Edmund Alwin (Merveilles des Morte)
| Edmund Alwin | |
|---|---|
|
File:TITIAN; Portrait of Jacopo Sannazaro (1514-18).jpg Portrait of Edmund Alwin, 1500 | |
| Elector of Saxony | |
| Reign | 1489 - 1533 |
| Coronation | 9 April 1490 |
| Predecessor | Engelbert II |
| Successor | Wolfgang I |
| Born |
12 April 1452 Wittenberg, Duchy of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died |
3 October 1533 Wittenberg, Duchy of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Spouse | Clementia of Thuringia |
| Issue |
Wolfgang I (b. 1489) |
| House | House of La Marck |
| Father | Wenceslaus, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Catherine Beaufort |
| Religion |
Jungism (1507-) Catholicism (-1507) |
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Edmund Alwin (12 April 1452 - 3 October 1533) was the Elector of Saxe-Wittenberg (traditionally styled "Duke and Prince-Elector of Saxony"), from 1489 until 1533. Born the second son of Wenceslaus III of Saxony (later Wenceslaus, Holy Roman Emperor), and Louise Beaufort, he never expected to be Duke. In his youth, he was appointed the first Premier Falconer of the Empire, which led, much to his brother's disapproval, to his befriending of the Master of the Hounds, Wolfgang of Thuringia, the son of the Thin White Duke of Thuringia, whose terse attitude towards Saxony's Swiss allies and alleged assassination of Edmund Alwin's father had not endeared him to the rest of Edmund Alwin's family. Edmund Alwin would go on to become best friends with Wolfgang and help him compete in the King of Switzerland Competition. During one incident, Edmund Alwin received permanent damage to his shoulder whilst saving Wolfgang's life.
Following the outbreak of the Lenzburg-Premyslid War, Edmund Alwin announced that he remained loyal to the Emperor which resulted in his brother Engelbert II ordering him to be confined to his home, essentially putting him under house arrest. However, his friends and compatriots, led by Wolfgang of Thuringia, daringly infiltrated Saxon frontlines to rescue Edmund Alwin. During the Sack of Wittenberg, Edmund Alwin remained in the town to try to stop the conflict and get his fellow Saxons to support the Emperor. Eventually, with Emperor Henry VIII insisting he evacuate the Duchy in interests of his own safety, he left for Thuringia. After his brother's deposition, he was appointed Duke. Saxony had decreased in size following the war and had been weakened, and many expected Edmund Alwin to become a puppet of the Emperor, but he was instead, "loyal, but never a puppet" in his own words, going on to strengthen Saxony and expand Saxony's borders.
He married his friend Wolfgang's sister Clementia of Thuringia, while Wolfgang married Edmund Alwin's sister. Following Wolfgang's death, he went into mourning, wearing only black for a while. Edmund Alwin first began to be influenced by Wolfgang's father, the Thin White Duke of Thuringia and his beliefs, while staying in Thuringia, and, grieving, he began to look to the Thin White Duke for guidance on many matters more frequently in the immediate aftermath of Wolfgang's death. After the Henrician Civil War broke out, Edmund Alwin sided with Thuringia and the Emperor. He was staying at Frankfurt when the Battle of Frankfurt broke out, but he escaped, at the same time saving the lives of several others, such as Bernard "Twice-Died", courageously risking his life and earning the Iron Cross.
During the Decade of the Five Emperors, Edmund Alwin showed unprecedented cunning, receiving numerous bribes from Imperial candidates and managing to expand Saxony's borders. Edmund Alwin and Saxony joined the Wolfenbund, and became essentially Jungist. After the Archbishopric of Mainz declared war on the Wolfenbund, some conflict ensued, and Saxony and Thuringia together managed to invade and conquer numerous lands (many ecclesiastical), thus further consolidating the Duchy of Saxony's power and its alliance with Thuringia. Gustav Jung (the alleged son of Konrad Jung) became Bishop of Saxony, while many other Jungist leaders emerged from the Duchy, most of them supported by Edmund Alwin (ranging from the fairly moderate Theoderic Rood to the fanatic Peter Meise). Edmund Alwin also presided over a Jewish state within Saxony, known as Judenstadt. Following the death of the Thin White Duke, Edmund Alwin mourned his death, but took advantage of the succession war, siding with Emperor-Emeritus Henry IX, and gaining land for himself in Thuringia as well as for his nephew Wenceslaus, who had a claim. Edmund Alwin attempted to create the Duchy of Saxe-Ringia, but was unable to properly establish this duchy and had to make do with some land in Meissen instead that he had conquered, Edmund Alwin also founded various prestigious universities in Saxony, including Wittenberg University.
During his lifetime, rumours circulated that he was having an affair with Agnes, Duchess of Hesse, leading to several famous works of literature inspired by their romance (Edmund Alwin und Agnes (1576), the poem The falcon cannot hear the falconer (1761), as well as the Engelbert-winning long-running sitcom Friends). There were also several conspiracy theories that he had been involved in the Red Birthday, or had been trying to sabotage the King of Switzerland Competition. In 1522, he was appointed to the prestigious position High Steward of the Empire, previously held by various Emperors (before their election as Emperor), as well as the Thin White Duke, having ascended from the lowest position in the administration to the highest. He featured in the famous play, der Falkner und der Herr der Hunde, and wrote the forward to Wolfgang's book.
Footnotes
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