Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Encyclopedia
Casimir of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (December 27, 1481 – September 21, 1527) was Margrave of Bayreuth from 1515 to 1527.
, as the son of Frederick I
and his wife Princess Sofia, a daughter of Kazimierz IV Jagiellon.
From 1498, his father granted him the position of stadtholder
of the margraviate during his extensive travels. He ruled under the guidance of experienced advisors. In 1515, Casimir and his brother George
deposed their father, who had greatly burdened the finances of the margraviate with his lavish lifestyle. As his brother often stayed at the Hungarian royal court, Casimir ruled Brandenburg-Ansbach on his behalf.
The overthrow of their father outraged his other brothers and led to far-reaching political countermeasures. When Elector Joachim I
of Brandenburg visited Kulmbach during his journey to Augsburg
and wanted to plead for the release of Frederick II
, he was denied access to the Plassenburg
. Joachim's brother Albert turned against him and sided with the Emperor and was rewarded with a cardinal's hat. The dispute was resolved, when an agreement was reached
in 1522 in which the demands of the other brothers were met.
Casimir died at Buda
in 1527. His brother George
took up the regency of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until Albert II Alcibiades came of age in 1541.
of Emperor Maximilian I
and fought in 1499 alongside his father and Margrave
Christopher I of Baden
as the commander of the Swabian League
against the Old Swiss Confederacy
and led the negotiations that resulted in the Peace of Basel
. In subsequent years, he continued to be active as a military leader and diplomat in Habsburg
service. He participated in 1506 in Schwäbisch Hall
against the Swabian League and in 1509 in the Diet at Worms. In 1513, he was imperial commissioner at the assembly of the Swabian League at Nördlingen dealing with a breach of the peace by Götz von Berlichingen
. Casimir and Duke William IV
of Bavaria jointly oversaw the conduct of the war. In 1519, he took part in federal measures against Ulrich of Württemberg
; in May 1519, he commanded 700 knights advancing to Ehningen
.
was a dispute in 1502 over the protection of the fair in Affalterbach
. The City Council claimed to have to right to protect the enclave of Affalterbach itself and Casimir tried to prevent this. The situation developed in a political power game. Strong forces from Nuremberg had arrived in Affalterbach early. Casimir changed course and attacked suburbs of Nuremberg itself. The Nuremberg had to retreat from Affalterbach with heavy losses and surrender their banners, which were put on display in the church in Schwabach
. This conflict has been immortalized in folk songs.
Casimir was later embroiled in border disputes with Nuremberg.
since 1499. In 1522, however, he cancelled his membership, when it became apparent that the Imperial City of Nuremberg
, traditionally an enemy of the Burgrave of Nuremberg, and later the Margraves of Nuremberg, intended to start a war against Thomas von Absberg
and his allies. The Franconian War broke out in 1523, and several castles of the robber barons were destroyed. The war was documented by Hans Wandereisen in a series of woodcuts.
in 1525 were incursions into the neighboring Bishopric of Würzburg under Bishop Conrad II of Thüngen and into the Bishopric of Bamberg under Bishop Weigand of Redwitz. In the spring of 1525 Casimir and the neighboring princes met in Neustadt an der Aisch
to discuss a common response to the riots that threatened to spill over from Swabia
into the Odenwald
. The discussions were attended by Casimir and the two bishops and the Prince Bishop of Eichstätt
and by Count Albert of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein, George of Waldburg and the counts of Limburg, Wertheim, Henneberg and Castell. The proceedings were derailed by mistrust, caused by cheating at the boundaries of their principalities. Casimir opposed the Reformation
, unlike his brother George
, who supported it. The assault of the peasants and the Black Company
overwhelmed the Bishopric of Würzburg. The bishop fled and the defenders retreated to the Fortress Marienberg
in Würzburg
.
Under considerable financial and personal efforts, Casimir prepared to repel the incursions into his territory. He summoned his subjects to arms and hired mercenaries. The Margrave had the duty to protect the free imperial city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
. At Rothenburg, Casimir won his first victory over the peasants, and left the city with a rich booty. Shortly afterwards, however, the city council bowed for the citizens, who came to an arrangement with the peasants. The riots spread from Rothenburg into Casimir's territory, into the districts of Crailsheim
, Lobenhausen-Anhausen, Werdeck-Gerabronn and Bamberg-Wiesenbach. Casimir withdrew to Ansbach and dug in. He tried to raise new troops in Upper Franconia, but they revolted. So Casimir was limited to using Bohemian mercenaries to defend his most fortified castles.
