John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Encyclopedia
John, nicknamed the Alchemist (1406 – 16 November 1464) was a Margrave
of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
and served as the peace-loving Margrave of Brandenburg
after the abdication of his father, Frederick I, the first member of the House of Hohenzollern
to rule Brandenburg.
, and his second wife Maddalena Visconti
.
After marrying Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg (1405–1465), daughter of Rudolf III, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
, John hoped to eventually succeed to Saxe-Wittenberg
once its line of Ascanian
dukes died out. When this happened in November 1422, however, Emperor Sigismund
was on poorer terms with the Hohenzollerns and was only willing to compensate John with a money payment.
John began participating in governmental affairs in Brandenburg in 1424. Frustrated by disputes with the feudal nobility, Frederick I retired to his castle at Cadolzburg
in Franconia
in 1425, granting the regency of Brandenburg to John at a Landtag
in Rathenow
on January 13, 1426, while retaining the electoral dignity
for himself.
John was poorly received by the populace of Brandenburg, as his administration was incompetent, leading to unrest in the countryside. Rather than governing, John was more interested in artificially creating gold
through alchemy
, thereby receiving the cognomen
"the Alchemist". In 1433, a revised version of the alchemical treatise Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit
was prepared for John.
Realizing the danger Brandenburg was in, Frederick I granted John Franconian lands in Brandenburg-Kulmbach
on June 7, 1437, territory rich with mines for the Alchemist to indulge his hobby in. The governance of Brandenburg passed to Frederick I's second-oldest son, Frederick II
.
After the death of Frederick I in 1440, John inherited all of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, including the castle of Plassenburg
in Kulmbach
. In his later years, he allowed Christopher of Bavaria
to administer his possessions in the Upper Palatinate
until Christopher's death in 1448. John ruled as Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until abdicating in 1457, which allowed him to dedicate himself toward studying alchemy and the environs of Franconia. He died in Castle Scharfeneck near Baiersdorf
in 1464.
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...
of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
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...
and served as the peace-loving Margrave of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
after the abdication of his father, Frederick I, the first 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...
to rule Brandenburg.
Biography
John was the eldest son of Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg (1371–1440) and Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut (1383–1442), daughter of Frederick, Duke of BavariaFrederick, Duke of Bavaria
Frederick was Duke of Bavaria from 1375. He was the second son of Stephen II and Elizabeth of Sicily.-Family:His maternal grandparents were Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou...
, and his second wife Maddalena Visconti
Maddalena Visconti
Maddalena Visconti was a daughter of Bernabò Visconti and his wife Beatrice Regina della Scala. Maddalena was Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut by her marriage to Frederick, Duke of Bavaria.- Family :...
.
After marrying Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg (1405–1465), daughter of Rudolf III, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
Rudolf III, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
Duke Rudolf III of Saxe-Wittenberg was a member of the House of Ascania and Elector of Saxony. He ruled Saxe-Wittenberg from 1388-1419.- Life :...
, John hoped to eventually succeed to 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...
once its line of Ascanian
Ascanian
The House of Ascania was a dynasty of German rulers. It was also known as the House of Anhalt, after Anhalt, its longest-held possession.The Ascanians are named after Ascania Castle, which is located near and named after Aschersleben...
dukes died out. When this happened in November 1422, however, Emperor 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...
was on poorer terms with the Hohenzollerns and was only willing to compensate John with a money payment.
John began participating in governmental affairs in Brandenburg in 1424. Frustrated by disputes with the feudal nobility, Frederick I retired to his castle at Cadolzburg
Cadolzburg
Cadolzburg is a municipality in the district of Fürth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 11 km west of Fürth.In the year 2007 Cadolzburg celebrated its 850th anniversary.- Notable persons :* Albert III, Elector of Brandenburg...
in Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
in 1425, granting the regency of Brandenburg to John at a Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
in Rathenow
Rathenow
Rathenow is a town in the district of Havelland in Brandenburg, Germany, with a population of 26,433 .-Overview:The Protestant church of St. Marien Andreas, originally a basilica, and transformed to the Gothic style in 1517-1589, and the Roman Catholic Church of St...
on January 13, 1426, while retaining the electoral dignity
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...
for himself.
