Person

George William, Elector of Brandenburg

1595–1640 · 17th century

George William was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia from 1619 to 1640. Weak and indecisive, he tried to stay out of the Thirty Years' War but could not keep Swedish or imperial armies out of his lands, which were devastated. His minister Adam von Schwarzenberg directed policy, and in 1638 he withdrew to Königsberg. He was the father of the Great Elector.

George William, Elector of Brandenburg — Image: Mathias Czwiczek · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). George William, Elector of Brandenburg. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/george-william-elector-of-brandenburg
MLA: “George William, Elector of Brandenburg.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/george-william-elector-of-brandenburg. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “George William, Elector of Brandenburg.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/george-william-elector-of-brandenburg.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘George William, Elector of Brandenburg’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/george-william-elector-of-brandenburg (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