From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Henry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxony (German: Heinrich der Fromme) (b. Dresden, 16 March 1473 – d. Dresden, 18 August 1541) was a Duke of Saxony from the House of Wettin.

He was the second son of Albert, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie Podiebrad, princess of Bohemia. After the death of his father (1500), his older brother Georg assumed the Duchy of Saxony and Heinrich became Hereditary Governor of Friesland.

The Saxon occupation of Friesland, however, was by no means secure and was the source of constant revolts in that province. Consequently Heinrich, who was of a rather inert disposition, relinquished his claims to the governorship, and in 1505 an agreement was made between the brothers by which Friesland was transferred to Georg, while Heinrich received an annuity and the districts of Freiberg -when Heinrich settled his residence- and Wolkenstein.

After the death of the only living son of his brother Georg, and according to the Act of Settlement of 1499, Georg's Protestant brother Heinrich was now heir-prospective; but Georg (a devoutly Catholic) disregarding his father's will, sought to disinherit his brother and to bequeath the duchy to Ferdinand, brother of Charles V. The sudden death of Georg prevented the carrying out of this intention

His reign, which lasted only two years (1539-1541), began when he was 66 years old. During this time Heinrich was a committed supporter of Martin Luther and introduced the Protestant Reformation to Saxony, making it the state religion.

In Freiberg on 6 July 1512 Heinrich married with Katharina, daughter of Duke Magnus II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had six children:

1. Sybille (b. Freiberg, 2 May 1515 - d. Buxtehude, 18 July 1592), married on 8 February 1540 to Duke Franz I of Saxe-Lauenburg.
2. Aemilia (b. Freiberg, 27 July 1516 - d. Ansbach, 9 March 1591), married on 25 August 1533 to Georg, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
3. Sidonie (b. Meissen, 8 March 1518 - d. Kloster Weissenfels, 4 January 1575), married on 17 May 1545 to Duke Erich II of Brunswick-Kalenberg
4. Maurice (b. Freiberg, 21 March 1521 - d. of wounds received in action at Sievershausen, 11 July 1553), later Elector of Saxony.
5. Severinus (b. Freiberg?, 28 August 1522 - d. Innsbruck, 10 October 1533).
6. Augustus (b. Freiberg, 31 July 1526 - d. Dresden, 11 February 1586).

• (German) Article in the ABD

 This article related to German royalty is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.