Christian of Anhalt, (11 May 1568 – 17 April 1630) was a German prince of the House of Ascania. He was ruling prince of Anhalt
and, from 1603, ruling prince of the revived principality of Anhalt-Bernburg
. From 1595 he was governor of Upper Palatinate
, and soon became the advisor-in-chief of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
.
, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen. Born in Bernburg
, Christian was trained from 1570 in Dessau
by Caspar Gottschalk in Latin, Italian, and French. Still a child, he participated in diplomatic missions, among other places, to Constantinople
; thus prepared, he developed into an ambitious, urbane diplomat.
In the early months of 1586 he went to Dresden
and remained there several years as the closest friend of his namesake, Christian I, Elector of Saxony
, whose Calvinist sympathies he shared. It is known that he suffered from alcoholic excesses during his stay at the electoral court.
Taking possession of his family lands in December of the same year (1586), Christian remained a devoted Calvinist
and later served as advisor to Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
. In 1591 he led the Palatine army in aid of the French king Henry IV
. When a dispute for the possession of the Diocese of Strasbourg
erupted in 1592, he supported Brandenburg
against Lorraine
. In 1595 he was appointed Governor of the Upper Palatinate
by Frederick IV and settled in Amberg
.
In 1603 the principality of Anhalt was formally divided between Christian and his surviving brothers. He received Bernburg
, and with this settlement revived the old principality of the same name that had been extinct since 1468.
As a diplomat, Christian played an important role in the formation of the Protestant Union
in 1608. With the death of the Elector Frederick IV, Christian served his son, Frederick V
, and was appointed to command the Protestant forces to defend Bohemia
against Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II and his allies when that country's nobles elected Frederick as their king in 1619. The same year, Christian was accepted in the Fruitbearing Society
. When his forces were defeated at the Battle of White Mountain
in 1620, Christian advised Frederick against making a stand in Prague
. In 1621, in response to his affiliation with the Palatines, Christian was put under an imperial ban that effectively made him an outlaw within the Holy Roman Empire
and stripped him of his lands.
Christian fled first to Sweden
, and then became a guest of King Christian IV
in Denmark
. He appealed to Emperor Ferdinand for mercy in 1624 and was allowed to return to his principality, where he died six years later.
, 4 January 1579 - d. Bernburg, 9 December 1624), daughter of Arnold III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt-Tecklenburg-Limburg. They had sixteen children:
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
and, from 1603, ruling prince of the revived principality of Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Bernburg was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and a duchy of the German Confederation ruled by the House of Ascania with its residence at Bernburg in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...
. From 1595 he was governor of Upper Palatinate
Upper Palatinate
The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria.- History :The region took its name first in the early 16th century, because it was by the Treaty of Pavia one of the main portions of the territory of the Wittelsbach Elector...
, and soon became the advisor-in-chief of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine , only surviving son of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse, called "Frederick the Righteous" .-Life:Born in Amberg, his father died in October 1583 and...
.
Life
Christian was the second son of Joachim Ernest, Prince of AnhaltJoachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
Joachim Ernest of Anhalt , was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and from 1570 sole ruler of all the Anhalt lands....
, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Wolfgang I, Count of Barby-Mühlingen. Born in Bernburg
Bernburg
Bernburg is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the district of Salzlandkreis. It is situated on the river Saale, approx. 30 km downstream from Halle. The town is dominated by its huge Renaissance castle featuring a museum as well as a popular, recently updated bear pit in its...
, Christian was trained from 1570 in Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
by Caspar Gottschalk in Latin, Italian, and French. Still a child, he participated in diplomatic missions, among other places, to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
; thus prepared, he developed into an ambitious, urbane diplomat.
In the early months of 1586 he went to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
and remained there several years as the closest friend of his namesake, Christian I, Elector of Saxony
Christian I, Elector of Saxony
Christian I of Saxony was Elector of Saxony from 1586 to 1591.He was the sixth but second surviving son of Elector Augustus of Saxony and Anna of Denmark...
, whose Calvinist sympathies he shared. It is known that he suffered from alcoholic excesses during his stay at the electoral court.
Taking possession of his family lands in December of the same year (1586), Christian remained a devoted Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
and later served as advisor to Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine , only surviving son of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse, called "Frederick the Righteous" .-Life:Born in Amberg, his father died in October 1583 and...
. In 1591 he led the Palatine army in aid of the French king Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. When a dispute for the possession of the Diocese of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
erupted in 1592, he supported Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
against Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
. In 1595 he was appointed Governor of the Upper Palatinate
Upper Palatinate
The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria.- History :The region took its name first in the early 16th century, because it was by the Treaty of Pavia one of the main portions of the territory of the Wittelsbach Elector...
by Frederick IV and settled in Amberg
Amberg
Amberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,756 .- History :...
.
In 1603 the principality of Anhalt was formally divided between Christian and his surviving brothers. He received Bernburg
Bernburg
Bernburg is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the district of Salzlandkreis. It is situated on the river Saale, approx. 30 km downstream from Halle. The town is dominated by its huge Renaissance castle featuring a museum as well as a popular, recently updated bear pit in its...
