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Quiz about Historic Realms The Electorate of Saxony
Quiz about Historic Realms The Electorate of Saxony

Historic Realms: The Electorate of Saxony Quiz


A little rusty on your history? Come learn a little about the world's historic realms in this photo quiz series. Here we have the Electorate of Saxony. (If you would like to have a better view of the images/maps, please click on them to enlarge!)

A photo quiz by trident. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
trident
Time
6 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
370,371
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
585
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
-
Question 1 of 10
1. Here is the flag for the Electorate of Saxony, which contains the banner of the House of Wettin, a black and yellow striped background with a green crown of rue. It also contains the crossed red swords of another region, due to the Electorate having previously been a dually-named duchy. What was the progenitor of the Electorate of Saxony? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Pictured here is King Charles IV of Bohemia, the Holy Roman Emperor who issued a decree known as the Golden Bull of 1356 in order to strengthen his powers. This established Saxony as an official electorate which had a vote along with six others when it came to electing the Holy Roman Emperor. As quoted from the bull, the seven prince-electors came to be "Three prelates [who] are arch-chancellors of Germany, Gaul, and Italy respectively, the Bohemian cupbearer, the Palatine seneschal, Saxony marshal, and Brandenburg chamberlain."

Which of the following was NOT one of Saxony's fellow electorates?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This parchment drawing from the fourteenth century shows the seven prince-electors that were charged with the power to elect the Holy Roman Emperor, giving them significant influence over the other countries and principalities within the group. You can see the elector of Saxony (the third from the right). Because the position as elector was so important, it was necessary to have one legitimate prince-elector from each principality. Saxony was forced to adopt what system of male inheritance, which did not allow for a ruler's domain to be split amongst many children? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The House of Ascania ruled the Electorate of Saxony until 1422, when Albert the Poor, who had inherited a nearly bankrupt state, died after being exposed to a house fire. The Ascanian line (which includes Russia's Catherine the Great) held which of the following nearby possessions until 1918? (It is also part of the name of a current German state.) Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. After the Ascanian line was ended, the House of Wettin gained control over the Electorate of Saxony, uniting it with Thuringia and Meissen in 1423. However, this united realm didn't last long, as in 1464 two of the Wettin heirs fought over the electorship and split the domain in two. Represented by the light orange and dark orange respectively, what are the names of the Wettin branches that resulted? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In 1517, this man posted a call for a "disputatio" on the doors of the Castle Church within the Electorate of Saxony. He was then protected by Saxon rulers against Catholic ire. Who is he? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This awesome painting contains some pretty immodest braggadocio, as Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor is sitting confidently above all his defeated enemies. These include (starting from the left): Suleiman I, Pope Clement VII, Francis I of France, the Duke of Cleves, the Duke of Saxony, and Philip I of Hesse. Due to what conflict was the Duke of Saxony one of the losers in the painting? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The Thirty Years' War wrecked Europe financially, and though Saxony was at first reluctant to join the war, it was dragged into it like most other countries at the time. It was only after the forces of the Holy Roman Empire entered Saxony that the elector, John George I, backed what Swedish king pictured here? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. This is the coat of arms of Augustus II the Strong of Saxony, and as you can see upon closer inspection, it bears the emblem of the Electorate of Saxony. Augustus converted back to Catholicism in 1697, worrying the Saxon Protestants. The conversion was seen as a ploy to be eligible for Augustus' claim to what throne (you can see its emblem as well)? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The Electorate of Saxony ceased to exist when it joined in Napoleon's war effort against Prussia. In return, Napoleon allowed the electorate to become the Kingdom of Saxony. What group composed of German states (as seen in the map here) did Saxony join to make this newly-formed kingdom possible? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Here is the flag for the Electorate of Saxony, which contains the banner of the House of Wettin, a black and yellow striped background with a green crown of rue. It also contains the crossed red swords of another region, due to the Electorate having previously been a dually-named duchy. What was the progenitor of the Electorate of Saxony?

