Frederick IV, Elector Palatine

Elector Palatine
The basics

Quick Facts

IntroElector Palatine
PlacesGermany
wasNoble
Work fieldRoyals
Gender
Male
Birth5 March 1574, Amberg, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany
Death19 September 1610Heidelberg, Karlsruhe Government Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (aged 36 years)
Family
Mother:Elisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatine
Father:Louis VI, Elector Palatine
Spouse:Countess Louise Juliana of Nassau
Children:Frederick V Elector Palatine Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate Louis Philip Count Palatine of Simmern-Kaiserslautern Louise Juliana of the Palatinate
The details

Biography

Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine (German: Kurfürst Friedrich IV. von der Pfalz; 5 March 1574 – 19 September 1610), only surviving son of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse, called "Frederick the Righteous" (German: Friedrich Der Aufrichtige; French: Frédéric IV le juste).

Life

Born in Amberg, his father died in October 1583 and Frederick came under the guardianship of his uncle, John Casimir, an ardent Calvinist. The Calvinist mathematician and astronomer Bartholemaeus Pitiscus served as Frederick's tutor and later became court preacher.

In January 1592, Frederick assumed control of the government of the Electorate of the Palatinate upon the death of John Casimir. Frederick continued John Casimir's anti-Catholic measures and in 1608 became the head of the Protestant military alliance known as the Protestant Union. He soon fell prey to alcoholism, leaving state matters largely to his chief minister Christian of Anhalt. Frederick IV died in 1610 in Heidelberg.

Family and children

In 1593 he married Louise Juliana of Nassau, the daughter of William I of Orange and Charlotte de Bourbon-Monpensier. They had eight children:

  • Luise Juliane of the Palatinate (Heidelberg, 16 July 1594 - Meisenheim, 28 April 1640); married in 1612 to Pfalzgraf John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken.
  • Katharina Sofie of the Palatinate (Heidelberg, 10 June 1595 - Köln an der Spree, 28 June 1626).
  • Frederick V, Elector Palatine (Jagdschloß Deinschwang, 16 August 1596 - Mainz, 29 November 1632).
  • Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (Neumarkt, 19 November 1597 - Crossen an der Oder, 26 April 1660); married in 1616 to Elector George William of Brandenburg.
  • Anna Eleonore of the Palatinate (Heidelberg, 4 January 1599 - Heidelberg, 10 October 1600).
  • Louis William of the Palatinate (Heidelberg, 5 August 1600 - Heidelberg, 10 October 1600).
  • Maurice Christian of the Palatinate (Heidelberg, 18 September 1601 - Heidelberg, 28 March 1605).
  • Louis Philip, Count Palatine of Simmern-Kaiserslautern (Heidelberg, 23 November 1602 - Krossen, 6 January 1655).

Ancestors

Ancestors of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. John I, Count Palatine of Simmern
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. John II, Count Palatine of Simmern
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Joanna of Nassau-Saarbrücken
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Frederick III, Elector Palatine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Christopher I of Baden-Baden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Beatrix of Baden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Louis VI, Elector Palatine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. Frederick I of Brandenburg-Ansbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Sophia Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Susanna of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Kunigunde of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Louis II, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. William II, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Mathilde of Württemberg-Urach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Elisabeth of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Albert, Duke of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. George, Duke of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Sidonie of Poděbrady
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Christine of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Casimir IV Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Barbara Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Elizabeth of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
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