Karl II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Encyclopedia
Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (born: July 24, 1529 in Pforzheim
; died: March 23, 1577 in Durlach
), nicknamed Charles with the bag, governed the Margravate of Durlach
from 1552 to 1577. On June 1, 1556, Charles issued a new Church Order
, which made Lutheranism
the official religion in Baden-Durlach.
and his second wife Ursula of Rosenfeld. Since the marriage between Ernest and Ursula was morganatic
, Charles's ability to succeed was disputed. Nevertheless, he started ruling Upper Baden in his father's name in September 1552. His 12 years older half brother Bernard IV
died on 20 January 1553 and his father died two weeks later, on 6 February. Charles then inherited then entire country, which was called Baden-Pforzheim at the time. He moved the capital to Durlach, thereby changing the name of his country to Baden-Durlach.
(1552) a number of secular rulers in the south west of Germany introduced the Reformation
. Margrave Ernest of Baden-Durlach had plans to have had follow suit, but still faced a potential conflict with Archduke Ferdinand
, the ruler of the Roman Catholic Further Austria
, the who still claimed parts of Upper Baden.
Margrave Charles II - like his cousin, Margrave Philibert of Baden-Baden - supported the Peace of Augsburg
of 1555 in the Reichstag
, which gave secular imperial princes freedom to introduce Lutheranism
in their territories. With this protection and at the urging of Duke Christopher of Württemberg, Charles II introduced the Reformation
into the margraviate of Baden-Durlach with the adoption of a new Church Order
on 1 June 1556.
The preparation of the Reformation and the drafting of church order was entrusted to a Commission chaired by Martin Achtsynit, the Chancellor of the Margraviate of Baden (Pforzheimer part). Members of the Commission were the theologian Jacob Andreae from Tübingen
, the court preacher Michael Diller from Heidelberg and the Saxon theologians Max Morlin and John Stossel. In addition to the theologians, the Councillors Johann Georg and Renz Sechele also belonged to the Commission. Achtsynit was also the first director of the Council of Churches; Charles himself was bishop of the Evangelical Church and so became successor to the bishops of Strasbourg, Speyer and Constance, who had been competent for different parts of his territory. The "inner conflict within the Protestant confession" also affected the work of the Commission. In the end, the commission chose, for political reasons, to largely copy the church order of Württemberg, which had been drafted by Johannes Brenz
in 1553, with final editing by Jacob Heerbrand
. Württemberg also allowed Jacob Heerbrand to participate in the first church visitation in Baden-Durlach, which was conducted in the autumn of 1556. Charles appointed the theologians Simon Sulzer
from Basel
as General Superintendent
for Upper Baden.
Frequent visitations should ensure that only Lutheran pastors were active and the church order was complied with. Many Catholic priests were expelled. Ferdinand of Austria formally denied Charles the right to introduce the Reformation in his possessions in Breisgau
. The people gave Charles the nickname the Pious, referring to the zeal he developed while introducing the Reformation.
As a result, the Ernestine part of Baden turned Protestant shortly after Baden was split. When the two parts of the Margraviate were reunited in 1771 under Margrave Charles Frederick, he had the foresight and sovereignty
to allow multiple faiths and to call for tolerance and acceptance.
In 1561, the Margrave avowed to the unchanged Augsburg Confession
at a convention
of Protestants in Naumburg
, convened by Elector
Augustus of Saxony
. Like his cousin Philibert of Baden-Baden
, Charles supported King Charles IX of France
by sending auxiliary troops into the war against the Calvinist
Huguenots.
of 24 April 1561, with essentially the same result as the earlier agreement.
to Durlach
in 1565. This was allegedly triggered by a dispute with the citizens of Pforzheim, who refused to act as drivers in a drive hunt organized by the Margrave. The literature points out that other, more rational, reasons may have existed; in particular, Durlach was more centrally located within Lower Baden.
For this move, the Karlsburg
, an existing hunting lodge in Durlach, was expanded. Charles oversaw the expansion himself and paid the workers personally, using a shoulder bag full of money he brought with him. The affectionate nickname Charles with the Bag refers to this practice.
