Charles II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Encyclopedia
Charles II of Münsterberg-Oels (also: Charles II of Poděbrady; ; 15 April 1545, Oleśnica
– 28 January 1617, Oleśnica
) was Duke of Oels
from 1565 to 1617 and Duke of Bernstadt
from 1604 to 1617. He also hald the titles of Duke of Münsterberg and Count of Glatz
. From 1608 to 1617 he was Governor
of Silesia
under the emperors Rudolf
and Matthias
.
. His parents were Henry II
of Münsterberg and Oels (1507–1548) and Margaret (1515–1559), daughter of Duke Henry V
of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
.
In 1561, Charles II went to Vienna with his tutor to study. In Vienna, he lived at the court of Emperor Ferdinand I
. After Ferdinand's death in 1565, he stayed for another six years at the court of Emperor Maximilian II
, whom he accompanied at all diets
as well as on journeys to Hungary and further.
After the death of his uncle John of Poděbrady
in 1565 Charles inherited the Duchy of Oels
. On 17 September 1570 he married Catherine Berka of Duba
(1553–1583) at Moravská Třebová
. Through this marriage he acquired to Lordship of Šternberk in North Moravia, which remained in his family until 1647. After Catherine's death in 1583, Charles married Elisabeth Magdalena (1562–1630), daughter of the Duke George II of Brzeg, on 30 September 1585.
After the death of Lord Jiřík Zajímač of Kunštát in 1587, his sister Catherine, who was married with Hynek Brtnice of Waldstein ' onMouseout='HidePop("56919")' href="/topics/Jevišovice">Jevišovice
in South Moravia to Charles II, because the Münsterberg line was the only surviving branch of the Kunštát family. In 1588 Charles swapped with Bishop Stanislaus Pavlovský of Pavlovitz of Olomouc
, the Lordship of Zdar nad Sazavou
in Moravia for some smaller estates in the vicinity of Šternberk.
Charles was a follower of the evangelical teaching which he promoted in his Moravian lordships. In Trzebnica
he was able to establish the evangelical church, even though the abbess of the Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga in Trzebnica
fought fiercely against it and was supported by the bishop in Wroclaw as well as by the Emperor. In 1602, he assumed the guardianship of his nephews John Christian
of Brieg and George Rudolf
of Liegnitz, who were raised at his court in Oels. In 1604 he bought back the Duchy of Bernstadt
, which his brother Henry III
had sold in 1574.
After the death of Bishop John VI of Sitsch of Breslau in 1608, he was appointed governor of Silesia by Emperor Charles II.
had started. In 1594, he founded the "illustrious high school" as well as a library that served the faculty and students, but was also available to the citizens of Oels. It was housed in a room of the Castle Church and, after the church collapsed in 1905 a new wing attached to the front hall. After the Second World War and the associated transition to Poland, this room was not accessible and the library was initially listed as missing. In 1997, the files could by indexed by the Commission for Personal Libraries of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. The damaged book collection was restored with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior.
His second marriage to Elizabeth Magdalene produced:
Olesnica
Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
– 28 January 1617, Oleśnica
Olesnica
Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
) was Duke of Oels
Duchy of Oels
The Duchy of Oels or Duchy of Oleśnica was one of the duchies of Silesia, with the capital in Oleśnica, Poland.Initially part of the Piast Duchy of Wrocław, the Oleśnica area became part of the Duchy of Głogów in 1294, following an armed conflict between Duke Henry III and Henry V the Fat, Duke of...
from 1565 to 1617 and Duke of Bernstadt
Duchy of Bernstadt
The Duchy of Bernstadt was a Silesian duchy centred on the city of Bernstadt in Lower Silesia and formed by separation from the Duchy of Oels . It was first ruled by the Silesian Piasts dynasty, until its extinction in 1492. In 1495 it and the Duchy of Oels passed to the Dukes of Münsterberg,...
from 1604 to 1617. He also hald the titles of Duke of Münsterberg and Count of Glatz
Glatz
Glatz can refer to :Places* Glatz, German name of a city in Lower Silesia, since 1945 Kłodzko, Poland* Landkreis Glatz, Prussian/German county 1816–1945, in the Province of Lower Silesia* Grafschaft Glatz, Duchy of Glatz, since 1348People...
