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Frederick IV, Elector Palatine

Also known as Frederick the Righteous (epithet)

Amberg, 1574 – Heidelberg, 19 Sep 1610

14 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born1574, AmbergRecords disagree1 source
  • TitleElector Palatine, 1583–1610or Prince-Elector, 1583–1610not verified1 source
  • TitlePrince-Elector, 1583–1610or Elector Palatine, 1583–1610not verified1 source
  • Died19 Sep 1610, Heidelbergor 9 Sep 1610Records disagree1 source
  • MotherElisabeth of Hesse, Electress Palatinenot verified1 source
  • FatherLouis VI of the Palatinatenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 1574

    Born in Amberg

  2. 1583–1610

    Elector Palatine

  3. 1583–1610

    Prince-Elector

  4. 1594–1602

    8 children are born

  5. 19 Sep 1610

    Dies in Heidelberg

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 8

During his lifetime

He lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Amberg.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1570s · Frederick is born in Amberg

In the news1572

Banking house collapse ruins economy (1572)

The collapse of the major merchant and banking house Loitz in Stettin in 1572 caused widespread economic turmoil throughout the region of Pomerania.

Getting around

Alternative methods of faster travel

While most people walked, specialized travel options included boats for river travel and the emerging mounted postal service. River travel was faster downstream, sometimes reaching up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours under optimal conditions, while mounted postal couriers could cover significantly more ground than a pedestrian.

In the news1575

Smallpox and measles epidemic (1575)

A widespread outbreak of smallpox and measles occurred in Holstein in 1575, severely impacting the lives of local families.

Daily life

School costs in pfennigs

Families sometimes paid quarterly school fees ranging from 12 to 18 pfennigs, while some also had to provide a log of wood during winter.

What people wore

Class-based clothing regulations and currency limits

Strict regulations controlled social class appearance; for example, commoners were forbidden from wearing gold, silver, pearls, or silk. A wife of a commoner could wear a simple gold ring worth no more than five or six guilders, without gemstones.

Music

Moralizing Italian dance songs for students

Teachers and pastors replaced erotic texts of popular Italian dance-songs with moral or devotional words to create acceptable music for schoolboys to sing.

At the table

Grains and vegetables as staples

For ordinary families, grains served as the foundation of the diet in the form of porridges or coarse breads. Vegetables such as turnips, cabbage, and onions were essential daily staples, often cooked with lard or bacon.