Ernst (Brandenburg)

This article deals with the Margrave Ernst von Brandenburg (1583–1613); for the margrave of the same name Ernst of Brandenburg (1617–1642), who was also titular duke of Jägerndorf, see Ernst (Brandenburg-Jägerndorf) .

Margrave Ernst of Brandenburg as governor in Jülich-Kleve-Berg, around 1610

Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg (April * 13. ^jul. / 23. April  1583 ^greg. In Halle , † September 18 ^{. Jul} / 28. September  1613 ^{. Greg} in Berlin ) from the sex of the Hohenzollern , the son was the Elector Joachim Friedrich of Brandenburg Margrave of Brandenburg . For his brother, Elector Johann Sigismund von Brandenburg , he was governor of the duchies of Jülich-Kleve-Berg during the Jülich-Klevian succession dispute from 1610 to 1613 . He was the first Hohenzoller to convert to Calvinism . In 1611 he was elected Lord Master of the Brandenburg Balley of the Order of St. John .

Governor in Jülich-Kleve-Berg

After a grand tour to the Netherlands and to England, his brother Johann Sigismund commissioned him in the spring of 1610 so as to be governor of Dusseldorf to go out there for Brandenburg , the Government of the inherited by his wife Anna of Prussia fallen duchies Jülich-Cleves-Berg to take over.

During his trip to the Lower Rhine, Ernst was advised in Marburg and Siegen by Landgrave Moritz von Hessen-Kassel and his father-in-law Johann VII. Von Nassau-Dillenburg , with Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm von Neuburg , who also claimed the duchies as an inheritance, a provisional one Bring about understanding. Contrary to his brother's instructions, Ernst concluded with the Count Palatine on May 31st ^. / June 10th  1609 ^greg. signed a treaty for a joint government in Dortmund .

Despite the support of the experienced councilors of several Protestant imperial princes, Ernst, who was physically and mentally unstable, found it difficult to assert himself against the intelligent and assertive Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm and finally left the Rhineland in August 1612, seriously ill.

Conversion to Calvinism

On Pentecost 1610 (May 20 ^jul. / The thirtieth May  1610 ^greg. ) Joined Ernst in Dusseldorf public from Lutheran to the Reformed (ie Calvinist ) commitment over. The Lord's Supper, in which Ernst participated, was held by the field preacher of Prince Christian I of Anhalt , Abraham Scultetus .

A little later he appointed the Calvinist Wesel city ​​pastor Wilhelm Stephani as his court preacher and in the following years promoted the numerous Calvinist ("Reformed") communities in the duchies of Jülich, Kleve and Berg.

A sermon on July 18th was historically significant ^. / 28 July  1613 ^greg. in his room in the Berlin Palace , to which he had called the Calvinist court preacher Martin Füssel from Dessau , who was then on July 22nd ^. / August 1,  1613 ^greg. also gave a sermon to the officially Lutheran Elector Johann Sigismund in Chorin .

Ernst died unmarried and was buried in the old Berlin Cathedral . His funeral sermon was held by the court preacher Salomon Finck, who on this occasion publicly recited a Calvinist creed that Ernst gave him on August 8th ^July. / August 18,  1613 ^greg. had entrusted.

literature

• Franz Josef Burghardt: Between Fundamentalism and Tolerance. Calvinist influences on Elector Johann Sigismund von Brandenburg before his conversion (Historical Research Vol. 96), Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2012. ISBN 978-3-428-13797-8 . Cape. 5 (pp. 47–54): The Calvinist Confession of Margrave Ernst 1610/13.

Web links

• Family tree of the Hohenzollern (Brandenburg line)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Adolf Wilhelm Ernst von Winterfeld : History of the Knightly Order of St. Johannis from Spital zu Jerusalem. Berlin 1859, pp. 728-729.
2. ↑ Stephani and Scultetus were among the radical remonstrants at the Dordrecht Synod .
3. ↑ From 1613, Füssel was instrumental in introducing Calvinism at the Berlin court alongside Adam Gans Edler zu Putlitz and Abraham von Dohna-Schlobitten .
4. ↑ In the course of the construction of the Frederician Cathedral , the sarcophagus and 50 others were transferred there in 1749 (coffin no. 13 in the crypt of today's cathedral, worldhistory.de ).
5. ^ Salomon Finck: Christian funeral sermon / About the corpse resting in God / Des [...] Mr. Ernsten / Marggrafen zu Brandenburg [...] , [Berlin] 1613

predecessor	Office	successor
Friedrich (IX.) Margrave of Brandenburg	Master of the Balley Brandenburg of the Order of St. John 1611–1613	Georg Albrecht Margrave of Brandenburg