Georg Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Encyclopedia
George Frederick of Baden-Durlach (30 January 1573 – 24 September 1638) was Margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1604 until his abdication in 1622. He also ruled Baden-Baden.
He was the third son of margrave Charles II of Baden-Durlach and his second wife, Anna of Veldenz
. He was the youngest of eight children and was only four years old when his father died.
He succeeded his brother Ernest Frederick
as margrave in 1604. He also continued his brother's occupation of Baden-Baden
. George Frederick was a prominent member of the Protestant Union
.
He raised an army of 12,000 men at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War
in 1618, and defeated the imperial troops of Tilly
near Wiesloch in 1622. But a few days later he himself was defeated in Wimpfen
, and his army was destroyed. In 1627 he joined the Danish army.
He died at Strassbourg in 1638.
(until 1583), Count Palatine Philip Louis
of Neuburg and Duke Louis III "the Pious" of Württemberg.
In 1584, his brothers Ernest Frederick and James (d. 1590) and his mother (d. 1586) took over the guardianship. In 1595, George Frederick was declared an adult, and he took up government himself.
, where his brother James had studied earlier. He then went on a Grand Tour
to Besançon
, Dole
, Basel
and Siena
.
received Lower Baden, including the main towns Durlach
and Pforzheim
. James received the Margraviate of Hachberg
. George Frederick retained the southern parts of Baden-Durlach, the Lordships of Rötteln
and Badenweiler and the County of Sausenburg
. Thus, the Margraviate was fragmented further, after the earlier split into Baden-Baden and Baden-Durlach.
When James died in 1590, Baden-Hachberg fell back to Ernest Frederick, who gave it to George Frederick in 1595. When Ernest Frederick died in 1604, Baden-Durlach was reunited under George Frederick.
. In 1599 he moved his residence and the entire National Administration to Sulzburg
). After the conversion of his brother Ernest Frederick to strict Calvinism
, George Frederick remained a Lutheran and founded his own Latin school in his small residence Sulzburg, so he would not have to depend on the Calvinist school in Durlach for the education of pastors in his territory. He constructed several buildings in Sulzburg, among them a real tennis
hall. Between 1600 and 1610, he built the Castle Church in Sulzburg .
In 1603, he issued a forestry regulation for the Margraviate of Sausenberg and the Lordship of Rötteln.
He life was marked by an ascetic life-style. From the hand-written notes in his personal Bible, one can deduce that he has fully read through it at least 58 times. In 1601, he promised the citizens of Pforzheim
, who resisted the appointment of Reformed clergy by his brother Ernest Frederick, that he would support them when the case came before the Reichskammergericht
.
If 1613, he had a religious dispute with Duke Francis II of Lorraine
. He intentded to argue the issue himself. This failed, however, when Francis, against an earlier agreement, sent Jesuits to argue the Cahtolic side of the dispute.
.
He initiated the codification of the civil code of Baden
. The resulting statute
has been describe as "the most thorough of any of the German terrritorial states". It was published in 1622, but due to the Thirty Years' War
, it could not be brought into force until 1654, under his son and successor Frederick V
. It remained in force until 1809.
of Upper Baden an exchange bank, which also managed orphan's pensions and later developed into a deposit bank. This bank was also meant to organize the trade in wine and grain and eliminate Jewist merchants. It also helped the margraviate to overcome the market crisis of the Tipper and See-Saw Time
.
that Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg had founded in Siegen
in 1616. Between 1614 and 1617, George Frederick wrote a treatise on modern warfare for his sons Frederick
, Charles and Christopher; this treatise was never published in print. .
about the ongoing occupation of Upper Baden threatened against George Frederick in 1622. He reacted with an armed intervention in the Bohemian Revolt, a conflict that formed the initial phase of the Thirty Years' War
.
. He was appointed as a general of the Union, until it was dissolved in May 1621.
