Electorate of Saxony - Saxony-Poland

Saxony-Poland

A change followed when on 1 June 1697, Elector Frederick Augustus I "the Strong" (1694–1733) converted to the Catholic Church and consequently was soon elected King of Poland. The formation of a Catholic parish and the private practice of the Catholic Faith was permitted at least in Dresden. As the conversion of the Elector to the Roman Catholic Church aroused the fear among Lutherans that the Catholic religion would now be re-established in Saxony, the Elector transferred to a government board, the Privy Council, the authority over the Lutheran churches and schools which, until then, had been exercised by the sovereign; the Privy Council was formed exclusively of Protestants. Even after his conversion, the Elector remained the head of the Corpus Evangelicorum, as did his Catholic successors until 1806, when the Corpus was dissolved at the same time as the Holy Roman Empire.

His son, Elector Frederick Augustus II (1733–63), was received into the Catholic Church on 28 November 1712, at Bologna, Italy, while heir-apparent. With this conversion, which on account of the excited state of feeling of the Lutheran population had to be kept secret for five years, the ruling family of Saxony once more became Catholic. Before this, individual members of the Albertine line had returned to the Romanist church, but they had died without issue, as did the last rulers of Saxe-Merseburg (in 1738) and Saxe-Weissenfels (died out in 1746). Another collateral line founded in 1657 was that of Saxe-Zeitz, which became extinct in 1759. Those who became Catholics of this line were Christian Augustus (died 1725), cardinal and Archbishop of Gran (Esztergom, Hungary) and Maurice Adolphus, Bishop of Leitmeritz in Bohemia (died 1759).

The most zealous promoter of the Catholic faith in Saxony was the Austrian Archduchess Maria Josepha, daughter of the Emperor Joseph I, who in 1719 married Frederick Augustus, later the second elector of that name. The Court Church of Dresden was built 1739–51 by the Italian architect Chiaveri in the Roman Baroque style; heavily damaged during the bombing of Dresden and rebuilt, this is still the finest and most imposing church edifice in Saxony and is one of the most beautiful churches in Germany. Notwithstanding the faith of its rulers, however, Saxony remained entirely a Protestant country; the few Catholics who settled there remained without any political or civil rights.

In 1756 during the Seven Years' War, Saxony was invaded and overrun by the forces of King Frederick II of Prussia, who took Dresden and forced the Saxon army to surrender and join the Prussian Army at the Siege of Pirna. Many later deserted and a force of Saxon troops fought to restore their independence. The Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763 eventually restored Saxony.

When in 1806 Napoleon began a war with Prussia, Saxony at first allied itself to his long-time rival, but afterwards joined Napoleon and entered the Confederation of the Rhine. Elector Frederick Augustus III (1763–1827) received the title of King of a new Kingdom of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I.