principality · Germany and Central Europe
Principality of Calenberg
Origins
The Guelph lands of the old Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg were repeatedly divided. In 1432 the territory between the Deister and the Leine, named after Calenberg castle, became a separate principality under William the Victorious, split off from the Principality of Wolfenbüttel.
Rule and society
Calenberg was ruled from Calenberg castle and other residences, and from 1636 from Hanover. Duchess Elisabeth, regent in the 1540s, introduced Lutheranism. The principality absorbed Göttingen in 1495 and later Grubenhagen. Duke John Frederick brought Leibniz to Hanover as librarian in 1676, and Ernest Augustus built a more centralised state.
Decline and legacy
In 1692 Emperor Leopold I made Ernest Augustus an elector, and Calenberg became the core of the Electorate of Hanover, which absorbed the Principality of Lüneburg in 1705. His son George became King of Great Britain in 1714.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Principality of Calenberg was part of Holy Roman Empire1432 CE – 1692 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Calenberg. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-calenberg
- MLA
- “Principality of Calenberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-calenberg. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Calenberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-calenberg.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Calenberg’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-calenberg (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