Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick II of Brandenburg, from the House of Hohenzollern, known as " the Iron ", also called " iron teeth " (* November 19, 1413 in Tangermünde, † February 10, 1471 in Dietersheim ) was Margrave and Elector ( 1440-1470 ) of Brandenburg.
Life
Friedrich was the second son of the future Elector Frederick I of Brandenburg (1371-1440) from his marriage to Elizabeth (1383-1442), daughter of Duke Frederick of Bavaria -Landshut.
He was engaged at the age of eight years with Princess Hedwig of Poland (1408-1431) and ten years educated in Poland. Hedwig, a daughter of the Polish king Wladyslaw II, was until 1424 as a Polish heir to the throne. The sudden death of his bride resulted in a melancholy posture of the young Frederick, the life did not desert him.
In 1437 he took over the government of the brands, after his older brother Johann had renounced under a division of the inheritance of the father this year on his primogeniture. Friedrich followed three years later his father as Elector of Brandenburg to. Until 1447 he ruled jointly with his brother Frederick the fats, which this year received the Altmark after a division of the state.
Frederick drew aware of national politics back and beat the king crowns offered to him by Poland and Bohemia, in order to devote himself to strengthening the Kurlande. To this end, he tamed the excessive self - Cölln Berlin ( Berlin indignation ) and provided for the capping of the city leagues in the marrow. He got his nickname because of his firm and resolute appearance against the Estates in the interest of his authoritative and independent prince policy. In 1440, he founded the Swan Medal to act on the moral and religious education of the Junkers, who attracted attention because of feuds and robberies in the country and to bind them to the ruling house.
1451 the electoral castle was completed and occupied by a strong crew. Since 1443 Frederick had built the zwing - Coelln in order to control the traffic across the Long Bridge between Berlin and Colin can. In Prenuptial Agreements with Mecklenburg, Saxony and Hesse, he secured the Kurlande outward. In 1454 he purchased the Neumark for 40,000 guilders by the Teutonic Knights and acquired the lordships Cottbus and Peitz, Brandenburg which could extend towards Silesia. Another success of his government was the papal recognition of his sovereignty over the bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havel Mountain with its right of appointment of Bishops.
He founded in 1465 the cathedral and founded with the appointment of five boys singing the Berlin Cathedral Choir, the oldest musical institution in the city.
With the death of Otto III. in 1464 began the Szczecin succession dispute. Frederick wanted to move in the Pomeranian Duchy of Pomerania -Stettin as part ceased fief and bring on themselves. The were the Dukes of the surviving Wolgaster line of the Griffin house, Eric II and Wartislaw X., against which claimed Pomerania -Stettin because of the unity of the Griffin house and the Duchy of Pomerania for themselves.
Friedrich gave in 1470 after unsuccessful battles against the Pomeranian dukes, where he could recapture the occupied Uckermark only partially, the rule of his brother Albrecht Achilles and retired to the castle Plass. He died on 10 February 1471 Dietersheim and was buried in the church of the cathedral of Heilsbronn. The Eisenzahnstraße in Berlin was named in 1892 by Friedrich.
Progeny
Frederick II, was married on June 11, 1446 in Wittenberg, Catherine ( 1421-1476 ), daughter of the Elector Frederick I of Saxony, with whom he had the following children, the paternity of the last child is more than doubtful:
- Dorothea (1446-1519)
- Margarete ( 1449/50-1489 )
- Johann (ca. 1452-1454 )
- Erasmus (ca. 1453-1465 )
Monument
For the Berlin Victory Avenue of the sculptor Alexander Calandrelli designed the monument Group 16 with a statue of Frederick II in the center, flanked by the side figures ( busts ) of the chancellor and later Lebuser Bishop Friedrich chair man and the Berlin mayor Wilke Blank field.
The unveiling of the group took place on 22 December 1898. Friedrich is shown as conqueror of the urban resistance. His fist holding a certificate, which symbolizes the subjugation of the twin cities of Berlin- Coelln after the Berlin Indignation. Arrows and torn documents on the ground should also point out the broken tooth from the iron power of Brandenburg cities. The Elector ermine coat with wide collar underlines his indomitable strength and dignity. On the collar is the chain of the swan Order.
The physiognomy of Frederick II took over Calandrelli simply of the monument to Frederick I, he had created in 1894 for the city Friesack. He appealed to the family resemblance between father and son.