Ernest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
| Ernest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach | |
|---|---|
Ernest, Margrave of Baden-Durlach
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| Spouse(s) |
Elisabeth of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach Ursula of Rosenfeld Anna Bombast of Hohenheim |
| Noble family | House of Zähringen |
| Father | Christopher I, Margrave of Baden |
| Mother | Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen |
| Born |
7 October 1482 Pforzheim |
| Died | 6 February 1553 (aged 70) Sulzburg |
Margrave Ernest I of Baden-Durlach (7 October 1482, Pforzheim – 6 February 1553, Sulzburg) was the founder of the so-called "Ernestine" line of the House of Baden, the line from which the later Grand Dukes descended. He was the ruling Margrave of Baden-Pforzheim from 1533 and resided in Pforzheim from 1537. In 1565, his son Charles II moved the capital to Durlach and thereby changed the name of his country to Baden-Durlach. He had to deal with the upcoming Reformation and the frequent Ottoman wars in Europe. In this turbulent time, he tried to maintain a neutral position between the Protestants and Catholics. He did not participate in the Schmalkaldic War.
Ernest was the seventh son of the Margrave Christopher I of Baden and Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen.
Ernest was at first — like most of his brothers — destined for the clergy and was ordained in 1496 in Graben-Neudorf by the Vicar General of Diocese of Speyer. But he was not willing to renounce his inheritance and changed from a spiritual career to a military one. In 1509 he participated in the campaign of the Emperor Maximilian I against the Republic of Venice.
His father, Margrave Christopher I, proposed to make his fifth son, Philip I his sole successor, since Philip was most qualified to govern the country and Christopher wanted to avoid a division of his territory. On 18 June 1511, Christopher demanded that the Estates of Rötteln, Sausenberg and Badenweiler salute Philip, but they refused. On subsequent meestings of the Estates in Rötteln and in 1512 in Kandern, they refused to pay homage to Philip, because they would not be drawn into the internal struggles of the house of Baden. Ernest had threatened the Estates that he would respond with violence if they were to pay homage to his brother.
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Wikipedia