Sophie von Brandenburg
| Name |
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| born on | 6 June 1568 Jul.Cal. (16 June 1568 greg.) at 21:00 (= 9:00 PM ) | ||||
| Place | Rheinsberg, Germany, 53n06, 12e53 | ||||
| Timezone | LMT m12e53 (is local mean time) | ||||
| Data source |
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| Astrology data |   25°23'   19°40 Asc. 04°25'
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Biography
German noblewoman, a Princess of Brandenburg and by marriage Electress of Saxony. From 1591 she was the regent of Saxony during the minority of her son Christian II.
Sophie was a daughter of the Elector of Brandenburg John George (1525–1598) by his second marriage with Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1548–1575), daughter of Margrave George of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
On 25 April 1582 in Dresden, Sophie married Elector Christian I of Saxony (1560–1591). Sophie was 14 years old at her wedding, and after a year she had her first child. They had the following children: Christian II (1583−1611, Elector), John George I (1585−1656, Elector of Saxony), Anna Sabine (1586-1586), Sophie (1587–1635), Elizabeth (1588−1589), Augustus (1589−1615), and Dorothea (1591−1617, Abbess of Quedlinburg).
After the death of her husband, who died at the age of only 31, Sophie, together with Duke Frederick William I of Saxe Weimar, became Regent of the Electorate for her eldest son.
Sophie was an orthodox Lutheran, and fought against crypto-Calvinism in Saxony. After Christian I's death in 1591, she had the Calvinist Chancellor Nikolaus Krell, an opponent of Lutheran orthodoxy, imprisoned at the Königstein Fortress, and in 1601 had him executed at the Dresden Neumarkt. In allusion to the pious widow Judith in the Book of Judith, the orthodox Lutherans thereafter celebrated her as "Judith of Saxony".
As a widow, Sophie lived in the so-called "Fraumutterhaus" in Dresden or in Castle Colditz. She had her own gold coins ("Sophie ducats", Sophiendukaten) minted; she also had the old Franciscan church in Dresden again readied for divine service (1599–1610), which after her was called the Sophienkirche. The "Duchess's Garden" (Der Herzogin Garten) also takes its name from Duchess Sophie. She died at Colditz Castle on 7 December 1622.
Relationships
- parent->child relationship with Christian II, Elector of Saxony (born 23 September 1583 Jul.Cal. (3 Oct 1583 greg.))
- parent->child relationship with Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony (born 5 March 1585 Jul.Cal. (15 Mar 1585 greg.))
- child->parent relationship with Johann Georg, Elector of Brandenburg (born 11 September 1525 Jul.Cal. (21 Sep 1525 greg.))
- spouse relationship with Christian I, Elector of Saxony (born 29 October 1560 Jul.Cal. (8 Nov 1560 greg.))
- sibling relationship with Agnes von Brandenburg, Duchess of Pomerania (born 17 July 1584 (greg.))
- sibling relationship with Christian von Brandenburg-Bayreuth (born 30 January 1581 Jul.Cal. (9 Feb 1581 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Dorothea Sibylle von Brandenburg (born 9 October 1590 Jul.Cal. (19 Oct 1590 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Elisabeth Sophie von Brandenburg (born 4 July 1589 Jul.Cal. (14 July 1589 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Friedrich IX von Brandenburg (born 22 March 1588 Jul.Cal. (1 Apr 1588 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Georg Albrecht von Brandenburg (born 20 November 1591 Jul.Cal. (30 Nov 1591 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Joachim Ernst von Brandenburg-Ansbach (born 12 June 1583 Jul.Cal. (22 June 1583 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Joachim Friedrich von Brandenburg (born 27 January 1546 Jul.Cal. (6 Feb 1546 greg.)). Notes: half-sibling
- sibling relationship with Magdalena von Brandenburg (born 7 January 1582 Jul.Cal. (17 Jan 1582 greg.))
Events
Source Notes
Sy Scholfield quotes the chronicle of events in "Allgemeine preussische staats-geschichte, samt aller dazu gehörigen königreichs, churfürstenthums, herzogthümer, fürstenthümer, graf- und herrschaften, aus bewährten schriftstellern und urkunden bis auf gegenwärtige regierung," Volumes 3-4, by Karl Friedrich Pauli (C. P. Francken, 1762), p. 295: "Sophia, geboren zu Zechlin 1568 den 6ten Jun. um 9 Uhr des Abends." [Translation: Sophia, born at Zechlin (castle) in 1568 on the 6th of Jun. at 9 o'clock in the evening.]
Categories
- Notable : Famous : Royal family
