Adolphus Frederick I


Adolf Frederick I was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from his father's death in 1592 until 1628 and again from 1631 to 1658. Between 1634 and 1648 Adolf Frederick also ruled the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin as its administrator.

Early life

He was a son of John VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Sophia, daughter of Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and his wife Christine of Hesse.
At first, Adolf Frederick and his brother John Albert II reigned under the guardianship of Duke Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Charles I of Mecklenburg.
The two brothers Adolf Frederick and John Albert, took over governance of Mecklenburg-Schwerin beginning on 16 April 1608. After the death of Charles on 22 July 1610 they also governed in Mecklenburg-Güstrow.

Division of Mecklenburg and Thirty Years' War

In 1621 the duchy of Mecklenburg was formally divided between the two brothers, Adolf Frederick ruling in Mecklenburg-Schwerin and John Albert ruling in Mecklenburg-Güstrow.
During the Thirty Years' War, Albrecht von Wallenstein ousted the dukes after they secretly sided with King Christian IV of Denmark against Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II. Wallenstein ruled the duchies from 1627 until 1631, when the Swedes restored the under King Gustavus Adolphus. In 1634 Adolf Frederick succeeded Ulrik of Denmark as the last Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin before its secularisation.

Marriages and children

Adolf Frederick I fathered 19 children in total.
He was married for the first time on 4 September 1622 to his first cousin Anna Maria of Ostfriesland, daughter of Count Enno III of East Frisia and Anna of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. They had the following children:
Adolf Frederick married for a second time in 1635 to Marie Katharina, daughter of Duke Julius Ernest, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg, and Maria of East Frisia. They had the following children: