Sigismund of Brandenburg
Encyclopedia
Sigismund of Brandenburg (1538–1566) was Archbishop
of Magdeburg
and Bishop
of Halberstadt
.
; the son of the Elector of Brandenburg, Joachim II (1505–1571), from his second marriage to Hedwig (1513–1572), daughter of King Sigismund I
of Poland. Sigismund owed not only his name, but also a close resemblance to his grandfather.
Sigismund succeeded his older brother, Frederick, in 1552 as archbishop of Magdeburg and Bishop of Halberstadt. Because he was only 14 it was initially suggested that he could not be selected. Until he actually took office, Count John George of Mansfeld was installed by the chapter to run the diocese until 1557. On 21 January 1553 the young archbishop, who had meanwhile been confirmed by Pope Julius III, was rendered homage by the nobility in Halle. As a Protestant, Sigismund was also the Administrator of Magdeburg and remained unmarried. In 1567 the remainder of the cathedral chapter converted to the Protestant confession.
In 1555 Sigismund issued a code of procedure. Three years later, Emperor Ferdinand I granted the archbishop the privilegium de non appellando
. In the years 1552/53 Sigismund had a new residence, the Peterhof, built in Halberstadt
.
He died on 13 September 1566 at the Moritzburg
in Halle (Saale). His death at the age of 28 prevented him being a serious candidate for the Polish throne and hindered the introduction of the Reformation to the whole archdiocese.
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
.
Life
Sigismund was born on 11 December 1538 in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
; the son of the Elector of Brandenburg, Joachim II (1505–1571), from his second marriage to Hedwig (1513–1572), daughter of King Sigismund I
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
of Poland. Sigismund owed not only his name, but also a close resemblance to his grandfather.
Sigismund succeeded his older brother, Frederick, in 1552 as archbishop of Magdeburg and Bishop of Halberstadt. Because he was only 14 it was initially suggested that he could not be selected. Until he actually took office, Count John George of Mansfeld was installed by the chapter to run the diocese until 1557. On 21 January 1553 the young archbishop, who had meanwhile been confirmed by Pope Julius III, was rendered homage by the nobility in Halle. As a Protestant, Sigismund was also the Administrator of Magdeburg and remained unmarried. In 1567 the remainder of the cathedral chapter converted to the Protestant confession.
In 1555 Sigismund issued a code of procedure. Three years later, Emperor Ferdinand I granted the archbishop the privilegium de non appellando
Privilegium de non appellando
The Latin-originating phrase "privilegium de non appellando" words meaning "privilege of not be appealed". The phrase denotes the status by which a person or an institution is exempted from the jurisdiction of the judiciary in matters of appeal, in which a lower court's decision has its...
. In the years 1552/53 Sigismund had a new residence, the Peterhof, built in Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
.
He died on 13 September 1566 at the Moritzburg
Moritzburg (Halle)
The Moritzburg is a fortified castle in Halle , Germany. The cornerstone of what would later become the residence of the Archbishops of Magdeburg was laid in 1484; the castle was built in the style of the Early Renaissance and is one of the most imposing buildings of Halle today...
in Halle (Saale). His death at the age of 28 prevented him being a serious candidate for the Polish throne and hindered the introduction of the Reformation to the whole archdiocese.
Sources
- Hoffmann, Friedrich W. (1847). Geschichte der Stadt Magdeburg, Baensch, p. 316 ff.
- Pauli, Karl Friedrich (1762). Allgemeine preussische Staatsgeschichte, C. P. Francken, p. 194