Frederick III, Elector of Saxony

"Frederick the Wise" redirects here. For the Labour Party politician, see Frederick Wise, 1st Baron Wise.

Frederick III
Elector of Saxony Landgrave of Thuringia
Frederick in a portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Elector of Saxony
Reign	26 August 1483 – 5 May 1525
Predecessor	Ernst
Successor	John the Constant
Born	(1463-01-17)17 January 1463 Torgau
Died	Langau
Burial	Schlosskirche, Wittenberg
House	House of Wettin
Father	Ernst, Elector of Saxony
Mother	Elisabeth of Bavaria
Religion	Roman Catholic

Frederick III (17 January 1463 – 5 May 1525), also known as Frederick the Wise (German "Friedrich der Weise"), was Elector of Saxony (from the House of Wettin) from 1486 to his death. Frederick was the son of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria. He is notable as being one of the most powerful early defenders of Martin Luther, Lutheranism and the Protestant Reformation although he had little personal contact with Luther himself. Fredericks' treasurer Degenhart Pfaffinger (a German dynasty), spoke on behalf of him to Martin Luther. Pfaffinger supported Frederick since the joint pilgrimage to the holy land. He is considered to have remained a Roman Catholic all his life, yet gradually inclining toward doctrines of the Reformation.

Frederick III is commemorated as a Christian ruler in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod on 5 May. His court painter from 1504 was Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Silver Saxony coin of Frederick III, known as a Groschen, minted ca. 1507–25. Both the obverse and the reverse bear a coat of arms.

Biography

Born in Torgau, he succeeded his father as elector in 1486; in 1502, he founded the University of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon taught.

Frederick was among the princes who pressed the need of reform upon Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and in 1500 he became president of the newly formed council of regency (Reichsregiment).

Frederick was Pope Leo X's candidate for Holy Roman Emperor in 1519—the pope had awarded him the Golden Rose of virtue on 3 September 1518—but he helped secure the election of Charles V. Frederick ensured Luther would be heard before the Diet of Worms in 1521 and subsequently secured an exemption from the Edict of Worms for Saxony.

Frederick collected many alleged relics in his castle church; his inventory of 1518 listed 17,443 items, including a thumb from St. Anne, a twig from Moses' burning bush, hay of the holy manger, and milk from the Virgin Mary. Money was paid in order to venerate these relics and thus escape years in purgatory. A diligent and pious person who rendered appropriate devotion to each of these relics could merit 1,902,202 years worth of penance (an earthly equivalent of time otherwise spent in Purgatory, removed by indulgences). Two years later, the collection exceeded 19,000 pieces.

He protected Martin Luther from the Pope's enforcement of the edict by faking a highway attack on Luther's way back to Wittenberg, abducting and then hiding him at Wartburg Castle following the Diet of Worms.

Frederick died unmarried at Lochau, a hunting castle near Annaburg (30 km southeast of Wittenberg), in 1525 and was buried in the Schlosskirche at Wittenberg with a grave by Peter Vischer the Younger. He was succeeded by his brother Duke John the Steadfast as Elector of Saxony.

Ancestry

Family of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony

16. Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia               8. Frederick I, Elector of Saxony                       17. Catherine of Henneberg-Schleusingen               4. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony                             18. Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               9. Catherine of Brunswick                       19. Sofie of Pomerania-Wolgast               2. Ernst, Elector of Saxony                                   20. Leopold III, Duke of Austria               10. Ernest, Duke of Austria                       21. Viridis Visconti               5. Margaret of Austria                             22. Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia               11. Cymburgis of Masovia                       23. Alexandra of Lithuania               1. Frederick III, Elector of Saxony                                         24. John II, Duke of Bavaria               12. Ernest, Duke of Bavaria                       25. Catherine of Gorizia               6. Albert III, Duke of Bavaria                             26. Bernabò Visconti               13. Elisabetta Visconti                       27. Beatrice della Scala               3. Elisabeth of Bavaria                                   28. Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen               14. Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen                       29. Agnes of Brunswick               7. Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck                             30. Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Göttingen               15. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Göttingen                       31. ?either his 1st wife, Miroslawa of Holstein-Plön, or his 2nd wife, Margaret of Jülich

See also

• Portrait of Frederick III of Saxony
• Luther (2003 film)

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

Frederick III, Elector of Saxony House of Wettin Born: 17 January 1463 Died: 5 May 1525
Preceded by Ernest	Elector of Saxony 1486–1525	Succeeded by John the Constant