Christopher von Dohna

BurgraveChristopher von Dohna (German: Burggraf Christoph von Dohna; 27 June 1583 – 1 July 1637) was a German politician and scholar during the time of the Thirty Years' War. He came from the Prussian family of the Burgraves of Dohna.

Dohna was born in 1583 in Mohrungen (Morąg), Duchy of Prussia (a fief of the Crown of Poland), the son of Achatius von Dohna, by his marriage to Barbara von Wernsdorf. After brief instruction by a private tutor, Dohna attended a series of educational institutions: the University of Rostock (1597), the University of Altdorf (1598), the University of Heidelberg (1599), the University of Siena (1601), the University of Perugia (1602), the University of Geneva (1604), and then in 1606 he returned to the University of Heidelberg.

Upon leaving his final university, Dohna entered the service of Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg. On the death of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine in 1610, Frederick IV was succeeded by his 14-year-old son Frederick V, Elector Palatine. Christian of Anhalt-Bernburg became one of Frederick V's most trusted advisers, and, as Frederick's chancellor, exercised a large degree of influence over the young Elector. Upon Christian's recommendation, Frederick made Dohna a member of his Council (Rat). Under Christian's tutelage, Dohna rose to become Frederick's Chamberlain (Oberstkämmerer) in 1620. He married Ursula von Solms-Braunfels on 23 March 1620.

Dohna had also remained active as a scholar and was invited to join the Fruitbearing Society in 1619 due to his learning in the healing properties of natural herbs. He adopted the oregano plant as his emblem.

Following the collapse of Frederick V's policies in 1620 and the occupation of his territories by imperial troops later in 1620, Dohna fled to Küstrin. He later moved to Spandau, where his wife was entitled to an appanage. He spent the years between 1624 and 1628 living privately on his ancestral estate at Carwinden (today Karwiny). In 1628, he was forced to flee from there when the Polish–Swedish War spread onto his property, going first to Emden.

En octubre de 1630, Federico Enrique, príncipe de Orange , nombró a su cuñado Dohna gobernador del Principado de Orange , cargo que ocupó hasta su muerte. Falleció en Orange el 1 de julio de 1637, a los 54 años.

Christopher estaba casado con Ursula, hija de John Albert I de Solms-Braunfels. Juntos tuvieron los siguientes hijos: ^{[ 1 ]}

• Federico de Dohna (1621–1688)
• Christian Albrecht zu Dohna (1621-1677)
• Enrique de Dohna (1624-1643)
• Elisabeth Charlotte de Dohna-Carwinden (1625-1691)
• Enriqueta Amalie de Dohna-Carwinden (1626-1655)
• Catalina de Dohna-Carwinden (1627-1697)
• Christoph Delphicus zu Dohna (1628-1668)
• Luisa de Dohna-Carwinden (1633-1690)

Hombre de letras, Dohna compuso poesía en alemán , italiano y latín . Tradujo varias obras científicas, así como De militia CJ Cæsaris de Petrus Ramus y De curriculo vitae sue narratio apologetica de Abraham Scultetus .