Magnus II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Encyclopedia
Magnus II of Saxe-Lauenburg (1543 – 14 May 1603, Ratzeburg
) was the eldest surviving son of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg (Freiberg
, *2 May 1515 – 18 July 1592*, Buxtehude
), daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious
. In 1571 Magnus II ascended the throne after his father Francis I resigned due to indebtedness. Two years later Francis I, helped by his other son Francis (II), deposed Magnus II and re-ascended. Magnus' violent and judicial attempts to regain the duchy failed. In 1588 he was imprisoned for the remainder of his life.
of the neighbouring Prince-Bishopric of Ratzeburg to elect his seven-year-old son Magnus as the next prince-bishop
. However, the capitular canons refused. Magnus then spent his youth with his paternal aunt Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
, Queen of Sweden, at the royal court of the House of Vasa
. He befriended his cousin Prince Eric and, after his ascension to the throne as King Eric XIV
, Magnus fared well.
Eric XIV waged war against their common cousin King Frederick II
of Denmark
. Magnus advanced in this conflict, which became the Scandinavian Seven Years' War (1563–1570), to the Swedish supreme command in 1566. Magnus married Eric's half-sister Princess Sophia of Sweden
in a discreet ceremony on the eve of Eric's own marriage on 4 July 1568. However, Eric came to dismiss the rather unsuccessful Magnus as supreme commander. Later Magnus swung over to Eric's half-brothers Charles
and John, and Magnus invaded Stockholm with them on 29 September of that year, overthrowing Eric.
On this occasion Magnus took Katarina Stenbock
, the step-mother of his wife Sophia, and her half-sister Princess Elizabeth of Sweden
by boat from the royal palace of Stockholm. About 1570 Magnus prevented Katarina's plans to remarry with his brother Francis.
As a Swedish commander, and with Sophia's dowry
at his disposal, Magnus had gained a considerable fortune and pursued a new prize. His father Francis I agreed to resign in favour of Magnus in 1571, in return for which Magnus promised to redeem the pawned ducal demesne
s. Rather than redeeming the estates, however, Magnus, further alienated ducal possessions, for instance selling the expectancy to the pawned estates of the bailiwick (Amt) of Tremsbüttel
to Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp
.
This ignited a conflict between Magnus on the one hand and his father and brothers, Francis (II) and Maurice, as well as the estates of the duchy
. Opposition to Magnus was also driven by a temperament notoriously prone to drink and the infliction of violence on dissenters and inferiors.
In October 1573 Francis I deposed Magnus and re-ascended the ducal throne. The following year Magnus hired, among others, Dutch troops to take Saxe-Lauenburg by force. He invaded, ravaged and plundered Ratzeburg
in early October but withdrew when his brother Francis (II), an experienced military commander, and Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp, imperial chief () of the Circle of Lower Saxony
, arrived with troops. In return Saxe-Lauenburg had to cede the bailiwick of Steinhorst
to Holstein-Gottorp
in 1575.
Magnus fled to his estates in Uppland
in 1574, there displaying violence, wantoness and brutality. So next year his brother-in-law, the new King John III of Sweden
, enfeoffed Magnus with Sonnenburg castle in Orissaare on Ösel
island, recently conquered from Denmark. Magnus fell out with Klaus von Ungern, then the local Danish stadholder in Arensburg, the Danish part of Ösel. Magnus claimed the Danish island Mön
as part of his estates and occupied it. Further, he robbed burgher
s in Pernau
. His atrocities also included abuse of his wife Sophia.
The Danes complained, meanwhile Magnus fell into John's disfavour for his mistreatment of Sophia, who separated from him and stayed with their son Gustavus in Sweden. In 1578 Magnus started a second attempt to conquer Saxe-Lauenburg, but was repelled by his brother Francis (II), whom - for his military success - their father rewarded with the rank of viceregent.
In 1581 - shortly before he died and after consultations with his son, the Prince-Archbishop Henry
of Bremen and Emperor Rudolph II
, but not negotiated with his other sons Magnus and Maurice - Francis I made his third son Francis II, whom he considered the ablest, his sole successor, violating the rules of primogeniture
.
The violation of primogeniture, however, gave grounds for the estates to consider the upcoming duke as illegitimate. Francis II, though, only officiated as administrator of Saxe-Lauenburg, while Magnus II appealed to Rudolph II to endow him with the throne. On 31 January 1585 Rudolph II finally ruled in favour of Francis II, as agreed with Francis I in 1581.
