Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
| Johann Wilhelm | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Duke of Saxony | |
| Reign | November 1566 – 1572 |
| Predecessor | Johann Friedrich II |
| Duke of Saxe-Weimar | |
| Reign | 1572 – 2 March 1573 |
| Successor | Friedrich Wilhelm I |
| Born |
11 March 1530 Torgau, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 2 March 1573 (aged 42) Weimar, Saxe-Weimar, Holy Roman Empire |
| Spouse | Dorothea Susanne of Simmern |
| Issue among others... |
Friedrich Wilhelm I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Maria, Abbess of Quedlinburg |
| House |
House of Wettin Ernestine Line |
| Father | Johann Frederick I, Elector of Saxony |
| Mother | Sibylle of Cleves |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Johann Wilhelm (11 March 1530 – 2 March 1573) was a duke of Saxe-Weimar.
He was the second son of Johann Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sibylle of Cleves.
At the time of his birth, his father still carried the title Elector of Saxony, but he lost it in 1547 after his defeat and capture by the Emperor Charles V due to his support of the Protestant Reformation. Johann Frederick was released and forced to adopt the lesser title of duke of Saxony in an area substantially smaller than his former lands in Thuringia. In 1554, after the death of his father, Johann Wilhelm inherited the duchy of Saxony with his older brother, Johann Friedrich II, and his younger brother, Johann Friedrich III.
The three brothers divided the duchy: Johann Friedrich II as head of the family took Eisenach and Coburg; Johann Wilhelm received Weimar; and Johann Friedrich III inherited Gotha. In 1565, however, when Johann Frederick III died without heirs, the two surviving brothers drew up a new treaty that divided his lands. The older brother retained his original lands and occupied Gotha, whereas Johann William retained his lands in Weimar. The partition plan also stipulated that the two brothers should exchange their regions among themselves every three years. This provision was never carried out, however.
The political policies of Johann Friedrich II were directed towards recovering the lands and title of elector lost by his father in 1547. He did briefly recover the electorate during the period 1554–1556, but his involvement in political intrigues angered the Emperor Maximilian II. The Emperor finally imposed the Reichsacht (Imperial ban) on him, which made him the object of a Reichsexekution (Imperial police action) in which Johann Wilhelm participated. After a siege of his castle in Gotha, Johann Friedrich was finally defeated in 1566 and spent the rest of his life as an Imperial prisoner. His possessions were confiscated by the Emperor and handed over to Johann Wilhelm, who thereby became the only ruler of the entire duchy of Saxony.
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