Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids {{{name}}}
Spouse(s)	Erdmuthe Sophie of Saxony Sophie Luise of Württemberg Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg
Issue
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth George William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Noble family	House of Hohenzollern
Father	Erdmann August of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Mother	Sophie of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Born	(1644-08-06)6 August 1644 Bayreuth
Died	20 May 1712(1712-05-20) (aged 67) Erlangen

Christian Ernst of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was an important ruler in Germany. He was born on August 6, 1644, in Bayreuth and passed away on May 20, 1712, in Erlangen. He belonged to the House of Hohenzollern, a famous German royal family. Christian Ernst was the Margrave (a type of ruler) of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

He was the only son of Erdmann August, who was the heir to the Margraviate. His mother was Sophie of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Christian Ernst became the heir to Bayreuth when his father died in 1651. He was only ten years old when his grandfather, Christian, died in 1655. This made Christian Ernst the new Margrave. His uncle, Georg Albrecht, ruled for him until 1664. That year, Christian Ernst was old enough to rule on his own.

Life as a Ruler

Christian Ernst made many important changes during his time as Margrave. He worked to bring local governments under one central authority in Bayreuth. He also welcomed Huguenots, who were French Protestants, to settle in Erlangen.

He also started a special school called a Knight's Academy (Ritterakademie). This school later became the basis for the Regional University of Erlangen.

Supporting the Emperor

As Margrave, Christian Ernst was a loyal supporter of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. He helped the Emperor by providing supplies during wars against France. He also helped free Vienna from the Turks in 1683.

In 1664, he was named a colonel for the Franconian Circle. This was a military district in the Holy Roman Empire. From 1668, he started building up his own army. This was meant to help the Emperor, but it put a lot of stress on Bayreuth's money. The region faced financial problems starting in 1672.

Military Leadership

Even though he ruled a small area, Christian Ernst's military efforts made him an important ally. After helping the Emperor in the Franco-Dutch War, he was promoted. In 1676, he became a Lieutenant Field Marshal. He even helped in the famous Battle of Vienna in 1683.

In 1691, he became an Imperial Field Marshal. The next year, he took command of the imperial army along the Rhine River. However, he soon realized the task was too big for him. He then gave command to Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, he won some battles. But in 1707, he made a mistake that allowed French troops to enter parts of Germany. After this, his military career ended.

Arts and Education

Christian Ernst also cared deeply about arts and learning. In 1664, he founded a secondary school in Bayreuth. This school, the Christian Ernst Secondary School (Christian-Ernst-Gymnasium), still exists today.

He also built a castle church in 1672 near his stables. In 1695, a famous architect named Leonhard Dientzenhofer began building an octagonal tower for the castle.

Christian Ernst was also kind to refugees. In 1686, he allowed Huguenots who were forced out of France to live in Neustadt. Soon after, he also let refugees from the Palatinate region settle in Erlangen. Their home had been destroyed during the Nine Years' War.

In his personal life, Christian Ernst loved horses and dogs. He owned 85 dogs!

Family Life

Christian Ernst was married three times.

His first marriage was in Dresden on October 29, 1662. He married Erdmuthe Sophie. She was the daughter of his aunt, Magdalene Sibylle. They were married for seven years but did not have any children. Erdmuthe Sophie passed away on June 22, 1670.

Eight months later, on February 8, 1671, Christian Ernst married for the second time. He married Duchess Sofie Louise of Württemberg in Stuttgart. She was the eldest daughter of Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg. This marriage lasted 31 years. They had six children together, but three of them died when they were very young.

• Christiane Eberhardine (born 1671, died 1727). She married Frederick August of Saxony, who later became Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.
• Eleonore Magdalene (born 1673, died 1711). She married Prince Herman Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Hechingen.
• Claudia Eleonore Sophie (born 1675, died 1676).
• Charlotte Emilie (born 1677, died 1678).
• Georg Wilhelm (born 1678, died 1726). He became the next Margrave of Bayreuth after his father.
• Karl Ludwig (born 1679, died 1680).

Five months after his second wife died, Christian Ernst married a third time. This was on March 30, 1703, in Potsdam. His third wife was Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg. They did not have any children.

See also

In Spanish: Cristián Ernesto de Brandeburgo-Bayreuth para niños