Meanwhile Francis II had won over his brother Maurice by sharing rule with him and with the estates. On 16 December 1585 Francis II accepted, by the constitutional act of the "Eternal Union" , the establishment of the representatives of Saxe-Lauenburg's nobility and cities, Lauenburg upon Elbe and Ratzeburg, as the estates of the duchy; a permanent institution with a crucial say in government matters. In return the estates accepted Francis II as legitimate and rendered him homage as duke in 1586.
Francis II lured Magnus into a trap in Hamburg
and captured him later in 1588. Magnus remained imprisoned for the rest of his life, mostly in the castle of Ratzeburg
, where he died in 1603.
. Their marriage was unhappy and in 1578 Sophia's brother, King John III of Sweden
, expelled Magnus from the kingdom. Sophia and Magnus II had one son.
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
) was the eldest surviving son of Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg (Freiberg
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
, *2 May 1515 – 18 July 1592*, Buxtehude
Buxtehude
Buxtehude is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany in the district of Stade and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land within easy reach of...
), daughter of Duke Henry IV the Pious
Henry IV, Duke of Saxony
Henry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxony was a Duke of Saxony from the House of Wettin.-Biography:Heinrich was the second son of Albert, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie Podiebrad, princess of Bohemia...
. In 1571 Magnus II ascended the throne after his father Francis I resigned due to indebtedness. Two years later Francis I, helped by his other son Francis (II), deposed Magnus II and re-ascended. Magnus' violent and judicial attempts to regain the duchy failed. In 1588 he was imprisoned for the remainder of his life.
Life
In 1550 Francis I sought to exercise influence to compel the cathedral chapterCathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
of the neighbouring Prince-Bishopric of Ratzeburg to elect his seven-year-old son Magnus as the next prince-bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
. However, the capitular canons refused. Magnus then spent his youth with his paternal aunt Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg
Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg was the first consort of Gustav I of Sweden and Queen of Sweden from 1531 until her death in 1535. She was born in Ratzeburg to Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine, daughter of Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.-Biography:King Gustav married Catherine for...
, Queen of Sweden, at the royal court of the House of Vasa
House of Vasa
The House of Vasa was the Royal House of Sweden 1523-1654 and of Poland 1587-1668. It originated from a noble family in Uppland of which several members had high offices during the 15th century....
. He befriended his cousin Prince Eric and, after his ascension to the throne as King Eric XIV
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
, Magnus fared well.
Eric XIV waged war against their common cousin King Frederick II
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Magnus advanced in this conflict, which became the Scandinavian Seven Years' War (1563–1570), to the Swedish supreme command in 1566. Magnus married Eric's half-sister Princess Sophia of Sweden
Princess Sophia of Sweden
Princess Sophia of Sweden also Sofia Gustavsdotter Vasa , was a Swedish princess, daughter of King Gustav Vasa of Sweden and Margareta Leijonhufvud, a Swedish noble...
in a discreet ceremony on the eve of Eric's own marriage on 4 July 1568. However, Eric came to dismiss the rather unsuccessful Magnus as supreme commander. Later Magnus swung over to Eric's half-brothers Charles
Charles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
and John, and Magnus invaded Stockholm with them on 29 September of that year, overthrowing Eric.
On this occasion Magnus took Katarina Stenbock
Katarina Stenbock
Catherine Stenbock was the third and last consort of King Gustav I of Sweden, and Queen consort of Sweden between 1552 and 1560...
, the step-mother of his wife Sophia, and her half-sister Princess Elizabeth of Sweden
Princess Elizabeth of Sweden
Princess Elizabeth of Sweden, , was a Swedish princess and a duchess consort of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch...
by boat from the royal palace of Stockholm. About 1570 Magnus prevented Katarina's plans to remarry with his brother Francis.
As a Swedish commander, and with Sophia's dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
at his disposal, Magnus had gained a considerable fortune and pursued a new prize. His father Francis I agreed to resign in favour of Magnus in 1571, in return for which Magnus promised to redeem the pawned ducal demesne
Demesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
s. Rather than redeeming the estates, however, Magnus, further alienated ducal possessions, for instance selling the expectancy to the pawned estates of the bailiwick (Amt) of Tremsbüttel
Tremsbüttel
Tremsbüttel is a municipality in the district of Stormarn, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
to Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp was the first Duke of Holstein-Gottorp from the line of Holstein-Gottorp of the House of Oldenburg....
