Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg
| Joachim I Nestor | |
|---|---|
| Elector of Brandenburg | |
_-_Joachim_I_Nestor_-_Jagdschloss_Grunewald.jpg)
portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529
|
|
| Elector of Brandenburg | |
| Reign | 1499–1535 |
| Predecessor | John Cicero |
| Successor | Joachim II Hector |
| Born |
21 February 1484 Cölln |
| Died | 11 July 1535 (aged 51) Stendal |
| Spouse | Elizabeth of Denmark |
| Issue |
Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg Anna, Duchess of Mecklenburg Elisabeth, Duchess of Brunswick-Calenberg-Gottingen Margaret, Duchess of Pomerania, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst John, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin |
| House | House of Hohenzollern |
| Father | John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg |
| Mother | Margaret of Thuringia |
| Religion | Roman catholic |
Joachim I Nestor (21 February 1484 – 11 July 1535) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1499–1535), the fifth member of the House of Hohenzollern. His nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology.
The eldest son of John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg, Joachim received an excellent education under the supervision of Dietrich von Bülow, Bishop of Lebus and Chancellor of Frankfurt University. He became Elector of Brandenburg upon his father's death in January 1499, and soon afterwards married Elizabeth of Denmark, daughter of King John of Denmark. They had five children:
Joachim took some part in the political complications of the Scandinavian kingdoms, but the early years of his reign were mainly spent in the administration of his electorate, where he succeeded in restoring some degree of order through stern measures. He also improved the administration of justice, aided the development of commerce, and was sympathetic to the needs to the towns. On the approach of the imperial election of 1519, Joachim's vote was eagerly solicited by the partisans of King Francis I of France, and Charles of Burgundy. Having treated with both parties, and received lavish promises from them, he appears to have hoped to be Emperor himself; but when the election came, he turned to the winning side and voted for Charles. In spite of this, relations between the Emperor and the Elector were not friendly, and during the next few years Joachim was frequently in communication with Charles' enemies.
In the course of Hohenzollern power politics Joachim Nestor and his brother managed to get the latter, Albert of Mainz, first onto the sees of Magdeburg and then its suffragan of Halberstadt, both prince-bishoprics also comprising princely territories. Since prince-episcopal sees were so influential, competing candidates usually ran for them. A candidature could turn into a bribery competition, without ever knowing exactly how much competitors paid to obtain office. The expenditures involved, as far as they exceeded one's own potential, were usually advanced by creditors and had then to be recovered by levying dues from the subjects and parishioners in the prince-bishoprics and dioceses that were just acquired. The acquisition in 1514 of the very influential Prince-Archbishopric-Electorate of Mainz for Albert was a coup that provided the Hohenzollerns with control over two of the seven electoral votes in imperial elections and many suffragan dioceses to levy dues.
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