Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Encyclopedia
Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg (Ratzeburg
, 10 August 1547 – 2 July 1619, Lauenburg upon Elbe
), was the third son of Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg (Freiberg
, 2 May 1515 – 18 July 1592, Buxtehude
), daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious of Saxony
. From 1581 on he ruled Saxe-Lauenburg as duke.
in Saxe-Lauenburg Francis II made a military career in imperial services. In 1571 his highly indebted father Francis I resigned in favour of his eldest surviving son Magnus II, who had promised to redeem the pawned ducal demesne
s with funds he gained as Swedish military commander and by his marriage to a Swedish princess. However, Magnus did not redeem pawns but further alienated ducal possessions, which ignited a conflict between Magnus and his father and brothers as well as the estates of the duchy
, further escalating due to Magnus' violent temperament.
In 1573 Francis deposed Magnus and reascended to the throne. The following year Magnus hired troops in order to take Saxe-Lauenburg with violence. Francis II, an experienced military commander, and Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp
, then Lower Saxon
circular chief , then helped Francis I to defeat Magnus. In return Saxe-Lauenburg had to cede the bailiwick of Steinhorst
to Adolphus' Holstein-Gottorp in 1575. Francis II again helped his father to inhibit Magnus' second military attempt to overthrow his father in 1578. Francis I then made Francis II his vicegerent actually governing the duchy.
In 1581 – shortly before he died and after consultations with his son Prince-Archbishop Henry
of Bremen and Emperor Rudolph II
, but unconcerted with his other sons Magnus and Maurice – Francis I made his third son Francis II, whom he conidered the ablest, his sole successor, violating the rules of primogeniture.
This severed the anyway difficult relations with the estates of the duchy
, which fought the ducal practice of growing indebtedness. Francis only officiated as administrator of Saxe-Lauenburg. Magnus appealed at Rudolph II, who in 1585 finally decided in favour of Francis II, as agreed with Francis I in 1581. Francis II, who meanwhile had won his brother Maurice, by sharing the reign with him, lured Magnus into a trap and captured him later in 1585. Francis and Maurice kept their brother imprisoned for the rest of his life, mostly in the castle of Ratzeburg
, where he died in 1603.
The violation of the primogeniture, however, gave grounds for the estates to perceive the upcoming duke as illegitimate. This forced Francis II into negotiations, which ended on 16 December 1585 with the constitutional act of the "Eternal Union" of the representatives of Saxe-Lauenburg's nobility and cities, Lauenburg upon Elbe and Ratzeburg, then altogether constituted as the estates of the duchy, led by the Land Marshall, a hereditary office held by the family von Bülow
. Francis II accepted their establishment as a permanent institution with a crucial say in government matters. In return the estates accepted Francis II as legitimate and rendered him homage as duke in 1586.
The relations between estates and duke improved since Francis II redeemed ducal pawns with money he had earned as imperial commander. Already earlier in 1585, after consultations with his brother Prince-Archbishop Henry
, Francis II decreed a constitution (Kirchenordnung) for the Lutheran church of Saxe-Lauenburg.
In 1592 Francis II granted his second wife Maria of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)
a manorial estate near Schulendorf
. Starting in 1608 Francis extended the existing house to a castle with a large garden, called Franzgarten or Franzhof, in the end the name Franzhagen
prevailed. Francis II left workers, employed in castle constructions, short. Till his death he used the castle, which his widow Mary then used until she deceased in 1626.
In 1608 Francis II acquired the minting regal for Saxe-Lauenburg. After Maurice had died in 1612, Francis became the sole ruling duke.
In 1616 the ducal residential castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe, started in 1180–1182 by Duke Bernard I
, burnt down. Francis then also used another residence in Neuhaus
.
(1) Margaret of Pomerania-Wolgast (19 March 1553 – 7 August 1581, Ratzeburg
), daughter of Philip I, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast. When on 19 March 1581 Francis II reascended to the throne Margaret became the Saxon consort. Their children were the following:
On 10 November 1582 Francis II married in Wolfenbüttel
his second wife, Mary of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel) (Schladen
, 13 January 1566 – 13 August 1626, Lauenburg upon Elbe), daughter of Duke Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)
, making her the new consort. Mary and Francis had 14 children, of whom the following 12 reached adulthood:
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
, 10 August 1547 – 2 July 1619, Lauenburg upon Elbe
Lauenburg/Elbe
Lauenburg/Elbe is a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg belongs to the Kreis of Herzogtum Lauenburg and had a population of 11,900 as of 2002...