On 19 August 1612, George Frederick concluded a defensive alliance with the Protestant cities of Berne
and Zurich
, with which he wanted to protect Upper Baden, as it was enclosed by territories belonging to Further Austria
. When the war broke out, his allies failed to provide military assistance. However, the alliance did enable George Frederick to recruit mercenaries in Switzerland in 1621 and 1622.
The bishop of Speyer, Philipp Christoph von Sötern
, felt threatened by the surrounding Protestant powers and in 1615, he began expanding his residence in Udenheim into a fortress. He changed the name Udenheim into Philipsburg
and began constucting Philipsburg Fortress, despite protests by the imperial city of Speyer
, the Electoral Palatinate and the Margraviate of Baden. In 1618, Elector Palatine Frederick V
, George Frederick and the city of Speyer decided to raze the fortress. It was nevertheless completed in 1623.
From March to June 1620 George Frederick blocked the road from Breisach
to Freiburg
by order of the Protestant Union, operating from a fortified camp at Ihringen
. The goal was to prevent the passage of mercenary troops of Bavaria
and the Catholic League
from the Alsace to their assembly points at Lauingen
and Dillingen on the Danube. The Imperial-Catholic side did not shy away from breaking their word in the pursuit of their political goals. After Emperor Ferdinand II
gave his word that the troops had been recruited for himself and not for Bavarian/Catholic League army, George Frederick allowed the three regiment to pass and had to put up with being called naïve when these regiments joined the army of Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria.
In 1621, George Frederick began recruiting troops to campaign against the Catholic forces, which had begun a succesful advance in 1620. In order not to lose his Margraviate to an imperial ban for waging war on the emperor, he abdicated in 1622, in favour of his son, Frederick V
.
In the spring of 1622, after the Estates
granted him a special war tax for three years, he had between and mercenaries at his disposal, with a relatively large amount of artillery, in addition to the regiment that would remain behind to defend Baden. On 24/25 April 1622, he began a campaign against the Emperor and his Catholic allies. However, he arrived too late to participate in the Battle of Mingolsheim on 27 April, where the Palatinate commander Count Ernst von Mansfeld
crushingly defeated Lieutenant General Tilly of the Catholic League.
. George Frederick was defeated in the Battle of Wimpfen
on 6 May 1622. He was injured in the face and narrowly escaped to Stuttgart, where he abdicated in favour of his eldest son.
and tried in vain to raise a new army. A Catholic army of about troops invaded Baden and devastated it thoroughly. George Frederick initially fled to a stronghold at Emmendingen
] he had heavily fortified in the beginning of the century. On 26 August 1622, the Emperor invested William, the son of Edward Fortunatus, with Baden-Baden. This meant that Baden was once again split into a Catholic Baden-Baden and a Protestand Baden-Durlach. This split would last until Baden was reunited in 1771 under Margrave Charles Frederick.
In 1625, George Frederick retreated to Geneva
, where he soon came into conflict with the Calvinist government, because he held Lutheran church services in his apartment. So in 1626 he moved to Thônes
, where Duke Charles Emmanuel of Savoy
allowed to hold Lutheran church services.
In the summer of 1627 he was appointed lieutenant general of the Danish army by King Christian IV of Denmark
, who was involved in the Danish-Lower Saxon War and tasked George Frederick with stopping the advance of Wallenstein
into northern Germany. When Wallenstein approached, George Frederick withdrew to the island of Poel
and then to Heiligenhafen
in Holstein
. From there his troops marched to Oldenburg in Holstein, where he was almost completely wiped out in the Battle at the Oldenburg Gulley by an imperialarmy under Heinrich Schlik and had to surrender on 24 September 1627. In October, George Frederick resigned from the Danish service, after a dispute with the Danish king, who wanted to bring the issue before a court martial.