. From 1608 to 1617 he was Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
under the emperors Rudolf
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
and Matthias
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor
Matthias of Austria was Holy Roman Emperor from 1612, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1608 and King of Bohemia from 1611...
.
Life
Charles II was a member of the Münsterberg branch of the House of PoděbradyPodiebrad family
The Bohemian Poděbrady family was a noble family in Bohemia, arising from the Lords of Kunštát. After Boček of Kunštát had acquired the Lordship of Poděbrady by marriage, he called himself "Boček of Kunštát and Poděbrady". The best known member of the family was George of Poděbrady, who was...
. His parents were Henry II
Henry II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Henry II of Münsterberg-Oels was from 1536 to 1542 Duke of Münsterberg and of Oels and from 1542 to 1548 Duke of Bernstadt...
of Münsterberg and Oels (1507–1548) and Margaret (1515–1559), daughter of Duke Henry V
Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg
Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg, nicknamed the Peaceful, was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg in the region Mecklenburg-Schwerin, son of the Duke Magnus II and Sophia of Pomerania....
of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
.
In 1561, Charles II went to Vienna with his tutor to study. In Vienna, he lived at the court of Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
. After Ferdinand's death in 1565, he stayed for another six years at the court of Emperor Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
, whom he accompanied at all diets
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
as well as on journeys to Hungary and further.
After the death of his uncle John of Poděbrady
John, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
John of Münsterberg-Oels was Duke of the Münsterberg from 1542 to 1565, Duke of Oels from 1548 to 1565 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1548 to 1565. He also held the title of Count of Glatz.- Life :Johann Berger family was a member of the Münsterberg branch of the noble Poděbrady family...
in 1565 Charles inherited the Duchy of Oels
Duchy of Oels
The Duchy of Oels or Duchy of Oleśnica was one of the duchies of Silesia, with the capital in Oleśnica, Poland.Initially part of the Piast Duchy of Wrocław, the Oleśnica area became part of the Duchy of Głogów in 1294, following an armed conflict between Duke Henry III and Henry V the Fat, Duke of...
. On 17 September 1570 he married Catherine Berka of Duba
Berka z Dubé
Berka z Dubé was a medieval Bohemian aristocracy line established by Hynek Berka z Dubé .-Domanial:Houska, Bělá, Bezděz, Lemberk, Dubí, Zákupy, Milštejn, Tolštejn, Kokořín, Kuřívody, Berštejn-Notable aristocrats:...
(1553–1583) at Moravská Třebová
Moravská Trebová
Moravská Třebová is a town in the Svitavy District and lies in the Pardubice Region, Czech Republic. It has around 11,300 inhabitants.Moravská Třebová is located on the Třebůvka River in the landscape of the "Schönhengstgau"....
. Through this marriage he acquired to Lordship of Šternberk in North Moravia, which remained in his family until 1647. After Catherine's death in 1583, Charles married Elisabeth Magdalena (1562–1630), daughter of the Duke George II of Brzeg, on 30 September 1585.
After the death of Lord Jiřík Zajímač of Kunštát in 1587, his sister Catherine, who was married with Hynek Brtnice of Waldstein ' onMouseout='HidePop("56919")' href="/topics/Jevišovice">Jevišovice
Jevišovice
Jevišovice is a town in the Znojmo District, Czech Republic. Here live 1144 people. There are many sides e.g. Kostel svatého Josefa or Budova Komenia.-External links:*...
in South Moravia to Charles II, because the Münsterberg line was the only surviving branch of the Kunštát family. In 1588 Charles swapped with Bishop Stanislaus Pavlovský of Pavlovitz of Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, the Lordship of Zdar nad Sazavou
Ždár nad Sázavou
Žďár nad Sázavou is a city in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has approximately 24,000 inhabitants and is the administrative capital of the Žďár nad Sázavou District. The city is a prominent centre of tourism, as a ski resort in winter and a popular destination for cycling and...
in Moravia for some smaller estates in the vicinity of Šternberk.
