Eric V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Encyclopedia
Eric V of Saxe-Lauenburg (died 1436) was a son of Duke Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sophia of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel) (*1358–ca. 28 May 1416*), daughter of Duke Magnus II of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)
. Eric V and his brother John IV jointly succeeded their father in 1412 as dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg. After John IV had died in 1414, Eric ruled alone.
of Mölln
(sold to Lübeck in 1359 under a repurchase agreement) and the Herrschaft of Bergedorf
, the Vierlande, half the Saxon Wood
and Geesthacht
, all of which Eric III had pawned to the city of Lübeck in 1370.
Eric III had entitled Lübeck to take possession of these areas, once he had deceased, until his heirs would repay the credit and thus redeem them and simultaneously exercise their right to repurchase Mölln, requiring together a total sum of 26,000 Lübeck marks
. In 1401 Eric IV, supported by his sons Eric V and John IV, forcefully captured the pawned areas without any repayment, before Lübeck could take possession of them. Lübeck acquiesced.
In 1420 Eric V attacked Prince-Elector Frederick I of Brandenburg
and Lübeck gained Hamburg
for a war alliance in support of Brandenburg. Armies of both cities opened a second front and conquered Bergedorf, Riepenburg castle and the Esslingen river toll station (today's Zollenspieker Ferry
) within weeks. This forced Eric V to agree to the Peace of Perleberg on 23 August 1420, which stipulated that all the pawned areas, which Eric V, Eric IV and John IV had violently taken in 1401, were to be irrevocably ceded to the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck.
When in 1422 the Ascanians died out in the Electorate of Saxony (Saxe-Wittenberg)
, which together with Saxe-Lauenburg had partitioned from the Duchy of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia
in 1296, Eric V aimed at reuniting Saxony in his hands. Especially he was after the Saxon electoral privilege
, which had been disputed between Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg since John I
had died in 1285. However, in 1356 Emperor Charles IV exclusively accepted Saxe-Wittenberg
as electorate, with Saxe-Lauenburg not giving up its claim.
However, Sigismund
, King of the Romans
, had already granted Margrave Frederick IV the Warlike of Meissen (House of Wettin) an expectancy on the Saxon electorate, in order to remunerate his military support. On 1 August 1425 Sigismund enfeoffed the Wettinian as Prince-Elector Frederick I of Saxony, despite protestations of the Ascanian Eric V.
Weakened in his position Eric's younger brother Bernard
urged the duke to share his reign. In 1426 Eric V finally agreed and made Bernard the co-duke, who also succeeded him.
Before 1422 Eric V married Elisabeth of Weinsberg (*1397–after 26 January 1498*), daughter of Conrad IX of Weinsberg, making her the new Saxon consort. Their son Henry died young in 1437. Thus Eric V was succeeded by his younger brother Bernard II
.
* Henry of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg) (*?–1437*)
Henry died while staying with his maternal grandparents and was buried in today's Lutheran Town Church of St. George in Weikersheim
, where this epitaph commemorates the boy.
Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Magnus , called Magnus with the Necklace or Magnus II, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ruling the Brunswick-Lüneburg principalities of Wolfenbüttel and, temporarily, Lüneburg....
. Eric V and his brother John IV jointly succeeded their father in 1412 as dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg. After John IV had died in 1414, Eric ruled alone.
Life
When Eric III of Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln had died in 1401, Eric V's father, Eric IV, inherited the branch duchy of the deceased. Subsequently he shared the reign in the reunited duchy with Eric V and his brother John. However, most of Eric III's branch duchy had been alienated, such as the HerrschaftHerrschaft (territory)
In the German feudal system, a Herrschaft or Herrlichkeit was the fiefdom of a lord, who in this area exercised his full feudal rights...
of Mölln
Molln
Molln is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria, Austria.-References:...
(sold to Lübeck in 1359 under a repurchase agreement) and the Herrschaft of Bergedorf
Bergedorf (quarter)
Bergedorf is a quarter in the homonymous borough of the Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg in northern Germany. In 2006, the population was 41,019.-History:The quarter was first mentioned in 1162...
