William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

For other people named William of Brunswick, see William of Brunswick (disambiguation).

William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Coat-of-arms of: Brunswick, Lüneburg, Eberstein, Homburg.
Born	c. 1425
Died	(1503-07-07)7 July 1503 Hardegsen
Noble family	House of Guelph
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode
Issue	Anne Henry IV Eric I
Father	William the Victorious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Mother	Cecilia of Brandenburg

William IV (German: Wilhelm) called William the Younger (German: Wilhelm der Jüngere, c. 1425 – 7 July 1503) was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled over the Wolfenbüttel and Göttingen principalities.

The eldest son of William the Victorious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, he was given the Principality of Göttingen by his father in 1473. In 1482 the father died, and he and his brother Frederick succeeded their father in the remaining parts of his state; however, William had Frederick imprisoned in 1484 and made himself sole ruler. In 1490 he bought the City of Helmstedt from the Abbot of Werden. In 1491, William gave the Principality of Wolfenbüttel including Calenberg to his sons, and kept only Göttingen to himself. In 1495 he resigned as prince of Göttingen in favour of his son Eric I in return for an appanage. William died on 7 July 1503 in Hardegsen.

Family

William married Elizabeth (c. 1438 – 7 September 1520), daughter of Bodo VII, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode. They had three children:

• Anne (1460 – 16 May 1520) married William I, Landgrave of Lower Hesse
• Henry (24 June 1463 – 23 June 1514)
• Eric (16 February 1470 – 26 July 1540) married 1: Katharina (1468–1524) Duchess of Saxony; 2: Elisabeth (1510–1558) Duchess of Brandenburg

Ancestors

Ancestors of William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

16. Magnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 8. Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 17. Sophia of Brandenburg-Stendal 4. Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 18. Bernhard III, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg 9. Catherine of Anhalt-Bernburg 19. Agnes of Saxony 2. William the Victorious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 20. Barnim IV, Duke of Pomerania 10. Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania 21. Sophie of Werle 5. Sophie of Pomarania 22. John I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard 11. Anne of Mecklenburg-Stargard 23. Anna of Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg 1. William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 24. John II of Nuremberg 12. Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg 25. Elisabeth of Henneberg 6. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg 26. Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen 13. Elisabeth of Meissen 27. Matilda of Bavaria 3. Cecilia of Brandenburg 28. Stephen II, Duke of Bavaria 14. Frederick, Duke of Bavaria 29. Elisabeth of Sicily 7. Elisabeth of Bavaria 30. Bernabò Visconti 15. Maddalena Visconti 31. Beatrice Regina della Scala

References

• Zedlers Universal-Lexicon, vol. 56, p. 585–586