George II of Brieg


George II of Brieg, was a Duke of Brzeg from 1547 until his death.
He was the second son of Frederick II, Duke of Legnica-Brzeg, by his second wife Sophie, daughter of Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Life

After the death of his father in 1547, George II inherited the Duchy of Brzeg.
In 1548, the early death of his relative Henry II of Poděbrady, made him the regent of his Duchy of Oleśnica on behalf of his sons Henry III and Charles II until 1569. Three year later, in 1551, the insubordination of his elder brother Frederick III of Legnica caused his deposition from the government and the appointing of his infant son Henry XI of Legnica as the new Duke of Legnica. George II became in the regent of the Duchy on behalf of his nephew, jointly with Balthasar von Promnitz, until 1556, when Frederick III managed to return to Legnica and retake the power.
During all his reign he maintain a good relationship to the Habsburgs and was sent by the Emperor in some diplomatic missions. In 1548, George II took part in the coronation of Maximilian II in Prague and Bratislava, and also used the Bryeg army to maintain the internal order of the Duchy. In particular, he dedicated himself to the expansion of his main residence, Brzeg, where he built a magnificent Renaissance palace, which was later destroyed by Frederick II the Great during the siege of Brzeg. As a Lutheran, he was totally committed with the reforms started by his father. He also built the Gymnasium in Brzeg and, after the fire of Brzeg in 1569, the new City Hall and the towers of the St. Nicholas Church.

Marriage and issue

In Berlin on 15 February 1545, George II married with Barbara, daughter of Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg. They had seven children:
  1. Barbara.
  2. Joachim Frederick.
  3. John George.
  4. Sophie.
  5. Magdalena.
  6. A daughter.
  7. Elisabeth Magdalena, married on 1 October 1585 to Charles II of Poděbrady, Duke of Münsterberg -Oels.
On George II's death, his sons received all his domains except Brzeg, who was given to his widow until her own death.