Charles was a follower of the evangelical teaching which he promoted in his Moravian lordships. In Trzebnica
Trzebnica
Trzebnica is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is the seat of Trzebnica County, and of the smaller administrative district called Gmina Trzebnica. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
he was able to establish the evangelical church, even though the abbess of the Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga in Trzebnica
Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga in Trzebnica
Sanctuary of St. Jadwiga in Trzebnica is a convent for Cistercian nuns, situated in Trzebnica north of Wrocław, in Silesia, Poland, founded in 1203. After few decades of abandonment in the 19th century, it is an abbey of the Sisters of Mercy of St...
fought fiercely against it and was supported by the bishop in Wroclaw as well as by the Emperor. In 1602, he assumed the guardianship of his nephews John Christian
John Christian of Brieg
John Christian of Brieg , 25 December 1639), was a Duke of Brzeg–Legnica–Wołów ....
of Brieg and George Rudolf
George Rudolf of Liegnitz
George Rudolf of Liegnitz was duke of Liegnitz-Wohlau from 1602 to 1653...
of Liegnitz, who were raised at his court in Oels. In 1604 he bought back the Duchy of Bernstadt
Duchy of Bernstadt
The Duchy of Bernstadt was a Silesian duchy centred on the city of Bernstadt in Lower Silesia and formed by separation from the Duchy of Oels . It was first ruled by the Silesian Piasts dynasty, until its extinction in 1492. In 1495 it and the Duchy of Oels passed to the Dukes of Münsterberg,...
, which his brother Henry III
Henry III, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Henry III of Münsterberg-Oels was Duke of Münsterberg from 1565 to 1574 and Duke of Bernstadt...
had sold in 1574.
After the death of Bishop John VI of Sitsch of Breslau in 1608, he was appointed governor of Silesia by Emperor Charles II.
Legacy
In his residence of Oels, Charles completed the palace that his uncle JohnJohn, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
John of Münsterberg-Oels was Duke of the Münsterberg from 1542 to 1565, Duke of Oels from 1548 to 1565 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1548 to 1565. He also held the title of Count of Glatz.- Life :Johann Berger family was a member of the Münsterberg branch of the noble Poděbrady family...
had started. In 1594, he founded the "illustrious high school" as well as a library that served the faculty and students, but was also available to the citizens of Oels. It was housed in a room of the Castle Church and, after the church collapsed in 1905 a new wing attached to the front hall. After the Second World War and the associated transition to Poland, this room was not accessible and the library was initially listed as missing. In 1997, the files could by indexed by the Commission for Personal Libraries of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. The damaged book collection was restored with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Issue
Charles's first marriage to Catherine produced two children:- Henry Wenceslaus the Elder (1575–1591) and
- Margareta Magdalene (born 13 May 1578, died 14 May 1578)
His second marriage to Elizabeth Magdalene produced:
- George (born August 31, 1587; † November 14, 1587)
- Charles (born January 8, 1590 † May 20, 1590)
- Henry Wenceslaus the YoungerHenry Wenceslaus, Duke of Oels-BernstadtHenry Wenceslaus, Duke of Oels-Bernstadt was Duke of Bernstadt from 1617 until his death...
(1592–1639) - Anna Elisabeth (1637–1642)
- Charles Frederick ICharles Frederick I, Duke of Münsterberg-OelsCharles Frederick I of Münsterberg-Oels was Duke of Oels from 1617 to 1647 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1639 to 1647...
(1593–1647), the last person in the male line of the House of PoděbradyPodiebrad familyThe Bohemian Poděbrady family was a noble family in Bohemia, arising from the Lords of Kunštát. After Boček of Kunštát had acquired the Lordship of Poděbrady by marriage, he called himself "Boček of Kunštát and Poděbrady". The best known member of the family was George of Poděbrady, who was... - Barbara Margaret (1595–1652)
- George Joachim (1597–1598)
- Elisabeth Magdalena (1599–1631) married to Georg Rudolf of Legnica
- Sophie Catherine (1601–1659), married to George III of BriegGeorge III of BriegGeorge III of Brieg , was a Duke of Brzeg since 1633 and Legnica-Wołów during 1653-1654 ....
(d. 1664)