John George III, Elector of Saxony
| Johann George III | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Elector of Saxony | |
| Reign | 22 August 1680 – 12 September 1691 |
| Predecessor | Johann George II |
| Successor | Johann George IV |
| Born |
20 June 1647 Dresden |
| Died | 12 September 1691 (aged 44) Tübingen |
| Burial | Cathedral of Freiberg |
| Spouse | Anna Sophie of Denmark |
| Issue |
John George IV, Elector of Saxony Augustus II, King of Poland |
| House | Wettin |
| Father | Johann Georg II, Elector of Saxony |
| Mother | Magdalene Sybille of Brandenburg-Bayreuth |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Johann George III (20 June 1647 – 12 September 1691) was Elector of Saxony from 1680 to 1691. He belonged to the Albertine line of the House of Wettin.
Johann Georg III was born in Dresden, the only son of Johann George II and Magdalene Sybille of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
John George succeeded his father as Elector of Saxony when he died, in 1680; he was also appointed Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire. Because of his courage and his enthusiasm for the War he gained the nickname of the "Saxonian Mars".
From his childhood, he learned the typical duties and manners of an heir to the throne. That included not only a strictly Lutheran education but also language tuition and instruction in the art of fortress building and warfare.
In character he resembled his father. He shared his liking for Italian music and theatre. In 1685 John George III met the Venetian opera singer Margarita Salicola and began a relationship; he brought her to Dresden (not only to work, but also as his official mistress). She began a new era for the opera in Saxony, which had previously been dominated by the castrati. In 1686, the pietist Philipp Jakob Spener became the court chaplain in Dresden. But Spener was not generally accepted there and in 1691 he moved to Brandenburg.
Meanwhile, the duchy had recovered again from the consequences of the Thirty Years' War. By 1689, Dresden had a population of 21,300 and was becoming less provincial. Four years before, in 1685, the old city of Dresden was destroyed by a fire; later, Wolf Caspar von Klengel and Balthasar Permoser were entrusted by the Duke with the reconstruction of the city in the baroque style which was the new fashion at the time.
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