Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
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Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (b. Cölln, 30 January 1581 – d. Bayreuth, 30 May 1655) was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (later renamed Brandenburg-Bayreuth).
He eldest of the eleven children born to John George, Elector of Brandenburg by his third wife Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst.
[edit] Life
The death of the childless Georg Frederick the Elder in 1603 mark the extinction of the original Franconian line of the Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach. Christian inherited Kulmbach and his younger brother Joachim Ernst received Ansbach.
This land partition had already been legitimized in 1598 by the Contract of Gera, who was prepared for this purpose. His assumption to the government of Kulmbach took place at the same time of Joachim Ernst's in Ansbach. In 1604 Christian moved the seat of power from Kulmbach to Bayreuth and Plassenburg, whether remained Kulmbach furthermore as the regional fortress. Since this moment, the principality change his name from Brandenburg-Kulmbach to Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
In 1606 he was elected Colonel of the Franconian Circle (German: Kreisobrist). Also, Christian was one of the founders of the Protestant Union and formed an alliance during the Thirty Years' War with Sweden. The Emperor Ferdinand II deposed him to the government of Bayreuth in 1635; however, he farther ruled.
[edit] Family and children
In Plassenburg on 29 April 1604, Christian married with Marie, daughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia. They had nine children:
- Elisabeth Eleonore (b. Plassenburg, 19 October 1606 – d. Plassenburg, 20 October 1606).
- Georg Frederick (b. and d. Kulmbach, 23 March 1608).
- Anna Maria (b. Bayreuth, 30 December 1609 – d. Ödenburg, 8 May 1680); married on 23 October 1639 to Prince Johann Anton I of Eggenberg.
- Agnes Sophie (b. Bayreuth, 19 July 1611 – d. Bayreuth, 1 December 1611).
- Magdalene Sibylle (b. Bayreuth, 27 October 1612 – d. Dresden, 20 March 1687); married on 13 November 1638 to Elector John George II of Saxony.
- Christian Ernst (b. Bayreuth, 18 November 1613 – d. Bayreuth, 4 February 1614).
- Erdmann August (b. Bayreuth, 8 October 1615 – d. Hof, 6 February 1651), Hereditary Margrave (German: Erbmarkgraf) of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
- Georg Albrecht (b. Bayreuth, 20 March 1619 – d. Schretz, 27 September 1666), inherited Kulmbach but never reigned.
- Frederick Wilhelm (b. Bayreuth, 11 May 1620 – d. Bayreuth, 12 May 1620).
| Preceded by Georg Friedrich |
Margrave of Bayreuth 1603 – 1655 |
Succeeded by Christian Ernst |
