Erasmus Brandenburg

Erasmus Brandenburg (* unknown; † December 13, 1499, presumably in Cottbus ) was a German clergyman, Canon of Wurzen , provost of Berlin and pastor in Cottbus. In addition to the family name Brandenburg , Erasmus Brandenburg is known under similar spellings: Brandenburgk, Branburg, Branburgk, Brandburg, Bramburg or Brandenburger.

origin

The origin of Erasmus is unclear. He is said to have been an illegitimate son of Friedrich II of Brandenburg . Sources from the 19th century state that there is evidence that this may not be true. Reference is made to correspondence between Frederick II and his sons, which also deals with Erasmus, since the secular princes had to agree to be appointed provost of Berlin. There would be no mention of Erasmus being a biological son. Frederick II is said not to have been reluctant to provide such information to his legitimate sons.

Life

Erasmus was a Canon and Scholastikus zu Wurzen and took over the office of Provost of Berlin in 1475 through an exchange of benefices. This office, and this was expressly communicated to Erasmus, also included the duty of being at the disposal of the Margrave of Brandenburg as councilor. As a result of his activity, this was often used by the margrave. Erasmus appeared as the margrave's envoy in arbitration commissions and negotiating delegations. He also visited the Reichstag as a delegate. In 1488 he took over the parish in Cottbus and gave up his post as provost in Berlin. He died in 1499.

Later he was subdeacon of the Holy See in Rome (named in 1497), official (representative of the bishop in ecclesiastical decisions). He was also the margrave councilor.

In the service of the margraves

Erasmus was captured by a Friedrich von Feilitzsch in late 1479 or early 1480 on the way to Saxony, where he wanted to recruit auxiliary troops against Hungary. Herr von Feilitzsch had already become known through his feud against margravial Franconian subjects. It is reported in a letter that on April 27, 1480 he had been trapped under "very bad conditions" for 17 weeks. Also in Berlin they would think he was dead and not care about him. Relatives did not want to pay the ransom demand of 800 guilders. After Albrecht Achilles asked the relatives to pay the ransom again, without success, he raised the money himself. Erasmus was released in November 1480.

literature

• Suse Andresen: On a princely order: The learned councilors of the Electors of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern in the 15th century. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2017. pp. 402–407.
• Gabriel Zeilinger: Group picture with Margrave. Albrecht "Achilles" von Brandenburg (1414–1486), the imperial princes of his time and the question of contemporary and historical prominence . In: Prince at the turn of the century between group picture and individuality. Forms of princely self-representation and their reception (1450-1550) (= Residency Research , Vol. 22), ed. O. eye u. a., Ostfildern 2009, pp. 291–307, with additional literature.
• Wolfgang Wüst: The imperial general and Nuremberg burgrave Margrave Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg (1414–1486) . In: Yearbook of the Historisches Verein Dillingen 113 (2012/2013) pp. 151–170; concerns: Battle and siege of the north Swabian town of Gundelfingen in the Imperial War of 1462 by the margrave. ISSN  0073-2699 .
• Mario Müller (Ed.): Elector Albrecht Achilles (1414–1486). Elector of Brandenburg, Burgrave of Nuremberg (= Yearbook of the Historical Association for Middle Franconia, vol. 102), Ansbach 2014. ISSN  0341-9339 . [713 pages of essay volume with 26 articles, family table and itinerary as well as extensive bibliography.]
• Robert Walser: Don't leave me without a message: Messenger and information gathering under the government of Margrave Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg. Dissertation, LMU Munich: Faculty of History and Art, 2004.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Johann Carl Conrad Oelrichs: Contributions to Brandenburg history. Rüdiger, 1761, p. 212 ( limited preview in Google book search).