), was the third son of Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg (Freiberg
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
, 2 May 1515 – 18 July 1592, Buxtehude
Buxtehude
Buxtehude is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany in the district of Stade and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land within easy reach of...
), daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious of Saxony
Henry IV, Duke of Saxony
Henry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxony was a Duke of Saxony from the House of Wettin.-Biography:Heinrich was the second son of Albert, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie Podiebrad, princess of Bohemia...
. From 1581 on he ruled Saxe-Lauenburg as duke.
Life
As the third born son and with primogeniturePrimogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
in Saxe-Lauenburg Francis II made a military career in imperial services. In 1571 his highly indebted father Francis I resigned in favour of his eldest surviving son Magnus II, who had promised to redeem the pawned ducal demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
s with funds he gained as Swedish military commander and by his marriage to a Swedish princess. However, Magnus did not redeem pawns but further alienated ducal possessions, which ignited a conflict between Magnus and his father and brothers as well as the estates of the duchy
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
, further escalating due to Magnus' violent temperament.
In 1573 Francis deposed Magnus and reascended to the throne. The following year Magnus hired troops in order to take Saxe-Lauenburg with violence. Francis II, an experienced military commander, and Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp was the first Duke of Holstein-Gottorp from the line of Holstein-Gottorp of the House of Oldenburg....
, then Lower Saxon
Lower Saxon Circle
The Lower Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. Covering much of the territory of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony , firstly the circle used to be called the Saxon Circle , only to be later better differentiated from the Upper Saxon Circle the more specific name prevailed.An...
circular chief , then helped Francis I to defeat Magnus. In return Saxe-Lauenburg had to cede the bailiwick of Steinhorst
Steinhorst
Steinhorst may refer to the following places in Germany:*Steinhorst, Schleswig-Holstein, a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, Schleswig-Holstein*Steinhorst, Lower Saxony, a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony...
to Adolphus' Holstein-Gottorp in 1575. Francis II again helped his father to inhibit Magnus' second military attempt to overthrow his father in 1578. Francis I then made Francis II his vicegerent actually governing the duchy.
In 1581 – shortly before he died and after consultations with his son Prince-Archbishop Henry
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Prince-Archbishop of Bremen , then Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück , then Prince-Bishop of Paderborn . The Roman Catholic Church never confirmed the Lutheran Henry as bishop....
of Bremen and Emperor Rudolph II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
, but unconcerted with his other sons Magnus and Maurice – Francis I made his third son Francis II, whom he conidered the ablest, his sole successor, violating the rules of primogeniture.
This severed the anyway difficult relations with the estates of the duchy
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
, which fought the ducal practice of growing indebtedness. Francis only officiated as administrator of Saxe-Lauenburg. Magnus appealed at Rudolph II, who in 1585 finally decided in favour of Francis II, as agreed with Francis I in 1581. Francis II, who meanwhile had won his brother Maurice, by sharing the reign with him, lured Magnus into a trap and captured him later in 1585. Francis and Maurice kept their brother imprisoned for the rest of his life, mostly in the castle of Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
, where he died in 1603.
The violation of the primogeniture, however, gave grounds for the estates to perceive the upcoming duke as illegitimate. This forced Francis II into negotiations, which ended on 16 December 1585 with the constitutional act of the "Eternal Union" of the representatives of Saxe-Lauenburg's nobility and cities, Lauenburg upon Elbe and Ratzeburg, then altogether constituted as the estates of the duchy, led by the Land Marshall, a hereditary office held by the family von Bülow
Bülow
Bülow may refer to:*Bülow, Germany, a municipality in the district of Parchim, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, GermanyThe von Bülow family are a German / Danish noble family, with the titles Baron or Prince...
