WILHELM I "der Ältere" Herzog von Braunschweig und Lüneburg in Wolfenbüttel

WILHELM I "der Ältere" Herzog von Braunschweig und Lüneburg in Wolfenbüttel

• Son of HEINRICH von Braunschweig, son of BERNHARD I Herzog von Braunschweig und Lüneburg & his wife Margareta von Sachsen-Wittenberg & SOPHIE von Pommern, daughter of WARTISLAW VI Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast & his wife Anna von Mecklenburg
• Noble family: House of Welf
• Wilhelm I Herzog von Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Elected Knight of the Garter in 1450, but not installed.

Project MedLands, Brunkswick

WILHELM von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1392-Braunschweig 25 Jul 1482, bur Braunschweig Cathedral). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum names “Wilhelm” as the son of “Hertoghe Hinrick, Hertoghe Magnus sone to Brunswick unde Lunenborch” and his first wife[380]. He succeeded his father in 1416 as WILHELM I "der Ältere" Herzog von Braunschweig und Lüneburg in Wolfenbüttel. The Notæ Sancti Blasii record the death "1482 die Iacobi" of "princeps dominus Wilhelmus in Brunswik et Lunenburg dux"[381]. m firstly (Berlin 30 May 1423) CÄCILIE von Brandenburg, daughter of FRIEDRICH I Elector of Brandenburg & his wife Elisabeth von Bayern-Landshut (-4 Jan 1449, bur Braunschweig Cathedral). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum names “Cecilia”, who married “Hertoghen Wilhelm to Brunswick unde Lunenborch”, second of the five daughters of “Marggreve Frederick to Brandenborch unde Borggreve to Nurenbarge” and his wife[382]. The Notæ Sancti Blasii name "Cecilia de Brandenburg" as wife of "princeps dominus Wilhelmus in Brunswik et Lunenburg dux"[383]. m secondly (1466) as her second husband, MECHTILD von Holstein-Schauenburg, widow of BERNHARD II Herzog von Braunschweig in Lüneburg, daughter of OTTO II Graf von Holstein-Schauenburg & his wife Elisabeth von Honstein (-Neustadt am Rübenberge 22 Jul 1468, bur Braunschweig Cathedral). The Notæ Sancti Blasii name "Mechildis de Holstein et Schounborg" as second wife of "princeps dominus Wilhelmus in Brunswik et Lunenburg dux"[384]. Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum records that “de olde Hertoghe Wilhelm, Hertoghen Hinrikes sone to Brunswick unde to Lunenborch” married secondly “Metildam, eynes Greven dochter to Schomborch” who died in childbirth[385]. Mistress (1): CÄCILIA, daughter of ---.

Wilhelm I & his first wife Cecilia had two children:

• a) WILHELM von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (-7 Jul 1503, bur Münden St Blasius). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum names “Wilhelm unde Frederick” as the two sons of “de olde Hertoghe Wilhelm, Hertoghen Hinrikes sone to Brunswick unde to Lunenborch” and his wife “Ceciliam...to Brandenborch”[386]. He succeeded his father in 1482 as WILHELM II "der Jungere" Herzog von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel.
• b) FRIEDRICH von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel Münden 6 Mar 1495, bur Münden St Blasius). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum names “Wilhelm unde Frederick” as the two sons of “de olde Hertoghe Wilhelm, Hertoghen Hinrikes sone to Brunswick unde to Lunenborch” and his wife “Ceciliam...to Brandenborch”[387]. He succeeded in 1482 as FRIEDRICH II Herzog von Braunschweig-Calenberg. m firstly (Munich Feb 1463, divorced 1467) as her second husband, ANNA von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen, widow of ALBRECHT III "der Fromme" Duke of Bavaria-Munich, daughter of ERICH Herzog von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen & his wife Elisabeth von Braunschweig-Göttingen (1415-Nannhofen 9 Oct 1474, bur Andechs). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum names “Anna” fifth of the five daughters of “Hertoghe Ereke, Hertoghen Albrechtes sone to Brunswick, ein Here to Embeke” and his wife, who married “Hertoghen Albrecht to Beyeren” and secondly “Hertoghen Frederick, des olden Hertoghen Wilhelmes sone to Brunswick unde Lunenborch”[388]. m secondly (16 Nov 1483) MARGARETA von Rietberg, daughter of KONRAD [V] Graf von Rietberg & his wife --- (-[4 Jan 1533/6 Jun 1535]). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum records that “Hertoghe Frederick, Hertoghe Wilhelmes sone to Brunswick unde to Lunenborch” married secondly “Margaretam des Greven dochter van Retbarge”[389].

