Home > Frederick I of Prussia

Born in Königsberg, Friedrich became the Kurfürst (Elector) of Brandenburg, in 1688, upon the death of his father Friedrich Wilhelm IFriedrich Wilhelm Frederick William of Brandenburg, Kurfurst of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia ( February 16, 1620 April 29, 1688) of the House of Hohenzollern, was the Kurfurst (elector) of Brandenburg, from 1640 until his death. He is known as the Grosser. At the time, Friedrich I was known as Friedrich III. He became "Friedrich I", when he became King.

Actually Friedrich I was never called "king of Prussia". His title was "king in Prussia": Most of Friedrich's territories were part of the " Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire ( German: Heiliges Romisches Reich was a political conglomeration of lands in western and central Europe in the Middle Ages. Emerging from the eastern part of the Frankish realm after its division in the Treaty of Verdun ( 843), it l of German Nation". And this country had a HabsburgHabsburg (also spelled Hapsburg was one of the ruling houses of Europe: rulers of Austria (as dukes 1282 1453, archdukes 1453 1804, and emperors 1804 1918), kings of Bohemia 1526 1618 and 1621 1918, kings of Spain ( 1516 1700), and Holy Roman Emperors for king. For reasons of prestige (similar to PiedmontPiedmont is a region of north-western Italy. It has an area of 25,400 km2 and a population of est. Its capital is Turin. Piedmont is surrounded on three sides by the Alps mountain range, including the Monviso, where the Po river rises. It borders with Fra becoming the Kingdom of SardiniaPiedmont, with Savoia upper left (pink) and Nizza ( Nice) lower left (brown) both now French, and Sardinia in the inset The Kingdom of Sardinia is a former kingdom in Italy. Early history The traditional giudicati of Sardinia, which were independent triba) Friedrich wished to become a king instead of a mere elector-prince. However, no kingdoms could exist in the Holy Roman Empire (with the notable exception of BohemiaBohemia Cechy in Czech, Bohmen in German) is an historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. With an area of 52,750 sq. 25 million of the country's 10. 3 million inabitants, Bohemia is bounded by Germ). Friedrich convinced the archduke of Austria (and Holy Roman Emperor) to allow him to become king of Prussia in exchange for an alliance against France. The argument was that Prussia had never belonged to the "Holy Roman Empire of German Nation" and therefore there was nothing stopping the elector-prince of Brandenburg also being King of Prussia (the Emperor himself was also King of Hungary, outside of the Empire). To indicate that Friedrich's royalty was limited to Prussia and did not reduce the rights of the Emperor in Friedrich's German territories, he had to call himself "king in Prussia".

( 1697Events September 20 The Treaty of Ryswick December 2 St Paul's Cathedral opened in London Peter the Great travels in Europe officially incognito as "artilleryman Pjotr Mikhailov" Use of palanquins increases in Europe Christopher Polhem starts Sweden's fir elector August II of Saxon y became King of Poland; 1714 The Hanoverian elector became King George I of England)

His son Frederick William I, born in 1688, succeeded him.