Answer: Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg

The Wettin coat of arms of a green crown of rue with the yellow and black background is often the image that is evoked when one is thinking of Saxony. However, with the Electorate of Saxony, the Wittenberg crossed red swords were also added to the flag, as the previous duchy was known as the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg. Subsequently, the Electorate lasted from 1356-1806.
2. Pictured here is King Charles IV of Bohemia, the Holy Roman Emperor who issued a decree known as the Golden Bull of 1356 in order to strengthen his powers. This established Saxony as an official electorate which had a vote along with six others when it came to electing the Holy Roman Emperor. As quoted from the bull, the seven prince-electors came to be "Three prelates [who] are arch-chancellors of Germany, Gaul, and Italy respectively, the Bohemian cupbearer, the Palatine seneschal, Saxony marshal, and Brandenburg chamberlain." Which of the following was NOT one of Saxony's fellow electorates?

Answer: Vlaanderen

If we break down the bull's statement we can see where the different prince-electors came from.

The prelates (nominally) for Germany, Gaul, and Italy were the archbishops of Mainz, Trier, and Cologne respectively. The Bohemian cupbearer is certainly the king of Bohemia, the Saxon marshal refers to Saxony and the Brandenburg chamberlain to Brandenburg. The Palatine seneschal refers to the Electorate of the Palatinate, which was located near the Rhine. These seven electors had the power to elect any leader to be the next Holy Roman Emperor.

Vlaanderen (or Flanders) is a region in modern Belgium which is primarily Dutch-speaking.
3. This parchment drawing from the fourteenth century shows the seven prince-electors that were charged with the power to elect the Holy Roman Emperor, giving them significant influence over the other countries and principalities within the group. You can see the elector of Saxony (the third from the right). Because the position as elector was so important, it was necessary to have one legitimate prince-elector from each principality. Saxony was forced to adopt what system of male inheritance, which did not allow for a ruler's domain to be split amongst many children?

Answer: primogeniture

In the past, Saxony had often practiced splitting its lands amongst the different children so that they could individually rule. Lands had to be reunited in order to make a full Saxon state. Once Saxony was elevated into an electorate, this practice had to stop out of necessity.

The Holy Roman Emperor could not allow a crisis in which multiple heirs could claim to be the elector. Therefore, the practice of primogeniture was forced onto Saxony so that only the eldest male heir could claim the title of prince-elector.
4. The House of Ascania ruled the Electorate of Saxony until 1422, when Albert the Poor, who had inherited a nearly bankrupt state, died after being exposed to a house fire. The Ascanian line (which includes Russia's Catherine the Great) held which of the following nearby possessions until 1918? (It is also part of the name of a current German state.)

Answer: Anhalt

The Ascanian line ruled the Principality of Anhalt, a member state of the Holy Roman Empire, from c. 1100-1918. The last Ascanian ruler of Saxony, Albert III, angered the general populace by instituting a stall tax. The plan backfired and he was attacked. He was known as "Albert the Poor" because his realm was bankrupt and he couldn't afford servants in some instances.

The current German state it shares its name with is Saxony-Anhalt, which has its capital in Magdeburg (on the Elbe) .
5. After the Ascanian line was ended, the House of Wettin gained control over the Electorate of Saxony, uniting it with Thuringia and Meissen in 1423. However, this united realm didn't last long, as in 1464 two of the Wettin heirs fought over the electorship and split the domain in two. Represented by the light orange and dark orange respectively, what are the names of the Wettin branches that resulted?

Answer: Ernestine and Albertine

Since Saxony could only have one prince-elector, the title originally went with the elder brother Ernest and his Wettin dynasty line. However, in the sixteenth century this power was given to the Albertine line by the Holy Roman Emperor. The split of the Electorate was believed to have significantly weakened the power of Saxony, giving other electors such as Brandenburg more power and influence in the region.
6. In 1517, this man posted a call for a "disputatio" on the doors of the Castle Church within the Electorate of Saxony. He was then protected by Saxon rulers against Catholic ire. Who is he?

