Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Harburg

Otto, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1495 – 1549) was the Prince of Lüneburg from 1520 to 1527 and Baron of Harburg from 1527 to 1549.

Life

Otto was born on 24 August 1495 as the eldest son of Henry the Middle and his wife, Margarete of Saxony. Like his brothers, Ernest and Francis he studied at Wittenberg and was affected early on by the reformatory ideas of Martin Luther and was later a driving force behind the introduction of the Reformation in the Principality of Lüneburg. When his father had to leave the state in 1520 as a result of his role in the Hildesheim Diocesan Feud and go into exile in France, Otto took over the reins of power in the principality jointly with his brother Ernest. Because the principality was seriously in debt - all the Vogteis being enfeoffed with the exception of the Schlossvogtei of Celle - a major priority during his reign was sorting out the duchy’s finances. In 1527 Otto married Meta von Campe, a woman who was below his station, and was compensated with his own domain, the Barony of Harburg. He died on 11 August 1549.

Family

Otto married 1527 Meta von Campe (died 1580) and they had 7 children:

• Anne (1526–1527)
• Otto (1527)
• Ernest (1527–1540)
• Otto II (1528–1603)
• Frederick (1530–1533)
• Margarete (1532–1539)
• Susanna (1536–1581)

Ancestry

Sources

• Geckler, Christa Die Celler Herzöge - Leben and Wirken 1371-1705 Georg Ströher Celle 1986, ISBN 3-921744-05-8

External links

• House of Welf

Otto, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg House of Welf Cadet branch of the House of Este Born: 24 August 1495 Died: 11 August 1549 in Harburg upon Elbe
German nobility
Preceded by Henry the Middle	Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Princes of Lunenburg as Otto VI with his brother Ernest 1520–1527	Succeeded by Ernest the Confessor
New title Partition of the Lordship of Harburg	Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg Lord of Harburg as Otto I 1527–1549	Succeeded by Otto II

Persondata
Name	Otto 01
Alternative names
Short description	Prince of Lüneburg and Baron of Harburg
Date of birth	24 August 1495
Place of birth
Date of death	11 August 1549
Place of death