Frederick Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Encyclopedia
Frederick Christian of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (Weferlingen
, 17 July 1708 – Bayreuth, 20 January 1769), was a member of the House of Hohenzollern
and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
.
by his wife, Countess Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein
. His father died on 5 April 1708, almost three months before his birth.
Besides him, only six of his siblings survived to adulthood: Georg Frederick Karl
, who became Margrave of Bayreuth; Albrecht Wolfgang, who was killed in battle in 1734; Dorothea Charlotte, Countess of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim, who died in 1712 after only seven months of marriage; Sophie Magdalene, Queen of Denmark
; Frederick Ernst; and Sophie Caroline, Princess of Ostfriesland.
near Hamburg
and was not prepared for any government tasks in the principality of Bayreuth. He did not exercise his power and left all the control of the principality to his older brother George Frederick Charles.
The death of his nephew Frederick without male issue on (26 February 1763), however, found him the only male member of the Bayreuth branch of the family, and, in consequence, the new Margrave of Bayreuth.
After his assumption of the government in Bayreuth, Frederick Christian tried to stabilize the ruined state finances by drastically reducing the costs of the Bayreuth court. Most artists who had worked there (among others, Carl von Gontard
) went to Berlin
to the court of King Frederick the Great. Almost all construction work in the castles and gardens were stopped. Bayreuth sank again into the Provinzialität (Province state).
on 26 April 1732, Frederick Christian married Victoria Charlotte of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym
(September 25, 1715 - February 4, 1792). They had two daughters:
Christiane, Frederick Christian and Viktoria Charlotte's only surviving daughter, died four days after giving birth to a daughter, who only survived her mother by nine days. This tragedy led to the complete breakdown of the couple's marriage, which never recovered from the loss.
Seven years later and shortly after Frederick Christian inherited the margraviate of Bayreuth (1764), he and Viktoria Charlotte were divorced. Viktoria Charlotte returned to her homeland, were she died in 1792, twenty-three years after her former husband. Neither of them remarried.
Without male issue, Frederick Christian became the last member of the Younger line of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, which had ruled this principality since 1603. On his death, Bayreuth was inherited by his distant kinsman, Christian Frederick, Margrave of Ansbach.
Weferlingen
Weferlingen is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen....
, 17 July 1708 – Bayreuth, 20 January 1769), was a member of the House of Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Principality of Bayreuth
The Principality of Bayreuth or Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Bayreuth. Until 1604 its capital city was Kulmbach; then the margraves used their palaces in Bayreuth as their residence...
.
Family
He was the youngest of fourteen children born to Margrave Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-KulmbachChristian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach
Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach , was a German prince and member of the House of Hohenzollern and nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach.-Family:...
by his wife, Countess Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein
Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein
Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein was a Countess of Wolfstein and Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach by marriage.- Life :...
. His father died on 5 April 1708, almost three months before his birth.
Besides him, only six of his siblings survived to adulthood: Georg Frederick Karl
George Frederick Charles, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
George Frederick Charles , Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth , was a German prince, member of the House of Hohenzollern, nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth .-Family:He was the eldest of the fourteen children born...
, who became Margrave of Bayreuth; Albrecht Wolfgang, who was killed in battle in 1734; Dorothea Charlotte, Countess of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim, who died in 1712 after only seven months of marriage; Sophie Magdalene, Queen of Denmark
Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was queen-consort of Denmark and Norway as the wife of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway.-Background:...
; Frederick Ernst; and Sophie Caroline, Princess of Ostfriesland.
Life
Frederick Christian was considered an eccentric, indeed the "black sheep" of the family. By the time of the death of his cousin Georg Wilhelm, Margrave of Bayreuth (1726), he lived as a Danish Lieutenant-general in WandsbekWandsbek
Wandsbek is the second-largest of seven boroughs that make up the city of Hamburg, Germany. The name of the district is derived from the river Wandse which passes here. The quarter Wandsbek, which is the former independent city, is urban and, with the quarters Eilbek and Marienthal part of the...
near 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...
and was not prepared for any government tasks in the principality of Bayreuth. He did not exercise his power and left all the control of the principality to his older brother George Frederick Charles.
The death of his nephew Frederick without male issue on (26 February 1763), however, found him the only male member of the Bayreuth branch of the family, and, in consequence, the new Margrave of Bayreuth.
After his assumption of the government in Bayreuth, Frederick Christian tried to stabilize the ruined state finances by drastically reducing the costs of the Bayreuth court. Most artists who had worked there (among others, Carl von Gontard
Carl von Gontard
Carl von Gontard was a German architect; he worked primarily in Berlin, Potsdam, and Bayreuth....
) went to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to the court of King Frederick the Great. Almost all construction work in the castles and gardens were stopped. Bayreuth sank again into the Provinzialität (Province state).
Marriage and issue
In Schaumburg an der LahnSchaumburg
Schaumburg is a district of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nienburg, Hanover and Hamelin-Pyrmont, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia .-History:...
on 26 April 1732, Frederick Christian married Victoria Charlotte of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym
Victoria Charlotte of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym
Victoria Charlotte of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym was a princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym by birth and Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth by marriage.- Life :...
(September 25, 1715 - February 4, 1792). They had two daughters:
- Christiane Sophie Charlotte (b. Neustadt am Aisch, 15 October 1733 - d. Seidingstadt, 8 October 1757), married on 20 January 1757 to Ernst Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
- Sophie Magdalene (b. Neustadt am Aisch, 12 January 1737 - d. Neustadt am Aisch, 23 July 1737).
Christiane, Frederick Christian and Viktoria Charlotte's only surviving daughter, died four days after giving birth to a daughter, who only survived her mother by nine days. This tragedy led to the complete breakdown of the couple's marriage, which never recovered from the loss.
Seven years later and shortly after Frederick Christian inherited the margraviate of Bayreuth (1764), he and Viktoria Charlotte were divorced. Viktoria Charlotte returned to her homeland, were she died in 1792, twenty-three years after her former husband. Neither of them remarried.
Without male issue, Frederick Christian became the last member of the Younger line of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, which had ruled this principality since 1603. On his death, Bayreuth was inherited by his distant kinsman, Christian Frederick, Margrave of Ansbach.