George, Duke of Saxony facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George |
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Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1534
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| Duke of Saxony Margrave of Meissen |
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| Reign | 12 September 1500 – 17 April 1539 |
| Predecessor | Albert III & IV |
| Successor | Henry IV |
| Born | 27 August 1471 Meissen |
| Died | 17 April 1539 (aged 67) Dresden |
| Spouse |
Barbara Jagiellon
(m. 1496; died 1534) |
| Issue Detail |
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| House | Wettin (Albertine line) |
| Father | Albert III, Duke of Saxony |
| Mother | Sidonie of Poděbrady |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
George the Bearded (born in Meissen on August 27, 1471; died in Dresden on April 17, 1539) was the Duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539. He is famous for strongly opposing the Reformation, a big religious change in Europe.
During his time, the Wettin family, which ruled Saxony, was split into two main branches: the Ernestine line and the Albertine line. While the Ernestine branch accepted Lutheranism (the new Protestant faith started by Martin Luther), George, who led the Albertine line, did not. He tried very hard to stop Lutheranism from spreading in his lands.
When George died in 1539, he couldn't prevent a Lutheran from taking over. According to a family agreement from 1499, his brother, Henry IV, who was a Lutheran, became the new duke. Henry quickly made Lutheranism the official religion in the Albertine parts of Saxony.
Duke George was also a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a special group of knights.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George's father was Albert the Brave, who founded the Albertine branch of the Wettin family. His mother was Sidonie, daughter of George of Poděbrady, the King of Bohemia. George was a cousin of Elector Frederick the Wise, who was known for protecting Martin Luther.
As the oldest son, George received an excellent education. He studied theology and many other subjects. This made him much more educated than most other princes of his time.
As early as 1488, George acted as regent, meaning he governed the ducal lands while his father was away fighting. These lands included the Margraviate of Meissen and important cities like Dresden and Leipzig.
George and his wife, Barbara, are buried in a special chapel called the Georgskapelle in Meissen Cathedral. This chapel has a beautiful altarpiece painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
Family Life and Children
George married Barbara Jagiellon in Dresden on November 21, 1496. Barbara was the daughter of Casimir IV, King of Poland.
George and Barbara had ten children together. Sadly, most of their children died before their father. Only one daughter survived him.
Here are some of their children:
- Johann (born 1498; died 1537), who was supposed to inherit the duchy. He married Elizabeth of Hesse, but they had no children.
- Friedrich (born 1504; died 1539), who also became the heir. He married Elisabeth of Mansfeld shortly before his death, but they also had no children.
- Christine (born 1505; died 1549), who married Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.
- Magdalena (born 1507; died 1534), who married Joachim Hector, who later became Elector of Brandenburg.
Becoming Duke of Saxony
In 1498, George's father, Albert the Brave, was given control of Friesland by the emperor. To prevent his lands from being divided up too much, Albert made a plan for who would inherit his possessions. When Albert died on September 12, 1500, George became the head of the Albertine line in the German territories. His brother, Heinrich, became the governor of Friesland.
However, controlling Friesland was very difficult and caused many rebellions. Heinrich, who wasn't very active, gave up his claim to Friesland. In 1505, George and Heinrich agreed that George would take over Friesland, and Heinrich would receive money and other districts instead. But even George struggled with Friesland. In 1515, he sold it to Charles V (who later became emperor) for a fair price.
Even with these challenges outside Saxony, George worked hard to govern his own duchy well. He was a very skilled ruler. He divided the duchy into different government areas. He also took steps to stop robber-knights and improved the justice system. George wanted good order and to make life better for his people. He even made reforms at the University of Leipzig, encouraging new ideas like Humanism.
Opposing the Reformation
From the start of the Protestant Reformation in 1517, Duke George focused a lot of his energy on religious matters. He was one of the few German princes who stayed very loyal to the Catholic Church. He defended its rights and strongly disagreed with any new religious ideas that weren't approved by the Church leaders.
At first, George wasn't completely against Martin Luther. But as Luther's goals became clearer, George became more and more opposed to him. This led to some heated arguments and letters between them.
George knew there were problems within the Church at the time. In 1519, he organized the Disputation of Leipzig, a big debate, hoping to find the truth. He attended all the discussions. In 1521, at the Diet of Worms, when German princes listed their complaints about the Church, George added his own twelve specific complaints. These mainly focused on the misuse of Indulgences (pardons for sins) and other Church fees.
In 1525, George joined forces with his Lutheran son-in-law, Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, and his cousin, Frederick the Wise, to put down the German Peasants' War. The peasants were defeated near Bad Frankenhausen.
Later, George ordered his secretary, Hieronymus Emser, to translate the New Testament as an alternative to Luther's version. George also ordered that Lutheran books be taken away, though he paid for them. He was a strong opponent of Lutherans. He even said that people who left the Catholic Church should not receive a Christian burial. However, those who simply held anti-Catholic views were only expelled from his duchy.
George really wanted a Church council to happen, hoping it would fix the problems. While waiting, he tried to reform monasteries, which he felt had become too focused on worldly things. He also formed alliances with other Catholic rulers, like the League of Dessau in 1525 and the Holy League of Nuremberg in 1538, to protect Catholic interests.
Despite all his efforts, George saw Catholicism decline and Lutheranism spread in his lands. Even his son-in-law, Philip of Hesse, and his own brother, Heinrich, became Reformers.
George spent his last years trying to make sure a Catholic would succeed him as duke. He hoped this would stop the spread of Lutheran ideas. At that time, his only living son was Frederick, who was not married and had health issues. George wanted Frederick to rule with the help of a council. In early 1539, Frederick married Elisabeth of Mansfeld, but he died soon after without having any children.
According to the 1499 family agreement, George's Protestant brother Heinrich was next in line. But George tried to prevent Heinrich from inheriting the duchy. He wanted to leave it to Ferdinand, the brother of Charles V. However, George died suddenly, so he couldn't carry out this plan.
Images for kids
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The tomb of George the Bearded in the Georgskappelle, Meissen Cathedral