George Frederick retired to his home in Strasbourg
and devoted himself mainly to the study of religious litterature. He was, however, still in contact with France and Sweden, trying to realise his dream of a Lutheran Greater Baden. He died on 24 September 1638 in Strasbourg. His body was probably transferred to the princely crypt in the S. Michael Church in Pforzheim
in 1650.
. On 29 July 1621, he married Elisabeth Stolz the daughter of his secretary, Johann Thomas Stolz. This marriage remained childless.
He was the third son of margrave Charles II of Baden-Durlach and his second wife, Anna of Veldenz
Anna of Veldenz
Countess Palatine Anna of Veldenz was born a countess of Palatinate-Veldenz and, by marriage, Margravine of Baden-Durlach...
. He was the youngest of eight children and was only four years old when his father died.
He succeeded his brother Ernest Frederick
Ernest Frederick, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Ernest Frederick of Baden-Durlach ruled the northern part of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach. He came to power when he came of age in 1584. He founded the first Gymnasium Illustrie in the margraviate...
as margrave in 1604. He also continued his brother's occupation of Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
. George Frederick was a prominent member of the Protestant Union
Protestant Union
The Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member....
.
He raised an army of 12,000 men at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in 1618, and defeated the imperial troops of Tilly
Johan t'Serclaes, Count of Tilly
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly , commanded the Imperial forces in the Thirty Years' War. He had a string of important victories against the Protestants but was then defeated by forces led by the King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden...
near Wiesloch in 1622. But a few days later he himself was defeated in Wimpfen
Battle of Wimpfen
The Battle of Wimpfen was a battle in the Bohemian Revolt period of the Thirty Years' War on 6 May 1622 near Wimpfen. The forces of the Holy Roman Empire and Catholic League under Marshal Tilly and Gonzalo de Córdoba defeated the Protestant forces of General Ernst von Mansfeld and Georg Friedrich,...
, and his army was destroyed. In 1627 he joined the Danish army.
He died at Strassbourg in 1638.
The guardianship governments 1577-1595
George Frederick was four years old when he inherited the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach, necessating a regency. The regents were his mother Anna, Elector Palatine Louis VILouis VI, Elector Palatine
In 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...
(until 1583), Count Palatine Philip Louis
Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg
Philip Louis of Neuburg was the Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg from 1569 until 1614.-Life:Philip Louis was born in Zweibrücken in 1547 as the eldest son of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. After his father's death in 1569, his lands were partitioned between Philip Louis and his four brothers -...
of Neuburg and Duke Louis III "the Pious" of Württemberg.
In 1584, his brothers Ernest Frederick and James (d. 1590) and his mother (d. 1586) took over the guardianship. In 1595, George Frederick was declared an adult, and he took up government himself.
Education and Travel
George Frederick learned the Latin, French and Italian languages and received his higher education in StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, where his brother James had studied earlier. He then went on a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
to Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
, Dole
Dole
Dole may refer to:*The Grain supply to the city of Rome in ancient times.* Since the early 20th Century, a colloquial term referring to government public assistance programs; see Unemployment benefits. Originally it referred to any charitable gift of food, clothing or money. The dole has taken on...
, Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
Division of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach
His brothers were declared adults in 1584. Ernest Frederick and James wanted to divide the inheritance, although their father's testament forbade this. However, the testament had not been properly signed and sealed, and the remaining guardians held that this meant that they could allow the borthers to divide the Margraviate. Ernest FrederickErnest Frederick, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Ernest Frederick of Baden-Durlach ruled the northern part of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach. He came to power when he came of age in 1584. He founded the first Gymnasium Illustrie in the margraviate...
received Lower Baden, including the main towns Durlach
Durlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
and Pforzheim
Pforzheim
Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
. James received the Margraviate of Hachberg
Hochburg
The Hochburg is a castle near Emmendingen in southwest Germany.-Brief history:* 11th century — founded probably by Dietrich von Hachberg* 1127 — first mentioned in an official document...
