Johann von Küstrin

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Johann of Brandenburg-Küstrin
Johann von Brandenburg-Küstrin, detail from the painting Baptism of Christ by Lucas Cranach the Elder. J.

John of Brandenburg-Küstrin , also called Hans von Küstrin (* 3. August 1513 , † 13. January 1571 ), from the gender of Hohenzollern Margrave was the Margraviate Brandenburg-Küstrin , the Neumark involved and other areas, 1535-1571 .

Life

Johann's father, Elector Joachim I. Nestor of Brandenburg , had in his will left instructions for his country to be divided between his sons Joachim and Johann. After the death of Joachim II on July 11, 1535 , the older son, Joachim II. Hector , became Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg without the Neumark area with Dramburg and Schivelbein , Sternberg , Crossen with Züllichau and Sommerfeld and the rule of Cottbus with Peitz . These areas were given to the younger son Johann as the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin . From 1536 Johann ruled independently over his approximately 12,500 km² territories. He had previously made Küstrin his residence in 1535 and began to develop this town on the Oder into a fortress .

Unlike his pompous and extravagant brother, Johann was deeply religious and had a great deal of energy and a great economic and political understanding. He managed to stabilize his margraviate economically and to secure it militarily. When he took office, he switched to Protestantism and joined the Schmalkaldic League in 1538 . Due to family-political conflicts of interest, however , he stepped over to the side of the Roman-German Emperor Charles V during the Schmalkaldic War , who assured him that he would be free to practice his religion in Neumark. Johann unsuccessfully hoped to acquire the Duchy of Pomerania . At the Reichstag in Augsburg in 1548, at which the victorious emperor dictated the Augsburg interim , Margrave Johann came into conflict with Charles V. Johann uncompromisingly rejected the interim and refused to take part in the Corpus Christi procession . He was then the Emperor in favor and escaped a prison only through intercession of King Ferdinand I and the imperial consideration for his electoral brother Joachim. After returning, Johann put the margraviate into a state of defense and planned the formation of an anti-Habsburg alliance, which, however, did not materialize. The interim did not make Johann officially known in his domain.

He did not join the German prince opposition, initiated by Elector Moritz von Sachsen and supported by France, after a dispute with the Saxon Elector in 1551 at the Lochau hunting lodge . He also did not allow Duke Albrecht of Prussia to change his mind. Furthermore, in 1556, in consultation with his brother, Johann renounced the margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, to which he had initially raised claims.

Just ten days after his brother, Johann I died and was buried in a crypt under the altar of the Küstriner Marienkirche. His wife Katharina was later buried in the grave vault that was built in 1555. The crypt was later forgotten and was not renewed until 1880 under Kaiser Wilhelm I.

Since Johann did not leave any male descendants entitled to inheritance, Brandenburg-Küstrin was reunited with the Electorate, which was now ruled by Johann Georg , the son of Joachim II.

Johann I von Brandenburg-Küstrin left a fortune of more than half a million guilders , while his brother left debts of 2.5 million guilders.

Restored monument base for Johann Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin in the old town of Küstrin, which was completely destroyed in the Second World War (Photo: 2015)

progeny

From Johann's 1537 marriage with Katharina von Braunschweig (1518–1574), daughter of Duke Heinrich II. Von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel , there were two daughters:

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Johann (Brandenburg-Küstrin)  - Collection of images
personal data
SURNAME Johann von Küstrin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johann von Brandenburg-Küstrin; Hans von Küstrin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin
DATE OF BIRTH August 3, 1513
DATE OF DEATH January 13, 1571