George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

George William, Duke of Brunswick- Lüneburg ( * January 26, 1624 in Castle Herzberg am Harz, † August 28, 1705 at his hunting lodge in Vienna bei Celle) was from 1648 to 1665 Prince of the Principality of Calenberg and 1665 reigning until his death Prince of the Principality of Lüneburg.

Life

Georg Wilhelm was born as the second son of Duke George of Brunswick and Luneburg -Calenberg ( 1582-1641 ). He studied in Utrecht and traveled extensively (preferred to Venice ) until it the Principality of Calenberg reigned after the death of his older brother Christian Ludwig 1648-1665 with the residence in Hanover, where his father George in 1636, the Lüneburg branch of the Guelph the rule had begun. In Georg Wilhelm go several buildings back in town and improvements to the city's fortifications Hanover. He was also the 1652 Kitchen Garden in Linden near Hanover create. In 1658 he left the so-called " bride exchange " his fiancée Sophie von der Pfalz (* 1630, later Electress of Hanover ) his younger brother Ernst August (* 1629), who thus secured the throne ( he became in 1692 the Elector, his son George Ludwig 1714 King of Great Britain). Even Georg Wilhelm had made a marriage waiver promise. Georg Wilhelm moved to Celle in 1665, where he reigned as the Principality of Lüneburg so-called "Heather Duke ".

In the Swedish -Brandenburg war he took from 1675 to 1676 the campaign against Bremen- Verden as commander in chief part on the Allied side against the Swedes. In 1676 he married and Eleonore d' Olbreuse ( 1639-1722 ), a Huguenot of the lower nobility. Under the influence of his wife, he issued already on August 7, 1684 an edict, that is temporally before the Edict of Nantes, which promised the expected reformed religious refugees from France in the Principality of Lüneburg recording and promotion. The Celler Hof was ascended to a large Huguenot colony whose mostly originating from Poitou members quickly into leadership positions at court.

The couple had a daughter Sophia Dorothea ( 1666-1726 ). It became known as the "Princess of Ahlden ". 1682 she was married against her will to her cousin Georg Ludwig, so that after the death of George William Principality of Lüneburg was united with the Principality of Hanover. In Georg Ludwig's reign the Celle castle was further expanded.

George William was buried in the royal crypt in St. Mary's Church in Celle.