. Francis II accepted their establishment as a permanent institution with a crucial say in government matters. In return the estates accepted Francis II as legitimate and rendered him homage as duke in 1586.
The relations between estates and duke improved since Francis II redeemed ducal pawns with money he had earned as imperial commander. Already earlier in 1585, after consultations with his brother Prince-Archbishop Henry
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Prince-Archbishop of Bremen , then Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück , then Prince-Bishop of Paderborn . The Roman Catholic Church never confirmed the Lutheran Henry as bishop....
, Francis II decreed a constitution (Kirchenordnung) for the Lutheran church of Saxe-Lauenburg.
In 1592 Francis II granted his second wife Maria of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)
Maria of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg.- Life :...
a manorial estate near Schulendorf
Schulendorf
Schulendorf is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
. Starting in 1608 Francis extended the existing house to a castle with a large garden, called Franzgarten or Franzhof, in the end the name Franzhagen
Franzhagen Castle
The Franzhagen Castle - also known as Franzgarten or Franzhof was a castle near the present-day Schulendorf in southern Schleswig-Holstein. Before its destruction in 1716 it was owned by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg....
prevailed. Francis II left workers, employed in castle constructions, short. Till his death he used the castle, which his widow Mary then used until she deceased in 1626.
In 1608 Francis II acquired the minting regal for Saxe-Lauenburg. After Maurice had died in 1612, Francis became the sole ruling duke.
In 1616 the ducal residential castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe, started in 1180–1182 by Duke Bernard I
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania, Count of Anhalt and Ballenstedt, and Lord of Bernburg through his paternal inheritance...
, burnt down. Francis then also used another residence in Neuhaus
Amt Neuhaus
Amt Neuhaus is a municipality in the District of Lunenburg , in Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :In the course of the eastern colonisation the area of today's Amt Neuhaus became a part of the Duchy of Saxony...
.
Marriages and issue
Francis II married twice, on 26 December 1574 in WolgastWolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
(1) Margaret of Pomerania-Wolgast (19 March 1553 – 7 August 1581, Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
), daughter of Philip I, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast. When on 19 March 1581 Francis II reascended to the throne Margaret became the Saxon consort. Their children were the following:
- Mary of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Ratzeburg, 18 February 1576 – 13 March 1625, SchwarzenbekSchwarzenbekSchwarzenbek is a town in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km northeast of Geesthacht, and 35 km east of Hamburg...
) - Augustus of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg) (Ratzeburg, 17 February 1577 – 18 January 1656, Lauenburg upon ElbeLauenburg/ElbeLauenburg/Elbe is a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg belongs to the Kreis of Herzogtum Lauenburg and had a population of 11,900 as of 2002...
), duke between 1619–1656 - Philip of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Ratzeburg, 17 August 1578 – 18 April 1605, Lauenburg upon Elbe)
- Catharina Ursula of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Ratzeburg, 18 April 1580 – 18 April 1611)
On 10 November 1582 Francis II married in Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
his second wife, Mary of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel) (Schladen
Schladen
Schladen is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Oker, approx. 15 km south of Wolfenbüttel, and 25 km south of Braunschweig....
, 13 January 1566 – 13 August 1626, Lauenburg upon Elbe), daughter of Duke Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)
Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1568 until his death....
, making her the new consort. Mary and Francis had 14 children, of whom the following 12 reached adulthood:
- Francis Julius of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (13 September 1584 – 8 October 1634, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
), ∞ on 14 May 1620 Agnes of WürttembergWürttembergWürttemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
(StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, 7 May 1592 – 25 November 1629, ibidem), daughter of Duke Frederick IFrederick I, Duke of WürttembergFriedrich I of Württemberg was the son of Georg of Mömpelgard and his wife Barbara of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.... - Julius Henry of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg) (Wolfenbüttel, 9 April 1586 – 20 November 1665, PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
), duke of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1656 and 1665 - Ernest Louis of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (7 June 1587 – 15 July 1620, AschauAschau im ChiemgauAschau im Chiemgau is a municipality in the district of Rosenheim in Bavaria in Germany....
