George Rudolf of Liegnitz
Encyclopedia
George Rudolf of Liegnitz (22 January 1595 – 14 January 1653) was duke
of Liegnitz-Wohlau (present-day Legnica
-Wołów) from 1602 to 1653. A humanist, patron of arts, composer and poet, he was also Upper Governor of Silesia during 1621-1628 and from 1641 onwards.
, Duke of Liegnitz-Brieg (Legnica-Brzeg) and Anna Maria of Anhalt
, daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
. At the death of their father in 1602, George Rudolf and his older brother John Christian
were minors, and their mother, the Dowager Duchess Anna Maria, became regent. After her death in 1605, the regency was taken by the paternal aunt of the young Dukes (the only surviving sibling of the late Joachim Frederick), Elisabeth Magdalena of Brieg and her husband, Karl II of Poděbrady, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (Ziębice
-Oleśnica
). In 1609 John Christian became an adult and handled the government and George Rudolf's guardianship. When in 1612 George Rudolf became of age, the brothers divided their domains, Georg Rudolf ruling over "Liegnitz" (present-day Legnica
, Wołów, Złotoryja, Grodźca
, Lubin
, Prochowice
, Wińsko
, Wąsosz
, Ryczeń
and Rudna
and from 1616 on Chojnów
) and John Christian over "Brieg" (present-day Brzeg
, Oława, Strzelin
, Niemcza
, Kluczbork
and Byczyna
).
Following the example of his brother, George Rudolf converted to Calvinism
in 1614. During the Thirty Years' War
, he was exiled for fifteen years (1633-1648) as a result of the occupation of his land by the Habsburg
Imperial army, though he nominally retained the government.
George Rudolf, as a ruler, was thoroughly educated and supported the development of culture and science. In particular, he is known as the creator of the famous Biblioteca Rudolphina. In his court were reunited prominent scholars, poets and composers such as Martin Opitz and Friedrich von Logau, who often found asylum and protection at his court. He also promoted musical education; the Duke trained in composing competitions during a stay in Frankfurt
, and collected prints and manuscripts of music works. During this time, he met one of the most prominent composers of his era, Heinrich Schütz
, who dedicated to George Rudolf his collection of religious songs Cantiones sacrae. Some surviving compositions by George Rudolf were recorded by Ars Nova
on the CD "Rudolphina - Legnica Treasures" under direction of the Polish musician Jacek Urbaniak.
In Dessau
on 4 November 1614, George Rudolf married his first cousin Sophie Elisabeth (10 February 1589 - 9 February 1622), daughter of his maternal uncle John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
. His second marriage (on 25 November 1624) was to another first cousin: Elisabeth Magdalena (29 May 1599 - 4 November 1631), daughter of aforementioned Duke Karl II and George Rudolf's paternal aunt Elisabeth Magdalena of Brieg. Both marriages were childless. Twice widowed, George Rudolf remained single for the next twenty-two years, until his death at Breslau. His lands were inherited by his nephews George III, Louis IV and Christian, the three only surviving sons of the first (and only equal) marriage of his brother John Christian, who had died in 1639.
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Liegnitz-Wohlau (present-day Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
-Wołów) from 1602 to 1653. A humanist, patron of arts, composer and poet, he was also Upper Governor of Silesia during 1621-1628 and from 1641 onwards.
Life
George Rudolf was born in Ohlau, the third but second surviving son of Joachim Frederick of BriegJoachim Frederick of Brieg
Joachim Frederick of Brieg Joachim Frederick of Brieg Joachim Frederick of Brieg , , was a Duke of Oława and Wołów and Brzeg and Legnica ....
, Duke of Liegnitz-Brieg (Legnica-Brzeg) and Anna Maria of Anhalt
Anna Maria of Anhalt
Anna Maria of Anhalt , was by birth a member of the House of Ascania and a princess of Anhalt. After her marriage, she was Duchess of Legnica-Brzeg-Oława-Wołów....
, daughter of Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt
Joachim Ernest of Anhalt , was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and from 1570 sole ruler of all the Anhalt lands....
. At the death of their father in 1602, George Rudolf and his older brother John Christian
John Christian of Brieg
John Christian of Brieg , 25 December 1639), was a Duke of Brzeg–Legnica–Wołów ....
were minors, and their mother, the Dowager Duchess Anna Maria, became regent. After her death in 1605, the regency was taken by the paternal aunt of the young Dukes (the only surviving sibling of the late Joachim Frederick), Elisabeth Magdalena of Brieg and her husband, Karl II of Poděbrady, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels (Ziębice
Ziebice
Ziębice is a town in Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Ziębice. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
-Oleśnica
Olesnica
Oleśnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland with 36,951 inhabitants . It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship...