John was poorly received by the populace of Brandenburg, as his administration was incompetent, leading to unrest in the countryside. Rather than governing, John was more interested in artificially creating gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
through alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, thereby receiving the cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
"the Alchemist". In 1433, a revised version of the alchemical treatise Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit
Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit
The Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit is an early 15th century alchemical treatise, attributed to oneFrater Ulmannus , a German Franciscan....
was prepared for John.
Realizing the danger Brandenburg was in, Frederick I granted John Franconian lands in Brandenburg-Kulmbach
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...
on June 7, 1437, territory rich with mines for the Alchemist to indulge his hobby in. The governance of Brandenburg passed to Frederick I's second-oldest son, 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...
.
After the death of Frederick I in 1440, John inherited all of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, including the castle of 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...
in Kulmbach
Kulmbach
Kulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its famous sausages, or Bratwürste.-Location:...
. In his later years, he allowed Christopher of Bavaria
Christopher of Bavaria
Christopher of Bavaria or Christopher the Bavarian; as king named Christopher ; Danish and Norwegian: Christoffer af/av Bayern; Swedish Kristofer av Bayern was union king of Denmark , Sweden and Norway .-Biography:He was probably born at Neumarkt in...
to administer his possessions in the Upper Palatinate
Upper Palatinate
The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria.- History :The region took its name first in the early 16th century, because it was by the Treaty of Pavia one of the main portions of the territory of the Wittelsbach Elector...
until Christopher's death in 1448. John ruled as Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until abdicating in 1457, which allowed him to dedicate himself toward studying alchemy and the environs of Franconia. He died in Castle Scharfeneck near Baiersdorf
Baiersdorf
Baiersdorf is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in northern Bavaria, Germany.-Location:The major part of Baiersdorf is idyllically situated on a terrace which preserves the town from being flooded by the close Regnitz river...
in 1464.
Family and children
John of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg had four children:- Rudolf, born and died in 1424
- BarbaraBarbara of Brandenburg (1423-1481)Barbara of Brandenburg was a Marchioness consort of Mantua, married in 1433 to Ludovico II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua....
(1423 – 7 November 1481), married:- on 12 November 1433 to Ludovico II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua;
- ElisabethElisabeth of Brandenburg (1425-1465)Elizabeth of Brandenburg was a princess of Brandenburg by birth and marriage Duchess of Pomerania.- Life :...
(1425 – after 13 January 1465), married:- on 27 August 1440 to Duke Joachim, Duke of Pomerania;
- on 5 March 1454 to Duke Wartislaw X, Duke of PomeraniaWartislaw X, Duke of PomeraniaDuke Wartislaw X of Pomerania was the second son of Duke Wartislaw IX of Pomerania and his wife, Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg....
.
- DorotheaDorothea of BrandenburgDorothea of Brandenburg was the consort of Christopher of Bavaria and Christian I of Denmark. She was queen of Denmark , Norway and Sweden two times each...
(1431 – 10 November 1495), married:- on 12 September 1445 to King Christopher III of DenmarkChristopher of BavariaChristopher of Bavaria or Christopher the Bavarian; as king named Christopher ; Danish and Norwegian: Christoffer af/av Bayern; Swedish Kristofer av Bayern was union king of Denmark , Sweden and Norway .-Biography:He was probably born at Neumarkt in...
; - on 28 October 1449 to King Christian I of DenmarkChristian I of DenmarkChristian I was a Danish monarch, king of Denmark , Norway and Sweden , under the Kalmar Union. In Sweden his short tenure as monarch was preceded by regents, Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna and Erik Axelsson Tott and succeeded by regent Kettil Karlsson Vasa...
.
- on 12 September 1445 to King Christopher III of Denmark