Misplaced Pages

#729270

60-562: After Otto the Child , grandchild of Henry the Lion , had been given the former allodial seat of his family (located in the area of present-day eastern Lower Saxony and northern Saxony-Anhalt ) by Emperor Frederick II on 21 August 1235 as an imperial enfeoffment under the name of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the duchy was divided in 1267–1269 by his sons. Albert I (also called Albert

120-587: A "chapter feud", was a conflict that broke out in 1519 between the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim ( Hochstift Hildesheim ) and the principalities of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Calenberg that were ruled by the House of Welf . Originally just a local conflict between the Hildesheim prince-bishop John IV of Saxe-Lauenburg and his own prince-bishopric's nobility ( Stiftsadel ), it developed into

180-412: A boon upon the citizens the liberty of trading in his dominions, without paying customs or any other dues. On his way from Rostock, Otho had spent some days at the court of the margrave of Brandenburg , where he had seen and admired the margrave's daughter Matilda, and no sooner were his private affairs arranged, than he sent to demand the hand of Matilda in marriage. It was an alliance too flattering for

240-418: A deed by which he appointed his nephew his successor in all that remained of the allodial domains of the duchies of Saxony and Bavaria, and also in the private fiefs which he held as an individual in other parts of the empire. These states, however, constituted so small a portion of the former wealth of his illustrious house, that it should have been thought there was scarcely a pretext for either envy or alarm in

300-466: A good relationship with Wolfenbüttel, saw the situation entirely reversed at a political level. The ruling imposed by Charles V provided for the surrender of all conquered territory and release of all the prisoners, and thus ruled very much against the Hildesheim side. Because it was ignored by the bishop and his allies, the emperor's decision was followed in 1522 by the imposition of an imperial ban ,

360-545: A major dispute between various Lower Saxon territorial princes. The cause was the attempt by Prince-Bishop John to redeem the pledged estates and their tax revenue from the nobles in his temporalities , the prince-bishopric ( Hochstift , or simply das Stift). The diocesan feud ended with the Treaty of Quedlinburg in 1523. Due to his prince-bishopric's poor financial circumstances the Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim asked for

420-430: A member of the House of Welf , was the first duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1235 until his death. He is called Otto the Child to distinguish him from his uncle, Emperor Otto IV . Otto was born around 1204 as the only son of William of Winchester and his wife Helena , a daughter of King Valdemar I of Denmark . His father was the youngest son of Henry the Lion , the former duke of Saxony who had been deposed by

480-522: A political mission, when he accompanied the Weimarsch minister, his duke, Charles Augustus . At a time when the political situation between Austria and Prussia had heated up once again, the small and medium-sized German states planned the creation of a larger princely state as a counterbalancing force. Duke Charles William Ferdinand of Brunswick was to be asked to join this league of princes ( Fürstenbund ) which he did on 30 August. The secret mission

540-496: A reason to attack the neighbouring Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim and found one in the disputes between the prince-bishop and the prince-bishopric nobility. As a result, in 1516 an alliance was formed between Henry the Younger and a small group of nobles from the prince-bishopric of Hildesheim. In 1519 the smouldering conflict flared up into open warfare which is often described as the "last medieval feud ". The alliance partners on

600-641: A resounding defeat in the Battle of Soltau , eventually resulted in large territorial gains accruing to Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. In the Thirty Years War Wolfenbüttel was the strongest fortress in North Germany but survived the war heavily damaged. The Wolfenbüttel line died out during the war. In 1571 the castle and village of Calvörde became part of the principality thanks to Duke Julius of Brunswick . In 1635 Duke Augustus

660-636: A valuable part of these annals, as it puts conjecture beyond a doubt. Later Henry send a letter to the Pope, in which he repeats his thanks to Pope Gregory IX for the zealous part he had taken in procuring the freedom of his dear cousin the duke of Brunswick, and adds, "that as Christian Princes may approach his Holiness with their petitions, he ventures to supplicate a continuance of his especial favor to his said cousin, which by reason of their near connexion in blood he would esteem as much as if shewn to himself." He implores Gregory to promote Otto's honor whenever it

SECTION 10

#1732787048730

720-532: Is in his power, and to recommend him to the princes of the empire, as often as he had an opportunity, adding, " that he most firmly believed and trusted in the Lord, that among all the princes of the empire he would be found the one most devoted to the interests of the church; and that as he considered his release from prison owing in a great measure to the influence of the Apostolic See , he would consequently be