Wilhelm I & his second wife MECHTILD had one child:

• c) OTTO von Braunschweig (Neustadt am Rübenberge [20 Jul 1468]-[22 Jul] 1471, bur Kloster Obernkirchen). Botho’s Chronicon Brunsvicensium Picturatum records that “de olde Hertoghe Wilhelm, Hertoghen Hinrikes sone to Brunswick unde to Lunenborch” married secondly “Metildam, eynes Greven dochter to Schomborch” who died in childbirth giving birth to their son “Otto” who died young[390].
  

Wilhelm I had one illegitimate child by Mistress (1):

• d) SOPHIA . A nun in Marienau
  

Source Project MedLands, Brunswick - http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BRUNSWICK.htm#Katharinadied1563

History from Wikipedia

William was the eldest son of the Brunswick duke Henry the Mild from his first marriage with Sophia, daughter of the Griffin duke Wartislaw IV of Pomerania. Upon his father's death in 1416, he inherited the Brunswick Principality of Lüneburg which he ruled jointly with his younger half-brother Henry the Peaceful. William turned out to be an energetic ruler; he soon entered into numerous feuds with neighbouring princes such as the Archbishop of Bremen and the Bishop of Hildesheim, and supported the Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein in their fight against King Eric of Denmark. He also fought with Margrave Frederick of Meissen defeating the Hussite forces in the 1421 Battle of Brüx.

In 1428 William and Henry swapped Lüneburg with their uncle Duke Bernard I, for the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and the later Calenberg territory stretching from the Deister hill range to the Leine river. However, while again on a campaign in 1432, William was deposed by his brother. After fierce fratricidal warfare, Henry retained Wolfenbüttel while William was compensated with the territory west of the River Leine, separated from the rest of the duchy by the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim. These lands were to become known as the Principality of Calenberg (Fürstentum Calenberg), named after William's residence at Calenberg Castle and eventually raised to the Electorate of Hanover centuries later.

When the Brunswick princes of Göttingen became extinct with the death of Duke Otto the One-Eyed in 1463, William was able to take over their principality. After Henry the Peaceful died without sons in 1473, William had control of both parts of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel again; he then ceded the smaller Calenberg and Göttingen principalities to his sons Frederick III and William the Younger.

Links:

• The Peerage
• Geneall
• Wikipedia
• Finnholbek Get Person

Sources

• Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Prince of Lunenburg: 1416–1428 as William II joint reign with his younger half-brother Henry the Peaceful(Heinrich der Friedfertige)

Predecessor: Henry the Mild(Heinrich der Milde Successor: Bernard I

• Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Prince of Wolfenbüttel: 1428–1432 as William II joint reign with his younger half-brother Henry the Peaceful(Heinrich der Friedfertige)

Predecessor: Bernard I Successor: Henry the Peaceful(Heinrich der Friedfertige)

• Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Prince of Calenberg: 1432–1473

Predecessor: Calenberg disentangled from Wolfenbüttel Successor: Frederick III the Turbulent with his brother William the Younger

• Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Prince of Göttingen: 1450–1473 as William

Predecessor: Otto II Successor: Frederick III the Turbulent with his brother William the Younger

• Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Prince of Wolfenbüttel: 1473–1482 as William II

Predecessor: Henry the Peaceful(Heinrich der Friedfertige) Successor: Frederick III the Turbulent with his brother William the Younger

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Wilhelm I "den segerrike" av Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Wolfenbüttel, även kallad Wilhelm "den äldre" (på tyska Wilhelm "der Siegreiche" och Wilhelm "der Ältere"), född 1392, död i Braunschweig 25 juli 1482 och begravd i Braunschweigs katedral. Han var hertig av Braunschweig-Lüneburg 1416-1482 samt regerande furste av Lüneburg och senare av Wolfenbüttel. Son till hertig Henrik den milde av Braunschweig-Lüneburg (död 1416) och Sofia av Pommern (död 1400/1406).