The city of Durlach was also renovated. A garden was added to the castle and several gates were added to the city wall. In 1571, a mint
was built, as was usual in princely residences at the time.
(born: 17 June 1523; died: 27 February 1558), the daughter of the Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
. They had two children:
Charles II then married on 1 August 1558 Countess Palatine Anna of Veldenz
(born: 12 November 1540, died: 30 March 1586), the daughter of the Count Palatine Rupert of Veldenz
. They had the following children:
Of his sons only George Frederick remained a Lutheran. Ernest Frederick converted to Calvinism
and James III became a Catholic
. Since George Frederick lived the longest, he ultimately inherited the margraviate and it remained Lutheran. After the Charles II's death, his widow, Anna of Veldenz, led the government business for 7 years as regent
, until her sons came of age.
Pforzheim
Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
; died: March 23, 1577 in Durlach
Durlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
), nicknamed Charles with the bag, governed the Margravate of Durlach
Durlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
from 1552 to 1577. On June 1, 1556, Charles issued a new Church Order
Church Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
, which made Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
the official religion in Baden-Durlach.
Life
Charles was the son of Margrave Ernest of Baden-DurlachErnest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Margrave Ernest I of Baden-Durlach was the founder of the so-called "Ernestine" line of the House of Baden, the from which the later Grand Dukes descended. He was the ruling Margrave of Baden-Pforzheim from 1533 and resided in Pforzheim from 1537...
and his second wife Ursula of Rosenfeld. Since the marriage between Ernest and Ursula was morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
, Charles's ability to succeed was disputed. Nevertheless, he started ruling Upper Baden in his father's name in September 1552. His 12 years older half brother Bernard IV
Bernard IV, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Bernard IV, Margrave of Baden-Durlach was Margrave of Baden-Pforzheim from 26 September 1552 until his death.- Life :...
died on 20 January 1553 and his father died two weeks later, on 6 February. Charles then inherited then entire country, which was called Baden-Pforzheim at the time. He moved the capital to Durlach, thereby changing the name of his country to Baden-Durlach.
The introduction of the Reformation in 1556
After the Peace of PassauPeace of Passau
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had won a victory against Protestantism in the Schmalkaldic War of 1547. Many Protestant princes were unhappy with the religious terms of the Augsburg Interim imposed after this victory. In January 1552, led by Maurice of Saxony, many formed an alliance with Henry II of...
(1552) a number of secular rulers in the south west of Germany introduced the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
. Margrave Ernest of Baden-Durlach had plans to have had follow suit, but still faced a potential conflict with Archduke Ferdinand
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
, the ruler of the Roman Catholic Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
, the who still claimed parts of Upper Baden.
Margrave Charles II - like his cousin, Margrave Philibert of Baden-Baden - supported the Peace of Augsburg
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg, also called the Augsburg Settlement, was a treaty between Charles V and the forces of the Schmalkaldic League, an alliance of Lutheran princes, on September 25, 1555, at the imperial city of Augsburg, now in present-day Bavaria, Germany.It officially ended the religious...
of 1555 in the Reichstag
Reichstag
Reichstag may refer to:*Reichstag – the diets or parliaments of the Holy Roman Empire, of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, and of Germany from 1871 to 1945** Reichstag ** Reichstag...
, which gave secular imperial princes freedom to introduce Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
in their territories. With this protection and at the urging of Duke Christopher of Württemberg, Charles II introduced the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
into the margraviate of Baden-Durlach with the adoption of a new Church Order
Church Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
on 1 June 1556.