The unorganized peasant armies were defeated in the Würzburg area by a coalition of the Swabian League and other allies of the bishop of Würzburg. Their resistance and morale collapsed due to their massive losses. Casimir, whose actions had earned him the nickname "Bloodhound
", gained the upper hand. Rebel villages, most of whom surrendered without resistance, where pillaged and looted. Casimir also devastated villages in his own territory: he had entire villages burned down, and rebels were executed. Reportedly, he had 300 people killed in Feuchtwangen
alone. In Kitzingen
, he wanted to set an example: he promised the bailiff Louis von Hutten the he lives of the residents would be spared. After they surrendered, however, he punished them hard by chopping off their right hand index and middle fingers (the "oath fingers") and blinded
them and sent them into exile
. His "captain" Augistin stabbed the eyes of 58 people who had said the "wanted to see no more Margrave" before the rebellion. This act was even at the time seen as monstrous atrocities. He also punished Rothenburg and wrung territorial concessions from the city. Contemporary reports claim that the market squares of Rothenburg and Schweinfurt
were dyed red by the blood of the beheaded rebels. Since Casimir was described as the imperial henchman, it can be assumed that he acted in accordance with the wishes of the Emperor or the Swabian League. He sent his brother John Albert to Bayreuth to punish the city for its lack of support when he was raising troops. He only ceased his punishments when it emerged in November 1526 that innocent people were affected as well.
At the coronation of the future German Emperor Ferdinand I
as King of Bohemia in 1527, Casimir, who was seriously marked by disease, joined a military campaign in Hungary against John Zápolya
. Because his brother George the Pious
also joined, Casimir returned to appoint a stadtholder
for their Franconian possessions and to raise additional troops. In July 1527, he reached the Hungarian border. The forts on the Danube surrendere to him, and he moved on to Buda
. On 27 September 1527, he died of dysentery
in Buda, in the presence of his brother George and King Ferdinand, to whom he entrusted the care of his five year old son Albert II Alcibiades
. George ruled Brandenburg-Kulmbach while Albert was a minor.
Theodore Hirsch concludes his biography with the statement that because of the atrocities Casimir committed, so far no biographer had written a balanced description of his life.
, the daughter of Duke Albert IV
of Bavaria. Emperor Maximilian I
, the unlce of the bride, also participated in the gamorous wedding in 1518, during the Diet of Augsburg
. His close ties to the imperial family were visible again at the coronation of Charles V
, where Casimir was given the honor of being the First Cutter at the coronation dinner.
Casimir and Susanna had five children:
Family background
He was born in AnsbachAnsbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
, as the son of Frederick I
Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Frederick I of Ansbach and Bayreuth was born at Ansbach as the eldest son of the Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wife Anna, daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. His elder half-brother was the Elector Johann Cicero of Brandenburg...
and his wife Princess Sofia, a daughter of Kazimierz IV Jagiellon.
From 1498, his father granted him the position of stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the margraviate during his extensive travels. He ruled under the guidance of experienced advisors. In 1515, Casimir and his brother George
George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
George of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.- Early life :...
deposed their father, who had greatly burdened the finances of the margraviate with his lavish lifestyle. As his brother often stayed at the Hungarian royal court, Casimir ruled Brandenburg-Ansbach on his behalf.
The overthrow of their father outraged his other brothers and led to far-reaching political countermeasures. When Elector Joachim I
Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg
Joachim I Nestor was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg . A member of the House of Hohenzollern, his nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology.- Biography :...
of Brandenburg visited Kulmbach during his journey to Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
and wanted to plead for the release of Frederick II
Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick II of Brandenburg , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Biography:Frederick II was born in Tangermünde to Frederick I, Brandenburg's...
, he was denied access to the Plassenburg
Plassenburg
Plassenburg is a castle in the city of Kulmbach in Bavaria. It is one of the most impressive castles in Germany and a symbol of the city. It was first mentioned in 1135. The Plassenberg family were ministerial of the counts of Andechs and used as their seat the Plassenburg...
. Joachim's brother Albert turned against him and sided with the Emperor and was rewarded with a cardinal's hat. The dispute was resolved, when an agreement was reached
in 1522 in which the demands of the other brothers were met.
Casimir died at Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
in 1527. His brother George
George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
George of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.- Early life :...
took up the regency of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until Albert II Alcibiades came of age in 1541.
