Sophie of Brandenburg


Sophie of Brandenburg was Electress of Saxony by marriage to Christian I, Elector of Saxony. She was regent from 1591 to 1601 during the minority of their son Christian II.

Biography

Sophie was born at Zechlin castle, Rheinsberg, a daughter of the Elector of Brandenburg John George by his second marriage with Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach, daughter of Margrave George of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
On 25 April 1582 in Dresden, Sophie married Elector Christian I of Saxony. Sophie was 14 years old at her wedding, and after a year she had her first child.

Regency

After the death of her husband, who died at age 31, Sophie, together with Duke Frederick William I of Saxe Weimar, became Regent of the Electorate for her eldest son.
Sophie was an orthodox Lutheran, and fought against crypto-Calvinism in Saxony. After Christian I's death in 1591, she had the Calvinist Chancellor Nikolaus Krell, an opponent of Lutheran orthodoxy, imprisoned at the Königstein Fortress, and in 1601 had him executed at the Dresden Neumarkt. In allusion to the pious widow Judith in the Book of Judith, the orthodox Lutherans thereafter celebrated her as "Judith of Saxony".
As a widow, Sophie lived in the so-called "Fraumutterhaus" in Dresden or in Castle Colditz. She had her own gold coins minted; she also had the old Franciscan church in Dresden again readied for divine service, which after her was called the Sophienkirche. The "Duchess's Garden" also takes its name from Duchess Sophie. She died at Colditz Castle.

Issue

Sophie had the following children:
  1. Christian II, successor of his father as elector.
  2. John George I, successor of his brother as elector.
  3. Anna Sabine.
  4. Sophie, married on 26 August 1610 to Duke Francis I of Pomerania.
  5. Elisabeth.
  6. Augustus, married on 1 January 1612 to Elisabeth of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel. This marriage was childless.
  7. Dorothea, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg.

    Biographical accounts