, and with this settlement revived the old principality of the same name that had been extinct since 1468.
As a diplomat, Christian played an important role in the formation of the Protestant Union
Protestant Union
The Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member....
in 1608. With the death of the Elector Frederick IV, Christian served his son, Frederick V
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
, and was appointed to command the Protestant forces to defend Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
against Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Ferdinand II and his allies when that country's nobles elected Frederick as their king in 1619. The same year, Christian was accepted in the Fruitbearing Society
Fruitbearing Society
The Fruitbearing Society was a German literary society founded in 1617 in Weimar by German scholars and nobility to emulate the idea of the Accademia della Crusca in Florence and similar groups already thriving in Italy, to be followed in later years also in France and Britain...
. When his forces were defeated at the Battle of White Mountain
Battle of White Mountain
The Battle of White Mountain, 8 November 1620 was an early battle in the Thirty Years' War in which an army of 30,000 Bohemians and mercenaries under Christian of Anhalt were routed by 27,000 men of the combined armies of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor under Charles Bonaventure de Longueval,...
in 1620, Christian advised Frederick against making a stand in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. In 1621, in response to his affiliation with the Palatines, Christian was put under an imperial ban that effectively made him an outlaw within the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
and stripped him of his lands.
Christian fled first to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and then became a guest of King Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He appealed to Emperor Ferdinand for mercy in 1624 and was allowed to return to his principality, where he died six years later.
Marriage and issue
In Lorbach on 2 July 1595 Christian married Anna (b. BentheimBentheim
County of Bentheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe, the district of Emsland, and the districts of Steinfurt and Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The District has roughly the same territory as the County of...
, 4 January 1579 - d. Bernburg, 9 December 1624), daughter of Arnold III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt-Tecklenburg-Limburg. They had sixteen children:
- Frederick Christian (b. and d. Amberg, 2 May 1596).
- Amalie Juliane (b. Amberg, 10 September 1597 - d. Neinburg, Hannover, 11 August 1605).
- Christian II, Prince of Anhalt-BernburgChristian II, Prince of Anhalt-BernburgChristian II of Anhalt-Bernburg , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Bernburg....
(b. Amberg, 11 August 1599 - d. Bernburg, 22 September 1656). - Eleonore Marie (b. Amberg, 7 August 1600 - d. StrelitzStrelitzStrelitz refers to:*Mecklenburg-Strelitz, former German duchy*Mecklenburg-Strelitz , former district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany*Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, state of Weimar Germany*Neustrelitz, city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...
, 17 July 1657), married on 7 May 1626 to John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. - A daughter (b. and d. Amberg, May? 1601).
- Sibylle Elisabeth (b. Amberg, 10 February 1602 - d. Strelitz, 15 August 1648).
- Anna Magdalene (b. Amberg, 8 March 1603 - d. 30 October 1611).
- Anna Sophie (b. Amberg, 10 June 1604 - d. Bernburg, 1 September 1640).
- Louise Amalie (b. Amberg, 14 January 1606 - d. Bernburg, 17 October 1635).
- Ernest (b. Amberg, 19 May 1608 - d. NaumburgNaumburgNaumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
, 3 December 1632), colonel of a cavalry regiment in Saxon service, fatally wounded at the Battle of Lützen (1632)Battle of Lützen (1632)The Battle of Lützen was one of the most decisive battles of the Thirty Years' War. It was a Protestant victory, but cost the life of one of the most important leaders of the Protestant alliance, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, which caused the Protestant campaign to lose direction.- Prelude to the...
. - Amöena Juliane (b. Amberg, 13 November 1609 - d. Bernburg, 31 July 1628).
- Agnes Magdalene (b. Amberg, 8 October 1612 - d. Wildungen, 17 July 1629).
- Frederick, Prince of Anhalt(-Bernburg)-HarzgerodeFrederick, Prince of Anhalt-HarzgerodeFrederick of Anhalt-Harzgerode , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and the first ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Harzgerode....
(b. EnsdorfEnsdorfEnsdorf can refer to:*Ensdorf, Saarland, a village in the Saarlouis district, Saarland, Germany.*Ensdorf, Bavaria, a village in the Amberg-Sulzbach district, Bavaria, Germany*Ensdorf Abbey, in Ensdorf, Bavaria*Ensdorf class minesweeper...
, 16 November 1613 - d. PlötzkauPlötzkauPlötzkau is a municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....
, 30 June 1670). - Sophie Margarete (b. Amberg, 16 September 1615 - d. Dessau, 27 December 1673), married on 14 July 1651 to John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-DessauJohn Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-DessauJohn Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau....
. - Dorothea Matilde (b. Amberg, 11 August 1617 - d. Bernburg, 7 May 1656).
- Frederick Louis (b. Amberg, 17 August 1619 - d. HarzgerodeHarzgerodeHarzgerode is a town in the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-Geography:Its localities include:*Harzgerode*Alexisbad*Dankerode*Güntersberge*Königerode*Mägdesprung*Neudorf*Schielo*Silberhütte*Siptenfelde*Straßberg...
, 29 January 1621).