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This is a list of the many historical and even greater number of fictional characters that appear in about twenty works of Eric Flint's best selling 1632 series— an aggregation of likely neohistorical developments centered in seventeenth century Europe - conceived both as a stand alone novel and as an experimental mode of writing alternate history stories, but which became a succession of very successfulcitation needed literary experiments and best sellingcitation needed trend settingcitation needed experiment in collaborative writing with many contributors over seven years.
The result is a complex "messy" (Flint's term) collection of books presenting a plausible neohistory that 'might happen' as written, should ever a somewhat typical rural American town of 3,000 plus rednecked West Virginian hillbillies just happen to drop into the middle of Central Europe during the formative years of Early Modern Europe. As part of the "Messiness" that Flint believes is "Real Life", and therefore "history" the various works switch character mixes and within each, to narrative viewpoints to sometimes bewildering "Odd people in odd places", which within the story arch of a given book somehow all works together to present a whole which not only lends credibility to the technique, but background understanding and depth of exposition that illuminates history in our past, even as it exposes the plot in the down-time neohistory of the parallel universe of the world depicted in 1632 and its sequels.
Use of characters in general
Characters in 1632 are generally tightly involved with some aspect of the overarching story and are used to further the story line to the brief "action" episodes by skillful use of dialog, interpersonal situations, candid differences of opinion and character persona. By switching narrative viewpoints frequently between various down-time (in universe) characters Flint and his many collaborators move the story presentations along while constantly presenting new developments and thought provoking background insights (and little known historical tidbits forming the foundation of our up-time modern world), as well as depicting the occasional character foible or flaw that in some cases, is the real heart of the conflict in the seventeenth century setting—"I'm a nobleman, and you're a peasant so shut up and peasant, peasant"—not to mention outright greed, thirst for power, and other such unsavory motivators.
Still, the character set while rich in numbers, is for the most part undeveloped overall as in depth individuals one can relate to on a deeper plane in the mainline novels of the set save for a few key repeating characters, most notable among these such as Mike Stearns and his wife Becky Stearns, whose romance figures prominently toward the end of the lead novel 1632. Beginning in the 1633 sequel, the early non-mainline plot thread novels each introduced a different core of key protagonists such as the Stone boys, and especially Sharon Nichols, her beaus Hans Richter and then the Spanish ambasadors factotum Ruy Sanchez de Casador y Ortiz as well as Father Larry Mazzare, and Tom Stone and his wife Magda nee Magdalena Edelmann who anchor the South European thread.
Others developed in substantial depth are as a rule a key repeating character such as the revolutionary zealot Gretchen Richter or Colonel Jesse Woods whose air force figures large in 1633, various short stories, and 1634: The Baltic War. The back and forth narrative technique even there offsets much of the shallowness by giving a good feel for the thought processes, motivations, prejudices, and so forth in the exposing dialog of the given scene. Place settings are quite sketchy in comparison and left up to the imagination of the reader, including most battle scenes and the like. The tales are character centered and focused on the underlying motives of human kind, which goes far to explain the success of the set.
In the copious short fiction, especially that of the eighteen Grantville Gazette's in depth characterization has become more a norm and modus operandi of narrative exposition. This group of stories, almost as a rule, generally involves the personal problems, experiences and resolution of some "common man on the street" as seen up close and personal through their eyes, whether to down-timers (people born in the sixteenth or seventeenth century) or up-timers (The Americans now living in the timeline of the neohistory). A number of those writers have developed story lines that have been serialized over several issues of the Gazette's, and being "ground level" oriented and personal experiences dealing with the commonplace everyday hassles of life in general, there is much empathy between reader and character. It's easy to see ourselves in their place, whereas it's not so easy to imagine ourselves as a top tough negotiator and world shaker like Mike Stearns, Prime Minister of the United States of Europe, and former President of the Confederated Principalities of Europe.
Historical figures
The historical research behind the series overall is impressive, and for the most part, historic characters are given believable and logically consistent roles and personality characterizations consistent with the historical record. As prime minister of France, even the notionally villainous characters such as Cardinal Richelieu are portrayed with a great deal of care, in his case, as suave, charming, persuasive and very clever— Charles I of England, along with his bride, and Louis XII of France are portrayed perhaps worse than their real selves were, but if the authors took a little extra literary liberty with such characters, it is because the historical record has already damned them, and they are portrayed consistent with what is known of them, or at least can be extrapolated from what is known of them. A strong king, like Gustavus II Adolphus is portrayed with extreme vigor, decisiveness (matching his nearly unmatched history as a general), and so forth. The noblemen, the "princes" of The Germanies run the full spectrum of character archetypes from the venal to the shrewd, the clever to the manipulative, the grasping to the cowardly indecisive. In truth, but for a few scattered scenes setting background up in the back plots, historical figures are kept off stage letting the fictional carry most of the action.
Abrabanel family
Sephardic Jewish merchants, financiers, bankers, physicians, and other such professions who were influential in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries after most were forcibly expelled from Spain after the convulsions and consolidations of 1492, or had to become "Marranos" (Secret Jews ostensibly practicing Christianity for fear of their lives; the Inquisition came about to ferret out Marrano and the equivalent Islamic Moriscos).