, the Vierlande, half the Saxon Wood
Sachsenwald
The Sachsenwald is a forest near Hamburg, Germany. It is an unincorporated area in the Amt Hohe Elbgeest. It derives its name, which is in , from being located in the former Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, earlier also called Lower Saxony, now mostly covered by the District Herzogtum Lauenburg . The...
and Geesthacht
Geesthacht
Geesthacht is the largest city in the District of the Duchy of Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany, 34 km southeast of Hamburg on the right bank of the river Elbe.-History:*Around 800: A church is documented....
, all of which Eric III had pawned to the city of Lübeck in 1370.
Eric III had entitled Lübeck to take possession of these areas, once he had deceased, until his heirs would repay the credit and thus redeem them and simultaneously exercise their right to repurchase Mölln, requiring together a total sum of 26,000 Lübeck marks
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...
. In 1401 Eric IV, supported by his sons Eric V and John IV, forcefully captured the pawned areas without any repayment, before Lübeck could take possession of them. Lübeck acquiesced.
In 1420 Eric V attacked Prince-Elector Frederick I of Brandenburg
Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick was Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick VI and Elector of Brandenburg as Frederick I. He was a son of Burgrave Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen, and was the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- Biography :Frederick entered...
and Lübeck gained Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
for a war alliance in support of Brandenburg. Armies of both cities opened a second front and conquered Bergedorf, Riepenburg castle and the Esslingen river toll station (today's Zollenspieker Ferry
Zollenspieker Ferry
The Zollenspieker Ferry is a ferry across the Elbe river in Germany. It crosses between Zollenspieker, a part of the quarter Kirchwerder of the Bergedorf borough of the city-state of Hamburg, and Hoopte, part of the town Winsen , in the state of Lower Saxony, and is about south-east of Hamburg...
) within weeks. This forced Eric V to agree to the Peace of Perleberg on 23 August 1420, which stipulated that all the pawned areas, which Eric V, Eric IV and John IV had violently taken in 1401, were to be irrevocably ceded to the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck.
When in 1422 the Ascanians died out in the Electorate of Saxony (Saxe-Wittenberg)
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
, which together with Saxe-Lauenburg had partitioned from the Duchy of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
in 1296, Eric V aimed at reuniting Saxony in his hands. Especially he was after the Saxon electoral privilege
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
, which had been disputed between Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg since John I
John I, Duke of Saxony
Duke John I of Saxony was the elder son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child...
had died in 1285. However, in 1356 Emperor Charles IV exclusively accepted Saxe-Wittenberg
Saxe-Wittenberg
The Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
as electorate, with Saxe-Lauenburg not giving up its claim.
However, Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
, had already granted Margrave Frederick IV the Warlike of Meissen (House of Wettin) an expectancy on the Saxon electorate, in order to remunerate his military support. On 1 August 1425 Sigismund enfeoffed the Wettinian as Prince-Elector Frederick I of Saxony, despite protestations of the Ascanian Eric V.
Weakened in his position Eric's younger brother Bernard
Bernard II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg was a son of Duke Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sophia of Brunswick and Lunenburg , daughter of Duke Magnus II of Brunswick and Lunenburg ....
urged the duke to share his reign. In 1426 Eric V finally agreed and made Bernard the co-duke, who also succeeded him.
Marriages and issue
In 1404 Eric V married (1) Elisabeth of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg (*1384 – 28 May 1416*), daughter of Nicholas of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg and widow of Duke Albert IV of Mecklenburg (*before 1363– between 24 and 31 December 1388*). Eric V and Elisabeth, who also officiated as Saxon consort, had no common children.Before 1422 Eric V married Elisabeth of Weinsberg (*1397–after 26 January 1498*), daughter of Conrad IX of Weinsberg, making her the new Saxon consort. Their son Henry died young in 1437. Thus Eric V was succeeded by his younger brother Bernard II
Bernard II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg was a son of Duke Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sophia of Brunswick and Lunenburg , daughter of Duke Magnus II of Brunswick and Lunenburg ....
.
* Henry of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (Lauenburg) (*?–1437*)
Henry died while staying with his maternal grandparents and was buried in today's Lutheran Town Church of St. George in Weikersheim
Weikersheim
Weikersheim is a town in the Main-Tauber district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Tauber, 9 km east of Bad Mergentheim, Weikersheim is the location of the famous castle Schloss Weikersheim....
, where this epitaph commemorates the boy.