John George, Elector of Brandenburg

John George
Elector of Brandenburg
John George, Elector of Brandenburg
Elector of Brandenburg
Reign	1571–1598
Predecessor	Joachim II Hector
Successor	Joachim Frederick
Born	11 September 1525 Cölln
Died	8 January 1598 (aged 72) Cölln
Spouse	Sophie of Legnica Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst
Issue	Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg George Albert John Albert Magdalena Sabina Erdmuthe, Duchess of Pomerania Marie Magdalena Margaret Anna Maria, Duchess of Pomerania Sophie, Electress of Saxony Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Magdalena, Landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach Agnes, Duchess of Pomerania and Saxe-Lauenburg Frederick IX, Margrave of Brandenburg Elisabeth Sophia, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg Dorothea Sibylle, Duchess of Brieg George Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg Sigismund John, Bishop of Havelberg John George
House	Hohenzollern
Father	Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg
Mother	Magdalena of Saxony
Religion	Lutheranism

John George and his second consort, Sabine of Ansbach

John George of Brandenburg (German: Johann Georg) (11 September 1525 – 8 January 1598) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1571–1598) and a Duke of Prussia. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the son of Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg, and his first wife Magdalena of Saxony.

Faced with large debts accumulated during the reign of his father, John George instituted a grain tax which drove part of the peasantry into dependence on a nobility that was exempt from taxation. Though a staunch Lutheran opposed to the rise of Calvinism, he permitted the admission of Calvinist refugees from the wars in the Spanish Netherlands and France. He was succeeded by his son Joachim Frederick.

Upon the death of his kinsman Albert I, Duke of Prussia in 1568, the Duchy of Prussia was inherited by the latter's underage son Albert Frederick. John George's father was a co-inheritor of the Duchy of Prussia. In 1577 the Brandenburg electors became co-regent with Duke Albert Frederick of Prussia.

Family and children

John George was married three times.

His first wife was Princess Sophie of Legnica (ca. 1525 – 6 February 1546), whom he married in 1545. They had one child together:

1. Joachim Frederick (27 January 1546 – 18 July 1608)

Secondly, he married Margravine Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach (12 May 1529 – 2 November 1575), daughter of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, in 1548. They had the following children:^[1][2]

1. George Albert (19 February 1555 – 8 January 1557)
2. John (1557 – died young), twin with Albert
3. Albert (1557 – died young), twin with John
4. Magdalena Sabina (1559 – died young)
5. Erdmuthe (26 June 1561 – 13 November 1623), married in 1577 to Duke John Frederick of Pomerania
6. Marie (1562 – died young)
7. Hedwig (1563 – died young)
8. Magdalena (1564 – died young)
9. Margaret (1565 – died young)
10. Anna Maria (3 February 1567 – 4 November 1618), married in 1581 to Duke Barnim X of Pomerania
11. Sophie (6 June 1568 – 7 December 1622), married in 1582 to Elector Christian I of Saxony

Thirdly, he married Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst (15 September [O.S. 5 September] 1563 – 5 October 1607) in 1577. They had the following children:

1. Christian (30 January 1581 – 30 May 1655)
2. Magdalena (7 January 1582 – 4 May 1616), married in 1598 to Landgrave Louis V of Hesse-Darmstadt
3. Joachim Ernest (22 June 1583 – 7 March 1625)
4. Agnes (17 July 1584 – 26 March 1629), married:
   1. in 1604 Duke Philipp Julius of Pomerania;
   2. in 1628 Duke Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg
5. Frederick (22 March 1588 – 19 May 1611)
6. Elisabeth Sophia (13 July 1589 – 24 December 1629), married:
   1. in 1613 to Reichsfürst (Prince) Janusz Radziwiłł;
   2. on 27 February 1628 to Duke Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
7. Dorothea Sibylle (19 October 1590 – 9 March 1625), married in 1610 to Duke John Christian of Brieg
8. George Albert (20 November 1591 – 29 November 1615)
9. Sigismund (20 November 1592 – 30 April 1640)
10. John (13 July 1597 – 23 September 1627), Bishop of Havelberg
11. John George (4 August 1598 – 27 January 1637)

Ancestors

John George's ancestors in three generations

John George, Elector of Brandenburg	Father: Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg	Paternal Grandfather: Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg	Paternal Great-grandfather: John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Margaret of Thuringia
		Paternal Grandmother: Elisabeth of Denmark	Paternal Great-grandfather: John of Denmark
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Christina of Saxony
	Mother: Magdalena of Saxony	Maternal Grandfather: George, Duke of Saxony	Maternal Great-grandfather: Albert, Duke of Saxony
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Sidonie of Poděbrady
		Maternal Grandmother: Barbara Jagiellon	Maternal Great-grandfather: Casimir IV Jagiellon
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Elisabeth of Austria

References

1. Princess Sabine zu Brandenburg, Electress of Brandenburg in: ourfamilyhistories.org [retrieved 14 November 2015].
2. Sabine Princess of Brandenburg in: tree.familyhistory.uk.com [retrieved 14 November 2015].

External links

• A portrait with ducal title