Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg (1550-1585) as Prince-Bishop Henry II in the gallery of the bishop of Osnabrück at Iburg Castle
Born	1 November 1550
Died	22 April 1585(1585-04-22) (aged 34) Vörde
Noble family	House of Ascania
Spouse(s)	Anna Betzdorf
Father	Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Mother	Sibylle of Saxony
Occupation	Canon, Administrator

Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg (German: Heinrich von Sachsen-Lauenburg; born November 1, 1550 – died April 22, 1585) was an important ruler in several church territories in Germany. He was known as Prince-Archbishop Henry III of Bremen, Prince-Bishop Henry II of Osnabrück, and Prince-Bishop Henry IV of Paderborn. Even though he held these titles, he was often called an "Administrator" because he was a Lutheran and the Pope (the head of the Catholic Church) never officially approved his positions.

Life of Henry

Growing Up and Early Career

Henry was part of the House of Ascania, a powerful noble family. He was the third son of Duke Francis I and his wife Sibylle of Saxony. Both of his parents had become Lutherans, so Henry was raised in the Lutheran faith.

When he was just ten years old, Henry was promised a special position as a canon (a church official) at the Cologne Cathedral. In 1564, he began studying at the University of Cologne. He lived with his law professor, Dr. Conrad Betzdorf, who also acted as his mentor. Henry was known as a quiet student during his time at the university. In 1565, he officially became a canon.

Becoming Administrator of Bremen

In 1567, when Henry was only 16, the church leaders of Bremen Cathedral elected him as their new archbishop. This was a big deal because the previous archbishop had died without a clear successor. Henry's father, Duke Francis I, made a deal during this election. He agreed to give up any claims his family had to certain lands, like the Land of Wursten, which helped Henry get elected.

Because Henry was still young, he agreed that the church leaders and local nobles would help him rule the territory until he was older. He also promised to respect the existing laws and privileges of the people. Henry was supposed to get approval from the Pope, but this never happened because he was Lutheran. So, he was officially known as the Administrator of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, rather than a full archbishop.

Ruling Bremen

Henry officially took charge in 1569. He worked hard to improve the finances of the territory, which had been in debt from previous rulers. He created a budget to better manage spending.

Even though the Pope was unsure about Henry's Lutheran faith, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II supported him. In 1570, the Emperor gave Henry the right to rule the Prince-Archbishopric as a prince, even without the Pope's approval.

Henry always followed the Catholic rules for becoming a bishop, but he never actually wanted to be a Catholic bishop himself. In 1570, a terrible flood, known as the All Saints' Flood, caused great damage in the Bremen area. In 1571, Henry also started a campaign to stop bandits and robbers in his territory.

Throughout his time as Administrator, the Popes and Emperors sometimes tried to get Catholic leaders appointed to important church positions in Bremen. Henry and the church chapter sometimes agreed and sometimes refused, showing the ongoing religious tensions of the time.

Administrator of Osnabrück

On May 23, 1574, the church leaders of Osnabrück also elected Henry as their bishop. Again, he was called Bishop Henry II, but he didn't get the Pope's official approval. When he took on this role, Henry promised to protect the Catholic faith and keep peace between different religious groups in Osnabrück.

Henry worked on building projects in Osnabrück. He finished the Fürstenau Castle, which his predecessor had started. He also began building a new castle in Osnabrück, but it was not finished before his sudden death.

Henry's Marriage

On October 25, 1575, Henry married Anna of Broich in a ceremony at Burghagen Castle. Anna had lived with Henry's former professor, Dr. Betzdorf, as a foster child.

The church leaders in Bremen approved Henry's marriage, even though it was unusual for a church administrator at the time. They decided that future administrators should not marry. Henry wrote in his wedding book that he married because he felt he could not remain unmarried. After his marriage, Henry focused on improving his residential town of Vörde, renovating the local hospital and infirmary.

Ruler of Hadeln

In 1576, Henry became the ruler of the Land of Hadeln, a territory that belonged to his family, the Saxe-Lauenburgs. He paid his father, Francis I, for this role and took on some of his father's debts.

After his father died in 1581, Henry officially inherited Hadeln. He used this chance to update the Lutheran church rules for the area, which had first been created in 1526. He also oversaw the publication of the Estates Laws of Hadeln in 1583, a collection of local laws his father had started. Henry's brother, Francis II, tried to challenge his inheritance of Hadeln, but Henry remained in charge.

Administrator of Paderborn

In 1577, the church leaders of Paderborn also elected Henry as their bishop, calling him Henry IV. The Pope, however, had warned them not to vote for Henry because of his Lutheran faith. Despite this, the Paderborn chapter ignored the Pope's warning. As expected, Henry did not receive papal approval for this position either.

When he became the elected ruler of Paderborn, Henry chose the motto: "God is beginning and end to me." In 1578, he made a grand entrance into Paderborn, accompanied by his wife. In Paderborn, there was more opposition from Catholics, and Henry faced challenges in his rule there.

Helping Resolve Conflicts

Henry was also a skilled negotiator. He helped settle a conflict between his brother Magnus and his father Francis I, along with other brothers, Francis II and Maurice.

In 1581, shortly before his father's death, Henry, his father, and Emperor Rudolph II decided that Francis II should be the next ruler of Saxe-Lauenburg. This went against the usual rules of inheritance, which stated the oldest son should inherit. The Emperor respected Henry's abilities and often asked him to help settle legal disputes in the Imperial courts.

Final Years

In 1577, Henry wrote down the laws for the knights in Bremen and issued new police rules for the Prince-Archbishopric. In 1580, he introduced a new Lutheran Church Order for Bremen, and in 1582, he created the Vörde Church Constitution. To improve the Lutheran church services, he started regular visits to the local parishes.

Henry also advised his brother Francis II on creating a Church Order for the Lutheran church in Saxe-Lauenburg, which Francis put into effect in 1585.

Henry's father died in 1581 in Buxtehude, a town under Henry's rule. His mother and brother Maurice also lived and later died there.

On April 8, 1585, after a Lutheran church service in Vörde, Henry had an accident while riding his horse. His horse threw him off. He died from his injuries at his home, Vörde Castle, on April 22, 1585. He was buried in Vörde's Palace Church on May 21. His grave was later destroyed when the church was taken down in 1682.

While the Lutheran faith continued to grow strong in Bremen after Henry's death, his unexpected passing allowed the Catholic Church to regain some influence in Paderborn.

Henry's wife inherited several properties after his death. However, his brother-in-law, Francis II, unfairly blamed her for Henry's early death. Francis later managed to get the Land of Hadeln back for Saxe-Lauenburg.

Images for kids

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  Henry's crest at Burghagen Castle in Hagen im Bremischen, showing the coats of arms of the House of Ascania and the territories he administered.