Ferdinand Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern

Ferdinand Albert I (German: Ferdinand Albrecht I.; 22 May 1636 – 23 April 1687), a member of the House of Welf, was a Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. After a 1667 inheritance agreement in the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, he received the secundogeniture of Brunswick-Bevern, which he ruled until his death.

Ferdinand Albert I
Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Ferdinand Albert of Brunswick
Born	22 May 1636 Brunswick, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Died	23 April 1687 (aged 50) Bevern, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Noble family	House of Welf
Spouse(s)	Christine of Hesse-Eschwege
Detail Issue Ferdinand Albert II Ernest Ferdinand
Father	Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg

Life

Ferdinand Albert was born in Brunswick, the fourth son of Duke Augustus the Younger, reigning Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, from his third marriage with Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg. Raised at his father's residence, the young man received a comprehensive education, with Justus Georg Schottel and Sigmund von Birken among his tutors.

After the father's death in 1666, the sons quarreled about the heritage. Eventually, Ferdinand Albert received the palace of Bevern near Holzminden, some feudal rights, and a certain amount of money in exchange for his claims to the government of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, which was to be ruled by his elder half-brothers Rudolph Augustus and Anthony Ulrich.

Ferdinand Albert joined the Royal Society in 1665 and was admitted to the Fruitbearing Society by Duke Augustus of Saxe-Weissenfels in 1673. Over the years, however, he grew more and more eccentric, and at some point his brothers had to send a military force to restore order at his palace. He collected many works of art, which later became part of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Brunswick. He died in 1687 at Bevern; his son and successor, Ferdinand Albert II, inherited the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel decades later.

Family

Ferdinand Albert married Christine of Hesse-Eschwege (30 October 1648 - 18 March 1702), a daughter of Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Eschwege, in 1667. They had the following children that reached adulthood:

• Sophia Eleanora (1674–1711), died childless
• Augustus Ferdinand (1677–1704), died childless
• Ferdinand Albert II (1680–1735)
• Ferdinand Christian (1682–1706), died childless
• Ernest Ferdinand (1682–1746)
• Henry Ferdinand (1684–1706), died childless

Ancestors

Ancestors of Ferdinand Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern

16. Henry I of Lüneburg 8. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 17. Margarete of Saxony 4. Henry III, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 18. Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg 9. Sophia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 19. Ursula of Brandenburg 2. Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 20. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 10. Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg 21. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 5. Ursula of Saxe-Lauenburg-Ratzeburg 22. Henry IV, Duke of Saxony 11. Sibylle of Saxony 23. Catherine of Mecklenburg 1. Ferdinand Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 24. John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg 12. John VII, Duke of Mecklenburg 25. Anna Sophie of Prussia 6. John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 26. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp 13. Sophia of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp 27. Christine of Hesse 3. Elizabeth Sophia of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 28. Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg 14. Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg 29. Anna of Brandenburg 7. Elizabeth of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch 30. Gustav I of Sweden 15. Princess Elizabeth of Sweden 31. Margareta Leijonhufvud

References

• At the House of Welf site
• Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliographie, vol. 6, p. 679-681