Henry II of Mecklenburg
Encyclopedia
Henry II, Duke of Mecklenburg, nicknamed the Lion (born: after 14 April 1266; died: 21 January 1329 in Sternberg
) was regent of Mecklenburg
from 1287 to 1298, co-regent from 1298 to 1302 and alone again from 1302 to 1329.
Early in his reign, he conducted an unsuccessful war against Nicholas II of Werle about the succession of Henry I. Around 1299, the sons of his father-in-law Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg died and Albert gave (or sold) him the Lordship of Stargard, which Albert had earlier promised to give as dowry
to Albert and his wife Beatrix. In the 1304 Treaty of Vietmannsdorf, it was once again agreed that Brandenburg enfeoffed Henry II with the Lordship of Stargard. Nevertheless, when Beatrix died without a male heir in 1314, Brandenburg demanded that Stargard be handed back. This led to the so-called "North German Margrave War".
in 1299, an alliance of Henry II of Mecklenburg, Nicholas II of Werle and Albert III of Brandenburg tried to conquer the Principality of Rostock
. Prince Nicholas I or Rostock put his country in 1300 under the feudal rule and protection of of King Eric IV of Denmark
. Eric defeated Henry and then took Rostock for himself.
In 1304, a new alliance, consisting of Henry II, Albert's successor Herman came to the aid of king Wenceslaus II of Bohemia in his war against Emperor Albert I. In this war, Henry earned his nickname "the Lion".
In 1310, he began a war against the Hanseatic cities of Wismar
and Rostock
. The trigger for this war was the refusal of Wismar to host the wedding of Henry's daughter Matilda with Duke Otto III of Brunswick-Lüneburg
. Henry III then chose Sternberg
as his residence and held the wedding there. Wismar submitted to Henry in 1311 and he continued his attach on Rostock. On 15 December 1312, he took the city, despite fierce resistance. The city rose up again in 1313, when Henry was undertaking a pilgrimage to the Madonna del Rocca church in Castelmola
. On 12 January 1314, Rostock was subdued again and the old city council, led by Bernhard Kopman, was restored to power.
In 1315, the so-called "Northern German Margrave War" broke out, against Brandenburg and the city of Stralsund
. Brandenburg, now led by Margrave Waldemar, invaded the disputed Lordship of Stargard. Henry besieged Stargard, but had to break off his siege in July 1316. He defeated Waldemar in the Battle of Gransee and was finally awarded the Lordship of Stargard in the Treaty of Templin
of 25 November 1317.
In 1319 Henry and Count Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg tried to subdue Ditmarschen, but were unsuccessful. Ditmarschen won the Battle of Wöhrden, where Henry escaped with difficulty. Later that year, Waldemar died and Henry II conquered Prignitz
and the Uckermark
.
In 1323, Rostock revolted again, and Henry subdued the city again and made peace with King Christopher II of Denmark
on 21 May 1323. Christopher enfeoffed him with the Lordships of Rostock, Gnoien
and Schwaan
.
The new Margrave Louis I
of Brandenburg, or rather his guardian Count Berthold VII of Henneberg, reconquered Prignitz
and the Uckermark
and Henry had to settle for an unfavourable peace treaty on 24 May 1325. After the last Prince of Rügen, Wizlaw
died on 10 November 1325, the first Rügen War of the Succession broke out. It ended after fiece fighting with the Peace of Brudersdorf of 27 June 1328, in which Pomerania acquired Rügen and Mecklenburg had to settle for a monetary compensation.
Henry II died on 21 January 1329.
His second marriage, after 6 July 1315, was to Anna of Saxe-Wittenberg (died between 25 June 1327 and 9 August 1328), the daughter of Duke Albert II of Saxe-Wittenberg
. They had the following children:
His third wife was Agnes, the daughter of Count Gunther of Lindow-Ruppin (died: after 30 July 1343). This marriage remained childless.
Sternberg
Sternberg is surname of:- Persons :* Counts of Sternberg, Bohemian nobility* Ben-Zion Sternberg , a Zionist statesman* Charles Hazelius Sternberg , an American paleontologist...
