Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg

Friedrich Wilhelm (Frederick William) of Brandenburg, Kurfürst of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia (February 16, 1620 - April 29, 1688) of the House of Hohenzollern, was the Kurfürst (elector) of Brandenburg, from 1640 until his death. He is known as the "Großer Kurfürst" (Great Elector).

Wilhelm is notable for rasinng an army of 40,000 soldiers, by 1678. He was an advocate of mercantilism, monopolies, subsidies, tariffs, and internal improvements. He agreed to exempt the nobility from taxes, in return they agreed to dissolve the Estates-General.

Wilhelm was born, in Berlin, to Georg Wilhelm von Brandeburg and Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz.

On 7 December 1646, at The Hague, he married Luise Henriette von Nassau (1627-1667), daughter of Frederick Henry of Orange-Nassau and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels. Their children were Wilhelm Heinrich (1648-1649), Karl (1655-1674), Friedrich III-I (1657-1713), Amalie (1664-1656), Heinrich (1664-1664), and Ludwig (1666-1687)

On 13 June 1668 at Groningen he married Sophie Dorothea of Holstein-Glücksburg, daughter of Philipp von Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Lauenburg.

Their children were Philipp Wilhelm (1669-1711), Marie Amalie (1670-1739), Albrecht Friedrich (1672-1731), Karl (1673-1695), Elisabeth Sofie (1674-1748), Dorothea (1675-1676), and Christian Ludwig (1677-1734).

See also: General War Commissariat