Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg facts for kids

Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg was a duke who ruled the small German state of Saxe-Lauenburg. He was born in 1510 and passed away on March 19, 1581, in Buxtehude. Francis I was the only son of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

He became duke in 1543 after his father. In 1571, he gave up his role to his oldest son, Magnus II. However, Francis I took back the dukedom two years later. He ruled again until 1581, when his son Francis II took over.

His Time as Duke

Francis I was known for being very careful with money, but this actually caused big problems. He made Saxe-Lauenburg fall deeply into debt. To get money, he often "pawned" (or used as a guarantee for a loan) many of the ducal lands and properties to people he owed money to.

Dealing with Neighbors

In 1550, Francis I tried to get his 7-year-old son, Magnus, chosen as the future leader of the nearby Prince-Bishopric of Ratzeburg. A prince-bishopric was a territory ruled by a bishop who also had political power. However, the church leaders there said no.

Because he was so in debt and didn't need to be friendly with the prince-bishopric anymore, Francis I raided the Ratzeburg Cathedral in 1552. He also attacked a nearby monastery in 1558. He looted and destroyed the monastery, forcing the local farmers to pay taxes to him instead. He also started cutting down and selling trees from the monastery's forests.

Family Conflicts and Power Struggles

By 1571, Francis I was very deep in debt. He decided to step down and let his oldest son, Magnus II, become duke. Magnus had promised to pay back the debts using money he earned as a military commander in Sweden and from his marriage to a Swedish princess.

However, Magnus did not pay off the debts. Instead, he sold off more of the ducal lands. This caused a big fight between Magnus and his father, as well as his brothers Francis II and Maurice. The people of the duchy were also unhappy because Magnus had a very strong and sometimes violent personality.

In 1573, Francis I removed Magnus from power and became duke again. Magnus fled to Sweden, his wife's home country. The next year, Magnus hired soldiers to try and take Saxe-Lauenburg by force. Francis II, who was an experienced military leader, and Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp helped Francis I defeat Magnus. As a thank you, Saxe-Lauenburg had to give up some land to Adolphus in 1575.

Francis II again helped his father stop Magnus's second attempt to take over in 1578. After this, Francis I made Francis II his "vicegerent," which meant Francis II was actually in charge of running the duchy.

Succession Plans

In 1581, shortly before he died, Francis I made a big decision about who would rule next. He talked with his son Henry, who was a prince-archbishop, and with Emperor Rudolph II. Without telling his other sons, Magnus and Maurice, Francis I chose his third son, Francis II, to be the next duke. He believed Francis II was the most capable. This decision went against the usual rule where the oldest son inherits everything (called "primogeniture"). This made the already difficult relationship with the people of the duchy even worse, as they were tired of the dukes always being in debt.

Family Life

Sibylle of Saxony, painted around 1530

On February 8, 1540, Francis I married Sibylle of Saxony in Dresden. Sibylle was born on May 2, 1515, and passed away on July 18, 1592, in Buxtehude. She was the daughter of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony.

Francis I and Sibylle had several children:

• Albert (1542 – 1544)
• Dorothea (born March 11, 1543, in Lüneburg – died April 5, 1586, in Herzberg am Harz), who married Wolfgang, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
• Magnus II (1543 – May 14, 1603, in Ratzeburg)
• Ursula (1545 – October 22, 1620, in Schernebeck), who married Henry, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg
• Francis II (1547 – 1619)
• Henry (November 1, 1550 – April 22, 1585, in Vörde), who became a Prince-Archbishop and Prince-Bishop
• Maurice (1551 – 1612)
• Sidonia Catharina (died 1594), who married Wenceslaus III Adam, Duke of Cieszyn
• Frederick (1554 – 1586, in Cologne), who was a church official