Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Frederick III
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Frederick III the Pious, detail of a portrait by an unknown artist, c. 1576; in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer, Ger.
Read Next
Candles Burning On Table In Church
What Is the Most Widely Practiced Religion in the World?
African American man praying in church with stained glass in background
Why Do People Say “Amen” at the End of a Prayer?
Discover
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)
8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Frederick III the Pious, detail of a portrait by an unknown artist, c. 1576; in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer, Ger.
Frederick III the Pious, detail of a portrait by an unknown artist, c. 1576; in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer, Ger.

Frederick III

elector Palatine of the Rhine
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Frederick the Pious, Friedrich der Fromme
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Byname:
Frederick the Pious
German:
Friedrich der Fromme
Born:
Feb. 14, 1515, Simmern, Ger.
Died:
Oct. 26, 1576, Heidelberg, Rhenish Palatinate
Also Known As:
Friedrich der Fromme
Frederick the Pious
See all related content

Frederick III (born Feb. 14, 1515, Simmern, Ger.—died Oct. 26, 1576, Heidelberg, Rhenish Palatinate) was the elector Palatine of the Rhine (1559–76) and a leader of the German Protestant princes who worked for a Protestant victory in Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Frederick adopted Lutheranism in 1546 and Calvinism somewhat later. His Calvinism and his opposition to the Habsburg emperors made his electoral position insecure, because the Peace of Augsburg (1555) covered relations only between Catholics and Lutherans, and the German Protestant princes were unwilling to venture an attack on the emperor. Frustrated in Germany, Frederick sent his sons to aid foreign Protestants, John Casimir to the French Huguenots and Christopher to Holland. By the time Frederick died, the Palatinate had become the centre of German Calvinism.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.