) was regent of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
from 1287 to 1298, co-regent from 1298 to 1302 and alone again from 1302 to 1329.
Life
He was the son of Henry I and reigned from 1287 to 1289 together with his brother John III. During his father's absence (he had been taken prisoner while one a crusade) from 1275 to 1302, Mecklenburg was ruled by his mother Anastasia jointly with Henry's uncles Nicholas III (until 1290) and John II (until 1283). In 1287, Henry II became co-regent with his mother and uncle. When his father died in 1302, Henry II became Lord of Mecklenburg.Early in his reign, he conducted an unsuccessful war against Nicholas II of Werle about the succession of Henry I. Around 1299, the sons of his father-in-law Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg died and Albert gave (or sold) him the Lordship of Stargard, which Albert had earlier promised to give as dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
to Albert and his wife Beatrix. In the 1304 Treaty of Vietmannsdorf, it was once again agreed that Brandenburg enfeoffed Henry II with the Lordship of Stargard. Nevertheless, when Beatrix died without a male heir in 1314, Brandenburg demanded that Stargard be handed back. This led to the so-called "North German Margrave War".
in 1299, an alliance of Henry II of Mecklenburg, Nicholas II of Werle and Albert III of Brandenburg tried to conquer the Principality of Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
. Prince Nicholas I or Rostock put his country in 1300 under the feudal rule and protection of of King Eric IV of Denmark
Eric IV of Denmark
Eric IV, also known as Eric Ploughpenny , was king of Denmark from 1241 until his death in 1250. He was the son of King Valdemar II of Denmark by his wife, Infanta Berengária of Portugal, and brother to King Abel and King Christopher I.-Early life:...
. Eric defeated Henry and then took Rostock for himself.
In 1304, a new alliance, consisting of Henry II, Albert's successor Herman came to the aid of king Wenceslaus II of Bohemia in his war against Emperor Albert I. In this war, Henry earned his nickname "the Lion".
In 1310, he began a war against the Hanseatic cities of Wismar
Wismar
Wismar , is a small port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,about 45 km due east of Lübeck, and 30 km due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory. The...
and Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
. The trigger for this war was the refusal of Wismar to host the wedding of Henry's daughter Matilda with Duke Otto III of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Otto III, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Otto III, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg was Prince of Lüneburg from 1330 to 1352.- Life :Otto was born about 1296 as the second son of Otto the Strict and his wife Matilda of Bavaria, and was introduced to the business of government by his father as early as 1314...
. Henry III then chose Sternberg
Sternberg
Sternberg is surname of:- Persons :* Counts of Sternberg, Bohemian nobility* Ben-Zion Sternberg , a Zionist statesman* Charles Hazelius Sternberg , an American paleontologist...
as his residence and held the wedding there. Wismar submitted to Henry in 1311 and he continued his attach on Rostock. On 15 December 1312, he took the city, despite fierce resistance. The city rose up again in 1313, when Henry was undertaking a pilgrimage to the Madonna del Rocca church in Castelmola
Castelmola
Castelmola is a comune in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 170 km east of Palermo and about 40 km southwest of Messina...
. On 12 January 1314, Rostock was subdued again and the old city council, led by Bernhard Kopman, was restored to power.
In 1315, the so-called "Northern German Margrave War" broke out, against Brandenburg and the city of Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
. Brandenburg, now led by Margrave Waldemar, invaded the disputed Lordship of Stargard. Henry besieged Stargard, but had to break off his siege in July 1316. He defeated Waldemar in the Battle of Gransee and was finally awarded the Lordship of Stargard in the Treaty of Templin
Treaty of Templin
The Treaty of Templin was concluded on November 24/25, 1317, ending a war between the Margraviate of Brandenburg and Denmark, the latter leading a North German alliance. During this war, Brandenburgian margrave Waldemar and his troops were decisively defeated in the 1316 Battle of Gransee, fought...
of 25 November 1317.