.
This ignited a conflict between Magnus on the one hand and his father and brothers, Francis (II) and Maurice, as well as the estates of the duchy
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...
. Opposition to Magnus was also driven by a temperament notoriously prone to drink and the infliction of violence on dissenters and inferiors.
In October 1573 Francis I deposed Magnus and re-ascended the ducal throne. The following year Magnus hired, among others, Dutch troops to take Saxe-Lauenburg by force. He invaded, ravaged and plundered Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
in early October but withdrew when his brother Francis (II), an experienced military commander, and Duke Adolphus of Holstein-Gottorp, imperial chief () of the Circle of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxon Circle
The Lower Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. Covering much of the territory of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony , firstly the circle used to be called the Saxon Circle , only to be later better differentiated from the Upper Saxon Circle the more specific name prevailed.An...
, arrived with troops. In return Saxe-Lauenburg had to cede the bailiwick of Steinhorst
Steinhorst
Steinhorst may refer to the following places in Germany:*Steinhorst, Schleswig-Holstein, a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, Schleswig-Holstein*Steinhorst, Lower Saxony, a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony...
to Holstein-Gottorp
Holstein-Gottorp
Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp is the historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein that were ruled by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. Other parts of the duchies were ruled by the kings of Denmark. The...
in 1575.
Magnus fled to his estates in Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
in 1574, there displaying violence, wantoness and brutality. So next year his brother-in-law, the new King John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
, enfeoffed Magnus with Sonnenburg castle in Orissaare on Ösel
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
island, recently conquered from Denmark. Magnus fell out with Klaus von Ungern, then the local Danish stadholder in Arensburg, the Danish part of Ösel. Magnus claimed the Danish island Mön
Muhu
Muhu , is an island in the Baltic Sea. With an area of 198 km² it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa....
as part of his estates and occupied it. Further, he robbed burgher
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
s in Pernau
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
. His atrocities also included abuse of his wife Sophia.
The Danes complained, meanwhile Magnus fell into John's disfavour for his mistreatment of Sophia, who separated from him and stayed with their son Gustavus in Sweden. In 1578 Magnus started a second attempt to conquer Saxe-Lauenburg, but was repelled by his brother Francis (II), whom - for his military success - their father rewarded with the rank of viceregent.
In 1581 - shortly before he died and after consultations with his son, the Prince-Archbishop Henry
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg
Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Prince-Archbishop of Bremen , then Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück , then Prince-Bishop of Paderborn . The Roman Catholic Church never confirmed the Lutheran Henry as bishop....
of Bremen and Emperor Rudolph II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
, but not negotiated with his other sons Magnus and Maurice - Francis I made his third son Francis II, whom he considered the ablest, his sole successor, violating the rules of primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
.
The violation of primogeniture, however, gave grounds for the estates to consider the upcoming duke as illegitimate. Francis II, though, only officiated as administrator of Saxe-Lauenburg, while Magnus II appealed to Rudolph II to endow him with the throne. On 31 January 1585 Rudolph II finally ruled in favour of Francis II, as agreed with Francis I in 1581.
Meanwhile Francis II had won over his brother Maurice by sharing rule with him and with the estates. On 16 December 1585 Francis II accepted, by the constitutional act of the "Eternal Union" , the establishment of the representatives of Saxe-Lauenburg's nobility and cities, Lauenburg upon Elbe and Ratzeburg, as the estates of the duchy; a permanent institution with a crucial say in government matters. In return the estates accepted Francis II as legitimate and rendered him homage as duke in 1586.
Francis II lured Magnus into a trap in 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 captured him later in 1588. Magnus remained imprisoned for the rest of his life, mostly in the castle of Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
, where he died in 1603.
Marriage and issue
On 4 July 1568 Magnus II married Sophia of Sweden (October 29, 1547 - March 17, 1611). When in 1571 Magnus II ascended to the throne, she became the Saxon consort. After 1574 they lived in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Their marriage was unhappy and in 1578 Sophia's brother, King John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
, expelled Magnus from the kingdom. Sophia and Magnus II had one son.
- Gustavus of Saxony, Angria and Westphalia (VästeråsVästeråsVästerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
, *31 August 1570 – 11 November 1597*, StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
), governor in KalmarKalmarKalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
, died at the age of 27, leaving a son and his unmarried mother.