Peter von Biron
| Peter von Biron | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Courland and Semigallia | |
 |
|
| Reign | 1769 - 1795 |
| Predecessor | Ernst Johann von Biron |
| Successor | Catherine II of Russia (Russian Empire) |
| Born |
15 February 1724 Mitau, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia |
| Died | 13 January 1800 (aged 75) Gellenau Palace, Gellenau, Germany |
| Spouse |
Caroline of Waldeck and Pyrmont Eudoxia Borisovna Yusupova Dorothea von Medem |
| Issue |
Wilhelmine von Sagan Luise Pauline Maria Biron Johanna Katharina Dorothea von Biron |
| House | House of Biron |
| Father | Ernst Johann von Biron |
| Mother | Benigna Gottlieb von Trotha gt Treyden |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Peter von Biron (15 February 1724 – 13 January 1800) was the last Duke of Courland from 1769 to 1795.
Peter was born in Jelgava (German: Mitau) as the son of Ernst Johann von Biron, future Duke of Courland, and his wife Benigna von Trotha. When 16 years old, he was forced to follow his family into the Siberian exile. In 1769, Peter was given the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia by his father. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1771.
In 1775, he founded Academia Petrina in Jelgava hoping that the school would grow into a university. He ceded the government in the Duchy and then its territory to the Russian Empire in 1795, and received in return a high appanage. This helped him to buy and refurbish for his purposes a palace in Berlin's street of Unter den Linden (Palais Kurland, bought in 1782). In 1785, he bought the park and palace in Friedrichsfelde (part of today's Tierpark Berlin), which he rebuilt in luxurious beauty. In April 1786, he purchased the Duchy of Sagan from the Bohemian Lobkovic family, then additionally using the title of Duke of Żagań. In 1795, Russia determined the further fate of Courland when with its allies it began the third division of Poland. Given a "nice recommendation" by Russia, Duke Peter von Biron gave up his rights to Russia. With the signing of the final document on 28 March 1795, the Duchy of Courland ceased to exist. Five years later, Peter died in Gellenau.
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