Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
| Frederick Ulrich | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | |
 | |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Sophia of Brandenburg |
| Noble family | House of Guelph |
| Father | Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Mother | Elizabeth of Denmark |
| Born |
5 April 1591 Wolfenbüttel |
| Died |
11 August 1634 (aged 43) Brunswick |
Frederick Ulrich (German Friedrich Ulrich, 5 April 1591 – 11 August 1634), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1613 until his death.
Life
Frederick Ulrich was the son of Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1564-1613) and his second wife Princess Elisabeth of Denmark (1573-1625), the eldest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark. Frederick studied at the universities of Helmstedt and Tübingen, and became ruling duke after the death of his father in 1613. In 1615, Frederick became involved in a war with the City of Brunswick, which was reluctant to recognize his overlordship.
Between 1616 and 1622, he was de facto deposed by his mother, Elizabeth, with the help of her brother, King Christian IV of Denmark, because of his alcoholism; government business was led by Anton von Streithorst, who nearly ruined the state by minting coins from cheap metals and thus causing inflation. Because of the bad situation of the state, Christian had Frederick take control of the government again. With the help of the states' nobility, he managed to regain control; the members of the Streithorst government fled the state.
Because of Frederick's indecision and weakness, Brunswick was heavily ransacked during the Thirty Years' War — both by the Catholic forces of Tilly and Pappenheim and by the Protestant forces of Christian of Denmark and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. The duke lost most of his territory during this time. He died after an accident in 1634.
Marriage & Family
Frederick Ulrich married Anna Sophia (1598-1659), daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, in 1614. They had no children and Frederick tried to get a divorce from Anna, though he died before the divorce was completed. Anna Sophia spent her widowhood in Schöningen, where she founded a renowned school, the Anna-Sophianeum.
Ancestors
| Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg | Father: Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
Paternal Grandfather: Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Mary of Württemberg | |||
| Paternal Grandmother: Hedwig of Brandenburg |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg | ||
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Magdalena of Saxony | |||
| Mother: Elizabeth of Denmark |
Maternal Grandfather: Frederick II of Denmark |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Christian III of Denmark | |
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg | |||
| Maternal Grandmother: Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | ||
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Elizabeth of Denmark |
References
| Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Cadet branch of the House of Este Born: 5 April 1591 Died: 11 August 1634 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry Julius |
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 1613–1634 |
Succeeded by Augustus the Younger |
| Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Calenberg 1613–1634 |
Succeeded by George | |
| Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Grubenhagen only de facto, not de jure 1613–1617 |
Succeeded by Christian the Elder | |