margraviate · Germany and Central Europe
Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin
Origins
Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg, against Hohenzollern house law, divided his lands in his will. On his death in 1535 his elder son Joachim II became elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, while the younger, John, received the Neumark east of the Oder, with Crossen and other districts, ruling from Küstrin.
Rule and society
Margrave John, known as Hans of Küstrin, introduced Lutheranism in 1538, ahead of his brother. He turned Küstrin into a powerful fortress where the Warta meets the Oder, reorganised finances and ran a frugal, efficient government that filled his treasury. In the Schmalkaldic War he eventually sided with Charles V.
Decline and legacy
John died in 1571, ten days after his brother, without male heirs, and the Neumark reverted to Brandenburg under Elector John George. Küstrin remained a major fortress, where the young Frederick the Great was imprisoned in 1730.
Lineage
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-brandenburg-kustrin
- MLA
- “Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-brandenburg-kustrin. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-brandenburg-kustrin.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-brandenburg-kustrin (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