) - Hedwig Sibylla of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (15 October 1588 – 4 June 1635)
- Juliana of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (26 December 1589 – 1 December 1630, Norburg), ∞ on 1 August 1627 Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Nordborg (26 October 1581 – 22 July 1658), son of John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
- Joachim Sigismund of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (31 May 1593 – 10 April 1629)
- Francis Charles of Saxony, Angria and WestphaliaFrancis Charles of Saxe-LauenburgFrancis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg was a prince of Saxe-Lauenburg and a general during the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
(2 May 1594 – 30 November 1660, NeuhausAmt NeuhausAmt Neuhaus is a municipality in the District of Lunenburg , in Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :In the course of the eastern colonisation the area of today's Amt Neuhaus became a part of the Duchy of Saxony...
), ∞ in Barth on 19 September 1628 (1) Agnes of Brandenburg (Berlin, 27 July 1584 – 16 March 1629, Neuhaus), daughter of Elector John GeorgeJohn George, Elector of BrandenburgJohn George of Brandenburg was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and a Duke of Prussia...
; ∞ in Ödenburg on 27 August 1639 (2) Catherine of BrandenburgCatherine of BrandenburgCatherine of Brandenburg was ruler of Transylvania between 1629 and 1630.She was the daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg and Anne of Prussia....
(KönigsbergKönigsbergKönigsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, 28 May 1602 – 9 February 1649, SchöningenSchöningenSchöningen is a town of about 13,000 inhabitants in the district of Helmstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located near the border with Saxony-Anhalt, on the southeastern rim of the Elm hill range...
), daughter of Elector John SigismundJohn Sigismund, Elector of BrandenburgJohn Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:... - Rudolph Maximilian of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (18 June 1596 – 1 October 1647, LübeckLübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
); ∞ Anna Caterina de Dulcina - Hedwig Maria of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (7 August 1597 – 29 August 1644), ∞ in 1636 Prince Annibale Gonzaga of BozzoloBozzoloBozzolo is a comune in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 110 km southeast of Milan and about 25 km southwest of Mantua....
(1602 – 2 August 1668) - Francis Albert of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (31 October 1598 – 10 June 1642, Schweidnitz); ∞ on 21 February 1640 in GüstrowGüstrowGüstrow is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany the capital of the district of Güstrow. It has a population of 30,500 and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has the official suffix Barlachstadt.-Geography:The town of Güstrow is located...
Christina Margaret of Mecklenburg-GüstrowMecklenburg-GüstrowMecklenburg-Güstrow was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany, that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg at Güstrow.-History:...
(Güstrow, 31 March 1615 – 6 August 1666, Wolfenbüttel), daughter of John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow - Sophia Hedwig of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg upon Elbe, 24 May 1601 – 21 February 1660, GlücksburgGlücksburgGlücksburg is a small town in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.It is situated on the south side of the Flensburg Fjord, an inlet of the Baltic Sea, approx. 10 km northeast of Flensburg...
); ∞ on 23 May 1624 in NeuhausAmt NeuhausAmt Neuhaus is a municipality in the District of Lunenburg , in Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :In the course of the eastern colonisation the area of today's Amt Neuhaus became a part of the Duchy of Saxony...
Philipp of Schleswig-Holstein-Glücksburg (15 March 1584 – 27 September 1663), son of John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg - Francis Henry of Saxony, Angria and WestphaliaDuke Francis Henry of Saxe-LauenburgFrancis Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Prince of Saxe-Lauenburg- Life :Francis Henry, was the ninth and youngest son of Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg from his second marriage to Maria , daughter of Duke Julius of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Prince of Wolfenbüttel. King Henry IV of France was his...
(9 April 1604 – 26 November 1658), ∞ on 13 December 1637 in Treptow an der Rega Countess Maria Juliana of Nassau-Siegen (SiegenSiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
,14 August 1612 – 21 January 1665, Franzhagen CastleFranzhagen CastleThe Franzhagen Castle - also known as Franzgarten or Franzhof was a castle near the present-day Schulendorf in southern Schleswig-Holstein. Before its destruction in 1716 it was owned by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg....
near SchulendorfSchulendorfSchulendorf is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
), daughter of John VII, Count of Nassau