Involvement in the Swabian League
Casimir was a vassalVassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
and fought in 1499 alongside his father and Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
Christopher I of Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
as the commander of the Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
against the Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
and led the negotiations that resulted in the Peace of Basel
Treaty of Basel (1499)
The Treaty of Basel of 22 September 1499 was an armistice following the Battle of Dornach, concluding the Swabian War, fought between the Swabian League and the Old Swiss Confederacy. The accession of Basel to the confederacy in 1501 is a direct consequence of the treaty....
. In subsequent years, he continued to be active as a military leader and diplomat in Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
service. He participated in 1506 in Schwäbisch Hall
Schwäbisch Hall
Schwäbisch Hall is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and capital of the district of Schwäbisch Hall. The town is located in the valley of the river Kocher in the north-eastern part of Baden-Württemberg....
against the Swabian League and in 1509 in the Diet at Worms. In 1513, he was imperial commissioner at the assembly of the Swabian League at Nördlingen dealing with a breach of the peace by Götz von Berlichingen
Götz von Berlichingen
Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen and also known as Götz of the Iron Hand, was a German Imperial Knight and mercenary....
. Casimir and Duke William IV
William IV, Duke of Bavaria
William IV of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria from 1508 to 1550, until 1545 together with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria....
of Bavaria jointly oversaw the conduct of the war. In 1519, he took part in federal measures against Ulrich of Württemberg
Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg
Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg succeeded his kinsman Eberhard II as Duke of Württemberg in 1498, being declared of age in 1503.-Early life:...
; in May 1519, he commanded 700 knights advancing to Ehningen
Ehningen
Ehningen is a town in the district of Böblingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Geography :Ehningen is in Korngäu, on the northwestern edge of Schönbuch nature park. Historically, the city of Ehningen was located north of the Würm, but the Würm now flows through the middle of the modern town...
.
Disputes with the city of Nuremberg
Among the traditional arguments of the Burgraves and Margraves with the Imperial City of NurembergImperial City of Nuremberg
The Imperial City of Nuremberg was a free imperial city — independent city-state — within the Holy Roman Empire. After Nuremberg gained piecemeal independence from the Burgraviate of Nuremberg in the High Middle Ages and gaining considerable territory from Bavaria in the Landshut War of...
was a dispute in 1502 over the protection of the fair in Affalterbach
Affalterbach
Affalterbach is a municipality in the Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany, near Stuttgart.Affalterbach is known for being the current location of Mercedes-AMG....
. The City Council claimed to have to right to protect the enclave of Affalterbach itself and Casimir tried to prevent this. The situation developed in a political power game. Strong forces from Nuremberg had arrived in Affalterbach early. Casimir changed course and attacked suburbs of Nuremberg itself. The Nuremberg had to retreat from Affalterbach with heavy losses and surrender their banners, which were put on display in the church in Schwabach
Schwabach
Schwabach is a German town of about 40,000 inhabitants near Nuremberg, in the center of the region of Franconia in the North of Bavaria. The city is an autonomous administrative district . Schwabach is also the name of a river which runs through the city prior joining the Rednitz.Schwabach is...
. This conflict has been immortalized in folk songs.
Casimir was later embroiled in border disputes with Nuremberg.
Franconian war
Casimir had been a leader of the Swabian LeagueSwabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
since 1499. In 1522, however, he cancelled his membership, when it became apparent that the Imperial City of Nuremberg
Imperial City of Nuremberg
The Imperial City of Nuremberg was a free imperial city — independent city-state — within the Holy Roman Empire. After Nuremberg gained piecemeal independence from the Burgraviate of Nuremberg in the High Middle Ages and gaining considerable territory from Bavaria in the Landshut War of...
, traditionally an enemy of the Burgrave of Nuremberg, and later the Margraves of Nuremberg, intended to start a war against Thomas von Absberg
Thomas von Absberg
Hans Thomas von Absberg was a Frankish knight of Absberg family, known as robber baron.He kidnapped important travellers like royal legates or merchants from Nuremberg or Augsburg. He was supported by several Frankish knights, who helped to hide the hostages, e.g. members of the houses of Sparneck...
and his allies. The Franconian War broke out in 1523, and several castles of the robber barons were destroyed. The war was documented by Hans Wandereisen in a series of woodcuts.
