| Frederick III | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder | |
| Elector of Saxony | |
| Reign | 26 August 1486 – 5 May 1525 |
| Predecessor | Ernest |
| Successor | John |
| Born | 17 January 1463 Torgau, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 5 May 1525 (aged 62) Castle Lochau near Annaburg, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Burial | |
| House | House of Wettin |
| Father | Ernest, Elector of Saxony |
| Mother | Elisabeth of Bavaria |
| Religion |
|
| Signature | .PNG) |
Frederick III (17 January 1463 – 5 May 1525), also known as Frederick the Wise (German: Friedrich der Weise), was Prince-elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, who is mostly remembered for the protection given to his subject Martin Luther, the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation. Frederick was the son of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria.
He was one of the most powerful early defenders of Martin Luther, as the elector successfully protected him from the Holy Roman Emperor, the Pope and others.[1] He was ostensibly led, not by religious conviction about the possible truthness of Luther's propositions, but rather by personal belief in a fair trial for any of his subjects (a privilege guaranteed by the imperial statutory law) and the rule of law.
The prince-elector is considered to have remained a Roman Catholic all his life, yet gradually inclining toward doctrines of the Reformation and supposedly converting on his deathbed.[2]
He is held in high regard by Protestants in church history, and is officially commemorated as an exemplary Christian ruler in the Calendar of Saints of the American Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod every 5 May.
- ^ Tomczak, Benjamin. "Review of Sam Wellman's Frederick the Wise", Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
- ^ "Frederick the Wise". Devillier Donegan Enterprise. Retrieved 25 December 2013 – via PBS.