Death of Friedrich Wilhelm, the Great Elector
- When
- 1688
- Where
- Unspecified location within Brandenburg-Prussia
- Episodes
- 2
Friedrich Wilhelm, the Great Elector of Brandenburg-Prussia, died on 29 April 1688. His son Friedrich succeeded him as Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, continuing the Hohenzollern rule over the personal union of these territories.
Episodes
- Death of the Great Elector
Friedrich Wilhelm died on 29 April 1688, ending his half-century reign as ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia.
- Accession of Friedrich III
Friedrich succeeded his father as Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia on 29 April 1688.
Background and detail
Background. Friedrich Wilhelm, a member of the House of Hohenzollern, ruled Brandenburg-Prussia from 1640 until his death. Known as the Great Elector for his military and political achievements, he transformed the state into a significant power by integrating Hohenzollern possessions in northern Germany and Prussia.
Succession. Upon Friedrich Wilhelm's death on 29 April 1688, his son Friedrich became Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia. Friedrich was the third son of the Great Elector by his first marriage to Louise Henriette of Orange-Nassau, born in Königsberg.
People involved
- Friedrich Wilhelm · Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia
- Friedrich III · Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia
Sources
- Frederick William, the Great Elector Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-24
- Frederick I of Prussia Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.