Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Spouse(s) Magdalene of Brandenburg
Noble family House of Guelph
Father Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother Margaret of Saxony
Born 1418
Died 19 March 1478(1478-03-19)
Celle

Frederick II (German: Friedrich II.), also known as Frederick the Pious (German: der Fromme) (1418–1478) was the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Lüneburg from 1434 to 1457 and from 1472 to 1478.

Life

After the death of his father Bernard, Frederick ruled the Principality of Lüneburg jointly with his brother Otto. The highlights of their rule were a major expansion of Celle Castle and numerous reforms to improve the legal position of farmers vis-à-vis their landlords. After his brother died in 1446, Frederick ruled the principality on his own. In 1452 he had a monastery built on the Heylig Kreuz ("Holy Cross") and brought Franciscan monks to Celle. In 1457 he passed the government of the principality to his son, Bernard, and entered the monastery, but in 1471, after the death of his second son Otto V, he left monastic life again and held the reins of power for his 3-year old first grandchild Henry. Frederick was interred in the church of the Franciscan monastery that he had founded in Celle.

Descendants

In 1437 Frederick II married Magdalene (1412–1454), daughter of Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg, and had three children by her:

  1. Bernhard II (died 1464) married Mathilda of Holstein-Schauenburg (died 1468)
  2. Otto the Victorious (1439–1471) married Anna of Nassau-Dillenburg (1441–1514)
  3. Margaret (1442–1512) married Henry, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard (died 1466)

Ancestors

References

External links

Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Cadet branch of the House of Este
Born: 1418 Died: 19 March 1478
German nobility
Preceded by
Bernard I
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Princes of Lüneburg
until 1446 joint reign with brother Otto IV

1434–1457
Succeeded by
Bernard II
Preceded by
Otto V the Victorious
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Prince of Lüneburg

1472–1478
Succeeded by
Henry the Middle
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