Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg

Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
Statue of Adolf Frederick
Spouse(s)	Anna Maria of Ostfriesland Marie Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg
Noble family	House of Mecklenburg
Father	Johann VII of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mother	Sophia of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp
Born	15 December 1588(1588-12-15) Schwerin
Died	27 February 1658(1658-02-27) (aged 69) Schwerin

Adolf Frederick I (15 December 1588 – 27 February 1658) was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from his father's death in 1592 until 1628 and again from 1631 to 1658. Between 1634 and 1648 Adolf Frederick also ruled the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin as its administrator.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Division of Mecklenburg and Thirty Years' War 3 Marriage and children 4 Ancestry

Early life

He was a son of Johann VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Sophia of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, daughter of Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and his wife Christine of Hesse.

At first Adolf Frederick and his brother John Albert II reigned under the guardianship of Duke Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Charles I of Mecklenburg (his father’s uncles). The two brothers Adolf Frederick and John Albert took over governance of Mecklenburg-Schwerin beginning on 16 April 1608, and after the death of Charles on 22 July 1610 they also governed in Mecklenburg-Güstrow.

Division of Mecklenburg and Thirty Years' War

In 1621 the duchy of Mecklenburg was formally divided between the two brothers, with Adolf Frederick ruling in Mecklenburg-Schwerin and John Albert ruling in Mecklenburg-Güstrow. During the Thirty Years' War, Albrecht von Wallenstein ousted the dukes after they secretly sided with King Christian IV of Denmark against Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II. Wallenstein ruled the duchies from 1627 until 1631, when the dukes were restored by the Swedes under King Gustavus Adolphus. In 1634 Adolf Frederick succeeded Ulrik of Denmark as last Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin before its securalisation.

Marriage and children

Adolf Frederick I fathered 19 children in all.

He was married for the first time on 4 September 1622 to Anna Maria of East Frisia, daughter of Count Enno III of East Frisia and Anna of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. They had the following children:

• Christian Ludwig I (1623–1692), Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Sophie Agnes (1625–1694)
• Karl (1626–1670), Duke of Mecklenburg-Mirow
• Anna Maria Dorothea (1627–1669), married in 1647 to Duke August, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels (1614–1680)
• Johann Georg (1629–1675)
• Hedwig (1630–1631)
• Gustav Rudolf (1632–1670)
• Juliane (1633–1634)

Adolf Frederick married for a second time in 1635 to Marie Katharina (1616–1665), daughter of Duke Julius Ernest, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg, and Maria of East Frisia (1582–1616). They had the following children:

• Juliane Sibylla (1636–1701)
• Friedrich I (1638–1688), Duke of Mecklenburg-Grabow
• Christina (1639–1693)
• Bernhard Sigismund (1641–1641)
• Augusta (1643–1644)
• Maria Elisabeth (1646–1713)
• Anna Sophia (1647–1723), married in 1677 to Duke Julius Sigismund of Württemberg-Juliusburg (1653–1684)
• Adolf Ernest (1650–1651)
• Philipp Ludwig (1652–1655)
• Heinrich Wilhelm (1653–1653)
• Adolf Frederick II (1658–1708), Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Ancestry

Ancestors of Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg

16. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow               8. Albert VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow                       17. Sophia of Pomerania-Wolgast               4. Johann Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Schwerin                             18. Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg               9. Anna of Brandenburg                       19. Elizabeth of Denmark               2. Johann V-VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                                   20. Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach               10. Albert, Duke of Prussia                       21. Sofie of Poland               5. Anna Sophie, Duchess of Prussia                             22. Frederick I, King of Denmark (= 12)               11. Dorothea of Denmark                       23. Anna of Brandenburg               1. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                                         24. Christian I, King of Denmark               12. Frederick I, King of Denmark                       25. Dorothea of Brandenburg               6. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp                             26. Bogislaw X of Pomerania-Wolgast               13. Sophie of Pomerania                       27. Anna Jagiello of Poland               3. Sophie von Holstein-Gottorp                                   28. William II, Landgrave of Hesse               14. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse                       29. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               7. Christine of Hesse                             30. George, Duke of Saxony               15. Christine of Saxony                       31. Barbara Jagiellon

Adolphus Frederick of Mecklenburg House of Nikloting Born: 15 December 1588 in Schwerin Died: 27 February 1658 ibidem
Regnal titles
Preceded by John VII	Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as Adolphus Frederick I 1592–1628 and again 1631–1658 interrupted by Wallenstein, who deposed him	Succeeded by Christian Louis I, Duke of Mecklenburg (German)
Religious titles
Regnal titles
Vacant Title last held by Ulrik of Denmark as Ulrich III	Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin 1634–1648	Secularised: Principality of Schwerin in personal union with Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Persondata
Name	Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg
Alternative names	Adolf Friedrich I., Herzog zu Mecklenburg (German)
Short description	Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1592–1628 and again 1631–1658)
Date of birth	15 December 1588
Place of birth	Schwerin
Date of death	27 February 1658
Place of death	Schwerin