. George Frederick retained the southern parts of Baden-Durlach, the Lordships of Rötteln
Rötteln
Rötteln is a village beneath the ruins of the Rötteln Castle in Southern Baden, which today is part of the district of Haagen in the city of Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg.- History :...
and Badenweiler and the County of Sausenburg
Sausenburg Castle
Sausenburg Castle is a German castle ruin at the foot of the Black Forest, just north of the city of Kandern in Baden-Württemberg, between the villages of Sitzenkirch and Malsburg-Marzell. The castle was originally the stronghold of the lords von Sausenburg...
. Thus, the Margraviate was fragmented further, after the earlier split into Baden-Baden and Baden-Durlach.
When James died in 1590, Baden-Hachberg fell back to Ernest Frederick, who gave it to George Frederick in 1595. When Ernest Frederick died in 1604, Baden-Durlach was reunited under George Frederick.
Ruler of Upper Baden 1595-1604
Upon reaching adulthood, George Frederick became the ruler of Upper Baden. At first, he ruled from Rötteln CastleRötteln Castle
Rötteln Castle , located above the Lörrach suburb of Haagen, lies in the extreme southwest corner of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The fortification was one of the most powerful in the southwest, and today is the third largest castle ruin in Baden....
. In 1599 he moved his residence and the entire National Administration to Sulzburg
Sulzburg
Sulzburg is a town in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the western slope of the Black Forest, 20 km southwest of Freiburg.Sulzburg's lovely, barrel-vaulted synagogue has been completely restored....
). After the conversion of his brother Ernest Frederick to strict Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
, George Frederick remained a Lutheran and founded his own Latin school in his small residence Sulzburg, so he would not have to depend on the Calvinist school in Durlach for the education of pastors in his territory. He constructed several buildings in Sulzburg, among them a real tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
hall. Between 1600 and 1610, he built the Castle Church in Sulzburg .
In 1603, he issued a forestry regulation for the Margraviate of Sausenberg and the Lordship of Rötteln.
The preacher on the throne
Shortly after he took office in Upper Baden, George Frederick introduced Johann Weininger as the new General Superintendent at the Synod of Rötteln. On this occasion he held a speechthat resembled a sermon.He life was marked by an ascetic life-style. From the hand-written notes in his personal Bible, one can deduce that he has fully read through it at least 58 times. In 1601, he promised the citizens of Pforzheim
Pforzheim
Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
, who resisted the appointment of Reformed clergy by his brother Ernest Frederick, that he would support them when the case came before the Reichskammergericht
Reichskammergericht
The Reichskammergericht or Imperial Chamber Court was one of two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms...
.
If 1613, he had a religious dispute with Duke Francis II of Lorraine
Francis II, Duke of Lorraine
Francis II , was the son of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Valois. He was Duke of Lorraine briefly in 1624, quickly abdicating in favour of his son.-Biography:...
. He intentded to argue the issue himself. This failed, however, when Francis, against an earlier agreement, sent Jesuits to argue the Cahtolic side of the dispute.
Legislative and administrative reform
George Frederick laid the foundations for a sound administration. He established the Privy Council, which he presided himself. He created a high court and introduced a Church OrderChurch Order (Lutheran)
The Church Order or Church Ordinance means the general ecclesiastical constitution of a State.The early Evangelical Church attached less importance to ecclesiastical ritual than the pre-Reformation Church had done...
.
He initiated the codification of the civil code 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....
. The resulting statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
has been describe as "the most thorough of any of the German terrritorial states". It was published in 1622, but due to the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, it could not be brought into force until 1654, under his son and successor Frederick V
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach was a German nobleman, who ruled as margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1622 to his death...
. It remained in force until 1809.
