Frederick II the Wise (German: Friedrich II.) (9 December 1482 - 26 February 1556) was the Elector Palatine from 1544 until 1556.
Life[]
Frederick was born in Winzingen in 1482 as a son of Philip, Elector Palatine. Frederick moved to the Habsburg court in the Burgundian Netherlands near Philip the Handsome. He was made the guardian for his nephews Otto Henry and Philip (the Dukes of Neuburg) in 1505. In 1507 he fought in for the Emperor Maximilian I against the Republic of Venice. In 1520 after the death of his father, he was made the governor of the Upper Palatinate. He moved the capital from Neumarkt to Amberg and rebuilt its castle. He later served as a diplomat for the Emperor Ferdinand I in Paris, Madrid and Rome.
In 1544 his brother Louis V, Elector Palatine, died and Frederick succeeded him. In 1546 he officially introduced the Reformation into the Palatinate, immediately coming under the Imperial Ban. To save his family and his territories, he reverted to Catholicism.
Frederick died in Alzey in 1556, and was buried in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Heidelberg.
Marriage[]
Frederick married Dorothy of Denmark (1520 - 1580) in 1535. The marriage was childless.
Frederick II, Elector Palatine Born: 9 December 1482 Died: 26 February 1556
| ||
| Preceded by Louis V |
Elector Palatine 1544–1556 |
Succeeded by Otto Henry |