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Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg

1510–1581

Born
1510
Country of birth
Germany(inferred from the family)
Died
19 Mar 1581, Buxtehude
facts
8
sources
3
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

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A life in time

  1. Born

    Birth

  2. Child born: Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg

    Birth, Ratzeburg

  3. Child born: Ursula of Saxe-Lauenburg

    Birth

  4. Died · Buxtehude

    Death, Buxtehude

What was it like?

The world around 1510: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Ordinary people took great care of their clothing, which was considered an investment; garments were frequently passed down, gifted, or sold second-hand rather than discarded. In a 1577 charitable donation in Nuremberg, 100 poor men each received a standardized, durable outfit consisting of a black wool coat, a black wool waistcoat, black wool trousers, a black hat, a white linen shirt, and a pair of shoes.

Known for

Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest child and only son of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughter of Duke Henry IV the Elder of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel). He succeeded his father in 1543 as duke of Saxe-Lauenburg, but resigned in favour of his major son Magnus II in 1571. Two years later, he reascended and was succeeded by Francis II in 1581.

During their lifetime

  1. 1517

    Luther posts the Ninety-five Theses

    Martin Luther sparked the Reformation by posting his Ninety-five Theses in Wittenberg, fundamentally changing the religious and social lives of ordinary people.

  2. 1524

    The Great Peasants' War occurs

    Tens of thousands of peasants participated in a massive uprising across the German lands, demanding the abolition of feudal burdens and serfdom.

  3. 1534

    Public access to the postal system

    The postal system opened to the general public in the Holy Roman Empire, allowing anyone to send mail for a fee and transforming communication routines.

  4. 1555

    Peace of Augsburg enacted (1555)

    The 1555 Peace of Augsburg established the legal principle that local princes could determine the religion of their subjects as either Lutheran or Catholic. If subjects disagreed with their ruler's choice, they were granted the right to emigrate with their property and families.

  5. 1572

    Banking house collapse ruins economy (1572)

    The collapse of the major merchant and banking house Loitz in Stettin in 1572 caused widespread economic turmoil throughout the region of Pomerania.

  6. 1575

    Smallpox and measles epidemic (1575)

    A widespread outbreak of smallpox and measles occurred in Holstein in 1575, severely impacting the lives of local families.

Family

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Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.