The preparation of the Reformation and the drafting of church order was entrusted to a Commission chaired by Martin Achtsynit, the Chancellor of the Margraviate of Baden (Pforzheimer part). Members of the Commission were the theologian Jacob Andreae from Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, the court preacher Michael Diller from Heidelberg and the Saxon theologians Max Morlin and John Stossel. In addition to the theologians, the Councillors Johann Georg and Renz Sechele also belonged to the Commission. Achtsynit was also the first director of the Council of Churches; Charles himself was bishop of the Evangelical Church and so became successor to the bishops of Strasbourg, Speyer and Constance, who had been competent for different parts of his territory. The "inner conflict within the Protestant confession" also affected the work of the Commission. In the end, the commission chose, for political reasons, to largely copy the church order of Württemberg, which had been drafted by Johannes Brenz
Johannes Brenz
Johann Brenz was a German theologian and the Protestant Reformer of the Duchy of Württemberg.-Early Advocacy of the Reformation:...
in 1553, with final editing by Jacob Heerbrand
Jacob Heerbrand
Jacob Heerbrand was a German Protestant theologian and controversialist.-Life:He was born at Giengen in Swabia on August 12, 1521. He was educated at the school at...
. Württemberg also allowed Jacob Heerbrand to participate in the first church visitation in Baden-Durlach, which was conducted in the autumn of 1556. Charles appointed the theologians Simon Sulzer
Simon Sulzer
Simon Sulzer was a Reformed theologian, Reformer, and Antistes of the Basel church.- Life :Sulzer was born in Schattenhalb, the child of a priest. He was educated in Bern and Lucerne. The sudden death of his father, the provost of Interlaken, forced him to turn to manual labor to support himself...
from Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
as General Superintendent
General Superintendent
General Superintendent can refer to:* A overseer on a construction site.* There are many Christian denominations that have the office of General Superintendent...
for Upper Baden.
Frequent visitations should ensure that only Lutheran pastors were active and the church order was complied with. Many Catholic priests were expelled. Ferdinand of Austria formally denied Charles the right to introduce the Reformation in his possessions in Breisgau
Breisgau
Breisgau is the name of an area in southwest Germany, placed between the river Rhine and the foothills of the Black Forest around Freiburg im Breisgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, which partly consists of the Breisgau, is named after that area...
. The people gave Charles the nickname the Pious, referring to the zeal he developed while introducing the Reformation.
As a result, the Ernestine part of Baden turned Protestant shortly after Baden was split. When the two parts of the Margraviate were reunited in 1771 under Margrave Charles Frederick, he had the foresight and sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
to allow multiple faiths and to call for tolerance and acceptance.
In 1561, the Margrave avowed to the unchanged Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
at a convention
Convention
Convention may refer to:* Treaty, an agreement in international law* Convention , a large gathering of people who share a common interest** Political convention, a formal gathering of people for political purposes...
of Protestants in Naumburg
Naumburg
Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
, convened by Elector
Elector
Elector may refer to:* Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors...
Augustus of Saxony
Augustus, 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...
. Like his cousin Philibert of Baden-Baden
Philibert, Margrave of Baden-Baden
Margrave Philibert of Baden ruled the Margraviate of Baden-Baden from 1554 to 1569. Philibert was the son of the Margrave Bernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Franziska of Luxembourg....
, Charles supported King Charles IX of France
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
by sending auxiliary troops into the war against the Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
Huguenots.
The prelate controversy
The Reformation had the effect that the territory of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach only Lutheran pastors were permitted. The Jus patronatus was, however, in many case owned by Catholic monasteries or religious orders, which would now have to pay for a Lutheran pastor. This, of course, caused resistance. The Peace of Augsburg had clear rules for this kind of situation. Religious institutions were allowed to keep their possessions in Protestant areas, but they indeed had to for the evangelical pastor. Based on the territorial claims of the House of Habsburg on the Upper Baden lordships mentioned above, the prelates held that the maintenance obligation did not apply to them, and the intended to keep the tithes. Charles then seized their estates and used them to fund the maintenance of churches and pastors. Johann Ulrich Zasius mediated and reached a compromise: the confiscated estates were returned to their owners, but Baden-Durlach was allowed to retain the funds necessary to pay the pastors. However, the Austrian authorities in Innsbruck did not accept this compromise and the confrontation escalated. After some prelates made separate agreements with Baden-Durlach, the negotiations were resumed and led to the treaty of Neuenburg am RheinNeuenburg am Rhein
Neuenburg am Rhein is a town in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, 18 km northeast of Mulhouse, and 28 km north of Basel.- References :...
of 24 April 1561, with essentially the same result as the earlier agreement.
