Martin Luther and the House of Saxony

by Heather R. Darsie, J. D. Sybylla of Cleves, Anna of Cleves’ elder sister, married into the powerful ruling Saxon family. Several members of the family, all prince-electors and including Sybylla’s husband Johann Friedrich, protected Martin Luther. In particular, Sybylla’s father-in-law John the Steadfast, embraced Lutheranism and did not avoid rubbing it in the Holy Roman Emperor’s face. From the beginning, the Electors of Saxony … Continue reading Martin Luther and the House of Saxony

Sybylla, the Other Daughter of Cleves

by Heather R. Darsie Sibylle von der Mark, simply known as “Sybylla of Cleves” during her lifetime, was born on 17 July 1512. Sybylla eventually became older sister to Anna von von der Mark, more commonly known as Anne of Cleves or Henry VIII’s fourth wife, in 1515. Sybylla, the eldest of Maria von Julich-Berg’s children with Duke Johann  III of Cleves, was elevated to … Continue reading Sybylla, the Other Daughter of Cleves