Maurice, Duke and Elector of Saxony

MAURICE, Duke and Elector of Saxony. - Born at Freiberg on 21 March 1521. He belonged to the ducal (Albertine) branch of the Wettins and succeeded his father, Duke Henry, in 1541. He had already adhered to Lutheranism and in 1539 had married Agnes of Hesse, daughter of Landgrave Philip, one of the creators of the Schmalkaldic League.

However, concerned with defending his domains in conflict with the Elector of Saxony John Frederick (of the Ernestine branch), he did not commit himself openly to the Lutheran cause and maintained good relations with the Emperor; and when, after the Peace of Crépy, Charles V placed the Landgrave of Hesse and the Elector of Saxony under the ban of the Empire, he drew closer to the Emperor, attracted by the promise of obtaining the Saxon electorate. He thus took part in Charles V's retinue at the Battle of Mühlberg (1547) and was rewarded with the conferral of the electorate. Now he had nothing more to gain from the Emperor and hinted at distancing himself from him, uneasy about Charles V's absolutist tendencies. He negotiated secretly with the Lutheran princes and with the King of France, and in 1535, when Henry II began his expedition against Metz, M. suddenly manifested his hostile intentions toward Charles V, forcing him into the famous night flight to Innsbruck and south of the Brenner. In this way M. saved the faltering fortunes of German Protestantism, of which he would have become the leader had he not, immediately afterward, on 9 July 1553, met his death at the Battle of Sievershausen against Albert of Brandenburg. His disappearance induced the Lutheran princes to agree to the negotiations that led to the religious Peace of Augsburg (1555).

Francesco Cognasso