Magnus I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Magnus I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Spouse(s)	Sophia of Brandenburg-Stendal
Noble family	House of Guelph
Father	Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Rixa of Werle
Born	1304
Died	1369

Magnus I (1304–1369), called the Pious (Latin Pius), was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

The son of Albert the Fat, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Magnus was still a minor when his father died in 1318; he and his brother Ernest were put under the guardianship of their elder brother Otto, who continued as sole ruler even after his brothers came of age. After marrying Sophia, a niece of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Magnus was appointed margrave of Landsberg and count palatine of Saxony by the Emperor in 1333. Magnus took residence at Sangerhausen. When Otto died in 1344, Magnus and Ernest jointly took over government of the state; but already on 17 April 1345, they agreed to divide the territory. Magnus received the Principality of Wolfenbüttel.

In 1346, a border war between Wolfenbüttel and the Archbishop of Magdeburg broke out. In exchange for help in this conflict, Magnus sold the Margraviate of Landsberg to Frederick II, Margrave of Meißen. But the Archbishop conquered Schöningen in 1347, and Magnus had to cede Hötensleben and some other possessions to the Archbishop. Financially ruined by the war, Magnus could not stop the cities in the state from acquiring more and more rights; especially the City of Brunswick was becoming more powerful.

In 1348, the Emperor gave Landsberg and the Palatinate of Saxony to Bernard, Prince of Anhalt. The ensuing conflict over these territories between Magnus and Bernard ended amicably with a marriage between Magnus' son Magnus and Catherine, daughter of Valdemar, Prince of Anhalt.

Magnus attempted to secure the Principality of Lüneburg for his son Louis, so that it could be reunited with Wolfenbüttel. The prince of Lüneburg, William II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a member of the same house to which Magnus belonged, the House of Welf, did not have sons; however, he had already promised the principality to a son of his daughter, a relative of the Duke of Saxony, before he agreed to Magnus' plan. Louis then married William's daughter Matilda. A lengthy conflict broke out that culminated in the Lüneburg Succession War, which was resolved only in 1388.

In 1367, Magnus joined Dietrich, Archbishop of Magdeburg, Albert, Bishop of Halberstadt, Valdemar, Prince of Anhalt, and others in a campaign against Gerhard of Berg, Bishop of Hildesheim; they were defeated by Hildesheim in a battle near Farmsen and Dinklar on 3 September. Magnus was taken prisoner, and had to buy his freedom. He died in Summer of 1369.

Family

Around 1327, Magnus married Sophia (died 1356), the daughter of Henry I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal. They had the following children that reached adulthood:

• Magnus (died 1373)
• Louis (died 1367), married Matilda, daughter of William II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
• Albert, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen (died 1395)
• Henry, Provost of Halberstadt Cathedral
• Ernest
• Matilda, married Bernhard III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
• Agnes, married in 1360 to Count Henry of Hohnstein
• Sophie, married Count Dietrich V of Hohnstein

Ancestry

Ancestors of Magnus I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

16. William of Winchester, Lord of Lüneburg               8. Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                       17. Helena of Denmark               4. Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                             18. Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg               9. Matilda of Brandenburg                       19. Matilda of Lusatia               2. Albert the Fat, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                   20. William VI, Marquess of Montferrat               10. Boniface II, Marquess of Montferrat                       21. Berta di Clavesana               5. Adelheid of Montferrat                             22. Amadeus IV, Count of Savoy               11. Margaret of Savoy                       23. Marguerite of Burgundy               1. Magnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                         24. Henry Borwin II, Lord of Mecklenburg               12. Nicholas I, Prince of Mecklenburg-Werle                       25. Kristina of Sweden               6. Henry I, Prince of Mecklenburg-Güstrow                             26. Henry I, Count of Anhalt               13. Jutta of Anhalt                       27. Irmgard of Thuringia               3. Rixa of Mecklenburg-Werle                                   28. Magnus Minnesköld               14. Birger Jarl                       29. Ingrid Ylva               7. Rikissa Birgersdotter                             30. Eric X of Sweden               15. Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden                       31. Richeza of Denmark

References

• Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vol. 20, p. 62-64
• Zedlers Universal-Lexicon, vol. 19, p. 240-241
• at the House of Welf site