John George, Elector of Brandenburg


John George of Brandenburg was a prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.

Early life

Born as a member of the House of Hohenzollern, John George was the eldest son of Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg and Princess Magdalena of Saxony.

Biography

Faced with large debts of 2.5 million guilder accumulated during the reign of his father, John George instituted a grain tax which drove part of the peasantry into dependence on a nobility that was exempt from taxation. He had Jews expelled from Brandenburg in 1573, stripped of their assets and prohibited from returning. Though a staunch Lutheran opposed to the rise of Calvinism, he permitted the admission of Calvinist refugees from the wars in the Spanish Netherlands and France. On 13 July 1574, he founded the Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, the first humanistic educational institution in Berlin. He was succeeded by his son [Joachim Frederick IX, Margrave of Brandenburg|Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg|Joachim Frederick].
Upon the death of his kinsman Albert I, Duke of Prussia in 1568, the Duchy of Prussia was inherited by the latter's underage son Albert Frederick. John George's father was a co-inheritor of the Duchy of Prussia. In 1577 the Brandenburg electors became co-regent with Duke Albert Frederick of Prussia.

Family and children

John George was married three times.
His first wife was Princess Sophie of Legnica, the daughter of Frederick II of Legnica, whom he married in 1545. They had one child together:
  1. Joachim Frederick
Secondly, he married Margravine Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach, daughter of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, in 1548. They had the following children:
  1. George Albert died in early childhood.
  2. John, died at birth, twin with Albert.
  3. Albert, died at birth, twin with John.
  4. Magdalena Sabina died at birth.
  5. Erdmuthe, married in 1577 to Duke John Frederick of Pomerania
  6. Marie died at birth.
  7. Hedwig died at birth.
  8. Magdalena died at birth.
  9. Margaret died at birth.
  10. Anna Maria, married in 1581 to Duke Barnim X of Pomerania
  11. Sophie, married in 1582 to Elector Christian I of Saxony
Thirdly, he married Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst, the daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt in 1577. They had the following children:
  1. Christian
  2. Magdalena, married in 1598 to Landgrave Louis V of Hesse-Darmstadt
  3. Joachim Ernest
  4. Agnes, married:
  5. # in 1604 Duke Philipp Julius of Pomerania;
  6. # in 1628 Duke Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg
  7. Frederick
  8. Elisabeth Sophia, married:
  9. # in 1613 to Reichsfürst Janusz Radziwiłł;
  10. # on 27 February 1628 to Duke Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
  11. Dorothea Sibylle, married in 1610 to Duke John Christian of Brieg
  12. George Albert
  13. Sigismund died aged 47 unmarried with no issue.
  14. John, Bishop of Havelberg died unmarried with no issue.
  15. John George died unmarried with no issue.