John George of Brandenburg (German: Johann Georg von Brandenburg; 11 September 1525 – 8 January 1598) was a prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1571–1598).
Contents
Early life
Born as a member of the House of Hohenzollern, John George was the eldest son of Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg, and Princess Magdalena of Saxony.
Biography
Faced with large debts of 2.5 million guilder accumulated during the reign of his father, John George instituted a grain tax which drove part of the peasantry into dependence on a nobility that was exempt from taxation. He had Jews expelled from Brandenburg in 1573, stripped of their assets and prohibited from returning. Though a staunch Lutheran opposed to the rise of Calvinism, he permitted the admission of Calvinist refugees from the wars in the Spanish Netherlands and France. On 13 July 1574, he founded the Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, the first humanistic educational institution in Berlin. He was succeeded by his son Joachim Frederick.
Upon the death of his kinsman Albert I, Duke of Prussia, in 1568, the Duchy of Prussia was inherited by the latter's underage son Albert Frederick. John George's father was a co-inheritor of the Duchy of Prussia. In 1577 the Brandenburg electors became co-regent with Duke Albert Frederick of Prussia.
Family and children
John George was married three times.
His first wife was Princess Sophie of Legnica (ca. 1525 – 6 February 1546), the daughter of Frederick II of Legnica, whom he married in 1545. They had one child together:
Joachim Frederick (27 January 1546 – 18 July 1608)
Secondly, he married Margravine Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach (12 May 1529 – 2 November 1575), daughter of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, in 1548. They had the following children:
George Albert (19 February 1555 – 8 January 1557) died in early childhood.
John (1 March 1557), died at birth, twin with Albert.
Albert (1 March 1557), died at birth, twin with John.
Magdalena Sabina (9 September 1559) died at birth.
Erdmuthe (26 June 1561 – 13 November 1623), married in 1577 to Duke John Frederick of Pomerania
Marie (13 September 1562) died at birth.
Hedwig (19 August 1563) died at birth.
Magdalena (31 July 1564) died at birth.
Margaret (19 September 1565) died at birth.
Anna Maria (3 February 1567 – 4 November 1618), married in 1581 to Duke Barnim X of Pomerania
Sophie (6 June 1568 – 7 December 1622), married in 1582 to Elector Christian I of Saxony