780-533: The Battle of Auerstedt . After a short interregnum Brunswick was occupied from 1807 to 1813 by the French and became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia . After the end of Napoleonic rule the state was re-established under the name of the Duchy of Brunswick . The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern emerged from an inheritance dispute between Ferdinand Albert I and his brothers. In 1667 Ferdinand Albert

840-501: The Battle of Mölln of 1225 and the Battle of Bornhöved of 1227 on the side of Denmark. After the last battle Otto was imprisoned in Rostock , the capital of Schwerin , where he was shut up in a fortress. Emperor Frederick II no sooner heard of Otto's confinement, than he again prepared to attack Brunswick. His son, King Henry , was detached with a considerable force to seize upon the city; and that more weight might he given to

900-523: The Castle of Hardsacre and other states, as a security for the payment of his ransom, he was permitted to leave his prison. Otto reached Brunswick in September 1228, and was received by his vassals with every mark of respect and attachment. He renewed and confirmed the various charters granted by his ancestors to the city, and greatly enlarged its privileges; while his uncle, the king of Denmark, bestowed as

960-695: The Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1180. By a 1202 agreement with his brothers Count Palatine Henry V and King Otto IV, William had received the Welfs' allodial properties in Saxony around Lüneburg . Otto was still a minor when he inherited his father's estates in 1213. As in 1212 his uncle Henry V had renounced the County Palatine of the Rhine in favour of his sole male heir Henry VI

1020-677: The Juliusstadt in the east and the Heinrichstadt . Following the twelfth division of the duchy in 1495, whereby the Principality of Brunswick-Calenberg-Göttingen was re-divided into its component territories, Duke Henry the Elder was given the land of Brunswick, to which the name of the new Residenz at Wolfenbüttel was added. From then on the name of the principality became "Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel". The reigns of dukes Henry

1080-525: The Meier could also quit. This change usually meant that the Meier family did not move out when the contract expired or when the farmer died; i.e. that the family were not prematurely evicted as would have been the case before. In 1563 it was decreed by Henry the Younger that every 6 years Meier and Grundherr had to negotiate the extension of the estate lease; later this was increased to 9 years. In his Landtag farewell in 1597, "Duke" Henry Julius made

1140-537: The 20th century. In front of the Herzogtor , the number of gardens grew, until they eventually reached the Lechlum Wood ( Lechlumer Holz ). Its southern edge was graced by the little Lustschloss of Antoinettenruh , built in 1733 instead of a garden house, a work by the master builder, Hermann Korb, who was so important to Wolfenbüttel. Wolfenbüttel became a town of schools. In 1753 the teachers' training college

1200-407: The Hildesheim prince-bishopric around the knights of von Saldern . Between 1519 and 1523 there was a succession of heavy battles and smaller skirmishes, in the course of which many towns and villages were devastated. After futile sieges of the defences of Calenberg and Hildesheim by troops from Hildesheim or Brunswick, as well as numerous trails of devastation and plundering by both sides against

1260-478: The House of Brandenburg to be rejected. Matters were speedily settled, and the marriage ceremony was performed with great splendor at Lüneburg . By 1227, his father's two brothers, Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine , and Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor , had died without surviving children, and Otto was the only heir of the properties of his grandfather Henry the Lion. But Otto had to battle for his properties against

SECTION 20

#1732787048730

1320-519: The Lower Weser. The importance of this court was signified by the number of craftsmen needed. Hundreds of timber-framed buildings were built for the court, for its citizens and for ducal facilities, initially randomly, later designed to ducal requirements and for fire protection. In the heyday of the town's development its districts were named after various dukes: the Auguststadt in the west,

1380-686: The Lüneburg line of the Welfs under Henry the Middle , the Welf lines in Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Calenberg and the Prince-Bishopric of Minden . To wit, in 1513, Henry the Middle received from Prince-Bishop John IV a large bill ( Pfandsumme , i.e. pawned sum) for Everstein and thus set himself against the interests of the other Welf lines. Henry the Younger of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel sought

1440-599: The Peaceful . According to Bornstedt, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was therefore the first principality in the Holy Roman Empire to do away with feudalism. The recess laid down that all arbitrariness ( Willkür ) in the levies on stewards, or Meier , of feudal manors, particularly on the death of the farmer , were cancelled. the Grundherr or 'lord of the manor' continued to be the owner of the Meier estate, but now

1500-544: The Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim was left with just 4 of its original 22 districts ( Ämter ) as well as the towns of Hildesheim and Peine , the so-called Kleines Stift ("small prince-bishopric") of some 90 villages. The ecclesiastical boundary of the diocese remained unchanged. The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was awarded the Ämter of Winzenburg, Wohldenberg, Steinbrück, Lutter, Wohlenstein, Schladen, Liebenburg, Wiedelah, Vienenburg and Westerhof with

