Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

Christian Ernest, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (German: Christian Ernst) (b. Bayreuth, 6 August 1644 - d. Erlangen, 20 May 1712), was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

He was the only son of Erdmann August, Hereditary Margrave (Erbmarkgraf) of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, by his wife and first cousin, Sophie of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

The death of his father (6 February 1651) make him the new heir of Bayreuth. He succeded his grandfather Christian as Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth when he died, on 30 May 1655 with only ten years. Because of this, his uncle Georg Albrecht acted as regent until 1664, when he was declared adult and asumed the government of his principality.

Life

Christian Ernst take a seriousness decision when he centralized the regional authorities in Bayreuth, settled the Huguenots in Erlangen and created a Knight's Academy (German: Ritterakademie), the basis for the Regional University of Erlangen (German: Landesuniversität Erlangen).

As Margrave, he appeared as a faithful supporter of the Emperor Leopold I, whom he supported with war trains, so in wars against Holland, Lorraine and the liberation of Vienna from the Turks. He pursued consistently a military career whose starting point on 12 February 1664, when was appointed colonel of the Franconian Circle. In connection with this, from 1668, the armament and development of his(its) own dominion began as a military source of help which should lead the Markgraftum Brandenburg Bayreuth soon to the borders of the maximum stress. Already 1672 it came to the first financial crisis which should not remain the last, however.

His(Its) military ambitions did from Christian seriousness, however, the single margrave of Bayreuth, the imperial-political really importance(meaning) has attained. After the support of the emperor in the wars against Holland he(it) was appointed by this on the 27th March 1676 to the field marshal's lieutenant to be involved farther in Christian seriousness a stimulus, in the next military discussions.

By the liberation of Vienna from the Turks 1683 he(it) was a participant of the relief army. He(it) brought numerous trophies which were still issued till 19th century in the city church to Bayreuth. To the proclamation of his(its) fame he(it) can be represented itself on a rider's fountain in an absolutistic idolization as a conqueror of the Turks.

1691 he(it) was appointed the imperial field marshal and he(it) took over 1692 the high commands about the groups of the imperial army in the high run of the Rhine. But already appeared here that his(its) talent of the task had not grown, so that he(it) delivered the command to Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden. During the Spanish war of succession he(it) still gained some victories to it on the 22nd May, 1707 for his(its) fatal decision came. Christian seriousness lost the overview about the events on the spot and joined to the opinion of a subordinated general who stepped back from the groups Ludwig XIV and revealed Stollhofener line. The front was thereby opened far and French troops were made possible the entry to Swabia and Plünderzüge to far to Bavaria. His(its) military career was finished by this weighty mistake.

Near his(its) military career he(it) was also an advocate and benefactor of the art. As a successor of the Bayreuther Latin school he(it) donated 1664 a secondary school which carries still today his(its) name, the secondary school Christian Ernestinum. On the place(square) of the stables he(it) built 1672 a castle church. He(it) let 1695 of the Bamberger architect Leonhard Dientzenhofer (1660-1707) build the octagonal castle tower. 1686 he(it) allowed to put on Neustadt in favour of the Huguenots expelled by Ludwig XIV in Erlangen to which then soon also refugees from the Palatinate destroyed by the Palatinate war of succession came.

The margrave was a lover of horses and dogs. From the latter he(it) possessed 85.

Marriages and Issue

The margrave was married three times, from the second marriage with Sophie Luis von Württemberg came the hereditary prince Georg Wilhelm who was born 1678 and Christiane Eberhardine, the wife of August of the strong. The lifestyle of both last wives and the own of the margrave tightened the financial situation of the Markgraftums substantially.

The known baroque writer Sigmund von Birken has set Christian seriousness with 1668 appeared high-royal Brandenburg Ulysses a literary monument.