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Why was Albrecht von Wallenstein granted the duchy of Mecklenburg?
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Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein, portrait by Anthony van Dyck, 1629; in the Bavarian State Painting Collections, Munich.
Albrecht von Wallenstein was granted the duchy of Mecklenburg on June 16, 1629, as a hereditary imperial fief in lieu of repayment for the significant military expenses he incurred while raising and maintaining an independent imperial army for Emperor Ferdinand II during the Thirty Years’ War.1
Wallenstein had successfully conquered Mecklenburg, along with Holstein, Schleswig, and continental Denmark, during his military campaigns. The duchy became available for transfer because the former dukes of Mecklenburg had been outlawed for their support of Denmark against the emperor.1