Henry Wenceslaus, Duke of Oels-Bernstadt
Encyclopedia
Henry Wenceslaus, Duke of Oels-Bernstadt (also known as: Henry Wenceslaus of Poděbrady, Henry Wenceslaus of Bernstadt or Henry Wenceslaus of Münsterberg, , , or , or ; 7 October 1592, probably in Oleśnica
– 21 August 1639, probably in Bernstadt
) was Duke of Bernstadt
from 1617 until his death. He also used the titles of Duke of Münsterberg and Count of Glatz, although he never ruled those territories. From 1629 to 1639 he was Governor
of Silesia
.
. His parents were Duke Charles II
of Münsterberg-Oels and Elisabeth Magdalena (1562-1630), daughter of the Duke George II of Brieg.
Henry Wenceslaus was appointed in 1608 as rector of the Viadrina European University in Frankfurt (Oder)
. Following a Grand Tour
through Europe, he was Commissioner for the imperial army of Silesia and Imperial Council. After his father's death in 1617, he took up government of the Duchy of Bernstadt
. At the same time he and his younger brother Charles Frederick
inherited the Moravian dominions of Šternberk and Jevišovice
.
Together with his brother Charles Frederick, Henry Wenceslaus welcomed in February 1620 in his North Moravian town of Šternberk, King Frederick V
of Bohemia, who had been newly elected in 1619 and was on his way to Breslau to receive homage
. Henry Wenceslaus invited the composer and hymn writer Matthäus Apelt to Bernstadt in 1625 and appointed him in 1631 as secretary of his chancellery.
In 1627, Henry Wenceslaus attended the coronation in Prague of the later Emperor Ferdinand III
as King of Bohemia. After Duke Georg Rudolf
resigned in 1628 as Landeshauptmann
of Silesia, an imperial decree reduced the political influence of future office holders. In 1629, King Ferdinand III appointed Henry Wenceslaus to the office, after the latter had promised to respect the freedom of religion. When in 1632, the Protestant princes of Silesia approached to Swedish and Saxon invaders, Henry Wenceslaus, who remained loyal to the emperor, refused to convene the Estates and temporarily left the country. Henry Wenceslaus never lost not the imperial favor, unlike his brother Charles Frederick, who in 1633, together with Duke John Christian of Brieg
and George Rudolf of Liegnitz
and the City Council of Breslau joined a defensive league, which sought the protection of Saxony, Brandenburg and Sweden.
In 1637, Henry Wenceslaus awarded town privileges
to the town of Międzybórz
.
He died in 1639 and was buried in Oleśnica
. His brother Charles Frederick succeeded him as Duke of Bernstadt.
Olesnica
Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
– 21 August 1639, probably in Bernstadt
Bernstadt
Bernstadt may refer to:*Bernstadt auf dem Eigen, a town in Saxony, Germany*Bernstadt , a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany*East Bernstadt, Kentucky, a place in Kentucky, United States...
) was 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 1617 until his death. He also used the titles of Duke of Münsterberg and Count of Glatz, although he never ruled those territories. From 1629 to 1639 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...
.
Life
Henry Wenceslaus was a member of the Münsterberg branch of the noble 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 Duke Charles II
Charles II, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Charles II of Münsterberg-Oels 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...
of Münsterberg-Oels and Elisabeth Magdalena (1562-1630), daughter of the Duke George II of Brieg.
Henry Wenceslaus was appointed in 1608 as rector of the Viadrina European University in Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
. Following a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
through Europe, he was Commissioner for the imperial army of Silesia and Imperial Council. After his father's death in 1617, he took up government of 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,...
. At the same time he and his younger brother Charles Frederick
Charles Frederick I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Charles Frederick I of Münsterberg-Oels was Duke of Oels from 1617 to 1647 and Duke of Bernstadt from 1639 to 1647...
inherited the Moravian dominions of Šternberk and 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:*...
.
Together with his brother Charles Frederick, Henry Wenceslaus welcomed in February 1620 in his North Moravian town of Šternberk, King Frederick V
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
of Bohemia, who had been newly elected in 1619 and was on his way to Breslau to receive homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
. Henry Wenceslaus invited the composer and hymn writer Matthäus Apelt to Bernstadt in 1625 and appointed him in 1631 as secretary of his chancellery.
In 1627, Henry Wenceslaus attended the coronation in Prague of the later Emperor Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
as King of Bohemia. After Duke Georg Rudolf
George Rudolf of Liegnitz
George Rudolf of Liegnitz was duke of Liegnitz-Wohlau from 1602 to 1653...
resigned in 1628 as Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann is a former German gubernatorial title equivalent to that of a governor of a province or a state....
of Silesia, an imperial decree reduced the political influence of future office holders. In 1629, King Ferdinand III appointed Henry Wenceslaus to the office, after the latter had promised to respect the freedom of religion. When in 1632, the Protestant princes of Silesia approached to Swedish and Saxon invaders, Henry Wenceslaus, who remained loyal to the emperor, refused to convene the Estates and temporarily left the country. Henry Wenceslaus never lost not the imperial favor, unlike his brother Charles Frederick, who in 1633, together with Duke John Christian of Brieg
John Christian of Brieg
John Christian of Brieg , 25 December 1639), was a Duke of Brzeg–Legnica–Wołów ....
and George Rudolf of Liegnitz
George Rudolf of Liegnitz
George Rudolf of Liegnitz was duke of Liegnitz-Wohlau from 1602 to 1653...
and the City Council of Breslau joined a defensive league, which sought the protection of Saxony, Brandenburg and Sweden.
In 1637, Henry Wenceslaus awarded town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
to the town of Międzybórz
Miedzybórz
Międzybórz may refer to the following places in Poland:*Międzybórz, also known as Międzybórz Sycowski, town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Międzybórz, Greater Poland Voivodeship...
.
He died in 1639 and was buried in Oleśnica
Olesnica
Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
. His brother Charles Frederick succeeded him as Duke of Bernstadt.
Marriage and issue
- On 7 November 1617 he married Anna Magdalena of WittelsbachWittelsbachThe Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
, Countess Palatine of VeldenzVeldenzVeldenz is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
(1602-1630). This marriage was childless.
- After to Anna Magdalena's death, Henry Wenceslaus married on 26 August 1636 Anna Ursula of Reibnitz (d. 1648). They had a daughter, Anna Elizabeth (1637-1642), and two sons, who died in infancy. On 16 January 1637 in Regensburg, King of the RomansKing of the RomansKing of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
Ferdinand III raised Anna Ursula to Princess of Bernstadt.