Ernest II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Ernest II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Noble family	House of Guelph
Father	William the Younger of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Dorothea of Denmark
Born	31 December 1564
Died	2 March 1611 (aged 46)

Ernest II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1564–1611), was the Prince of Lüneburg from 1592 to 1611.

Life

Ernest was born on 31 December 1564 as the second of fifteen children and the eldest son of William the Younger and his consort Dorothea of Denmark. After studying at Wittenberg, Leipzig and Straßburg he returned to Celle as a result of his father's worsening health. In 1592, after the death of his father, he took over the reins of power. Initially he was limited to a rule of 8 years by a treaty with his brother Christian and the nobles. However, following the sealing of subsequent agreement, he was able to exercise power until his death on 2 March 1611. His rule was dominated by attempts to improve the financial situation of both the principality as well as his family, because his father had left the state in serious debt. Also worth mentioning is the Celle Family Treaty concluded by him in 1610, which secured the indivisibility of the principality and which was confirmed by Emperor Matthias in 1612.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Ernest II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

16. Otto V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               8. Henry I of Lüneburg                       17. Anna of Nassau-Dillenburg               4. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                             18. Ernest, Elector of Saxony               9. Margarete of Saxony                       19. Elisabeth of Bavaria               2. William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                   20. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg               10. Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg                       21. Sophia of Pomerania               5. Sophia of Mecklenburg                             22. John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (= 26)               11. Ursula of Brandenburg                       23. Margaret of Thuringia (= 27)               1. Ernest II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                         24. Christian I of Denmark               12. Frederick I of Denmark                       25. Dorothea of Brandenburg               6. Christian III of Denmark                             26. John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (= 22)               13. Anna of Brandenburg                       27. Margaret of Thuringia (= 23)               3. Dorothea of Denmark                                   28. John V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg               14. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                       29. Dorothea of Brandenburg               7. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg                             30. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               15. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel                       31. Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast

See also

• List of the rulers of Lüneburg

Sources

• William Sauer (1877), "Ernst II., Herzog von Braunschweig-Lüneburg", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (in German) 6, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, p. 261

External links

• Publications by or about Ernest II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg at VD 17
• House of Welf