The relocation of the residence to Durlach in 1565
The Margrave moved the residence from PforzheimPforzheim
Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
to Durlach
Durlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
in 1565. This was allegedly triggered by a dispute with the citizens of Pforzheim, who refused to act as drivers in a drive hunt organized by the Margrave. The literature points out that other, more rational, reasons may have existed; in particular, Durlach was more centrally located within Lower Baden.
For this move, the Karlsburg
Karlsburg Castle
Karlsburg Castle in the Durlach district of Karlsruhe characterizes the history of the Baden since 1563. Only the of the historical building still stands....
, an existing hunting lodge in Durlach, was expanded. Charles oversaw the expansion himself and paid the workers personally, using a shoulder bag full of money he brought with him. The affectionate nickname Charles with the Bag refers to this practice.
The city of Durlach was also renovated. A garden was added to the castle and several gates were added to the city wall. In 1571, a mint
MiNT
MiNT is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST and its successors. Together with the free system components fVDI , XaAES , and TeraDesk , MiNT provides a free TOS compatible replacement OS that is capable of multitasking.MiNT was originally released by Eric Smith as...
was built, as was usual in princely residences at the time.
Marriages and issue
Charles II first married on 10 March 1551 with Kunigunde of Brandenburg-KulmbachKunigunde of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Kunigunde of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was a princess of Brandenburg-Kulmbach by birth and by marriage Margravine of Baden-Durlach.- Life :...
(born: 17 June 1523; died: 27 February 1558), the daughter of the Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Casimir of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Margrave of Bayreuth from 1515 to 1527.- Family background :...
. They had two children:
- Marie (born: 3 January 1553; died: 11 November 1561)
- Albert (born: 12 June 1555; died: 5 May 1574)
Charles II then married on 1 August 1558 Countess Palatine Anna of Veldenz
Anna of Veldenz
Countess Palatine Anna of Veldenz was born a countess of Palatinate-Veldenz and, by marriage, Margravine of Baden-Durlach...
(born: 12 November 1540, died: 30 March 1586), the daughter of the Count Palatine Rupert of Veldenz
Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz
Rupert was the Duke of Veldenz from 1543 until 1544.-Life:Rupert was born in Zweibrücken in 1506 as the youngest son of Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. As a younger son, Rupert was designated by his father into a church career. In 1517 he became a member of the Cathedral of Strasbourg,...
. They had the following children:
- Dorothea Ursula (born: 20 June 1559; died: 19 May 1583)
- married on 7 November 1575 Louis III of Württemberg (born: 1 January 1554; died: 18 August 1593)
- Ernest FrederickErnest Frederick, Margrave of Baden-DurlachErnest Frederick of Baden-Durlach ruled the northern part of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach. He came to power when he came of age in 1584. He founded the first Gymnasium Illustrie in the margraviate...
(born: 17 October 1560; died: 14 April 1604)
- Ernest Frederick
- married on 21 December 1585 Anna of East Frisia (born: 26 May 1562; died: 21 April 1621), the daughter of Count Edzard II of East FrisiaEdzard II, Count of East FrisiaEdzard II, Count of East Frisia was count of East Frisia, and the son of Enno II of East Frisia and Anna of Oldenburg....
- James III (born: 26 May 1562; died: 17 August 1590)
- married on 6 September 1584 Elisabeth of Pallandt-Culemborg (born c. 1567; died: 8 May 1620), the daughter of Count Floris I of Pallandt-Culemborg 1537 (- 1598); reigning Margrave
- Anna Marie (born: 4 August 1565; died: 8 October 1573)
- Elizabeth (born: 27 September 1570; died: 6 October 1611)
- George Frederick born: 30 January 1573; died: 24 September 1638); reigning Margrave
Of his sons only George Frederick remained a Lutheran. Ernest Frederick converted to Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
and James III became a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. Since George Frederick lived the longest, he ultimately inherited the margraviate and it remained Lutheran. After the Charles II's death, his widow, Anna of Veldenz, led the government business for 7 years as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, until her sons came of age.