Principality of Ansbach
Encyclopedia
The Principality of Ansbach or Brandenburg-Ansbach was a reichsfrei principality
in the Holy Roman Empire
centered on the Bavaria
n city of Ansbach
. The ruling Hohenzollern
princes of the land were known as margrave
s, as the principality was a margraviate (but not a march
).
, on 21 January 1398, when his lands were partitioned between his two sons. The younger son, Frederick VI
, received Ansbach and the elder, John III
, received Bayreuth
. After John III's death on 11 June 1420, the two principalities were reunited under Frederick VI, who had become Elector
Frederick I of Brandenburg
in 1415.
Upon Frederick I's death on 21 September 1440, his territories were divided between his sons; John
received the principality of Bayreuth
(Brandenburg-Kulmbach), Frederick
received Brandenburg, and Albert received Ansbach. Thereafter Ansbach was held by cadet branch
es of the House of Hohenzollern
, and its rulers were commonly called Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
On 2 December 1791, the reigning Prince and Margrave of Ansbach, Christian Frederick
, who had also succeeded to Bayreuth, sold the sovereignty of his principalities to King Frederick William II
of Prussia
. The Margrave was middle-aged and childless, and Frederick William was his kinsman as the head of the House of Hohenzollern. The Margrave moved to England with his English second wife. Ansbach was formally annexed on 28 January 1792.
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
centered on the 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...
n city of Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
. The ruling 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...
princes of the land were known as margrave
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...
s, as the principality was a margraviate (but not a march
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
).
History
The principality was established at the death of Frederick V, Burgrave of NurembergFrederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg
Frederick V of Nuremberg was a Burgrave of Nuremberg, of the House of Hohenzollern.-Life:He was the elder son of John II of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Henneberg...
, on 21 January 1398, when his lands were partitioned between his two sons. The younger son, Frederick VI
Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick was Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick VI and Elector of Brandenburg as Frederick I. He was a son of Burgrave Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen, and was the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- Biography :Frederick entered...
, received Ansbach and the elder, John III
John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg
John III of Nuremberg , Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from the House of Hohenzollern. He was elder son of Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen.-Family and children:...
, received 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...
. After John III's death on 11 June 1420, the two principalities were reunited under Frederick VI, who had become Elector
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...
Frederick I 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...
in 1415.
Upon Frederick I's death on 21 September 1440, his territories were divided between his sons; John
John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
John, nicknamed the Alchemist 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.-Biography:John was the eldest son of Frederick I,...
received the principality of 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...
(Brandenburg-Kulmbach), Frederick
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...
received Brandenburg, and Albert received Ansbach. Thereafter Ansbach was held by cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
es 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 its rulers were commonly called Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
On 2 December 1791, the reigning Prince and Margrave of Ansbach, Christian Frederick
Christian Frederick Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Christian Frederick Charles Alexander was the last Margrave of the two Franconian principalities Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, which he sold to the King of Prussia, a fellow member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Life:His parents were Charles William...
, who had also succeeded to Bayreuth, sold the sovereignty of his principalities to King Frederick William II
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...
of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
. The Margrave was middle-aged and childless, and Frederick William was his kinsman as the head of the House of Hohenzollern. The Margrave moved to England with his English second wife. Ansbach was formally annexed on 28 January 1792.
Princes and Margraves of Ansbach
- 1398: Frederick VI, Burgrave of NurembergFrederick I, Elector of BrandenburgFrederick was Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick VI and Elector of Brandenburg as Frederick I. He was a son of Burgrave Frederick V of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen, and was the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- Biography :Frederick entered...
(from 1415 also Elector of Brandenburg) - 1440: Albert Achilles (from 1470 also Elector of Brandenburg)
- 1486: Frederick IFrederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachFrederick I of Ansbach and Bayreuth was born at Ansbach as the eldest son of the Albert III, Margrave of Brandenburg by his second wife Anna, daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony. His elder half-brother was the Elector Johann Cicero of Brandenburg...
- 1515: George the PiousGeorge, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachGeorge of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.- Early life :...
- 1543: George Frederick IGeorge Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachGeorge Frederick of Brandenburg-Ansbach was Margrave of Ansbach and Bayreuth, as well as Regent of Prussia. He was the son of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and a member of the House of Hohenzollern...
- 1603: Joachim ErnstJoachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachJoachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a German nobleman. He ruled as margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from 1603 to 1625, succeeding his father John George and succeeded by his son Frederick III.- Youth :Joachim Ernst was the son of the elector John George of Brandenburg and his third...
- 1625: Frederick II
- 1634: Albert II
- 1667: John Frederick
- 1686: Christian Albrecht
- 1692: George Frederick II the Younger
- 1703: William FrederickWilliam Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachWilliam Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach , was Margrave of the Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach from 1703 until his death, 1723...
(before 1686–1723) - 1723: Charles William FrederickKarl Wilhelm Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachCharles William Frederick , nicknamed the Wild Markgrave, was Margrave of the Principality of Ansbach from 1729 to his death.- Life :...
(1712–1757) - 1757: Christian FrederickChristian Frederick Charles Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-AnsbachChristian Frederick Charles Alexander was the last Margrave of the two Franconian principalities Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth, which he sold to the King of Prussia, a fellow member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Life:His parents were Charles William...
(to 1791)
External links
- German States to 1918, A–E on WorldStatesmen.org
- House of Hohenzollern (1 of 2) on Genealogy.eu
- House of Hohenzollern (2 of 2) on Genealogy.eu
- Ansbach and Bayreuth on Tacitus Historical Atlas