Discover prince-elector, military personnel, art collector Johann Georg II von Sachsen

Name variations

This field records and makes accessible name variations, as found in sources. Alternate spellings, nicknames, maiden names - with or without the married name - are included in this category.

: Johann Georg II (Elector of Saxony)
Sachsen, Johann Georg von (II)
became Elector of Saxony in 1656

Qualifications: prince-elector, military personnel, art collector, commissioner (person who orders works)

Nationality/school: German

Born: Dresden 1613-05-31

Deceased: Freiberg (Sachsen) 1680-08-22
buried on 1 September 1680

Family relationships this field records any family relationship to one or more other artist(s).: 2nd son of Elector Christian I and Sophie of Brandenburg; father of Johann Georg III

See also In this field, you will find references to names of groups or to the artists that made/make up groups. You may also come across references to other artists if there was/is question of collaboration without a joint name. This is the case, for instance, with artists who rendered parts of works by other artists (such as with P.P Rubens and J. Brueghel I).

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Biographical information

Active in

Dresden 1611
John George succeeded to the electorate on 23 June 1611 on the death of his elder brother, Christian II. At the beginning of the Thirty Years War, , after first trying to stay neutral, he threw in his weight in with the Imperial party of Ferdinand III, despite being a Lutheran. Gradually, however, he was made uneasy by the obvious trend of the imperial policy towards the annihilation of Protestantism and the issue of the edict of restitution in March 1629 put the capstone to his fears. From now on he had a dual policy, trying to have his cake and eat it, parlying with both sides. When he concluded a treaty with emperor Ferdinadn II in Prague however in 1635, he declared war on the Swedes. As a result Saxony was heavely damaged by both parties, which resulted in Johann Georg's agreeing to a truce with Sweden in 1645. This was the end of the war for Saxony. At the Peace of Westphalia 1648 the truce of Prague was formalized. John Georg died in 1656: Although not without political acumen, John George was not a great ruler; his character appears to have been harsh and unlovely, and he was addicted to drink and other diversions such as hunting.

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Literature

Hantzsch 1902 , p. 264-279
Gerson 1942/1983 , p. 239

V. Hantzsch, 'Beiträge zur älteren Geschichte der kurfürstlichen Kunstkammer in Dresden', Neues Archiv für Sächsische Geschichte und Alterumskunde 23 (1902), p. 220-296
H. Chisholm,'John George I', in: Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 15 (11th ed.), Cambridge 1911, p. 459
K. Schlechte, '"Hier leuchtet / scheint und schimmert gantz". Die kunstkammer zur Zeit von Johann Georg II. und Johann Georg III. im Spiegel von Tobias Beutels Cedern-Wald', in: S. Syndram and M. Minning (eds.), Die Fürstlich-sächsische Kunstkammer in Dresden. Geschichte einer Sammlung, Dresden 2010

Project: Gerson Digital : Germany

External links: this prince in Brittannica

Permalink: https://rkd.nl/explore/artists/483108

Creation date: 2016-12-06; Last modified date: 2023-05-16

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Johann Georg II von Sachsen

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