Margraviate of Brandenburg

The **Margraviate of Brandenburg** () was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. The principality was originally poor. However, the principality became very important because they were given the Duchy of Prussia in 1618. They then became very important in the history of Germany and Central Europe as part of the Prussian kingdom.

Brandenburg started from the Northern March. The Northern March was started in the territory of the Slavic Wends. The rulers of Brandenburg were called margraves. The margraves were prince-electors in the Golden Bull of 1356. Margraves could vote in electing the Holy Roman Emperor. Because of this, the Margraviate of Brandenburg also was called the **Electoral Brandenburg** or the **Electorate of Brandenburg** ( or ).

The House of Hohenzollern became the leader of Brandenburg in 1415. In 1417, Frederick I moved the capital from Brandenburg an der Havel to Berlin. By 1535, the Margraviate of Brandenburg was about  big. In 1535, the Margraviate of Brandenburg also had about 400,000 people. The House of Hohenzollern let Brandenburg have a lot of power in the 17th century. In the 17th, century, they were also given the Duchy of Prussia. This made Brandenburg into Brandenburg-Prussia. Brandenburg-Prussia would then become the Kingdom of Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia was a very important German state in the 18th century.

The Margraviate of Brandenburg ended when the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806. It was replaced after the Napoleonic Wars with the Province of Brandenburg in 1815. Brandenburg turned into the North German Confederation in 1867. In 1871, Germany was unified. The North German Confederation became the German Empire. The German Empire became the German Reich of 1871–1945. This soon became the Federal Republic of Germany,

## Other websites

- at Brandenburg1260.de.
- Historical map of Brandenburg, 1789
- by Theodor Fontane, 1899 at Lexikus.de.

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: March/Margraviate of Brandenburg
- **common name**: Brandenburg
- **image map**: Locator Brandenburg within the Holy Roman Empire (1618).svg
- **image map caption**: Margraviate of Brandenburg within the Holy Roman Empire (1618)
- **status**: Margraviate
- **empire**: Holy Roman Empire
- **status text**: List of states in the Holy Roman Empire, State of the Holy Roman Empire
Prince-elector, Imperial elector (1356–1806)
Crown land of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, Bohemian Crown (1373–1415)
- **p1**: Northern March
- **p2**: LuticiLutician federation
- **flag p2**: Heraldic biull's head.png
- **p3**: Margraviate of Brandenburg-KüstrinBrandenburg-Küstrin
- **flag p3**: Flag of Brandenburg (1340-1657).svg
- **p4**: Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg
- **flag p4**: Wappen Bistum Brandenburg.png
- **image flag**: Pabellon de Brandeburgo (c. 1684).svg
- **image flag2**: Flag of Brandenburg (1660–1750).svg
- **flag type**: Top: Flag of Brandenburg, Flag or naval ensign  (based on Lieve Verschuier, L. Verschuier's painting)
Bottom: Flag of Brandenburg, Flag 1660–1750 used by House of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollerns
- **image coat**: Arms of Brandenburg.svg
- **symbol type**: Coat of arms of Brandenburg, Coat of arms as Electorate
- **s1**: Province of Brandenburg
- **flag s1**: Flagge_Preußen_-_Provinz_Brandenburg.svg
- **date start**: 3 October
- **year start**: 1157
- **event1**: Raised to Prince-elector, Electorate
- **date event1**: 25 December 1356
- **event2**: Brandenburg-Prussia
- **date event2**: 27 August 1618
- **event3**: Kingdom of Prussia
- **date event3**: 18 January 1701
- **event end**: Dissolution of the
Holy Roman Empire
- **date end**: 6 August
- **year end**: 1806
- **capital**: Brandenburg an der Havel (1157–1417)
Berlin (1417–1806)
- **government type**: Monarchy
- **title leader**: Margrave of Brandenburg, Margrave
- **leader1**: Albert the Bear (first) 1417
- **year leader1**: 1157–1170
- **leader2**: Frederick William III of Prussia, Frederick William III (last)
- **year leader2**: 1797–1806
- **religion**: Dominant confession among the population was Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic until the 1530s, then Lutheranism, Lutheran.

Elector was Roman Catholic until 1539, then Lutheran until 1613, and then Calvinism, Reformed.