Georg Rudolph

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Georg Rudolph, Duke of Liegnitz, Brieg and Goldberg (Born: January 22, 1595 - Ohlau, Died: January 14, 1653 - Breslau) was a German patron, bibliophile, composer and poet. The son of Joachim Friedrich, Duke of Brieg-Liegnitz, he became duke in 1613 at the age of 18. He was educated at the university at Frankfurt an der Oder (Słubice). In his early years he was active as composer and poet. He displayed his love of music as early as 1610. The first collection of his music consisted of several partbooks in manuscript, most containing the series of initials GRHZLVB (Georg Rudolph Herzog zu Liegnitz und Brieg), followed by the date 1612. Two of the partbooks, however, conclude thus: ‘1610. 15. Maij … Georgius Rudolphus, Dux Lignicencis et Bregnsis Mannupp/ria’. On assuming power Georg Rudolph continued the Kapelle at his court, but his interest in music mainly assumed a different form. In the course of a journey throughout Europe, he began collecting books for what was to become known as the Bibliotheca Rudolphina. His first wife, Princess Sophie Elisabeth of Anhalt, whom he married in 1614 and who died eight years later, contributed valuable works in French and Italian. By the time the first catalogue was compiled in 1618, five years after the collection was begun, it boasted more than 3000 works; this number later doubled. Housed originally in the Johanneskirche, Liegnitz, the library was moved several times during the 17th and early 18th centuries; it was ultimately housed in

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