Frederick III, Elector of Saxony

Frederick III became Prince-elector of Saxony in 1486, son of Ernest and Elisabeth of Bavaria, holding one of the most powerful positions in the Holy Roman Empire. When Martin Luther nailed his theses and the Reformation ignited, Frederick positioned himself between Rome's fury and his subject's life. He refused to hand Luther over, citing imperial law's guarantee of fair trial - a legal shelter that let the Reformation take root while he himself remained outwardly Catholic. For nearly four decades he ruled Saxony through the church's fracture, inclining toward the new doctrines only gradually. He died in May 1525, reportedly converting in his final hours.