principality · Germany and Central Europe
Principality of Göttingen
Origins
After the death of Albert I of Brunswick in 1279, his sons divided the Principality of Wolfenbüttel, and around 1291 Albert II the Fat received the southern lands around Göttingen, Münden and Uslar, founding a separate Guelph principality on the upper Leine and Weser.
Rule and society
The dukes ruled a land of hills, forests and small towns, with Göttingen the main town. The town grew increasingly independent, joined the Hanseatic League and expelled Duke Otto the Bad, whose feuds and debts weakened the principality in the late 14th century. His son Otto Cocles, the One-Eyed, was nearly blind and handed government to the estates in 1435.
Decline and legacy
When Otto Cocles died in 1463, the principality passed to the Wolfenbüttel branch and was later joined to the Principality of Calenberg. Göttingen became part of the Electorate of Hanover, where its university was founded in 1734.
Lineage
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Göttingen. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-gottingen
- MLA
- “Principality of Göttingen.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-gottingen. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Göttingen.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-gottingen.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Göttingen’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-gottingen (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