Quick Facts
- Byname:
- Frederick The Gentle, or Mild
- German:
- Friedrich Der Sanftmütige
- Born:
- Aug. 22, 1411, Leipzig
- Died:
- Sept. 7, 1464, Leipzig (aged 53)
- House / Dynasty:
- Wettin dynasty
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Frederick II
elector of Saxony
Also known as: Frederick the Gentle, Frederick the Mild, Friedrich der Sanftmütige(Show More)
Frederick II (born Aug. 22, 1411, Leipzig—died Sept. 7, 1464, Leipzig) was a Saxon elector (1428–64) and the eldest son of Frederick the Warlike; he successfully defended his electorship against the Ascanian Saxe-Lauenburg line and instituted regular diets in his territories.
Frederick settled his disputes with the Bohemian followers of Jan Hus, church reformer and condemned heretic, in 1432, and relations were cemented in 1464, when his son Albert married the daughter of the Bohemian leader George of Poděbrady. The burgravate of Meissen, acquired in 1439, added considerable land and income. From 1446 to 1451 Frederick fought the Bruderkrieg (Brothers’ War) against his brother William over territorial claims.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.