Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg was the last ruler of Mecklenburg-Güstrow from 1636 until his death and last Lutheran Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Ratzeburg from 1636 to 1648.
Life
Gustav Adolph was born at the ducal residence in Güstrow, the son of Duke John Albert II and his third wife Eleonore Marie, daughter of Prince Christian I of Anhalt-Bernburg.
A minor upon his father's death in 1636, his uncle Duke Adolph Frederick I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at first became regent at Güstrow, fiercely opposed by Gustav Adolph's mother. In 1654 he came of age and married Magdalene Sibylle, a daughter of Duke Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp. Their marriage produced eleven children:
- Johann, Hereditary Prince of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.
- Eleonore.
- Marie, married on 23 September 1684 to Duke Adolph Frederick II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
- Magdalene.
- Sophie, married on 6 December 1700 to Duke Christian Ulrich I of Württemberg-Oels.
- Christine, married on 4 May 1683 to Louis Christian, Count of Stolberg-Gedern.
- Charles, Hereditary Prince of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, married on 10 August 1687 to Marie Amalie of Brandenburg, a daughter of Elector Frederick William.
- Hedwig, married on 1 December 1686 to Duke August of Saxe-Merseburg-Zörbig.
- Louise, married on 5 December 1696 to King Frederick IV of Denmark.
- Elisabeth, married on 29 March 1692 to Duke Henry of Saxe-Merseburg-Spremberg.
- Augusta.
The death of the only surviving son, the Hereditary Prince Charles, in 1688 at the age of 23, caused a succession crisis in Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Gustav Adolph's daughter Marie married her cousin Adolphus Frederick II of Mecklenburg, who after the death of his father-in-law claimed the Güstrow heritage, but could not prevail against the ruling duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. A younger daughter, Louise in 1695 married the Danish crown prince Frederick IV and in 1699 became queen consort of Denmark.
Gustav Adolph died in Güstrow at the age of 62. The subsequent inheritance conflict within the House of Mecklenburg was settled by the establishment of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1701.
