Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
| Magnus II | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Mecklenburg | |
Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
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| Spouse(s) | Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin |
| Issue | |
| Noble family | Mecklenburg |
| Father | Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg |
| Mother | Dorothea of Hohenzollern |
| Born | 1441 |
| Died | 20 November 1503 (aged 61–62) Wismar |
| Buried | Doberan Minster |
Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow (1441 – 20 November 1503) was duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1477 until his death.
He was the son of Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Dorothea of Brandenburg, daughter of Elector Frederick I of Brandenburg. Duke Henry IV had re-united the Mecklenburg lands under his rule through his inheritance of the former Lordships of Werle and Stargard in 1436 and 1471, respectively. Near the end of his life, Henry IV devoted more and more time to hedonistic luxury, while Magnus and his brothers Albert and John took over the most active share in the business of government. John died in 1474 leaving a grieving widow, Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin, daughter of Eric II of Pomerania, whom Magnus married himself on 29 May 1478.
After Henry died in 1477, Magnus ruled the Duchy jointly with Albert. After Albert died in 1483, Magnus ruled alone, as his younger brother Balthasar did not care at all about governing. Magnus reigned until his death in 1503, when he was succeeded by his sons Henry V, Eric II and Albert VII, who at first ruled jointly until they split their lands into the duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Güstrow in 1520.
The duchy's debt increased excessively due to the lavish court life of Henry IV. Magnus sought to reduce that debt. He curtailed his own royal household in every way, and pawned goods and regalia. He tried to restore the shattered finances through the introduction of extraordinary Beden (from Lower Saxon Beden: goods to be delivered to the manor by the serfs). This caused tensions with the Hanseatic cities of and Wismar that were trying to achieve a more independent position.
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