Sybille of Cleves
Encyclopedia
Sybille of Cleves (17 January 1512 – 21 February 1554) was Electress
consort of Saxony
.
She was the eldest daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves
, and a sister of Anne of Cleves
and Amalia of Cleves
. Sybille's mother was Maria of Jülich-Berg
(1491–1543).
In September, 1526 Sybille married John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony. She had four sons with her husband:
During the siege of Wittenberg
, Sybille protected the city in her husband's absence. To save his wife and sons, and to prevent Wittenberg from being destroyed, John Frederick conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg
, and resigned the government of his country in favour of Maurice of Saxony.
Electress
An Electress was the consort of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, one of the Empire's greatest princes.The Golden Bull of 1356 established by Emperor Charles IV settled the number of Electors at seven...
consort of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
.
She was the eldest daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves
John III, Duke of Cleves
John III the Peaceful, Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark was a son of John II, Duke of Cleves and Matilda of Hesse, daughter of Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse.John III became Regent of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1521, and Lord of Ravensberg in 1528.John represented...
, and a sister of Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
and Amalia of Cleves
Amalia of Cleves
Amalia of Cleves was a princess from the house of Von der Mark...
. Sybille's mother was Maria of Jülich-Berg
Maria of Jülich-Berg
Maria of Jülich-Berg was born in Jülich, the daughter of Wilhelm IV, Duke of Jülich-Berg and Sibylle of Brandenburg....
(1491–1543).
In September, 1526 Sybille married John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony. She had four sons with her husband:
- John Frederick II, Duke of SaxonyJohn Frederick II, Duke of SaxonyJohn Frederick II of Saxony , was duke of Saxony, and briefly, Elector of Saxony .He was the eldest son of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sybille of Cleves.-Reign and military ambitions:...
(b. TorgauTorgauTorgau is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.Outside Germany, the town is most well known as the place where during the Second World War, United States Army forces coming from the west met with forces of the Soviet Union...
, 8 January 1529 - d. as imperial prisoner at Schloss Steyer, Upper AustriaUpper AustriaUpper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, 19 May 1595); - John William, Duke of Saxe-WeimarJohn William, Duke of Saxe-WeimarJohn William , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was also the last Duke of Saxony and Landgrave of Thuringia.He was the second son of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sybille of Cleves....
(b. Torgau, 11 March 1530 - d. WeimarWeimarWeimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, 2 March 1573); - John Ernest (b. Weimar, 5 January 1535 - d. Weimar, 11 January 1535);
- John Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha (1554–1565) (b. Torgau, 16 January 1538 - d. JenaJenaJena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, 31 October 1565).
During the siege of Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, Sybille protected the city in her husband's absence. To save his wife and sons, and to prevent Wittenberg from being destroyed, John Frederick conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg
Capitulation of Wittenberg
The Capitulation of Wittenberg was a treaty in 1547 by which John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, was compelled to resign the electoral dignity. The Electorate of Saxony and most of his territory, including Wittenberg, passed from the elder, Ernestine line to the cadet branch, the Albertine line...
, and resigned the government of his country in favour of Maurice of Saxony.