Bernhard I.
(d. 1434)
Duke of Lüneburg
Founder of the Middle House of Lüneburg
When duke Wilhelm of Lüneburg died without heirs in 1369, the Old House of Lüneburg became extinct and a struggle for succession ensued. Duke Magnus II. (1324-1373) of Brunswick - Wolfenbüttel made a claim but he was forced to withdraw by emperor Karl IV. (1316-1378). His sons, however, Bernhard I. and Heinrich the Mild (d. 1416), succeeded in uniting Lüneburg with Brunswick - Wolfenbüttel. Bernhard inherited Lüneburg and thus became the founder of the Middle House of Lüneburg, while Heinrich inherited Brunswick and thus became the founder of the Middle House of Brunswick. Bernhard again united Lüneburg with Brunswick in 1416 upon the death of his brother, but he was forced to partition the duchy in 1428, retaining Lüneburg for himself and ceding Brunswick to his nephews, the sons of Heinrich the Mild, Wilhelm the Victorious (1400-1482) and Heinrich.
Sources
- The Encyclopædia Britannica, 13th edition. New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1926.
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