The banker and political economist
As early as 1603 George Frederick founded, in cooperation with the EstatesEstates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
of Upper Baden an exchange bank, which also managed orphan's pensions and later developed into a deposit bank. This bank was also meant to organize the trade in wine and grain and eliminate Jewist merchants. It also helped the margraviate to overcome the market crisis of the Tipper and See-Saw Time
Tipper and See-Saw Time
Tipper and See-Saw Time is name given to a financial crisis during the start of the Thirty Years' War . Starting in 1600, city-states in the Holy Roman Empire began to debase currency in order to raise revenue for the Thirty Years' War, as effective taxation did not exist.The debasement spread...
.
The military theorist
George Frederick saw the deteriorating situation in the empire, and in his own principality in particular, and studied not only theologyl, but also military themes. He was informed the Knight academyKnight academy
Knight academies were developed by the German aristocracy in the late seventeenth century to facilitate the ascent of Prussia as a European power. They prepared aristocratic youth for state and military service. It added to the hitherto rudimentary education of the German aristocracy natural...
that Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg had founded in Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
in 1616. Between 1614 and 1617, George Frederick wrote a treatise on modern warfare for his sons Frederick
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach was a German nobleman, who ruled as margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1622 to his death...
, Charles and Christopher; this treatise was never published in print. .
George Frederick and the parliament
George Frederick was aware that he could achieve his goal of a united Lutheran margraviate of Baden only with the support of the people. In return for approval of taxes to finance his defense policies, he conceded to the Estates the right to have a say in religious questions.The Thirty Years War
Under Catholic influence, the ongoing court case before the ReichskammergerichtReichskammergericht
The Reichskammergericht or Imperial Chamber Court was one of two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms...
about the ongoing occupation of Upper Baden threatened against George Frederick in 1622. He reacted with an armed intervention in the Bohemian Revolt, a conflict that formed the initial phase of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
.
Before the Battle of Wimpfen
In 1608, George Frederick joined the Protestant UnionProtestant Union
The Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member....
. He was appointed as a general of the Union, until it was dissolved in May 1621.
On 19 August 1612, George Frederick concluded a defensive alliance with the Protestant cities of Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, with which he wanted to protect Upper Baden, as it was enclosed by territories belonging to Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
. When the war broke out, his allies failed to provide military assistance. However, the alliance did enable George Frederick to recruit mercenaries in Switzerland in 1621 and 1622.
The bishop of Speyer, Philipp Christoph von Sötern
Philipp Christoph von Sötern
Philipp Christoph von Sötern was the Prince-Bishop of Speyer from 1610 to 1652 and the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1623 to 1652.-Biography:...
, felt threatened by the surrounding Protestant powers and in 1615, he began expanding his residence in Udenheim into a fortress. He changed the name Udenheim into Philipsburg
Philipsburg
Philipsburg is the name of some places in the United States of America:*Philipsburg, Montana*Philipsburg, Pennsylvania Other places...
and began constucting Philipsburg Fortress, despite protests by the imperial city of Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, the Electoral Palatinate and the Margraviate of Baden. In 1618, Elector Palatine Frederick V
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
, George Frederick and the city of Speyer decided to raze the fortress. It was nevertheless completed in 1623.
From March to June 1620 George Frederick blocked the road from Breisach
Breisach
Breisach is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about halfway between Freiburg and Colmar — 20 kilometres away from each — and about 60 kilometres north of Basel near the...
to Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
by order of the Protestant Union, operating from a fortified camp at Ihringen
Ihringen
Ihringen is a town in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
. The goal was to prevent the passage of mercenary troops of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and the Catholic League
Catholic League
Catholic League may refer to:*Catholic League , created by Henry of Guise, in 1576 during the French Wars of Religion*Catholic League , a confederation of Catholic German states formed to counteract the Protestant Union...
from the Alsace to their assembly points at Lauingen
Lauingen
Lauingen is a town in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the left bank of the Danube, 5 km west of Dillingen, and 37 km northeast of Ulm.St. Albert the Great was born in Lauingen, c. 1200....
and Dillingen on the Danube. The Imperial-Catholic side did not shy away from breaking their word in the pursuit of their political goals. After Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
gave his word that the troops had been recruited for himself and not for Bavarian/Catholic League army, George Frederick allowed the three regiment to pass and had to put up with being called naïve when these regiments joined the army of Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria.