Peasants' War
The first actions of the German Peasants' WarGerman Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
in 1525 were incursions into the neighboring Bishopric of Würzburg under Bishop Conrad II of Thüngen and into the Bishopric of Bamberg under Bishop Weigand of Redwitz. In the spring of 1525 Casimir and the neighboring princes met in Neustadt an der Aisch
Neustadt an der Aisch
Neustadt an der Aisch is a small town in the northern part of Bavaria , within the Franconian administrative region Middle Franconia,...
to discuss a common response to the riots that threatened to spill over from Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
into the Odenwald
Odenwald
The Odenwald is a low mountain range in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany.- Location :The Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried in the west, the Main and the Bauland in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of...
. The discussions were attended by Casimir and the two bishops and the Prince Bishop of Eichstätt
Eichstätt
Eichstätt is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the District of Eichstätt. It is located along the Altmühl River, at , and had a population of 13,078 in 2002. It is home to the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the lone Catholic university in Germany. The...
and by Count Albert of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein, George of Waldburg and the counts of Limburg, Wertheim, Henneberg and Castell. The proceedings were derailed by mistrust, caused by cheating at the boundaries of their principalities. Casimir opposed the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, unlike his brother George
George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
George of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.- Early life :...
, who supported it. The assault of the peasants and the Black Company
Black Company
The Black Company or the Black Troops was a unit of Franconian mercenaries during the Peasant's Revolt in the 1520s during the Protestant Reformation in Germany.The original German name of the Black Company was "Schwarzer Haufen"...
overwhelmed the Bishopric of Würzburg. The bishop fled and the defenders retreated to the Fortress Marienberg
Fortress Marienberg
Fortress Marienberg is a prominent landmark on the Main river in Würzburg, Germany. The mighty Fortress Marienberg is the symbol of Würzburg and served as a home of the prince-bishops for nearly five centuries. It has been a fort since ancient times...
in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
.
Under considerable financial and personal efforts, Casimir prepared to repel the incursions into his territory. He summoned his subjects to arms and hired mercenaries. The Margrave had the duty to protect the free imperial city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
. At Rothenburg, Casimir won his first victory over the peasants, and left the city with a rich booty. Shortly afterwards, however, the city council bowed for the citizens, who came to an arrangement with the peasants. The riots spread from Rothenburg into Casimir's territory, into the districts of Crailsheim
Crailsheim
Crailsheim is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, 32 km east of Schwäbisch Hall, 40 km southwest of Ansbach in the Schwäbisch Hall district, incorporated in 1338....
, Lobenhausen-Anhausen, Werdeck-Gerabronn and Bamberg-Wiesenbach. Casimir withdrew to Ansbach and dug in. He tried to raise new troops in Upper Franconia, but they revolted. So Casimir was limited to using Bohemian mercenaries to defend his most fortified castles.
The unorganized peasant armies were defeated in the Würzburg area by a coalition of the Swabian League and other allies of the bishop of Würzburg. Their resistance and morale collapsed due to their massive losses. Casimir, whose actions had earned him the nickname "Bloodhound
Bloodhound
The Bloodhound is a large breed of dog which, while originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, was later bred specifically to track human beings. It is a scenthound, tracking by smell, as opposed to a sighthound, which tracks using vision. It is famed for its ability to discern human odors even...
", gained the upper hand. Rebel villages, most of whom surrendered without resistance, where pillaged and looted. Casimir also devastated villages in his own territory: he had entire villages burned down, and rebels were executed. Reportedly, he had 300 people killed in Feuchtwangen
Feuchtwangen
Feuchtwangen is a city in Ansbach district in the administrative region of Middle Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.-Geography:Geographically and geologically the land around Feuchtwangen comprises the eastern part of the Swabian-Franconian Escarpment Land , also sometimes called the gypsum-keuper...
alone. In Kitzingen
Kitzingen
Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria...
, he wanted to set an example: he promised the bailiff Louis von Hutten the he lives of the residents would be spared. After they surrendered, however, he punished them hard by chopping off their right hand index and middle fingers (the "oath fingers") and blinded
Blinding
Blinding can refer to:*The act of making someone blind**Metaphorical and extended uses of same: see blindness#Metaphorical uses*Blinding , a technique by which an agent can provide a service to a client in an encoded form without knowing either the real input or the real output*Blinding , a novel...
them and sent them into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
. His "captain" Augistin stabbed the eyes of 58 people who had said the "wanted to see no more Margrave" before the rebellion. This act was even at the time seen as monstrous atrocities. He also punished Rothenburg and wrung territorial concessions from the city. Contemporary reports claim that the market squares of Rothenburg and Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
were dyed red by the blood of the beheaded rebels. Since Casimir was described as the imperial henchman, it can be assumed that he acted in accordance with the wishes of the Emperor or the Swabian League. He sent his brother John Albert to Bayreuth to punish the city for its lack of support when he was raising troops. He only ceased his punishments when it emerged in November 1526 that innocent people were affected as well.