Answer: Martin Luther

Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk and professor at the University at Wittenberg, which was established in the Electorate of Saxony. When he posted "The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences", he caused quite a stir. Even the Saxon prince-elector didn't initially espouse Lutheran ideas, but he did protect Luther.

The one-two punch came when Luther was excommunicated and then had an imperial ban placed upon him by the Holy Roman Emperor. Saxon rulers hid Luther in the Wartburg Castle under the pseudonym of Junker Jörg (Knight George). Saxon involvement was vital to the spread of ideas spawned by the Protestant Reformation.
7. This awesome painting contains some pretty immodest braggadocio, as Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor is sitting confidently above all his defeated enemies. These include (starting from the left): Suleiman I, Pope Clement VII, Francis I of France, the Duke of Cleves, the Duke of Saxony, and Philip I of Hesse. Due to what conflict was the Duke of Saxony one of the losers in the painting?

Answer: Schmalkaldic War over Protestant reforms

The Schmalkaldic War was fought between the Holy Roman Empire under the Catholic emperor, Charles V, and the Schmalkaldic League, which included many Lutheran princes in Germany. The pretense for the war was certainly religious; the Lutheran princes wished not to be forced to submit to Catholicism. However, Charles V believed that the princes were using Lutheran reforms as a guise, and that the princes wanted less imperial authority over them. The religious and political reasons for the war were certainly intertwined.

The Lutheran princes lost, and Charles V ramped up efforts to reintroduce the Protestants back into the Catholic Church. However, the hold of Lutheranism had been far too much, and he was forced to back down. Nonetheless, Charles V indeed counted the Duke of Saxony amongst his defeated.
8. The Thirty Years' War wrecked Europe financially, and though Saxony was at first reluctant to join the war, it was dragged into it like most other countries at the time. It was only after the forces of the Holy Roman Empire entered Saxony that the elector, John George I, backed what Swedish king pictured here?

Answer: Gustavus Adolphus

Gustavus Adolphus had attempted to woo the Saxon armies onto the Protestant side, but he failed until the Holy Roman Empire invaded Saxon lands. The Thirty Years' War devastated the lands of Saxony, much like the whole of Central Europe. Saxony, however, did receive lands after the war's completion known as Lusatia.
9. This is the coat of arms of Augustus II the Strong of Saxony, and as you can see upon closer inspection, it bears the emblem of the Electorate of Saxony. Augustus converted back to Catholicism in 1697, worrying the Saxon Protestants. The conversion was seen as a ploy to be eligible for Augustus' claim to what throne (you can see its emblem as well)?

Answer: Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

In order to be a valid heir of the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one needed to be Catholic. Though Saxony had long been a Lutheran stronghold, the Albertine king Augustus had grand plans, and so he converted to Catholicism to gain the crown. The Commonwealth was enormous and wealthy, so it was no small prize.

The conversion shocked Protestant Europe, and Saxony trembled, believing that Augustus would force Catholicism upon them. However, Augustus relayed much of his religious authority to councils composed of Protestants, helping to soothe their fears. Augustus' plan to unite Poland, Lithuania, and Germany were much of a pipe dream, however. Catholic Poland and Protestant Germany would not have created the most stable of realms.
10. The Electorate of Saxony ceased to exist when it joined in Napoleon's war effort against Prussia. In return, Napoleon allowed the electorate to become the Kingdom of Saxony. What group composed of German states (as seen in the map here) did Saxony join to make this newly-formed kingdom possible?

Answer: Confederation of the Rhine

The Confederation of the Rhine was a group of German states located near the Rhine (hence the name) that backed Napoleon's efforts in Europe. In return, the many princes gained freedom from the authority of the Holy Roman Empire. Saxon rulers were allowed to take the title of king, and as prince-electors were no longer necessary due to the dismantling of the Holy Roman Empire, the kingdom lost that title. To them, ruling as kings was totally worth it.
Source: Author trident

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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