). In 1609 John Christian became an adult and handled the government and George Rudolf's guardianship. When in 1612 George Rudolf became of age, the brothers divided their domains, Georg Rudolf ruling over "Liegnitz" (present-day Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
, Wołów, Złotoryja, Grodźca
Grodziec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Grodziec is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Zagrodno, within Złotoryja County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, Lubin
Lubin
Lubin is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. From 1975–1998 it belonged to the former Legnica Voivodeship. Lubin is the administrative seat of Lubin County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Lubin, although it is not part of the territory of the latter,...
, Prochowice
Prochowice
Prochowice is a town in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Prochowice. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, Wińsko
Winsko
Wińsko is a village in Wołów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Wińsko. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, Wąsosz
Wasosz
Wąsosz is a town in Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Wąsosz. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
, Ryczeń
Ryczen
Ryczeń is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Góra, within Góra County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
and Rudna
Rudna, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Rudna is a village in Lubin County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Rudna. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany...
and from 1616 on Chojnów
Chojnów
Chojnów is a small town in Legnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is located on the Skora river, a tributary of the Kaczawa at an average altitude of above sea level. Chojnów is the administrative seat of the rural gmina called Gmina Chojnów, although the town is...
) and John Christian over "Brieg" (present-day Brzeg
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
, Oława, Strzelin
Strzelin
Strzelin is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located on the Oława river, a tributary of the Oder, about south of the region's capital Wrocław. The town is the seat of Strzelin County and also of the smaller municipality of Strzelin...
, Niemcza
Niemcza
Niemcza is a town in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Niemcza....
, Kluczbork
Kluczbork
Kluczbork is a town in southwestern Poland with 26,670 inhabitants , situated in the Opole Voivodeship. It is the capital of Kluczbork County and an important railroad junction. In Kluczbork the major rail line from Katowice splits into two directions - westwards to Wroclaw and northwards to Poznań...
and Byczyna
Byczyna
Byczyna is a town in Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,708 inhabitants .The town of Byczyna was first mention in 1054 when it temporarily served as the capital of the Bishopric of Wrocław...
).
Following the example of his brother, George Rudolf converted to Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
in 1614. During 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....
, he was exiled for fifteen years (1633-1648) as a result of the occupation of his land by the 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...
Imperial army, though he nominally retained the government.
George Rudolf, as a ruler, was thoroughly educated and supported the development of culture and science. In particular, he is known as the creator of the famous Biblioteca Rudolphina. In his court were reunited prominent scholars, poets and composers such as Martin Opitz and Friedrich von Logau, who often found asylum and protection at his court. He also promoted musical education; the Duke trained in composing competitions during a stay in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, and collected prints and manuscripts of music works. During this time, he met one of the most prominent composers of his era, Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz was a German composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and often considered to be one of the most important composers of the 17th century along with Claudio Monteverdi...
, who dedicated to George Rudolf his collection of religious songs Cantiones sacrae. Some surviving compositions by George Rudolf were recorded by Ars Nova
Ars nova
Ars nova refers to a musical style which flourished in France and the Burgundian Low Countries in the Late Middle Ages: more particularly, in the period between the preparation of the Roman de Fauvel and the death of the composer Guillaume de Machaut in 1377...
on the CD "Rudolphina - Legnica Treasures" under direction of the Polish musician Jacek Urbaniak.
In Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
on 4 November 1614, George Rudolf married his first cousin Sophie Elisabeth (10 February 1589 - 9 February 1622), daughter of his maternal uncle John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
John George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
John George I of Anhalt-Dessau was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the unified principality of Anhalt...
. His second marriage (on 25 November 1624) was to another first cousin: Elisabeth Magdalena (29 May 1599 - 4 November 1631), daughter of aforementioned Duke Karl II and George Rudolf's paternal aunt Elisabeth Magdalena of Brieg. Both marriages were childless. Twice widowed, George Rudolf remained single for the next twenty-two years, until his death at Breslau. His lands were inherited by his nephews George III, Louis IV and Christian, the three only surviving sons of the first (and only equal) marriage of his brother John Christian, who had died in 1639.
Sources and references
- von Isenburg, Prince W.K. & Schwennicke D.; Europaische Stammtafeln (Vol III, Part I, Table 11), Marburg (1984)
- SILESIA
- Complete Genealogy of the House of Piast: Silesia
- Chronological Dates in Stoyan
- Kultura polska: RUDOLPHINA. SKARBY LEGNICY