Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach

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Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Born(1529-07-24)24 July 1529
Pforzheim
Died23 March 1577(1577-03-23) (aged 47)
Durlach
Noble familyHouse of Zähringen
Spouse(s)
Issue
Detail
FatherErnest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
MotherUrsula of Rosenfeld

Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (born 24 July 1529 in

Baden-Durlach from 1552 to 1577. On 1 June 1556 Charles issued a new Church Order, which made Lutheranism
the official religion in Baden-Durlach.

Life

Charles was the son of Margrave Ernest of Baden-Durlach and his second wife Ursula of Rosenfeld. Since the marriage between Ernest and Ursula was morganatic, Charles's ability to succeed was disputed. Nevertheless, he started ruling Upper Baden in his father's name in September 1552. His half-brother, older by 12 years, Bernard IV, died on 20 January 1553 and his father died two weeks later, on 6 February. Charles then inherited the entire country,[1] which was called Baden-Pforzheim at the time. He moved the capital to Durlach, thereby changing the name of his country to Baden-Durlach.

The introduction of the Reformation in 1556

Cover of the Church Order of 1556

After the Peace of Passau (1552) a number of secular rulers in the south west of Germany introduced the Reformation. Margrave Ernest of Baden-Durlach had plans to have had follow suit, but still faced a potential conflict with Archduke Ferdinand, the ruler of the Roman Catholic Further Austria, the who still claimed parts of Upper Baden.[2]

Margrave Charles II – like his cousin, Margrave Philibert of Baden-Baden – supported the

Baden-Durlach with the adoption of a new Church Order
on 1 June 1556.

The preparation of the Reformation and the drafting of church order was entrusted to a Commission chaired by Martin Achtsynit, the Chancellor of the Margraviate of Baden (Pforzheimer part). Members of the Commission were the

Jacob Andreae from Tübingen, the court preacher Michael Diller from Heidelberg and the Saxon theologians Max Morlin and John Stossel.[3] In addition to the theologians, the Councillors Johann Georg and Renz Sechele also belonged to the Commission.[4] Achtsynit was also the first director of the Council of Churches; Charles himself was bishop of the Evangelical Church and so became successor to the bishops of Strasbourg, Speyer and Constance, who had been competent for different parts of his territory. The "inner conflict within the Protestant confession" also affected the work of the Commission.[4] In the end, the commission chose, for political reasons, to largely copy the church order of Württemberg, which had been drafted by Johannes Brenz in 1553, with final editing by Jacob Heerbrand. Württemberg also allowed Jacob Heerbrand to participate in the first church visitation in Baden-Durlach, which was conducted in the autumn of 1556. Charles appointed the theologians Simon Sulzer from Basel as General Superintendent for Upper Baden
.

Frequent visitations should ensure that only Lutheran pastors were active and the church order was complied with. Many Catholic priests were expelled. Ferdinand of Austria formally denied Charles the right to introduce the Reformation in his possessions in Breisgau. The people gave Charles the nickname the Pious, referring to the zeal he developed while introducing the Reformation.

As a result, the Ernestine part of Baden turned

Protestant shortly after Baden was split. When the two parts of the Margraviate were reunited in 1771 under Margrave Charles Frederick, he had the foresight and sovereignty
to allow multiple faiths and to call for tolerance and acceptance.

In 1561, the Margrave avowed to the unchanged

Calvinist Huguenots
.

The prelate controversy

The Reformation had the effect that the territory of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach only Lutheran pastors were permitted. The

tithes. Charles then seized their estates and used them to fund the maintenance of churches and pastors. Johann Ulrich Zasius mediated and reached a compromise: the confiscated estates were returned to their owners, but Baden-Durlach was allowed to retain the funds necessary to pay the pastors. However, the Austrian authorities in Innsbruck did not accept this compromise and the confrontation escalated. After some prelates made separate agreements with Baden-Durlach, the negotiations were resumed and led to the treaty of Neuenburg am Rhein of 24 April 1561, with essentially the same result as the earlier agreement.[7]

The relocation of the residence to Durlach in 1565

The Margrave moved the residence from Liebeneck Castle in Pforzheim to Durlach in 1565. This was allegedly triggered by a dispute with the citizens of Pforzheim, who refused to act as drivers in a drive hunt organized by the Margrave. The literature points out that other, more rational, reasons may have existed; in particular, Durlach was more centrally located within Lower Baden.[8]

For this move, the Karlsburg, an existing hunting lodge in Durlach, was expanded into a castle. Charles oversaw the expansion himself and paid the workers personally, using a shoulder bag full of money he brought with him. The affectionate nickname Charles with the Bag refers to this practice.

The city of Durlach was also renovated. A garden was added to the castle and several gates were added to the city wall. In 1571, a

mint
was built, as was usual in princely residences at the time.

Marriages and issue

Charles II first married on 10 March 1551 with

Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
. They had two children:

  • Marie (born: 3 January 1553; died: 11 November 1561)
  • Albert (born: 12 June 1555; died: 5 May 1574)

Charles II then married on 1 August 1558 Countess Palatine

Anna of Veldenz (born: 12 November 1540, died: 30 March 1586), the daughter of the Count Palatine Rupert of Veldenz
. They had the following children:

  • Dorothea Ursula (born: 20 June 1559; died: 19 May 1583)
married on 7 November 1575 Louis III of Württemberg (born: 1 January 1554; died: 18 August 1593)
married on 21 December 1585 Anna of East Frisia (born: 26 May 1562; died: 21 April 1621), the daughter of Count Edzard II of East Frisia
  • James III (born: 26 May 1562; died: 17 August 1590)
married on 6 September 1584 Elisabeth of Pallandt-Culemborg (born c. 1567; died: 8 May 1620), the daughter of Count Floris I of Pallandt-Culemborg (1537–1598); reigning Margrave
  • Anna Marie (born: 4 August 1565; died: 8 October 1573)
  • Elizabeth (born: 27 September 1570; died: 6 October 1611)
  • George Frederick born: 30 January 1573; died: 24 September 1638); reigning Margrave

After Charles II's death, Baden-Durlach was split-up between his three sons: Baden-Durlach-Hachberg went to James III; Baden-Durlach-Sausenberg went to George Frederick; the remaining Baden-Durlach went to Ernst Frederick who became

Catholic. Since George Frederick lived the longest, the margraviate remained Lutheran. Charles II's widow, Anna of Veldenz, led the government business for 7 years as regent
after his death, until her sons came of age.

Ancestors

See also

  • List of rulers of Baden

References and sources

Footnotes

  1. ^ see Vierordt, p. 420
  2. ^ see Burger, p. 24
  3. ^ see Vierordt, p.429
  4. ^ a b see Burger, p. 27
  5. St. Blaise
    , All Saints, St. Peter, Schuttern, Tennenbach, Waldkirch
  6. ^ e.g. the German knights
  7. ^ see: Burger, pp. 65–70
  8. ^ see Pflüger, pp. 276–277
Charles II, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
Born: 24 July 1529 Died: 23 March 1577
Preceded by
Margrave of Baden-Durlach

1553–1577 		Succeeded by
Anna of Veldenz
as Regent
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