John Sigismund (German: Johann Sigismund; 8 November 1572 – 23 December 1619) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.
John Sigismund was born in Halle an der Saale to Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, and his first wife Catherine, Princess of Brandenburg-Küstrin. He succeeded his father as Margrave of Brandenburg in 1608. He gave the Reichshof Castrop to his teacher and educator Carl Friedrich von Bordelius. John Sigismund received the territories of Cleves, Mark, and Ravensberg in the Treaty of Xanten in 1614. He succeeded his father-in-law Albert Frederick as Duke of Prussia in 1618, but died the following year.
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Religious policy
John Sigismund's most significant action was his conversion from Lutheranism to Calvinism. He was probably won over to the faith during a visit to Heidelberg in 1606, but it was not until 1613 that he publicly took communion according to the Calvinist rite. The vast majority of his subjects in Brandenburg, including his wife Anna of Prussia, remained deeply Lutheran, however, and after the Elector and his Calvinist court officials drew up plans for mass conversion of the population to the new faith in February 1614, as provided by the Eius religio, cuius regio rule in the Holy Roman Empire, there were serious protests, with his wife backing the Lutherans. Resistance was so strong that in 1615, John Sigismund backed down and relinquished any attempt at forcible conversion, allowing his subjects to be either Lutheran or Calvinist according to the dictates of their own consciences. Henceforward, Brandenburg-Prussia would be a bi-confessional state.[1]
Family and children
On 30 October 1594, John Sigismund married Anna of Prussia, daughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia (1553–1618). They were parents to eight children:
- George William (13 November 1595 – 1 December 1640). His successor.
- Anne Sophia of Brandenburg (15 March 1598 – 19 December 1659). Married Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.
- Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg (11 November 1599 – 28 March 1655). Married Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. They were parents of Christina of Sweden.
- Catherine of Brandenburg (28 May 1602 – 27 August 1644). Married first Gabriel Bethlen, Prince of Transylvania and secondly Franz Karl of Saxe-Lauenburg.
- Joachim Sigismund of Brandenburg (25 July 1603 – 22 February 1625).
- Agnes of Brandenburg (31 August 1606 – 12 March 1607).
- John Frederick of Brandenburg (18 August 1607 – 1 March 1608).
- Albrecht Christian of Brandenburg (7 March – 14 March 1609).
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John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
Born: 8 November 1572 Died: 23 December 1619[aged 47] |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joachim Frederick of Brandenburg |
Elector of Brandenburg 1608-1619 |
Succeeded by George William |
| Preceded by Albert Frederick of Prussia |
Duke of Prussia vassal of Poland 1618-1619 |
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| Vacant
Title last held by
John William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg |
Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark, Count of Ravensburg 1614-1619 |
Incorporated into Brandenburg |
References
- ^ Christopher Clark The Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600-1947 (Penguin, 2007) pp.115-121
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Johann Sigismund (Brandenburg) |
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