Henry I of Lüneburg
Encyclopedia
Henry the Middle, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1468 – 1532) was Prince of Lüneburg from 1486 to 1520.
, was born in 1468. In 1486, Henry took control of Lüneburg from his mother, who had been regent since the death of Henry’s grandfather, Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
. Henry’s reign was marked by the complications relating to the Hildesheim Prince-Bishopric Feud. Henry was on the side of the bishop, and was against the nobility of Hildesheim and the Welfs of Brunswick. In 1519, Henry was victorious in the Battle of Soltau
, though the intervention of the newly-elected Emperor Charles V
transformed the victory achieved on the battlefield into a defeat. Henry was on the side of the French during the election, and so earned the enmity of Charles V. Henry’s two eldest sons became regents of the country, and Henry went into exile at the French king’s court. Henry returned in 1527 during the beginning of the Reformation
in Lüneberg, and tried to regain control of the land with help from those opposed to the Reformation. His attempt failed, and Henry returned to France, only to return in 1530. He spent his last days in the princely house in Lüneberg, which had been given to him by his eldest son. After the death of his first wife, Margaret of Saxony, Henry married, unequally, Anna von Campe. He was buried in the abbey of Wienhausen
. Today, his gravestone can still be seen.
had the following children:
Life
Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the son of Otto V of Lüneburg and Anna of NassauAnna of Nassau-Dillenburg
Anna of Nassau-Dillenburg was a Flemish-German philanthropist.Anna was the eldest daughter of John IV, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, and his wife Maria, the daughter of John II, Count of Loon-Heinsberg. Anna was married firstly to Otto V 'the Magnanimous,' Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, was born in 1468. In 1486, Henry took control of Lüneburg from his mother, who had been regent since the death of Henry’s grandfather, Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick II , also known as Frederick the Pious was the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Prince of Lüneburg from 1434 to 1457 and from 1472 to 1478.- Life :...
. Henry’s reign was marked by the complications relating to the Hildesheim Prince-Bishopric Feud. Henry was on the side of the bishop, and was against the nobility of Hildesheim and the Welfs of Brunswick. In 1519, Henry was victorious in the Battle of Soltau
Battle of Soltau
The Battle of Soltau took place on 28 June 1519 and was the military climax of the Hildesheim Diocesan Feud which lasted from 1519–1523. Some sources describe it as "the last knights' battle" ....
, though the intervention of the newly-elected Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
transformed the victory achieved on the battlefield into a defeat. Henry was on the side of the French during the election, and so earned the enmity of Charles V. Henry’s two eldest sons became regents of the country, and Henry went into exile at the French king’s court. Henry returned in 1527 during the beginning of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Lüneberg, and tried to regain control of the land with help from those opposed to the Reformation. His attempt failed, and Henry returned to France, only to return in 1530. He spent his last days in the princely house in Lüneberg, which had been given to him by his eldest son. After the death of his first wife, Margaret of Saxony, Henry married, unequally, Anna von Campe. He was buried in the abbey of Wienhausen
Wienhausen
Wienhausen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is known for Wienhausen Abbey, referenced in the municipal coat of arms....
. Today, his gravestone can still be seen.
Children
Henry and Margarete of Saxony (1469-1528)Margarete of Saxony (1469-1528)
Margarete of Saxony was a Saxon princess of the Ernestine line of the house Wettin by birth and by marriage a Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg.- Life :...
had the following children:
- Anne (1492-??)
- Elisabeth (1494-1572) m. Charles, Duke of GueldersCharles, Duke of GueldersCharles of Egmond was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen between 1492 and his death. He was the son of Adolf of Egmond and Catharine of Bourbon...
(1467-1538) - OttoOtto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-HarburgOtto, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the Prince of Lüneburg from 1520 to 1527 and Baron of Harburg from 1527 to 1549.- Life :Otto was born on 24 August 1495 as the eldest son of Henry the Middle and his wife, Margarete of Saxony...
(1495-1549) - Ernest I the ConfessorErnest I, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgErnest of Brunswick-Lüneburg , also frequently called Ernest the Confessor, was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a champion of the protestant cause during the early years of the Protestant Reformation...
(1497-1546) - Apollonia (1499-1571)
- Anne (1502-1568) m. February 2, 1525 Duke Barnim IX of Pomerania (1501-1573)
- FrancisFrancis, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgFrancis of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the youngest son of Henry the Middle. Following a thirty-year joint reign of Brunswick-Lüneburg with his brother Ernest the Confessor, he ruled the newly-founded Duchy of Gifhorn from Gifhorn Castle for over 10 years from 1539 until his death in 1549...
(1508-1549)
Literature
- Ferdinand Spehr: Heinrich der Mittlere. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Bd. 11, Leipzig 1880, S. 492–495.