John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick

John Frederick
John Frederick
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Prince of Calenberg
	John Frederick, c. 1675, by Johann Hulsman
Born	25 April 1625; Herzberg am Harz, Göttingen, Principality of Calenberg, Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire
Died	18 December 1679 (aged 54); Mixed Imperial City of Augsburg, Kingdom of Germany, Holy Roman Empire
Spouse	Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate (m. 1668)
Issue	Princess Charlotte Felicitas of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Wilhelmina Amalia, Holy Roman Empress;
House	Hanover
Father	George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt

John Frederick (German: Johann Friedrich; 25 April 1625 in Herzberg am Harz – 18 December 1679 in Augsburg)^[1] was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He ruled over the Principality of Calenberg, a subdivision of the duchy, from 1665 until his death.

The third son of George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, John converted to the Roman Catholic Church, the only member of his family to do so, in 1651, as a result of a visit while in Italy to Saint Joseph of Cupertino.^[2] He received Calenberg when his elder brother George William inherited the Principality of Lüneburg. In 1666, he had a palace built in Herrenhausen near Hanover that was inspired by the Palace of Versailles and is famous for its gardens, the Herrenhausen Gardens.

In 1667, he employed as his master builder the Venetian architect Girolamo Sartorio, who designed many buildings in the town, including the Neustädter Kirche, and was instrumental in the expansion of the Herrenhausen Gardens.

In 1676, John Frederick employed Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz as Privy Councillor and librarian of the important ducal library. Thus began Leibniz's 40-year association with the House of Hanover, which resulted in three generations of Hanovers being patrons to one of the most eminent philosophers and mathematicians of Europe.

Funeral thaler for John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1679)

John Frederick, ca. 1670, after Jean Michelin

Children

Charlotte Felicitas, his middle daughter

John Frederick married Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate (14 March 1652 – 12 August 1730), daughter of Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern and Anna Gonzaga, on 30 November 1668. They had four daughters:

Anna Sophie (10 February 1670 – 24 March 1672), died in childhood;
Charlotte Felicitas (8 March 1671 – 29 September 1710), married Rinaldo d'Este, Duke of Modena
Henriette Maria (9 March 1672 – 4 September 1687), died unmarried;
Wilhelmina Amalia (1673 – 10 April 1742), married Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor

Ancestry

Ancestors of John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick

8. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

4. William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

9. Sophia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

2. George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

10. Christian III of Denmark

5. Dorothea of Denmark

11. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg

1. John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

12. George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

6. Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt

13. Magdalene of Lippe

3. Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt

14. John George, Elector of Brandenburg

7. Magdalena von Brandenburg

15. Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst

Notes

^ "Hamburg den 29. December". Swenska Ordinarie Post-Tijender (in Swedish). 13 January 1680. p. 3.
^ Pastrovicchi, O.M.C., Father Angelo. "Saint Joseph of Copertino". Internet Archive. Retrieved 22 October 2021.

References

German nobility
John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick House of Hanover Cadet branch of the House of Welf Born: 25 April 1625 Died: 18 December 1679
Preceded by George William	Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Calenberg 1665–1679	Succeeded by Ernest Augustus

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[1] "Hamburg den 29. December". Swenska Ordinarie Post-Tijender (in Swedish). 13 January 1680. p. 3.

[Cupertino-2] Pastrovicchi, O.M.C., Father Angelo. "Saint Joseph of Copertino". Internet Archive. Retrieved 22 October 2021.

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[2]