1560-611: The Prussian Crown Prince Frederick to Elisabeth Christine . The marriage was arranged by Frederick William I of Prussia and Ferdinand Albert . They also founded the "brotherhood in arms" between the little state and the great Prussian kingdom. Numerous Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel officers served in high positions in the Prussian Army , most notably during the Seven Years' War . The regiments of

1620-559: The Tall) (1236–1279) was given the regions around Brunswick - Wolfenbüttel , Einbeck-Grubenhagen and Göttingen-Oberwald . He thus founded the Old House of Brunswick and laid the basis for what became, later, the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. His brother John (1242–1277) inherited the land around Lüneburg and founded the Old House of Lüneburg. The town of Brunswick remained under joint rule. The area of Brunswick(-Wolfenbüttel)

1680-570: The Wolfenbüttel side) until the so-called 'field peace' ( Feldfrieden ) of 15 October 1521. Hildesheim had won militarily, but lost politically. After long negotiations the territorial changes resulting from the conflict were firmly established at the Treaty of Quedlinburg (also known as the Quedlinburg Recess ) of 13 May 1523. The main import of these changes were significant gains for the princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, whilst

1740-626: The Younger , Julius and Henry Julius followed, under whose lordship the Residenz of Wolfenbüttel was expanded and the principality gained a Germany-wide standing. In 1500 Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel became part of the Lower Saxon Circle within the Holy Roman Empire . From 1519 to 1523 the principality went to war with the principalities of Hildesheim and Lüneburg in the Hildesheim Diocesan Feud which, despite

1800-593: The Younger , from the collateral line of Lüneburg-Dannenberg, took over the reins of power in the principality and founded the New House of Brunswick. Under his rule, Wolfenbüttel reached its cultural zenith. One of his greatest achievements was the building of the Wolfenbüttel Library , the largest in Europe in its day. In 1671 an old pipe dream of the House of Welf dukes came true when the joint armies of

1860-519: The Younger , whose early death in 1214 may be said to have opened to his cousin Otto a more splendid succession than what belonged to the very circumscribed patrimony of his father. However, his uncle Henry V hesitated between a desire to aggrandize his own children (daughters) and a sense of what was due to the male representative of his name and family, and Otto at first reaped little advantage from these enlarged prospects. At last, in 1223, Henry V executed

Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-431: The abbeys of Lamspringe, Heiningen, Dorstadt, Wöltingerode , Ringelheim and Riechenberg, as well as the towns of Alfeld, Bockenem, Lamspringe and Salzgitter. The Principality of Calenberg received the houses, i.e.fortified seats, and Ämter of Hunnesrück with Markoldendorf, Aerzen, Lauenstein, Grohnde, Hallerburg, Poppenburg, Ruthe and Coldingen, the towns of Dassel, Bodenwerder, Gronau, Elze, Sarstedt, half of Hameln and

1980-550: The abbeys of Marienau, Escherde, Wittenburg, Wülfinghausen and Derneburg. Hildesheim immediately began a legal fight for the return of its Großes Stift ("large prince-bishopric"). This finally ended in 1643 in the Main Treaty of Hildesheim ( Hildesheimer Hauptrezess ) with a revision of the Treaty of Quedlinburg and return of most of the territories. Exceptions were the Ämter of Aerzen, Grohnde, Coldingen-Lauenberg, Lutter am Barenberge, Westerhof and Lindau, which remained with

2040-459: The archives, the ecclesiastical office and the library remained as a link to earlier times. From Brunswick there were jibes that Wolfenbüttel had deteriorated into a "widows' residence" ( Witwensitz ). The extensive gardens in front of the three town gates (the Herzogtor , Harztor and Augusttor ) were leased to the former gardeners as an emphyteusis . As a consequence jam factories were established which were characteristic of Wolfenbüttel until

2100-571: The archives—became the nerve centre of a giant region, from which the Wolfenbüttel-Brunswick part of the overall duchy was ruled. For a long time, it also governed the principalities of Calenberg-Göttingen and Grubenhagen , the Prince- Bishopric of Halberstadt , large parts of the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim , the counties of Hohnstein and Regenstein , the baronies of Klettenberg and Lohra and parts of Hoya on

