Magnus (Mecklenburg) von Mecklenburg-Schwerin (abt. 1345 - abt. 1384)

Ancestors

Descendants

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Magnus I Mecklenburg was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

Biography

Magnus is usually designated as the youngest child of Albrecht II, Duke of Mecklenburg and his first wife Eufemia Eriksdotter of Sweden, and is definitely the youngest son. He was perhaps born about 1345, and is first mentioned in the records in 1355, ^[1], probably when a contract was signed betrothing him to Mechtild von Werle-Goldberg (see below).

He succeeded his father as Herzog (Duke) zu Mecklenburg (or Mecklenburg-Schwerin) in 1379 ruling jointly with his elder brother Heinrich III. When Heinrich died in 1383, Magnus became the senior Duke, ruling with his nephew Albrecht IV, but died soon after.

However the chronicles of the time disagree as to the exact date he died. The last document Magnus definitely signed was dated 3 April 1384, and by 25 November 1384, his nephew Albrecht IV seems to be signing documents alone without any reference to Magnus. The Doberan chronicle dates the death of Magnus to 1 September 1384 (anno domini M ccclxxxv in the sancti Egidii), but the Doberan chronicle is known to have mistakes.

The Detmarsche Chronicle on the other hand, has Magnus death as occurring in 1385, after 2 April, perhaps while returning from Aachen. Other documents suggest it must have been before 16 April 1385. A suggestion to combine these two dates, is that Magnus died 1 September 1384 while returning from Aachen, but the news didn't reach the Cloister at Detmar until after Easter 1385.^[2]

He was probably buried at Doberan, though there are no primary sources to confirm this.^[3]

Family

Magnus was betrothed three times before eventually marrying.

1. on 29 August 1355 to Mechtild, elder daughter of Nickolas IV, Prince of Werle-Goldberg, and if she died before the wedding (to be held in 3 years), then her sister Agnes would become his wife instead;
2. Shrove Tuesday 1356 to Catherine, daughter of Nikolas III, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (later married Albrecht V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg);
3. on 10 August 1360 to Jutta, daughter of Erich, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg.^[4]

While none of these marriages ever took place is unknown at this time.

He eventually was betrothed for a fourth time by contract signed on 5 July 1362 at Drücke bei Damgarten to Elisabeth, daughter of Barnim IV, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin and Prince of Rügen.^[5],^[6] They were perhaps married on 7 July 1369.^[5], though no sources are cited to confirm this.

There are only two children known from the marriage:

1. Johann IV, born perhaps in the early 1370s, succeeded his father as Duke of Mecklenburg in 1385 while still a minor;^[5]
2. Euphemia or Eufemia, married before 18 October 1397, to Balthasar von Werle zu Güstrow, and died 1416.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Wigger, Friedrich, 'Stammtafeln Des Großherzoglichen Hauses von Meklenburg', in Jahrbücher Des Vereins Für Mecklenburgische Geschichte Und Altertumskunder, Band 50, pp. 111-326, 1885, published on line by Landbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, (http://mvdok.lbmv.de/mjbrenderer?id=mvdok_document_00002930 : accessed 28 March 2015), p. 177
2. ↑ Wigger, Stammtafeln Des Großherzoglichen Hauses von Meklenburg, p. 178-79
3. ↑ Wigger, Stammtafeln Des Großherzoglichen Hauses von Meklenburg, p. 179
4. ↑ Wigger, Stammtafeln Des Großherzoglichen Hauses von Meklenburg, p. 179
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Cawley, Charles, 'Mecklenburg', version 3.0 updated 15 June 2014, in Medieval Lands: A Prosopography of Medieval European Noble and Royal Families, (http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MECKLENBURG.htm : accessed 28 March 2015).
6. ↑ Wigger, Stammtafeln Des Großherzoglichen Hauses von Meklenburg, p. 179 only names the date not the place
7. ↑ Brenner, S. Otto, Nachkommen Gorms Des Alten, DK 2800 Lyngby: Dansk Historisk Haandbogsforlag, 1978., p. 213