In 1621, George Frederick began recruiting troops to campaign against the Catholic forces, which had begun a succesful advance in 1620. In order not to lose his Margraviate to an imperial ban for waging war on the emperor, he abdicated in 1622, in favour of his son, Frederick V
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Frederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach was a German nobleman, who ruled as margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1622 to his death...
.
In the spring of 1622, after the Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
granted him a special war tax for three years, he had between and mercenaries at his disposal, with a relatively large amount of artillery, in addition to the regiment that would remain behind to defend Baden. On 24/25 April 1622, he began a campaign against the Emperor and his Catholic allies. However, he arrived too late to participate in the Battle of Mingolsheim on 27 April, where the Palatinate commander Count Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst von Mansfeld
Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld , was a German military commander during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
crushingly defeated Lieutenant General Tilly of the Catholic League.
The Battle of Wimpfen
On 27 April, George Frederick declared war on the Habsburgs and compined his forces with those of Mansfeld, so as to fight the Catholic League together. When they were inexplicably separated a few days later, George Frederick came under attack from Tilly, who was assisted by Spanish troops under CórdobaGonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba known as The Great Captain, Duke of Terranova and Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa, also known as Gonzalo de Córdoba, Italian: Gonsalvo or Consalvo Ernandes di Cordova was a Spanish general fighting in the times of the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars...
. George Frederick was defeated in the Battle of Wimpfen
Battle of Wimpfen
The Battle of Wimpfen was a battle in the Bohemian Revolt period of the Thirty Years' War on 6 May 1622 near Wimpfen. The forces of the Holy Roman Empire and Catholic League under Marshal Tilly and Gonzalo de Córdoba defeated the Protestant forces of General Ernst von Mansfeld and Georg Friedrich,...
on 6 May 1622. He was injured in the face and narrowly escaped to Stuttgart, where he abdicated in favour of his eldest son.
After the Battle of Wimpfen
Already on 13 May 1622 George Frederick had returned to DurlachDurlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
and tried in vain to raise a new army. A Catholic army of about troops invaded Baden and devastated it thoroughly. George Frederick initially fled to a stronghold at Emmendingen
Emmendingen
Emmendingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, capital of the district Emmendingen of Germany. It is located at the Elz River, north of Freiburg im Breisgau...
] he had heavily fortified in the beginning of the century. On 26 August 1622, the Emperor invested William, the son of Edward Fortunatus, with Baden-Baden. This meant that Baden was once again split into a Catholic Baden-Baden and a Protestand Baden-Durlach. This split would last until Baden was reunited in 1771 under Margrave Charles Frederick.
In 1625, George Frederick retreated to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, where he soon came into conflict with the Calvinist government, because he held Lutheran church services in his apartment. So in 1626 he moved to Thônes
Thônes
Thônes is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:The Fier flows northwestward through the middle of the commune and crosses the village.-References:*...
, where Duke Charles Emmanuel of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I , known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630...
allowed to hold Lutheran church services.
In the summer of 1627 he was appointed lieutenant general of the Danish army by King Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
, who was involved in the Danish-Lower Saxon War and tasked George Frederick with stopping the advance of Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
into northern Germany. When Wallenstein approached, George Frederick withdrew to the island of Poel
Poel
Poel or Poel Island ), is an island in the Baltic Sea. It builds the natural northern and eastern boundaries of the Bay of Wismar on the German coast. The northern coast of the island is also on the south side of the large gulf known as the Bay of Mecklenburg, which Wismar Bay enters in to...
and then to Heiligenhafen
Heiligenhafen
Heiligenhafen is a town in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the Baltic Sea coast, opposite the island Fehmarn, approx. 60 km northeast of Lübeck, and 55 km east of Kiel.-Geography:...
in Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
. From there his troops marched to Oldenburg in Holstein, where he was almost completely wiped out in the Battle at the Oldenburg Gulley by an imperialarmy under Heinrich Schlik and had to surrender on 24 September 1627. In October, George Frederick resigned from the Danish service, after a dispute with the Danish king, who wanted to bring the issue before a court martial.
