an ecclesiastical organization independent of
the pope, and took up a position similar to that of King Henry VIII. in
England. Many of the monasteries were suppressed, a consistory was set
up to take over the functions of the bishops and to act as the highest
ecclesiastical court of the country. In 1541 the new ecclesiastical
system was confirmed by the emperor Charles V. With regard to this
policy the elector was probably influenced by considerations of greed.
The bishoprics of Brandenburg, Havelberg and Lebus were secularized;
their administration was entrusted to members of the elector's family;
and their revenues formed a welcome addition to his impoverished
exchequer. Nor did Joachim neglect other opportunities for adding to his
wealth and possessions. In 1537 he had concluded a treaty with Frederick
III., duke of Liegnitz, which guaranteed to the Hohenzollerns the
succession to the Silesian duchies of Liegnitz, Brieg and Wohlau in the
event of the ducal family becoming extinct; this arrangement is
important as the basis of the claim made by Frederick the Great on
Silesia in 1740. The treaty was declared invalid by the German king,
Ferdinand I.; but the elector insisted on its legality, and in 1545
strengthened his position by arranging a double marriage between members
of his own family and that of Duke Frederick. Of more immediate
consequence was an arrangement made in 1569 with the representatives of
Joachim's kinsman, Albert Frederick, duke of Prussia, after which the
elector obtained the joint investiture of the duchy of Prussia from
Sigismund II., king of Poland, and was assured of the succession if the
duke's family became extinct. Joachim's luxurious habits, his partiality
for adventurers, and his delight in building, led him to incur such a
heavy expenditure that after pledging many of his lands and rights he
was compelled in 1540 to appeal for help to the estates. Taking
advantage of his difficulties, the estates voted him a sum of money as
the price of valuable concessions, the most important of which was that
the elector should make no alliance without their consent. Fresh
liabilities were soon incurred, and in spite of frequent contributions
from the estates Joachim left at his death in January 1571 a heavy
burden of debt to his son and successor, John George.

John George.

The elector's death was followed ten days later by that of his brother,
John, and as John left no sons the whole of Branden