Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg
Encyclopedia
Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg (1417 – 9 March 1477) was from 1422 to 1477 Duke of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...

.

Life

Henry IV of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...

, because of his obesity and lavish lifestyle also called the "Henry the Fat", was the son of the Duke John IV
John IV, Duke of Mecklenburg
John IV, Duke of Mecklenburg was sole ruler of the Duchy of Mecklenburg from 1384 to 1395 and co-regent from 1395 to 1422.- Life :...

 of Mecklenburg and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg was the first consort of Gustav I of Sweden and Queen of Sweden from 1531 until her death in 1535. She was born in Ratzeburg to Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine, daughter of Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.-Biography:King Gustav married Catherine for...

.

He inherited Mecklenburg when his father died in 1422. His mother, Catherine, and his uncle, Albert V
Albert V, Duke of Mecklenburg
Albert V, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1412 until his death.Albert V was the son of Albert III and Agnes, daughter of Duke Magnus of Brunswick. Albert III died in 1412 and, in accordance with an agreement with John IV, Agnes acted as guardian and regent for Albert V. In 1415...

, acted as Regents until 1436. He then ruled jointly with his brother John V
John V, Duke of Mecklenburg
John V of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1436 to 1442.John V of Mecklenburg was the son of the Duke John IV of Mecklenburg and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg...

, until his brothers death in 1442. In May 1432, he married Dorothea of Brandenburg, the daughter of Elector Frederick I
Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick was Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick VI and Elector of Brandenburg as Frederick I. He was a son of Burgrave Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen, and was the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- Biography :Frederick entered...

 of Brandenburg.

With the death of Prince William of Werle
William of Werle
William of Werle , was co-regent of Werle from 1418 to 1425, then the sole ruler from 1425 until his death. After 1426, he called himself "Prince of the Wends"...

 in 1436, the male line of the Werle
Werle
Werle was a fiefdom, or Herrschaft in German, in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg ....

 branch of the House of Mecklenburg
House of Mecklenburg
The House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavic origin that ruled until 1918.- Origins :Niklot was a lord of the Wendish tribe of Obotrites. When the Holy Roman Empire expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with...

 died out, and Werle
Werle
Werle was a fiefdom, or Herrschaft in German, in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg ....

 fell to the Duchy of Mecklenburg. After Duke Ulrich II
Ulrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard
Ulrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg[-Stargard] was ruling duke in the Mecklenburg-Stargard part of the country from 1466 to 1471. He was the youngest child of Duke Henry, and his wife Ingeborg.- Life :...

 of Mecklenburg-Stargard died in 1471, Mecklenburg was again united under one ruler.

The Szczecin War of Succession between the Pomeranian Dukes and the Brandeburg's electors ended in late May 1472 through Henry's mediation.

A the end of his life, he gradually transferred his power to his sons Albert
Albert VI, Duke of Mecklenburg
Albert VI, Duke of Mecklenburg was a Duke of Mecklenburg.Albert was the son of Henry IV and Dorothea, the daughter of the Elector Frederick I of Brandenburg. In 1464, he and his brother John VI received from their father the bailiwicks of Güstrow, Plau, Laage and Stavenhagen as a source of...

, John
John VI, Duke of Mecklenburg
John VI, Duke of Mecklenburg was a Duke of Mecklenburg.- Life :John was the second son of the Duke Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg of Mecklenburg and his wife, Dorothea daughter of Elector Frederick II of Brandenburg....

 and Magnus. After Henry's death they ruled jointly, until John died in 1474 and Albert in 1483. After Albert's death, Magnus ruled alone. His younger brother Balthasar
Balthasar, Duke of Mecklenburg
Balthasar of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg, Coadjutor and administrator of the Diocese of Hildesheim and the Diocese of Schwerin from 1474 to 1479....

 cared little about the business of government.

Henry died in 1477 and was buried in the Doberan Abbey
Doberan Abbey
Doberan Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The church continues in use as Doberan Minster ....

.

Issue

  • John VI
    John VI, Duke of Mecklenburg
    John VI, Duke of Mecklenburg was a Duke of Mecklenburg.- Life :John was the second son of the Duke Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg of Mecklenburg and his wife, Dorothea daughter of Elector Frederick II of Brandenburg....

     († 1474), Duke of Mecklenburg
  • Albert VI
    Albert VI, Duke of Mecklenburg
    Albert VI, Duke of Mecklenburg was a Duke of Mecklenburg.Albert was the son of Henry IV and Dorothea, the daughter of the Elector Frederick I of Brandenburg. In 1464, he and his brother John VI received from their father the bailiwicks of Güstrow, Plau, Laage and Stavenhagen as a source of...

     († 1483), Duke of Mecklenburg
  • Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
  • Balthasar
    Balthasar, Duke of Mecklenburg
    Balthasar of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg, Coadjutor and administrator of the Diocese of Hildesheim and the Diocese of Schwerin from 1474 to 1479....

     Duke of Mecklenburg, coadjutor of the diocese of Schwerin
    Schwerin
    Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...

     until 1479.

External links

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