2160-519: The breast of his enemy, yet when the Emperor, Frederick II , was made acquainted with the intentions of the Count Palatine, he began to intrigue with his daughters. That he might have a pretense for depriving Otto of the succession at his uncle's death, he purchased from Margravine Irmgard of Baden and Duchess Agnes of Bavaria their claims as the only issue of the duke of Saxony ; and no sooner

2220-509: The civilian population, the two sides finally met on 28 June 1519 at the Battle of Soltau (near the village of Langeloh ). The Hildesheim army scored an emphatic victory against the Brunswick-Welf troops, killing some 3,500 men and capturing one of their leaders, Eric of Calenberg, as well as many of the nobles. This signalled the end of the opening phase of the war. However, an appeal to the newly elected emperor, Charles V , who had

2280-484: The different dynastic lines were able to capture the town of Brunswick and add it to their domain. In 1735 when the dynastic line died out another collateral line emerged: the Brunswick-Bevern line founded in 1666. In 1753–1754 the residence of the dukes of Wolfenbüttel returned to Brunswick, to the newly built Brunswick Palace . The town thus lost the independence it had enjoyed since the 15th century. In

2340-468: The dukes became weary of the constant disputes with the citizens of the town of Brunswick and, in 1432, moved their Residenz to the water castle of Wolfenbüttel , which lay in a marshy depression of the river Oker about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Brunswick. The castle built here for the Brunswick-Lüneburg dukes—together with the ducal chancery, the consistory , the courts and

2400-455: The emperor, who immediately returned it to him as a hereditary imperial fief . In this way, Otto reacquired the status of a prince of the Holy Roman Empire that Henry the Lion had lost. However, the Duchy of Saxony , which Henry had held, had since then passed on to Ascanian dukes, so that the emperor had to create a new duchy for Otto. This was the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , named after

2460-469: The empire without much difficulty; and supported as he was by England and Denmark , it is not likely that he could have been at a loss for an army, or for the means of supporting it. As a proof that Otto had the full confidence and support of the king of England , at the moment he obtained his liberty, he wrote to communicate the same to Henry III , who was his cousin, and as Henry's answer dated 6 March 1229 has been preserved by Thomas Rymer , it becomes

Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-476: The execution of which was assigned to the princes of Wolfenbüttel and Calenberg. Whilst Henry of Lüneburg had already gone into exile in France in 1520 having transferred the reins of power to his sons and in doing so keeping the Principality of Lüneburg out of the subsequent conflict, there were renewed military clashes between the Hildesheim prince-bishop and his opponents that were not finally resolved (in favour of

2580-425: The expedition, the duke of Bavaria was prevailed upon to accompany him. But on their approach, they found the gates shut, and the citizens prepared to defend their liberties, while they learnt, at the same time, that the king of Denmark was advancing upon their rear. They were therefore compelled to sound a retreat; and luckily for the captive prince, the emperor had become involved in matters of higher importance, and

2640-681: The farms inheritable. With the Brunswick redemption law ( Ablösungsordnung ) of 20 December 1834 by the state's legal successor, the Duchy of Brunswick , the dependence of the farmers was abolished. Farmers could now purchase the land freehold and the money required could be loaned from the ducal lending office . At the end of the 19th century Flurbereinigung or land consolidation took place. Circles est. 1500: Bavarian , Swabian , Upper Rhenish , Lower Rhenish–Westphalian , Franconian , (Lower) Saxon Otto I of Brunswick Otto I of Brunswick-Lüneburg (about 1204 – 9 June 1252),

2700-427: The more obsequious to that power. In 1235, Otto achieved an agreement with Emperor Frederick II that ended the dispute between Frederick's House of Hohenstaufen and the House of Welf , to which Otto belonged. This dispute had culminated when Henry the Lion was stripped of his duchies in 1180 by Frederick's grandfather, Frederick Barbarossa . According to this agreement, Otto transferred all of his private property to

2760-473: The object which the emperor had in view. To be prepared against any future attempt of the same kind, Otto judged it prudent at this time to enter into a treaty with his maternal uncle King Valdemar II of Denmark , by which they respectively bound themselves to support each other against all enemies whatsoever. This treaty was in the end most injurious to the states of Brunswick. Otto was made count of Garding and Thetesbüll by King Valdemar, and participated in

2820-460: The principality screened the allied army in western Prussia and, in particular, the allied Electorate of Hanover . An outstanding representative of the military alliance between Brunswick and Prussia was the Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg, the hereditary Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel . During Charles I's era, there were great achievements in the cultural and scientific fields: the theatre

