John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
John IV of Anhalt- Zerbst ( born September 4, 1504 Dessau, † February 4, 1551 in Zerbst ) was a Prince of Anhalt -Zerbst from the house of Ascanians.
Life
Johann was the elder son of Prince Ernst of Anhalt- Zerbst (1451-1516) from his marriage to Margaret (1473-1530), daughter of Duke Henry I of Münsterberg. After his careful education Ernst went up to his majority at the court of his guardian Joachim I of Brandenburg.
Because of his knowledge and his balanced character, he was often used by various princes to arbitrate disputes. So he negotiated on behalf of the Emperor Charles V. Martin Luther and on behalf of King Christian II of Denmark with the Brandenburg court.
First, a fervent Catholic, he came into conflict with his Reformation -leaning Anhalt relatives, but later took under the influence of his brother George himself the Lutheran faith in and drove the Reformation from 1535 forward also in the country. In the joint government with his brothers, John held the actual governance.
In the division of the country in 1544 was awarded the Johann Zerbst part of the country and lying beyond the Elbe offices and cities. But he suffered in the same year a stroke and recovered from it until his death in 1551 not again. Under John the prosperity of the country but also the debt burden grew.
Marriage and issue
He married 15 February 1534 Margaret Dessau ( 1511-1577 ), daughter of the Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg and widow of Duke George I of Pomerania. She therefore received by his successor and son, Philip I, because of the bride's treasure an annual annuity of 1,200 florins were paid to Margaretas officer in Pasewalk each Easter from Wolgaster Landrentmeister. The first marriage to George I. originating daughter Georgia had in 1543 passed to Philip I, because it was considered a Pomeranian princess and former legal conceptions had to be educated there, according to John IV and Margaret.
The marriage to the much higher-ranked widow from kurbrandenburgischem house was celebrated accordingly pompous. But John was ailing a few years after marriage, and finally suffered a stroke in 1544. With his wife he had a falling out in the following years, which in 1550 led to their temporary detention, but from which they fled. From this marriage the following children were born:
- Karl (1534-1564), Prince of Anhalt -Zerbst
- Joachim Ernst (1536-1586), Prince of Anhalt
- Marie (1538-1563)
- Bernhard VII (1540-1570), Prince of Anhalt -Dessau
- Margaret (1541-1547)
- Elisabeth (1545-1574)