- AKA: Johann the Alchemist
- 1440-1464: Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
- House of Hohenzollern
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Johann der Alchimist von Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Markgraf von Brandenburg-Kulmbach, was born 1406 to Friedrich I. von Brandenburg (1372-1440) and Elisabeth von Bayern-Landshut (1383-1442) and died 16 November 1464 Baiersdorf, Germany of unspecified causes. He married Barbara von Sachsen-Wittenberg (1405-1465) 27 May 1416 JL .
Biography
John, nicknamed the Alchemist (German: Johann der Alchimist; 1406 – 16 November 1464) was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and served as the peace-loving Margrave of Brandenburg after the abdication of his father, Frederick I, the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule Brandenburg.
John was the eldest son of Friedrich I. von Brandenburg (1372-1440), and Elisabeth von Bayern-Landshut (1383-1442), daughter of Frederick, Duke of Bavaria, and his second wife Maddalena Visconti.
After marrying Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg (1405–1465), daughter of Rudolf III, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg, John hoped to eventually succeed to Saxe-Wittenberg once its line of Ascanian dukes died out. When this happened in November 1422, however, Emperor Sigismund was on poorer terms with the Hohenzollerns and was only willing to compensate John with a monetary payment.
John began participating in governmental affairs in Brandenburg in 1424. Frustrated by disputes with the feudal nobility, Frederick I retired to his castle at Cadolzburg in Franconia in 1425, granting the regency of Brandenburg to John at a Landtag in Rathenow on January 13, 1426, while retaining the electoral dignity for himself.
John was poorly received by the populace of Brandenburg, as his administration was incompetent, leading to unrest in the countryside. Rather than governing, John was more interested in artificially creating gold through alchemy, thereby receiving the cognomen "the Alchemist". In 1433, a revised version of the alchemical treatise Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit of Ulmannus was prepared for John. Realizing the danger Brandenburg was in, Frederick I granted John Franconian lands in Brandenburg-Kulmbach on June 7, 1437, territory rich with mines that furnished materials for the Alchemist's hobby. The governance of Brandenburg passed to Frederick I's second-oldest son, Frederick II.
After the death of Frederick I in 1440, John inherited all of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, including the castle of Plassenburg in Kulmbach. In his later years, he allowed Christopher of Bavaria to administer his possessions in the Upper Palatinate until Christopher's death in 1448. John ruled as Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until abdicating in 1457, which allowed him to dedicate himself toward studying alchemy and the environs of Franconia. He died in Castle Scharfeneck near Baiersdorf in 1464.
Family and children
John of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg had four children:
- Rudolf von Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1424-1424) - died infant.
- Barbara von Brandenburg (1423-1481), married on 12 November 1433 Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua.
- Elisabeth von Brandenburg (1425-1465); married, firstly, on 27 August 1440, Joachim, Duke of Pomerania. Married, secondly, on 5 March 1454, Wartislaw X, Duke of Pomerania.
- Dorothea von Brandenburg (1430-1495), married, firstly, on 12 September 1445, King Christopher III of Denmark. Married, secondly, on 28 October 1449, King Christian I of Denmark.
Children
Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
Barbara von Brandenburg (1423-1481) | 1423 | 7 November 1481 | Ludovico III Gonzaga (1412-1478) |
Rudolf von Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1424-1424) | |||
Elisabeth von Brandenburg (1425-1465) | |||
Dorothea von Brandenburg (1430-1495) | 1430 | 10 November 1495 Kalundborg | Christopher III of Denmark (1416-1448) Christian I of Denmark (1426-1481) |
Siblings
See Also
- Johann Hohenzollern
- House of Wettin
- House of Hohenzollern
Notable Ancesters
Notable Descendants
- Kings of Denmark
- Charles III of the United Kingdom (1948-)
Bibliographies
- Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German)
- Marlesreuth.de (in German)
- Wer ist wer in Bayreuth? (in German)
- Eulenberg, Herbert. The Hohenzollerns. Translated by M. M. Bozman. The Century Co. New York, 1929.
External Links
- wikipedia:en:John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
- John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach at thePeerage
- John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/John-II-Margrave-of-Brandenburg-Kulmbach/6000000003858579403, retrieved 22 June 2023
Royal Succession Charts
Johann der Alchimist von Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1406-1464) Born: 1406 Died: 16 November 1464
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Preceded by Frederick I |
Margrave of Brandenburg 1426–1440 |
Succeeded by Frederick II |
Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 1440–1457 |
Succeeded by Albrecht Achilles |
References
Footnotes (including sources)
Thurstan, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour
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