Frederick the Wise

Frederick the Wise was born on January 17, 1463, in Torgau. After his father Ernst died in 1486, he inherited the Electorate of Saxony and ruled with his brother Johann. As Elector Frederick III of Saxony, he chose Wittenberg as his residence, building a castle and founding a university in the town. Frederick was a deeply religious man. He embarked on numerous pilgrimages, one of which led him to Jerusalem, where he became a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre in 1493. Frederick the Wise owned one of the largest collections of relics of his time. In 1520, he had accumulated 19,013 items, including breadcrumbs from the Last Supper and mother's milk from the Virgin Mary.
As the Arch Marshall and Governor General of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick was one of the most powerful Electors. When the German Emperor Maximilian I died in 1519, Frederick was offered the imperial crown. He declined, but oversaw the affairs of the Empire in his role as Imperial Vicar until the election of Charles V.

Today, Frederick is remembered as the protector of Martin Luther. In 1519, he refused to hand over his theology professor to Rome. Then, in 1521, he petitioned the Emperor to allow Luther safe passage to the Diet of Worms, and continued to ensure his safety thereafter. Although the Elector protected Luther throughout his lifetime and thereby allowed the Reformation to take hold, he only professed to the new doctrines shortly before his death. On May 5, 1525, Frederick the Wise died in his hunting lodge in Lochau (now called Annaburg).