George Frederick retired to his home in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and devoted himself mainly to the study of religious litterature. He was, however, still in contact with France and Sweden, trying to realise his dream of a Lutheran Greater Baden. He died on 24 September 1638 in Strasbourg. His body was probably transferred to the princely crypt in the S. Michael Church in Pforzheim
Pforzheim
Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
in 1650.
First Marriage - Juliane Ursula of Salm-Neufville
In his first marriage Margrave George Frederick of Baden married on 2 July 1592 Juliane Ursula of Salm-Neufville (born: 29 September 1572; died: 30 April 1614), daughter of the Wild- and Rhinegrave Frederick of Salm-Neufville. This marriage produced 15 children:- Ursula Catherine (born: 19 June 1593; died: 15 February 1615), married on 24 August 1613 the Landgrave Otto of Hesse-Kassel (born: 25 December 1594; died: 7 August 1617)
- FrederickFrederick V, Margrave of Baden-DurlachFrederick V, Margrave of Baden-Durlach was a German nobleman, who ruled as margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1622 to his death...
(born: 6 July 1594; died: 8 September 1659), Margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1622 to 1659 - Anna Amalie (born: 9 July 1595; died: 18 November 1651), married on 25 November 1615 Count William Louis of Nassau-SaarbrückenWilliam Louis, Count of Nassau-SaarbrückenWilliam Louis of Nassau-Saarbrücken , was a Count of Saarbrücken.- Life :His parents were Louis II of Nassau-Weilburg and Landgravine Anna Maria of Hesse-Kassel...
(born: 18 December 1590; died: 22 August 1640) - Philip (born:30 December 1596; died: 14 March 1597)
- Charles (born: 22 May 1598, died: 27 July 1625)
- Juliane Ursula (born: 1 January 1600; died: 31 August 1600)
- Rudolph (born: 21 January 1602; died: 31 May 1603)
- Christopher (born: 16 March 1603; died: 30 April 1632 at the siege of IngolstadtIngolstadtIngolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
) - Anna Auguste (born: 30 March 1604; died: 2 April 1616)
- Sibylle Magdalene (born: 21 July 1605; died: 22 July 1644), married on 6 June 1644 Count John of Nassau-IdsteinJohn, Count of Nassau-IdsteinCount John of Nassau-Idstein was Count of Nassau and Protestant Regent of Idstein.- Life :...
(born: 24 November 1603; died: 23 June 1677) - Francisca (born 9 August 1606; died: 27 August 1606)
- Ursula Marie (born: 3 November 1607; 22 December 1607)
- Francisca Sibylle (born: 4 February 1609, died: 2 March 1609)
- Sophie Dorothea (born: 14 March 1610; died: 24 October 1633)
- Ernestine Sophie (born: 26 December 1612; died: 4 July 1658)
2nd Marriage - Agathe of Erbach
George Frederick of Baden married his second wife, on 23 October 1614. He married Agathe (born: 16 May 1581; died: 30 April 1621), the daughter of the Count George III of Erbach. This marriage the produced three children:- Agathe (born: 2 September 1615; died: 29 June 1616)
- Anna (born: 29 May 1617; died: 15 October 1672)
- Elizabeth (born: 5 February 1620; died: 13 October 1692)
3rd Marriage - Elizabeth Stolz
George Frederick of Baden's third marriage was morganaticMorganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
. On 29 July 1621, he married Elisabeth Stolz the daughter of his secretary, Johann Thomas Stolz. This marriage remained childless.