Albrecht Giese IV

Albrecht Giese IV (February 10, 1524 – August 1, 1580) was a councilman and diplomat of the city of Gda?sk (Danzig) in Poland.

Related Topics:
February 10 - 1524 - August 1 - 1580 - Gda?sk - Poland

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Giese was born in Gda?sk, Poland, a member of an influential and wealthy merchant dynasty active in the Hanseatic League. He studied at Greifswald in Pomerania, at Wittenberg and at Heidelberg. As was the custom of the time, he toured Europe for several years to learn different languages after his formal studies, as was necessary for a long-distance trader. He returned to Danzig from his travels in 1564 and became a councilman. Over the next six years he took part as a delegate of Gda?sk at several Hanseatic League meetings in Lübeck.

Related Topics:
Gda?sk - Hanseatic League - Greifswald - Pomerania - Wittenberg - Heidelberg - 1564 - Lübeck

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In the 1560s, to Polish king Zygmunt August instituted a Maritime Commission to oversee the creation of a royal fleet, which would have its main base at Gda?sk. The authorities of the city considered these initiatives a curtailing of their privileges, as the members of the commission as well as the privateers forming the nucleus of this Navy were exempt from the city's jurisdiction even in criminal cases.

Related Topics:
1560s - Zygmunt August - Privateer

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When the city council arrested and sentenced to death eleven such privateers accused of murder all the same, open conflict between the Polish king and the city council broke out. Zygmunt August sought to have the old statutes of the cities of Gda?sk and Elbl?g (Elbing) revoked and replaced by his own Statua Karnkowiana, which considerably limited the authority of the city council. Negotiations between the city and the king took place in 1568/69, initially at Piotrków Trybunalski. Giese was a member of the delegation of Gda?sk, led by the mayor of the city, Johann Brandes. Despite being subjected to severe pressure and incarceration for a year at Kraków, the delegation refused to submit to the king's terms and was eventually released in 1570 against a ransom of 100,000 guilders.

Related Topics:
Elbl?g - 1568 - 69 - Piotrków Trybunalski - Johann Brandes - Kraków - 1570 - Guilder

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The tensions between the city of Gda?sk and the Crown of Poland flared up again six years later, when the city refused to pay homage to the new Polish king, Stephen Bathory. Stephen declared a ban over the city on September 24, 1576 and in 1577 a royal army laid siege to the city. Gda?sk held out, though, and a settlement was negotiated: the city had to pay 200,000 guilders and recognize the royal overlordship, but the king in turn confirmed the city's old privileges and its Lutheran confession. The ban on Gda?sk was lifted.

Related Topics:
Polish king - Stephen Bathory - September 24 - 1576 - Lutheran

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In 1579, Giese was named royal burgrave of Gda?sk by the Polish king; a position that entailed the supervision of the judiciaries of the city. Because of this, he suffered substantial troubles during this critical time, as he was suspected of being friendly towards the Polish king.

Related Topics:
1579 - Burgrave

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