Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Encyclopedia
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
and prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1589 until his death. In 1576 he had become the first rector of the Protestant University of Helmstedt
University of Helmstedt
The University of Helmstedt, official Latin name: Academia Julia , was a university in Helmstedt in the Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel that existed from 1576 until 1810....
.
Life
Henry Julius was born in Hessen am Fallstein as the eldest son of Julius, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgJulius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1568 until his death....
. Already in 1566, at the age of two, he had been elected bishop of Halberstadt by the cathedral chapter; however, a condition of his election was an agreement that the cathedral chapter would lead the Bishopric under its own authority until Henry Julius reached the age of 14. Hence he took over administration of the Bishopric in 1578, and became active as a temporal as well as spiritual ruler. He improved general education in the Bishopric, and completed the Protestant 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...
, although he allowed Catholic office holders to keep their privileges — except that he strictly prohibited priests from having mistresses.
Even though he was only twelve years old, he participated in theological debates among the faculty that were held in Latin. After finishing his study in law, he was employed by his father as a court judge. In 1589, when Henry Julius succeeded his father as ruler of Wolfenbüttel, he replaced Saxon Law by Roman Law
Roman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
, and instead of local nobles, lawyers with academic degrees now served as judges.
Henry Julius is not only known for the persecution of Jews and witches. In the years 1593 and 1594, he wrote eleven plays and invited Robert Browne (Jacobean actor)
Robert Browne (Jacobean actor)
Robert Browne was an English actor and theatre manager and investor of the later sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. He was also part of a long-standing confusion in the scholarship of English Renaissance theatre....
and his theatre company, who staged a shortened version of his "Susanna". Also the other plays, five comedies, four tragedies, were not very successful; however, one was a basis for the tall tales of Baron Münchhausen
Baron Munchhausen
Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Freiherr von Münchhausen , usually known as Baron Münchhausen in English, was a German nobleman born in Bodenwerder and a famous recounter of tall tales....
. He was also versed in architecture, and designed several important buildings, among them the Juleum novum, the main building of the University of Helmstedt, and the cathedral Beatae Mariae Virginis 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...
. He invited Hans Vredeman de Vries
Hans Vredeman de Vries
Hans Vredeman de Vries was a Dutch Renaissance architect, painter, and engineer. Vredeman de Vries is known for his publication in 1583 on garden design and his books with many examples on ornaments and perspective ....
to develop ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and had a canal built through a swampland between Hornburg
Hornburg
Hornburg is a town in the Wolfenbüttel district, in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated at the Ilse river, a tributary of the Oker. Hornburg is part of the Samtgemeinde Schladen and home to numerous historically valuable half-timber buildings...
and Oschersleben
Oschersleben
Oschersleben is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The population in 1905 was 13,271, in 2005 about 18,000.-Geography:...
. He invited John Dowland
John Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
to come and see Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns, many of which reflect an effort to make better the relationship between...
, the city's organ player.
Henry Julius lost control of the state's finances and amassed large amounts of public debt. When the rights of the nobles were reduced, the local nobles sued Henry Julius at the Imperial Court in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
. A compromise was struck in 1601. A more serious conflict occurred between Henry Julius and Brunswick, when the city refused to recognize his overlordhip. Henry Julius was not willing to confirm its traditional privileges, leading to a civil war in 1605. Attempts by King Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
to mediate failed and in 1606, Emperor Rudolf II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
banned the city.
In 1607, Henry Julius went to the Emperor's court in Prague
Prague
Prague 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...
in order to negotiate the details of the ban. He gained the Emperor's confidence, and was named his "chief director". This position gave him much influence in imperial affairs. He also managed to resolve the conflict between Rudolf and his brother, 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...
. Henry Julius assisted in resolving the differences between Catholics and Protestants in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. In return, he was given the Emperor's full support in dealing with the City of Brunswick.
When Rudolf died in 1612, Henry Julius returned to Prague to consult his successor, Matthias. On 20 July 1613 he died in Prague of alcohol abuse. He was buried in the cathedral at Wolfenbüttel.
Ancestors
Family
Henry Julius married Dorothea (4 October 1563 – 13 February 1587), daughter of Augustus, Elector of SaxonyAugustus, Elector of Saxony
Augustus was Elector of Saxony from 1553 to 1586.-First years:Augustus was born in Freiberg, the youngest child and third son of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, and Catherine of Mecklenburg. He consequently belonged to the Albertine branch of the Wettin family...
, on 26 September 1585. They had one child:
- Dorothea Hedwig (13 February 1587 – 16 October 1609), married Rudolph, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstRudolph, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstRudolph of Anhalt-Zerbst , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the unified principality of Anhalt...
, died in childbirth like her mother before her
Henry Julius married Elizabeth (25 August 1573 – 19 June 1626), daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
on 19 April 1590. They had the following children:
- Frederick UlrichFrederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgFrederick Ulrich , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1613 until his death....
(15 April 1591 – 21 August 1634) - Sophia Hedwig (20 February 1592 – 23 January 1642), married Ernest Casimir, Prince of Nassau-Dietz
- Elizabeth (23 June 1593 – 25 March 1650), married Augustus, Duke of Saxony, and Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
- Hedwig (19 February 1595 – 26 June 1650), married Ulrich, Duke of Pomerania
- Dorothea (8 July 1596 – 1 September 1643), married Christian William, Margrave of Brandenburg, son of Joachim Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg
- Heinrich Julius (7 October 1597 – 11 July 1606)
- Christian (1599–1626)
- Rudolph (15 June 1602 – 13 June 1616)
- Heinrich Karl (4 September 1609 – 11 June 1615)
- Anna Augusta (19 May 1612 – 17 February 1673), married George Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg