Friedrich IV. (Palatinate)

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Friedrich IV of the Palatinate

Friedrich IV of the Palatinate (born March 5, 1574 in Amberg ; † September 19, 1610 in Heidelberg ) was Count Palatine and Elector of the Palatinate (1583–1610).

life and work

His parents were Ludwig VI. von der Pfalz from the Wittelsbach dynasty and Elisabeth of Hesse , a daughter of Landgrave Philip the Magnanimous of Hesse .

At the time of his accession to the throne in 1583, Friedrich was only nine years old. For this reason, his uncle, the reformed Count Palatine Johann Kasimir , took over the reign of the Electoral Palatinate until 1592. Friedrich IV is said to have initially refused to recognize Johann Casimir as guardian because he was brought up in a Lutheran manner.

Subsequently , the Palatinate administration dispute broke out between Friedrich IV and his great uncle, the Lutheran Count Palatine Reichard von Pfalz-Simmern (* 1521; † 1598), which Frederick IV was ultimately able to decide in his favor. This dispute, and also the government of Frederick IV, was controlled and determined by strictly reformed court councilors, who were in close contact with the families organized in the Wetterau Imperial Counts College , well beyond the end of his majority .

In 1606/07, Elector Friedrich IV founded the Friedrichsburg fortress in the Dutch style near the fishing village of Mannenheim . In 1608 he took over the leadership of the Protestant Union . The conflict between Catholic and Protestant principalities intensified considerably.

Friedrich IV. In the ancestral gallery of the Friedrichsbau, Heidelberg Castle

During his reign, Friedrich pushed ahead with the expansion of Heidelberg Castle . At this time the Friedrichsbau was built. The Wittelsbach ancestral gallery (courtyard facade of the Friedrichsbau) created by master Sebastian Götz from Chur presents the history of the dynasty very impressively, but the inclusion of Charlemagne in this series is historically incorrect.

The elector was very generous towards the newly founded Mannheim. The residents were granted special rights such as B. exemption from forced labor. Foreigners were exempt from property tax for 20 years. This should make it easier for people to move in and increase the number of residents.

Friedrich is said to have consumed wine in excess and to have been a " drinker ", which caused contemporaries to worry that he might die before his time and without an heir of legal age - which would have made a renewed reign necessary.

Friedrich died of an illness in Heidelberg in 1610, where he was buried in the Heiliggeistkirche .

progeny

Elector Friedrich IV married Princess Luise Juliana of Orange-Nassau (1576–1644), daughter of Prince Wilhelm I of Orange-Nassau and his third wife, Charlotte de Bourbon-Montpensier , on June 23, 1593 in Dillenburg . Friedrich and Luise Juliane were married to eight children:

⚭ 1612 Count Palatine Johann II of Zweibrücken (1584–1635)
⚭ 1613 Princess Elisabeth Stuart (1596–1662)
⚭ 1616 Elector Georg Wilhelm of Brandenburg (1595–1640)
  • Anna Eleonore (1599–1600)
  • Ludwig Wilhelm (* / † 1600)
  • Moritz Christian (1601–1605)
  • Ludwig Philipp (1602–1655), Count Palatine of Simmern-Kaiserslautern
⚭ 1631 Princess Marie Eleonore of Brandenburg (1607–1675)

Trivia

literature

Web links

Commons : Friedrich IV.  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Louis VI. Elector Palatinate
1583–1610 		Friedrich V.
personal data
SURNAME Friedrich IV.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Friedrich IV of the Palatinate
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Elector Palatinate
DATE OF BIRTH March 5, 1574
PLACE OF BIRTH On the mountain
DATE OF DEATH September 19, 1610
Place of death Heidelberg