Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
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Magnus II | |
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Dorothea of Hohenzollern |
Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow (1441 – 20 November 1503) was duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1477 until his death.
Biography
He was the son of
After Henry died in 1477, Magnus ruled the Duchy jointly with Albert. After Albert died in 1483, Magnus ruled alone, as his younger brother
The duchy's debt increased excessively due to the lavish court life of Henry IV. Magnus sought to reduce that debt. He curtailed his own ducal household in every way, and pawned goods and regalia. He tried to restore the shattered finances through the introduction of extraordinary Beden (from
that were trying to achieve a more independent position.In 1487 a rebellion broke out in Rostock that is known as the "Rostock Cathedral Feud" (German: Rostock Domfehde). The trigger was the establishment of a collegiate church (commonly known as Dom) at the Church of St. James (Jacobikirche). With this action, Magnus II wanted to secure the financing of the university and his position of power within the city. On 12 January 1487, the day the church was to be consecrated, Provost Thomas Rode was murdered in the street. Dignitataries present for the consecration had to flee the city. Magnus feared for his own life when his entourage was attacked. His life was saved by a bodyguard who threw himself on top of Magnus in the thick of the melee. The rebellion lasted until 1491. In the end, rebel leader Hans Runge and three other insurgents were executed and the city had to recognize the cathedral chapter, pay a substantial fine and confirm all of the Duke's privileges. The excommunication and interdict under which Magnus and Balthasar had been placed by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III and Pope Innocent VIII were then rescinded.
Besides these feuds in his own country, Magnus also had disputes with neighbouring princes and with his vassals, as was usual in those days, for example over inheritances, fiefs and border disputes. Magnus would participate in battles or mediate between the contending parties. Certain projects intended to benefit the economic position of his territories, such as the proposed canal connecting the Baltic Sea with the Elbe and North Sea via Lake Schwerin and the improvement of the quality of the Mecklenburg coinage had to be postponed indefinitely due to a lack of funding. In 1492, 27 Jews in Sternberg were condemned to death after being accused of desecrating bleeding communion wafers. Magnus confirmed the verdict, and the Jews were executed at the stake.
In his domestic life he had the pleasure to see two of his daughters marry respected German princes. His daughter Anna became the matriarch of the House of Hesse and Sophie assumed the same status for the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin. After Magnus' death, his youngest daughter Catherine achieved fame in her own right as the mother of the famous Duke Maurice of Saxony.
Magnus died on 20 November 1503 in Wismar and was later buried in Doberan Abbey.
Offspring
Magnus II was married to
- Henry V, the Peaceable, (1479–1552), Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; married three times. Firstly, on 12 December 1505, he married Ursula of Brandenburg, with whom he had issue. He married secondly, on 12 June 1513, Helen of the Palatinate, with whom he also had issue. Finally, he married Ursula of Saxe-Lauenburg, with whom he had no issue.
- Dorothea of Mecklenburg (21 October 1480 – 1 September 1537 in Ribnitz), Abbess in the Ribnitz monastery from 24 February 1498.
- Sophie, (18 December 1481 – 12 July 1503 in Torgau); married, on 1 March 1500, John the Steadfast of Saxony and had issue.
- Eric II, (1483–1508), Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, (1485–1525), Landgravine of Hesse; married firstly, on 20 October 1500, William II, Landgrave of Hesse, and had issue. Married secondly, on 7 September 1519, Otto of Solms-Laubach and had issue.
- Catherine of Mecklenburg, (1487–1561), Duchess of Saxony; married, on 6 July 1512, Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, and had issue.
- Albert VII, the Handsome (1486–1547), Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow; married, on 17 January 1524, Anna of Brandenburgand had issue.
Ancestry
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References
- Ludwig Schultz (1884), "Magnus II., Herzog von Mecklenburg", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 20, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 68–69
- Henning Unverhau (1987), "Magnus II., Herzog von Mecklenburg", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 15, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 664–665
- Helge Bei der Wieden (1990), "Stammtafel und Familienartikel Mecklenburg", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 16, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 590–592
- Rudloff: Mecklenburgische Geschichte, vol 2, parts 3 and 4
- v. Lützow: Geschichte Mecklenburgs, vol. 2.
- Schröder: Papist. Mecklenburg, vol. II.
External links
- Literature about Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg in the State Bibliography (Landesbibliographie) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
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