Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
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Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (b. Weferlingen, 10 May 1711 - d. Bayreuth, 26 February 1763), was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
He was the eldest son of Georg Frederick Karl, nominal Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach, by his wife Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck.
[edit] Life
Born as a minor member of the House of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Frederick's fate changed in 1726, when his father inherited the Principality of Bayreuth after a long dispute with the Kingdom of Prussia, who questioned his rights of succession over Bayreuth. The sixteen-years-old Frederick became the Hereditary Margrave of Bayreuth. In 1735, on his father's death, Frederick became the new Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
He was an enlightened monarch. In Bayreuth, Frederick is mentioned as "the Beloved", because he was rather popular with the public. In his residence of Bayreuth, he promoted the sciences and arts; also, he was an owner of numerous buildings. Frederick enjoyed a good bringing up and education and studied eight years at the calvinistic Genovese University.
However, was expected too much hopelessly by his tasks as a sovereign, because for his totally unexperience in politic; his father and his Minister, deliberately put him away from all the government affairs. His wife, Wilhelmine, with her strong personality, could affect in the weak and unstable Frederick in favour of Prussia, her homeland. Now without resistance he bent to his advisers and Wilhelmine's arguments bounced off from him. However, finally, his wife succeeded in having influence and a young secretary, Philipp Elrodt was appointed with the financial business. This soon arose to the Prime Minister, nevertheless, he disentangled the thicket of corrupcy and cronyism among Ministers and employees, discovered faults in the Margraviate finances, drove old debts and opened new sources of income. At last, the allowance obtain for Wilhelmine from her husband, she got a little pleasure: a summer residence, called the Eremitage.
The cult margrave showed his understanding for art and science among other things by the establishment of the Margraviate's Regional University in Bayreuth on 1742, which was moved one year later, in 1743 to Erlangen. Moreover, he created in 1756 the Bayreuth Academy of Arts (German: Bayreuther Kunstakademie) and allowed to from 1744 to 1748 establish the Margravial Opera House (German: Markgräfliches Opernhaus) as a richly fitted out baroque theater in Bayreuth. Moreover, under his rign appeared numerous other representative buildings and enclosures: the transformation and extension of the Eremitage Museum with the building of the New Eremitage Museum Castle with the Temple of the Sun (1749-1753), the building of the new Margravial Castle with court garden (1754), after the old castle had burned out. The new castle became ready after the death of his first wife; in her honour, the castle was renamed after her.
Frederick was appointed Generalfeldmarschall of the Franconian Circle, but he keep out his country of the warlike discussions between Austria and Prussia -who, for his military rank, he also managed-, even during the Seven Years' War, only with a big effort. Finally, after extensive mediation attempts who also fall (included, aong others, his wife Wilhelmine) the Seven Years' War came to end during his reign.
His name was put as added to the University of Erlangen founded by him "Frederick": the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) (English: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg).
[edit] Marriages and Issue
In Berlin on 20 November 1731 Frederick married firstly with Wilhelmine of Prussia. Actually, he had been betrothed to Wilhelmine's younger sister, Sophie, but the King Frederick Wilhelm I decided at the last moment to marry his oldest surviving daughter, Wilhelmine, to him. The relatively insignificant groom was not asked if he was pleased with his new bride; he only accepted the order of his father and the King.
From its beginning, the marriage went well; the young couple liked rach other and Wilhelmine didn't interfere farther that he lisped. Though she was not beautiful, nature gave her a cheerful and pleasant personality. She described him as good-hearted and charitable, but also a little frivolous. The union only produced a daughter:
- Elisabeth Friederike Sophie (b. Bayreuth, 30 August 1732 - d. Bayreuth, 6 April 1780). Described by Giacomo Casanova as the most beautiful girl in Germany, she was married on 26 September 1748 to Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg. After only produced a short-living daughter, they were separated in 1754, but never divorced.
In Brunswick on 20 September 1759 -eleven months after the death of his first wife-, Frederick married secondly with Sophie Caroline Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Their marriage was childless.
Without any male issue, on his death he was succeded by his uncle, Frederick Christian.
| Preceded by Georg Frederick Karl |
Margrave of Bayreuth 1735 – 1763 |
Succeeded by Frederick Christian |
