# Fame.am profile — machine-readable export
# Canonical URL: https://fame.am/person/frederick-william-elector-of-brandenburg
# Generated: 2026-09-02T07:09:14.807Z

schema: https://schema.org/Person
url: "https://fame.am/person/frederick-william-elector-of-brandenburg"
name: "Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg"
slug: "frederick-william-elector-of-brandenburg"
description: "He turned a collection of scattered German territories into the kernel of what would become Prussia—and eventually the German Empire. Military reorganization, religious pragmatism, commercial ambition: the toolkit that made Brandenburg-Prussia a power worth fearing."
tagline: "Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia"
image: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Frans_Luycx_-_Frederick_William%2C_Elector_of_Brandenburg%2C_at_three-quarter-length.jpg"
gender: "male"
country:
  name: "Germany"
  isoCode: "DE"
category:
  name: "Historical Figures"
  slug: "historical-figures"
profileType:
  name: "Historical Figure"
  slug: "historical-figure"
  entityType: "https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2798645"
birthDate: "1620-02-16"
deathDate: "1688-04-29"
livingStatus: "DECEASED"
scores:
  popularity:           58
  momentum:             2.850037295391143
  historical:           24.11096933333334
  currentAttention:     10.69132887314705
  sourceConfidence:     60
  profileCompleteness:  70
  trendDirection:       "STABLE"
ranks:
  global:   null
  country:  null
  category: null
tags:
  - name: "Politicians"
    slug: "politicians"
  - name: "Politician"
    slug: "politician"
  - name: "Politics"
    slug: "politics"
  - name: "Early Modern Era"
    slug: "early-modern-era"
sources:
  - url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William,_Elector_of_Brandenburg"
    title: "Wikipedia"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q152727"
    title: "Wikidata"
    type:  "WIKIDATA"
  - url: "https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Frederick%20William%2C%20Elector%20of%20Brandenburg"
    title: "Pantheon 2.0"
    type:  "DATABASE"
  - url: "https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%B4_%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%87%D9%84%D9%85_%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8_%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AC"
    title: "فريدرش فيلهلم ناخب براندنبورج"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Fridrix_Vilhelm_(Brandenburq_k%C3%BCrf%C3%BCrst%C3%BC)"
    title: "I Fridrix Vilhelm (Brandenburq kürfürstü)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%92%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BC_(%D0%91%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3)"
    title: "Фридрих Вилхелм (Бранденбург)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_von_Brandenburg"
    title: "Friedrich Wilhelm von Brandenburg"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Guillem_de_Brandenburg"
    title: "Frederic Guillem de Brandenburg"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridrich_Vil%C3%A9m_I._Braniborsk%C3%BD"
    title: "Fridrich Vilém I. Braniborský"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederik_Vilhelm_den_Store_af_Brandenburg-Preussen"
    title: "Frederik Vilhelm den Store af Brandenburg-Preussen"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A6%CF%81%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B4%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%93%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%92%CF%81%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B2%CE%BF%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%85"
    title: "Φρειδερίκος Γουλιέλμος του Βρανδεμβούργου"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William%2C_the_Great_Elector"
    title: "Frederick William, the Great Elector"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederiko_Vilhelmo_(Brandenburgio)"
    title: "Frederiko Vilhelmo (Brandenburgio)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Guillermo_I_de_Brandeburgo"
    title: "Federico Guillermo I de Brandeburgo"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_(Brandenburgi_kuurv%C3%BCrst)"
    title: "Friedrich Wilhelm (Brandenburgi kuurvürst)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederiko_Gilen_Brandenburgekoa"
    title: "Frederiko Gilen Brandenburgekoa"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4_%D9%88%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%87%D9%84%D9%85%D8%8C_%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%DA%AF%D8%B1_%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1%DA%AF"
    title: "فریدریش ویلهلم، انتخابگر براندنبورگ"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredrik_Vilhelm_(Brandenburg)"
    title: "Fredrik Vilhelm (Brandenburg)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric-Guillaume_Ier_de_Brandebourg"
    title: "Frédéric-Guillaume Ier de Brandebourg"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9A_%D7%95%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%9D%2C_%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9A_%D7%94%D7%91%D7%95%D7%97%D7%A8_%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%A0%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%92"
    title: "פרידריך וילהלם, הנסיך הבוחר מברנדנבורג"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frigyes_Vilmos_brandenburgi_v%C3%A1laszt%C3%B3fejedelem"
    title: "Frigyes Vilmos brandenburgi választófejedelem"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_dari_Brandenburg"
    title: "Friedrich Wilhelm dari Brandenburg"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Guglielmo_I_di_Brandeburgo"
    title: "Federico Guglielmo I di Brandeburgo"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%AA%E3%83%92%E3%83%BB%E3%83%B4%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%83%98%E3%83%AB%E3%83%A0_(%E3%83%96%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%83%B3%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AF%E9%81%B8%E5%B8%9D%E4%BE%AF)"
    title: "フリードリヒ・ヴィルヘルム (ブランデンブルク選帝侯)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%A4%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98%E1%83%93%E1%83%A0%E1%83%98%E1%83%AE_%E1%83%95%E1%83%98%E1%83%9A%E1%83%B0%E1%83%94%E1%83%9A%E1%83%9B%E1%83%98_(%E1%83%91%E1%83%A0%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C%E1%83%93%E1%83%94%E1%83%9C%E1%83%91%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%92%E1%83%98%E1%83%A1_%E1%83%99%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%A4%E1%83%98%E1%83%A3%E1%83%A0%E1%83%A1%E1%83%A2%E1%83%98)"
    title: "ფრიდრიხ ვილჰელმი (ბრანდენბურგის კურფიურსტი)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%94%84%EB%A6%AC%EB%93%9C%EB%A6%AC%ED%9E%88_%EB%B9%8C%ED%97%AC%EB%A6%84_%ED%8F%B0_%EB%B8%8C%EB%9E%80%EB%8D%B4%EB%B6%80%EB%A5%B4%ED%81%AC_%EC%84%A0%EC%A0%9C%ED%9B%84"
    title: "프리드리히 빌헬름 폰 브란덴부르크 선제후"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3823a172-d8b3-45fd-b67e-a03f6f98d91c"
    title: "MusicBrainz"
    type:  "DATABASE"
  - url: "https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_(Brandenburg)"
    title: "Friedrich Wilhelm (Brandenburg)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%AE_%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%87%D9%84%D9%85_(%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8_%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%BA)"
    title: "فريدرخ فيلهلم (ناخب براندنبورغ)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"

# bio (long form, separated for readability)
bio: |
  Frederick William inherited the Electorate of Brandenburg and Duchy of Prussia in 1640, midway through the Thirty Years' War, with his lands fragmented and weak. A committed Calvinist aligned with the rising merchant class, he grasped early that trade mattered as much as bloodlines. His domestic reforms and military investments gave Brandenburg-Prussia structural strength in the new order that emerged after the Peace of Westphalia. The work was patient and shrewd, not flashy—setting the stage for his son to elevate the duchy to a kingdom. He died in 1688, having built the foundation for Prussian ascent.