2880-462: The process, the duke followed the trend and did not interfere with anything, including work on the new castle, begun in 1718 by Hermann Korb on the Grauer Hof which was still not finished. The effect on Wolfenbüttel was catastrophic, as can be seen from the timber-framed houses built later on. 4,000 townsfolk followed the ducal family and Wolfenbüttel's population sank from 12,000 to 7,000. Only

2940-579: The purpose of being present at this assembly when Otto was suddenly taken unwell and expired on 9 June. Otto is buried in Brunswick Cathedral . He is the male-line ancestor of all later members of the House of Welf . Otto married Matilda , daughter of Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg , around 1228. They had the following known children: Hildesheim Diocesan Feud The Hildesheim Diocesan Feud ( German : Hildesheimer Stiftsfehde ) or Great Diocesan Feud , sometimes referred to as

3000-418: The return of several estates pledged (or mortgaged) to the nobles within the prince-bishopric. As these estates were an important source of income, a small number of nobles and knights refused, however, to give up their mortgaged property to the prince-bishop. In parallel there were attempts by the House of Welf to redeem the land around Everstein pledged to the prince-bishopric that revealed differences between

3060-416: The ruling Hohenstaufen family and against local nobles; he managed to strengthen his position through his marriage to Matilda. It is alleged by some that the duke of Brunswick was well-inclined to enter into the views of the pope , but that he found he could neither raise men nor money sufficient to warrant even a probability of success. This is doubtful, for had Otto been ambitious, he might have obtained

SECTION 50

#1732787048730

3120-419: The side of the Hildesheim prince-bishop were the town of Hildesheim, Henry the Middle of Lüneburg and the counts of Schaumburg , Diepholz , and Hoya . On the opposing side were Henry the Younger ( Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel ), his brother, Prince-Bishop Francis of Minden (Prince-Bishopric of Minden), his uncle Eric of Calenberg (Principality of Calenberg), and a small group of nobles from

3180-596: The two central cities around which Otto's former properties were located. Otto could substantially increase his territory by supporting King William , who married his daughter Elisabeth in January 1252. King William had intimated to the princes of Germany his desire to meet them in a general diet at Frankfurt against the Feast of St. John the Baptist , 1252; he was preparing to leave Brunswick with his father-in-law for

3240-433: Was awarded the castle of Bevern near Holzminden . He — and later his son Ferdinand Albert II — were princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern. In 1735 Ferdinand Albert II took over the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the subordinate principality returning to the overarching Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. According to Bornstedt serfdom in the state was abolished with the " Recess of 17 May 1433" by Henry

3300-544: Was disguised as a family visit at the time of the Autumn Fair. court life determined the timing of the stay in the Residenz castle on Bohlweg . As a result of the German Mediatisation of 25 February 1803 the principality was given the territories of the secularised imperial abbeys of Gandersheim and Helmstedt . In 1806 Duke Charles William Ferdinand was mortally wounded as a Prussian general in

3360-526: Was founded, which began in the orphanage and later moved to the building of the present-day Harztorwall School. Politically Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was one of Prussia 's closest allies. Whilst shortly beforehand the Habsburg emperor had been the most important focal point through political marriages, the Wolfenbüttel line of the Welfs became closely linked to the Hohenzollerns through the marriage of

3420-631: Was further subdivided in the succeeding decades. For example, the lines of Grubenhagen and Göttingen were split for a while. In a similar way, in 1432 the estates between the Deister hills and the Leine river, that had been gained in the meantime from the Middle House of Brunswick, split away to form the Principality of Calenberg . There were further reunifications and divisions. In the meanwhile

3480-588: Was promoted and education encouraged. In 1753 the ducal art and natural history collection—forerunner of the Natural History Museum—was founded. These substantial collections had been amassed by the Brunswick dukes. This enterprise was supported by Abbot Jerusalem , the founder of the Collegium Carolinum . Whilst Wolfenbüttel waned, Brunswick now experienced a cultural boom. In August 1784 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stayed in Brunswick on

3540-552: Was the death of Henry announced, than the King of the Romans was dispatched with an imperial force to take possession of the city and territory of Brunswick. But Otto had been regularly acknowledged by the states as their legitimate sovereign and had been received as such by the city and principality. They therefore joined him heartily in repelling this invasion, and the king and his array were compelled to retire, without being able to effect

3600-410: Was under the necessity of withdrawing his attention from the conquest of Brunswick. It happened for the duke of Brunswick, that the count of Schwerin died in 1228, and that on his death-bed he had directed that he should be set at liberty. The duke of Saxony, who claimed a joint right in his detention, refused at first to comply with the dying request of his friend, but when allowed to take possession of

#729270