Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

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Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Henry (Latin Henricus; 10 November 1489 – 11 June 1568, Wolfenbüttel), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called the Younger, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1514 until his death. He is known for the large number of wars in which he was involved.

[edit] Life

Henry was the son of Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, known as Henry the Elder. He became ruling duke when his father was killed in battle in 1514, and soon came into conflict with the Bishopric of Hildesheim, against which he lost the Battle of the Soltau Heath in 1519. However, in 1523, the Bishopric had to cede large territories to Wolfenbüttel. In 1525, he participated in the Peasants' War, and in 1528, he assisted King Charles V in his campaign against France in Italy.

While Henry initially leaned towards Protestantism and supported parts of the Augsburg Confession in 1530, he remained Catholic. He was involved in an ongoing conflict with the Protestant Electorate of Saxony, and strongly protested when the Calenberg part of Brunswick-Lüneburg switched to Protestantism. In 1541, under a pretext, Henry attacked the Protestant city of Goslar, and when, in 1542, the Elector of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse as members of the Protestant League of Schmalkalden came to the help of Goslar, they managed to occupy the complete Principality of Wolfenbüttel. Henry fled to the Duchy of Bavaria.

In 1546, Henry recruited an army with the support of Emperor Charles, and managed to take control of parts of Wolfenbüttel. But he was soon captured by Hessian troops, and kept prisoner, until the Emperor freed and reinstated him in 1547. In 1550, Volrad, Count of Mansfeld occupied Wolfenbüttel, and Henry again fled, this time to the Emperor in Metz. But Mansfeld soon left, and Henry returned. In 1553, he allied himself with Maurice, Elector of Saxony, against Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, who had attacked Wolfenbüttel. This conflict culminated in the Battle of Sievershausen, in which Maurice as well as Henry's two eldest sons were killed. The battle, however, ended in a victory for Henry.

Henry finally converted to Protestantism under the influence of his only remaining son, Julius, and died in 1568.

[edit] Family

Henry firstly married Mary (died 1541), daughter of Henry, Count of Württemberg, in 1515. They had the following children:

  • Andrew (c. 1517 - c. 1517)
  • Catherine (c. 1518 - 1574), married John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin
  • Mary, Abbess of Gandersheim (c. 1521 - 1539)
  • Charles Victor (1525-1553)
  • Philipp (1527-1553)
  • Julius (1528-1589)
  • Clara (1532-1595), married Philipp, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
  • Margaret (died 1580), married John, Duke of Munsterberg and Oels

Henry secondly married Sophia (died 1575), daughter of King Sigismund I of Poland, in 1556. The second marriage remained childless. He had a mistress, Eva von Trotte, with whom he had ten children.

[edit] References


Preceded by
Henry IV		 Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
1514–1568		 Succeeded by
Julius