Biography of Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg 1620-1688

In 1616 [his father] George William Hohenzollern (age 20) and [his mother] Elisabeth Charlotte Palatinate Simmern (age 18) were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Frederick IV Elector Palatine and [his grandmother] Electress Louise Juliana of the Palatine Rhine (age 39).

On 16th February 1620 Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg was born to George William Hohenzollern (age 24) and Elisabeth Charlotte Palatinate Simmern (age 22) at Berlin.

On 1st December 1640 Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 20) was appointed Elector Brandenburg.

On 1st December 1640 [his father] George William Hohenzollern (age 45) died.

On 7th December 1646 Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 26) and Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 19) were married at The Hague. They were half first cousin once removed.

In 1648 [his son] William Henry Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 27) and [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 20).

In 1649 [his son] William Henry Hohenzollern (age 1) died.

In 1654 Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 33) was appointed 457th Knight of the Garter by King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 23)..

On 16th February 1655 [his son] Charles Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 35) and [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 27) at Berlin.

On 11th July 1657 [his son] Frederick I King Prussia was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 37) and [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 29).

On 26th April 1660 [his mother] Elisabeth Charlotte Palatinate Simmern (age 62) died.

In 1664 [his son] Henry Hohenzollern died.

In 1664 [his son] Henry Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 43) and [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 36).

In 1664 [his son] Amalie Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 43) and [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 36).

In 1665 [his son] Amalie Hohenzollern (age 1) died.

In 1666 [his son] Louis Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 45) and [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 38).

On 18th June 1667 [his wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau (age 39) died.

On 13th June 1668 Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 48) and Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 31) were married. They were fifth cousins.

In 1669 [his son] Philip Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 48) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 32).

In 1670 [his daughter] Marie Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 49) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 33).

In 1672 [his son] Albert Frederick Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 51) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 35).

In 1673 [his son] Charles Philip Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 52) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 36).

In 1674 [his daughter] Elisabeth Sofie Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 53) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 37).

On 7th December 1674 [his son] Charles Hohenzollern (age 19) died of dysentery.

In 1675 [his daughter] Dorothea Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 54) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 38).

In 1676 [his daughter] Dorothea Hohenzollern (age 1) died.

In 1677 [his son] Christian Ludwig Hohenzollern was born to Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 56) and [his wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 40).

Before 1680 [his son] Frederick I King Prussia (age 22) and [his daughter-in-law] Elisabeth Henriëtte Hesse-Kassel (age 18) were married. She the daughter of Wilhelm "The Just" VI Hesse-Kassel and [his sister] Hedwig Sophia Hohenzollern (age 56). He the son of Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 59) and [his former wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau. They were first cousins.

John Evelyn's Diary. 24th March 1682. At the meeting of the Royal Society were exhibited some pieces of amber sent by the Duke of Brandenburg (age 62), in one of which was a spider, in another a gnat, both very entire. There was a discourse of the tingeing of glass, especially with red, and the difficulty of finding any red color effectual to penetrate glass, among the glass-painters; that the most diaporous, as blue, yellow, etc., did not enter into the substance of what was ordinarily painted, more than very shallow, unless incorporated in the metal itself, other reds and whites not at all beyond the superfices.

Before 1685 [his son] Frederick I King Prussia (age 27) and [his daughter-in-law] Sophia Charlotte Hanover Queen Consort Prussia (age 16) were married. She the daughter of Ernest Augustus Hanover Elector Brunswick-Lüneburg (age 55) and Electress Sophia Palatinate Simmern (age 54). He the son of Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 64) and [his former wife] Luise Henriette Orange Nassau. They were second cousins. She a great granddaughter of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.

In 1687 [his son] Louis Hohenzollern (age 21) died.

On 29th April 1688 Frederick William "Great Elector" Hohenzollern Elector Brandenburg (age 68) died.

On 6th August 1691 [his former wife] Sophia Dorothea Oldenburg (age 54) died.