Follower of the Habsburgs
By participating as Imperial Commissioner in the diets in Augsburg in December 1525 and in Speyer in August 1526, Casimir once again proved his loyalty to the Habsburg imperial family.At the coronation of the future German Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
as King of Bohemia in 1527, Casimir, who was seriously marked by disease, joined a military campaign in Hungary against John Zápolya
John Zápolya
John Zápolya was King of Hungary from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary between 1526 and 1540. He was the voivode of Transylvania before his coronation.- Biography :...
. Because his brother George the Pious
George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
George of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.- Early life :...
also joined, Casimir returned to appoint a stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
for their Franconian possessions and to raise additional troops. In July 1527, he reached the Hungarian border. The forts on the Danube surrendere to him, and he moved on to Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
. On 27 September 1527, he died of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
in Buda, in the presence of his brother George and King Ferdinand, to whom he entrusted the care of his five year old son Albert II Alcibiades
Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Albert Alcibiades was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, also known as Brandenburg-Bayreuth.Because of his bellicose nature Albert received the cognomen Alcibiades after his death; during his lifetime Albert was known as Bellator .He was a member of the Franconian branch of the House of...
. George ruled Brandenburg-Kulmbach while Albert was a minor.
Theodore Hirsch concludes his biography with the statement that because of the atrocities Casimir committed, so far no biographer had written a balanced description of his life.
Marriage and issue
On 25 Married August 1518, Casimir married Susanna of BavariaSusanna of Bavaria
Susanna of Bavaria was a German noblewoman. Born in Munich, she was the daughter of Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria, and Kunigunde of Austria, herself the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal...
, the daughter of Duke Albert IV
Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich , , from 1467 Duke of Bavaria-Munich, from 1503 Duke of the reunited Bavaria.-Biography:...
of Bavaria. Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
, the unlce of the bride, also participated in the gamorous wedding in 1518, during the Diet of Augsburg
Diet of Augsburg
The Diet of Augsburg were the meetings of the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire in the German city of Augsburg. There were many such sessions, but the three meetings during the Reformation and the ensuing religious wars between the Roman Catholic emperor Charles V and the Protestant...
. His close ties to the imperial family were visible again at the coronation of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, where Casimir was given the honor of being the First Cutter at the coronation dinner.
Casimir and Susanna had five children:
- Marie of Brandenburg-KulmbachMarie of Brandenburg-KulmbachMarie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was a Princess of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and by marriage Electress Palatine.- Biography :...
, married in 1557 Elector Palatine FrederickFrederick, Elector PalatineFrederick, Elector Palatine may refer to:*Frederick I, Elector Palatine *Frederick II, Elector Palatine *Frederick III, Elector Palatine *Frederick IV, Elector Palatine *Frederick V, Elector Palatine...
(1515–1576). They were the parents of Louis VI, Elector PalatineLouis VI, Elector PalatineIn the history of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis VI, Elector Palatine was an Elector from the Palatinate-Simmern branch of the house of Wittelsbach. He was the first-born son of Frederick III, Elector Palatine and Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach... - Catherine (1520–1521)
- Albert II AlcibiadesAlbert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-KulmbachAlbert Alcibiades was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, also known as Brandenburg-Bayreuth.Because of his bellicose nature Albert received the cognomen Alcibiades after his death; during his lifetime Albert was known as Bellator .He was a member of the Franconian branch of the House of...
(1522–1557); Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach - KunigundeKunigunde of Brandenburg-KulmbachKunigunde of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was a princess of Brandenburg-Kulmbach by birth and by marriage Margravine of Baden-Durlach.- Life :...
(1524–1558), married in 1551 Charles II of Baden-Durlach (1529–1577) - Frederick (1525-1525)
Ancestry
External links
- Casimir in Kirchberg an der Jagst - Schicksal einer hohenlohe-fränkischen Stadt vol. I (after a manuscript from the legacy of war court counciller Theodor Sandel at webisphere.de)