Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Encyclopedia
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...
– 3 May 1589, Wolfenbüttel), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1568 until his death.
The youngest son of Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called the Younger, was Prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1514 until his death...
, Julius was expected to pursue a clerical career. He studied at Leuven University
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
, and was appointed bishop of Minden in 1553, but resigned after only a year. After both of his brothers died in the Battle of Sievershausen
Battle of Sievershausen
The Battle of Sievershausen occurred on 9 July 1553 in Sievershausen , between the Catholic Imperial troops and those of the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. 4,000 soldiers were killed, including Maurice, Elector of Saxony, the Protestant commander of the Catholic side...
of 1553, he became heir to the principality. All plans of his father's to exclude him from the line of succession failed, even though Julius had converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. After his father's death in 1568, Julius instituted a tax reform that improved the rights of farmers in relation to noblemen. He also founded a militia — every head of household was required to own a weapon and participate in military training — and reformed the court system. Julius entered into an agreement with the City of Brunswick in 1569, in which the city recognized his overlordship; however, the conflict between Duchy and City continued nonetheless.
Julius promoted trade and especially mining. Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining in the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
flourished, and many new mines were opened. Julius himself wrote a book about the uses of marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
. To enable the sale of mining products, Julius invested into the improvements of roads and rivers. In 1577 the Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
was made navigable between the Harz and Wolfenbüttel. In 1576, Julius founded the first university of the state, the 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....
. The university was intended to train Protestant priests for the newly reformed
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...
state.
In 1581, he purchased the beautiful Italian palazzo Ca' Vendramin Calergi
Ca' Vendramin Calergi
Ca' Vendramin Calergi is a palace on the Grand Canal in the sestiere of Cannaregio in Venice, northern Italy. Other names by which it is known include: Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, Palazzo Loredan Vendramin Calergi, and Palazzo Loredan Griman Calergi Vendramin. The architecturally distinguished...
on the Grand Canal in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, one of his favorite cities to visit. He paid 50,000 ducat
Ducat
The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
s for the palazzo to the Loredan
Loredan
The family of Loredan were a noble family of the Republic of Venice. The family contributed three Doges: Leonardo Loredan , Pietro Loredan , and Francesco Loredan , of whom only the first truly set his mark on the history of Venice; the Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan by Giovanni Bellini makes...
family, who were having financial difficulties at the time. However, he sold it only two years later to Gugliemo (William) III Gonzaga
House of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
, Marquis of Mantua
Duchy of Mantua
The Duchy of Mantua was a duchy in Lombardy, Northern Italy, subject to the Holy Roman Empire.-History:After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Mantua was invaded by Byzantines, Longobards and Franks. In the 11th century it became a possession of Boniface of Canossa, marquis of Toscana...
.
After the death of Eric II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Eric II, Duke of Calenberg
Eric II, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg was duke in the Brunswick-Lunenburgian Principality of Calenberg from 1545 to 1584. Since 1495 the Principality of Göttingen was incorporated in Calenberg....
, in 1584, Julius inherited the Principality of Calenberg. He died in 1589 and was succeed by his son Henry Julius
Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry Julius was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1589 until his death. In 1576 he had become the first rector of the Protestant University of Helmstedt.- Life :...
.
Family
Julius married Hedwig, daughter of Joachim II, Elector of Brandenburg, on 25 February 1560. They had the following children who reached adulthood:- Sophie Hedwig (1561–1631), married Duke Ernest Louis of Pomerania-Wolgast
- Henry JuliusHenry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-LüneburgHenry Julius was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1589 until his death. In 1576 he had become the first rector of the Protestant University of Helmstedt.- Life :...
(1564–1613) - MariaMaria of Brunswick-LüneburgMaria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel by birth and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg.- Life :...
(13 January 1566 – 13 August 1626), married on 10 November 1582 Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg - Elizabeth (1567–1618), married Adolf XI, Count of Holstein-Schauenburg-Pinneburg and Christopher, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
- Philip Siegmund, Bishop of OsnabrückBishop of OsnabrückThe Bishop of Osnabrück is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück, the current incumbent is Franz-Josef Hermann Bode. Theodor Kettmann is his auxiliary bishop.- List of Bishops of Osnabrück :*Paul Ludolf Melchers...
(1568–1623) - Joachim Charles, Provost of Strasbourg (1573–1615)
- Dorothea Augusta, Abbess of Gandersheim (1577–1625)
- Julius Augustus, Abbot of MichaelsteinMichaelstein AbbeyMichaelstein Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, now the home of the Stiftung Kloster Michaelstein - Musikinstitut für Aufführungspraxis , near the town of Blankenburg in the Harz in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.-History:In a deed of Emperor Otto I dated 956 giving property to...
(1578–1617) - Hedwig (1580–1657), married Otto III, Duke of Brunswick-Harburg