In 1319 Henry and Count Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg tried to subdue Ditmarschen, but were unsuccessful. Ditmarschen won the Battle of Wöhrden, where Henry escaped with difficulty. Later that year, Waldemar died and Henry II conquered Prignitz
Prignitz
Prignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...
and the Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
.
In 1323, Rostock revolted again, and Henry subdued the city again and made peace with King Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II was king of Denmark from 1320 to 1326 and again from 1329 until his death. He was son of Eric V. His name is connected with national disaster, as his rule ended in an almost total dissolution of the Danish state.-Biography:Being the brother of King Eric VI, Christopher was a...
on 21 May 1323. Christopher enfeoffed him with the Lordships of Rostock, Gnoien
Gnoien
Gnoien is a small town in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 40 km southeast of Rostock....
and Schwaan
Schwaan
Schwaan is a municipality in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is also the seat of the Schwaan Township, serving another six municipalities.-Geography:...
.
The new Margrave Louis I
Louis V, Duke of Bavaria
Louis V, Duke of Bavaria, called the Brandenburger was Duke of Bavaria and as Louis I also Margrave of Brandenburg and Count of Tyrol. Louis V was the eldest son of Emperor Louis IV and his first wife Beatrix of Świdnica...
of Brandenburg, or rather his guardian Count Berthold VII of Henneberg, reconquered Prignitz
Prignitz
Prignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...
and the Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
and Henry had to settle for an unfavourable peace treaty on 24 May 1325. After the last Prince of Rügen, Wizlaw
Wizlaw III, Prince of Rügen
Wizlaw III was the last Slavic ruler of the Danish Principality of Rugia.He is often identified with the author of the Minnesinger Wizlaw of the Jenaer Liederhandschrift....
died on 10 November 1325, the first Rügen War of the Succession broke out. It ended after fiece fighting with the Peace of Brudersdorf of 27 June 1328, in which Pomerania acquired Rügen and Mecklenburg had to settle for a monetary compensation.
Henry II died on 21 January 1329.
Mariage and issue
Henry's first marriage was to Beatrix of Brandenburg (died: before 25 September 1314), the daughter of Margrave Albert III of Brandenburg. The had one daughter:- Matilda (1293-1357), married in 1311 with Duke Otto III of Brunswick-LüneburgOtto III, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgOtto III, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg was Prince of Lüneburg from 1330 to 1352.- Life :Otto was born about 1296 as the second son of Otto the Strict and his wife Matilda of Bavaria, and was introduced to the business of government by his father as early as 1314...
His second marriage, after 6 July 1315, was to Anna of Saxe-Wittenberg (died between 25 June 1327 and 9 August 1328), the daughter of Duke Albert II of Saxe-Wittenberg
Albert II, Duke of Saxony
Albert II of Saxony was a son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child. He supported Rudolph I of Germany at his election as Roman king and became his son-in-law...
. They had the following children:
- Henry (1316-1321)
- Anastasia (1317-1321)
- Albert II (1318-1379), nicknamed The Great, who succeeded Henry as Lord of Mecklenburg, and in 1348 became the first Duke of Mecklenburg
- Agnes (1320-1340), married on 6 January 1338 with Lord Nicholas IIINicholas III of WerleNicholas III, Lord of Werle[-Güstrow], nicknamed Staveleke , was from 1337 to 1360 to Lord of Werle-Güstrow. He was the eldest son of John II of Werle-Güstrow and Matilda of Brunswick....
of Werle-Güstrow - John IJohn I, Duke of Mecklenburg-StargardJohn I, Duke of Mecklenburg [-Stargard] , was from 1344 to 1352 Duke of Mecklenburg and from 1352 to 1392 Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard.- Family :...
(1329-1392), Lord of Mecklenburg and from 1348, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard - Beatrix of Mecklenburg, (born: 1324; died: 5 August 1399), abbess of the Ribnitz Monastery (1348-1395)
His third wife was Agnes, the daughter of Count Gunther of Lindow-Ruppin (died: after 30 July 1343). This marriage remained childless.