Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Encyclopedia
Frederick IV of Meissen and Elector of Saxony (Frederick the Belligerent (the Warlike)) (11 April 1370 – 4 January 1428) was Margrave of Meissen and Elector of Saxony from 1381 until his death. He is not to be confused with his cousin Frederick IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, the son of Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia
. Frederick the Warlike was never Landgrave of Thuringia.
, and Catherine of Henneberg
. After the death of his uncle William II, Margrave of Meissen
in 1407, he governed the Margraviate of Meissen together with his brother William III as well as with his cousin Frederick IV (son of Balthasar
), until their possessions were divided in 1410 and 1415.
In the German town war of 1388 he assisted Frederick V of Hohenzollern, burgrave of Nuremberg
, and in 1391 did the same for the Teutonic Order against Wladislaus II of Poland
. He supported Rupert III, Elector Palatine of the Rhine
, in his struggle with King Wenceslaus for the German throne, probably because Wenceslaus refused to fulfill a promise to give him his sister Anna
in marriage.
The danger to Germany from the Hussites induced Frederick to ally himself with Emperor Sigismund
; and he took a leading part in the war against them, during the earlier years of which he met with considerable success. In the prosecution of this enterprise Frederick spent large sums of money, for which he received various places in Bohemia
and elsewhere in pledge from Sigismund, who further rewarded him in 6 January 1423 with the vacant electoral
Duchy of Saxony-Wittenberg; and Fredericks formal investiture followed at Ofen on the 1 August 1425. Thus ascended Frederick IV, who called himself Frederick I now, to the duke and elector. Thus spurred to renewed efforts against the Hussites, the elector was endeavouring to rouse the German princes to aid him in prosecuting this war when the Saxon army was almost annihilated at Aussig on the 16 August 1426.
After the death of his brother William Frederick became ruler over the entire possession of The House of Wettin except Thuringia
.
Frederick died in 1428 at Altenburg
. He was buried as the first Wettin
in the cathedral chapel in Meissen.
In 1409, in conjunction with his brother William, he founded the University of Leipzig
, for the benefit of German students who had just left the University of Prague
.
(d. 1442), daughter of Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
and had 7 children:
Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia
Landgrave Balthasar of Thuringia was Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia from the House of Wettin.- Life :Balthasar was the second son of Frederick the Serious...
. Frederick the Warlike was never Landgrave of Thuringia.
Biography
He was the eldest son of Frederick III, Landgrave of ThuringiaFrederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia
Frederick III, the Strict , Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, was the son of Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen and Mathilde of Bavaria....
, and Catherine of Henneberg
Catherine of Henneberg
Catherine of Henneberg was a Countess of Henneberg by birth and from 1347 by marriage Margravine of Meissen, Landgravine of Thuringia, etc. She was the wife of Margrave Frederick the Severe of Meissen...
. After the death of his uncle William II, Margrave of Meissen
William II, Margrave of Meissen
Wilhelm II, the Rich was the second son of Margrave Frederick the Strict of Meissen and Catherine of Henneberg....
in 1407, he governed the Margraviate of Meissen together with his brother William III as well as with his cousin Frederick IV (son of Balthasar
Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia
Landgrave Balthasar of Thuringia was Margrave of Meissen and Landgrave of Thuringia from the House of Wettin.- Life :Balthasar was the second son of Frederick the Serious...
), until their possessions were divided in 1410 and 1415.
In the German town war of 1388 he assisted Frederick V of Hohenzollern, burgrave of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, and in 1391 did the same for the Teutonic Order against Wladislaus II of Poland
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
. He supported Rupert III, Elector Palatine of the Rhine
Rupert of Germany
Rupert of Germany from the House of Wittelsbach was Elector Palatine from 1398 and German King from 1400 until his death...
, in his struggle with King Wenceslaus for the German throne, probably because Wenceslaus refused to fulfill a promise to give him his sister Anna
Anne of Bohemia
Anne of Bohemia was Queen of England as the first wife of King Richard II. A member of the House of Luxembourg, she was the eldest daughter of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and Elizabeth of Pomerania....
in marriage.
The danger to Germany from the Hussites induced Frederick to ally himself with Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
; and he took a leading part in the war against them, during the earlier years of which he met with considerable success. In the prosecution of this enterprise Frederick spent large sums of money, for which he received various places in 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...
and elsewhere in pledge from Sigismund, who further rewarded him in 6 January 1423 with the vacant electoral
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Duchy of Saxony-Wittenberg; and Fredericks formal investiture followed at Ofen on the 1 August 1425. Thus ascended Frederick IV, who called himself Frederick I now, to the duke and elector. Thus spurred to renewed efforts against the Hussites, the elector was endeavouring to rouse the German princes to aid him in prosecuting this war when the Saxon army was almost annihilated at Aussig on the 16 August 1426.
After the death of his brother William Frederick became ruler over the entire possession of The House of Wettin except Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
.
Frederick died in 1428 at Altenburg
Altenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
. He was buried as the first Wettin
Wettin (dynasty)
The House of Wettin is a dynasty of German counts, dukes, prince-electors and kings that once ruled the area of today's German states of Saxony, the Saxon part of Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia for more than 800 years...
in the cathedral chapel in Meissen.
In 1409, in conjunction with his brother William, he founded the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, for the benefit of German students who had just left the University of Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
.
Family
Frederick I married 8 February 1402 Catherine of Brunswick-LüneburgCatherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg was a member of the House of Welf, a princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg and by marriage, the Electress of Saxony.- Life :...
(d. 1442), daughter of Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called Henry the Mild, was prince of Lüneburg from 1388 to 1409 jointly with his brother Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from 1400 to 1409 also of Wolfenbüttel, and from 1409 until his death sole prince of Lüneburg.Henry was the...
and had 7 children:
- Catherine, died young;
- Frederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
(1412 – 1464); - Sigismund, Bishop of WürzburgWürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, (3 March 1416 – 24 December 1471); - Anna, (5 June 1420 – 17 September 1462), married to Louis I, Landgrave of HesseLouis I, Landgrave of HesseLouis I of Hesse , called "the Peaceful" was Landgrave of Lower Hesse from 1413-1458....
; - Catherine, (1421 – 23 August 1476, BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
), married to Frederick II, Elector of BrandenburgFrederick II, Elector of BrandenburgFrederick II of Brandenburg , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Biography:Frederick II was born in Tangermünde to Frederick I, Brandenburg's...
; - Henry, (21 May 1422 – 22 July 1435);
- William III, Duke of Luxemburg (1425 – 1482), Landgrave of Thuringia;
- married firstly, in 1446, Archduchess Anne of AustriaAnne, Duchess of LuxembourgAnne of Bohemia and Austria was a Duchess of Luxembourg in her own right, and as consort, Landgravine of Thuringia and of Saxony....
(1432-1462) - married secondly, in 1463, Catherine of Brandenstein († 1492)