Christoph Radziwiłł
Christoph Radziwiłł (also Christoph "the Younger" Radziwiłł , Polish Krzysztof "Młodszy" Radziwiłł , Lithuanian Kristupas "Jaunasis" Radvila ; born March 22, 1585 in Biržai ; † November 19, 1640 in Svėdasai ) was a Lithuanian nobleman , officer and civil servant in State service from the Radziwiłł (lit. Radvila ) noble family . He was imperial prince in HRR , 1615–1635 field hetman of Lithuania , 1632 marshal of the Sejms , from 1633 castellan and voivode of Vilna , from 1635 grand hetman of Lithuania .
Life
Prince Christoph Radziwiłł is described by posterity as one of the most remarkable magnates of his time.
Radziwiłł was a supporter and defender of Calvinism in Lithuania. Against this background, he founded a Reformed cultural center on his property in Kedahnen , which flourished as the center of the Polish Reformed Church until the 19th century. Through his faith he became the leader of the opposition in Lithuania against the strict Catholic Sigismund III. Wasa . At the same time he was a supporter of his more tolerant son Władysław IV Wasa . He campaigned for Władysław's marriage to a Protestant princess, but this failed. He also sought an alliance with Elector Georg Wilhelm von Brandenburg to enforce freedom of belief against the Catholic clergy .
He learned the craft of war at the side of his father when he led a force of 20,000 soldiers to Livonia in the Swedish-Polish wars from 1600 to 1629 . Then he took part in the Polish-Russian War 1609-1618 . In the years 1617–1618 and 1621–1622, many campaigns under his command in the Baltic against the Swedes were successful. In the Smolensk War 1632-1634 he distinguished himself particularly. In 1635 he ended his military career after having held the second highest rank ( field hetman of Lithuania) for 20 years . He then devoted himself to the administration of his estates .
Christoph Radziwiłł was also the owner of Biržai, Starost of Mahiljou , Bystrzyca , Žiežmariai and Seje . He owned a horse stud , which at the time was known far beyond the borders of Poland-Lithuania .
family
Christoph was the son of Krzysztof Mikołaj Radziwiłł († 1603) and Katarzyna Radziwiłł, nee Tęczyńska († 1592). He was married to Anna Radziwiłł, née Kiszka († after 1642), with whom he had the children Janusz Radziwiłł and Katarzyna Radziwiłł († after 1672).
literature
- Bronikowski, Alexander: The history of Poland. 1827, p. 29f ( Google books )
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Radziwiłł, Christoph |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Radziwiłł, Krzysztof |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Hetman in Lithuania, governor of Vilnius |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 22, 1585 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Biržai |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 19, 1640 |
| Place of death | Svėdasai |