Christian I, Elector of Saxony

Christian I of Saxony (29 October 1560 – 25 September 1591) was Elector of Saxony from 1586 to 1591. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin.

Christian I
Elector of Saxony
Reign	11 February 1586 – 25 September 1591
Predecessor	Augustus I
Successor	Christian II
Born	29 October 1560 Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
Died	25 September 1591(1591-09-25) (aged 30) Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
Burial	Freiberg Cathedral
Spouse	Sophie of Brandenburg
Issue Detail	Christian II, Elector of Saxony John George I, Elector of Saxony Sophie, Duchess of Pomerania Prince Augustus Dorothea, Abbess of Quedlinburg
House	House of Wettin
Father	Augustus I, Elector of Saxony
Mother	Anna of Denmark
Religion	Lutheran

Christian I of Saxony by Carlo di Cesare del Palagio c.1610, Museom of Old Masters, Dresden

Christian of Saxony as a prince, medal, 1574

He was the sixth but second surviving son of Augustus, Elector of Saxony and Anna of Denmark. The death of his older brother, Alexander (8 October 1565), made him the new heir apparent to the Electorate of Saxony.

Christian succeeded his father when he died, in 1586. His chancellor was Nikolaus Krell. During his reign, the first measurement was made of the Electorate of Saxony by Matthias Oeder. Later, the work of Oeder was continued by Balthasar Zimmermann until 1633 and completed as far as possible.

In 1591 his wife organised a set of 12 suits of armour that she planned to give him as a Christmas present. A number of the suits survive.

Family

In Dresden on 25 April 1582, Christian married Sophie, daughter of John George, Elector of Brandenburg. They had seven children:

1. Christian II (b. Dresden, 23 September 1583 – d. Dresden, 23 June 1611), successor of his father as Elector.
2. John George I (b. Dresden, 5 March 1585 – d. Dresden, 8 October 1656), successor of his brother as Elector.
3. Anna Sabine (b. Dresden, 25 January 1586 – d. Dresden, 24 March 1586) died in infancy.
4. Sophie (b. Dresden, 29 April 1587 – d. Stettin, 9 December 1635), married on 26 August 1610 to Duke Francis I of Pomerania.
5. Elisabeth (b. Dresden, 21 July 1588 – d. Dresden, 4 March 1589) died in infancy.
6. Augustus (b. Dresden, 7 September 1589 – d. Naumburg, 26 December 1615), married on 1 January 1612 to Elisabeth of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel. This marriage was childless.
7. Dorothea (b. Dresden, 7 January 1591 – d. Quedlinburg, 17 November 1617), Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg (1610).

Ancestry

Ancestors of Christian I, Elector of Saxony

16. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony 8. Albert, Duke of Saxony 17. Margarete of Austria-Styria 4. Henry IV, Duke of Saxony 18. George Podiebrad, King of Bohemia 9. Sidonie Podiebrad 19. Kunigunde of Sternberg 2. Augustus, Elector of Saxony 20. Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 10. Magnus II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 21. Dorothea of Brandenburg 5. Catherine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 22. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast 11. Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin 23. Sophia of Pomerania-Stolp 1. Christian I, Elector of Saxony 24. Christian I, King of Denmark 12. Frederick I, King of Denmark 25. Dorothea of Brandenburg 6. Christian III, King of Denmark 26. John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg 13. Anna of Brandenburg 27. Margaret of Thuringia 3. Anna of Denmark 28. John V of Saxe-Lauenburg 14. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 29. Dorothea of Brandenburg 7. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg 30. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 15. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 31. Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast

References

• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Saxony" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Literature

• Christa Schille (1957), "Christian I.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 3, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 230–231; (full text online)
• Ilse Schunke: Beitraege zur Politik des Kurfürsten Christian I. v. Sachsen 1586-1591 vornehmlich in den Jahren 1586/89, Munich, 1922 (in German)

External links

• Media related to Christian I, Elector of Saxony at Wikimedia Commons