- Flint places several important Sephardic families (Also includes Franciso Nasi and various relations) in the courts or capitals of various seventeenth century nations including London (Kingdom of England), Amsterdam and Brussels (the Dutch Republic), Vienna (kingdom of Austria, and in the service of the HRE Emperor Ferdinand II of Austria), in Istanbul (Ottoman Empire), the Most Serene Republic of Venice and Naples. He also depicts the far flung interests and inter-relational workings of Marranos forming a de facto spy network, and in particular relates that such a network was used by the English during their struggles with Spain before Charles I of England expulsed most Marranos in England.
- The family decides in late 1631 to firmly ally itself with the New United States (NUS) during the pre-election politicing when the Grantville Emergency Committee is transitioning from being in charge to supervising in succession an Grantville Constitutional Convention and beyond to an elected Republic organized strongly on the United States Constitution, the 'New United States'.
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This short section requires expansionor completion versus unresolved questions. | |
| Things needed/checked: Needs the brothers & cousins Abrabanel in 1632 and sequels | ||
Adolphus, Gustavus II
- Adolphus, Gustavus II, Gustav, Gustavus, Gustav II Adolf, Gustavus II Vasa, etcetera
- — are all forms used by historians and with some variety in the series books. See below Sweden, Gustav II Adolf of.
Acontius, Jacob
Jacob Acontius (Italian: Jacopo (or Giacomo) Aconcio; 7 September 1492 – around 1566) was an Italian jurist, theologian, philosopher and engineer. He was traditionally thought to have been born at Trento, although it was probably Ossana (Italy). He was one of the earliest educated Renaissance Italians, like Peter Martyr and Bernardino Ochino, who repudiated papal doctrine (technically thereby committing heresy) and ultimately found refuge in England fleeing the wrath of the Office of the Holy Inquisition. Like them, his revolt against Romanism took a more extreme form than Lutheranism, and after a temporary residence in Switzerland and at Strasbourg (between 1557 and 1558), he arrived in England soon after Elizabeth's accession (1559). He had studied law and theology, but his profession was that of an engineer, and in this capacity he found employment with the English government.
He was granted naturalization on 8 October 1561 [1]. He was for some time occupied with draining Plumstead marshes, for which object various acts of Parliament were passed at this time [2]. In 1564 he was sent to report on the fortifications of Berwick [3]; his report is now in the Record Office [4]. His importance to history depends not upon his contributions as engineer and naturalized citizen of the Kingdom of England, but most impacted history instead by his contributions to the philosophy and the practice of religious toleration. Before reaching England he had published a treatise on the methods of investigation, De Methodo, hoc est, de recte investigandarum tradendarumque Scientiarum ratione (Basel, 1558, 8vo); and his critical spirit placed him outside all the recognized religious societies of his time.
In 1632-verse:, Acontius is long dead but influential philosophically in scientific practices among a protestant group called Acontians who are established in both the Netherlands and England.<cref >Template:Cite GG05</ref >
Austria, Ferdinand II of
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
|
- Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor (1578–1637)
- Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire; married to Eleonore Gonzaga; father of Maria Anna of Austria, Cecylia Renata and Ferdinand III
- In the 1632-verse: ??? dies already in 1634 as broken man, after being deposed in Bohemia by Wallenstein and remaining without any success in Germany
Austria, Cecilia Renata, Archduchess of
- Archduchess Cecilia Renata of Austria (1611–1643)
- In our time line, this daughter of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor was wed to a Polish nobleman and became Queen of Poland from 1637; which the historical references discussed between the sisters within the series depict as being a very unhappy marriage.
- In the 1632-verse: Cecilia Renata of Austria is the younger sister and co-conspirator of Maria Anna of Austria during the early phases of 1634: The Bavarian Crisis—where the two conspire against priests, advisors, tutors and talk about marriages to this or that notable. She resurfaces again as a character towards the end of 1634: The Bavarian Crisis during the deathwatch of Ferdinand II, who departs life much sooner in the neohistory. Brother Ferdinand III conveys he will not be marrying her to anyone from Poland given the dour reports of the American's histories for that dynastic union.
Austria, Ferdinand III
Known to historians as Ferdinand III, of Austria, (July 13, 1608 – April 2, 1657), he was made King of Hungary in 1625, and King of Bohemia in 1627 in OTL. As the oldest son of Ferdinand II he eventually reigned as Holy Roman Emperor—between February 15, 1637 – 1657; A dignity in no way automatic for it was not an inheritable or powerful office, but one of prestige with high moral authority— after Ferdinand II's death in 1636 opened the Elected office of King of the Romans, the precursor title necessary to being coronated and anointed as Emperor by the Pope.
Eldest son of Emperor Ferdinand II from the house of Habsburg and his first wife, Maria Anna of Bavaria.
Following the death of Wallenstein in 1634, he was made titular head of the Imperial Army in the Thirty Years' War, and later that year joined with his cousin the Cardinal-Infante to defeat the Swedes at Nördlingen.
Leader of the peace party at court, he helped negotiate the Peace of Prague with the Protestant States, especially Saxony in 1635. In the 1632-verse, he was replaced by Wallenstein in 1633 as leader of Bohemia, in a plot thread begun in Ring of Fire
Austria, Leopold Wilhelm, Archduke of
- In OTL, Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (b. Wiener Neustadt January 5, 1614 -d. Vienna November 20, 1662) was the youngest son of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, and was a military commander, and made Governor of the Spanish Netherlands (from 1647 to 1656), and a famous patron of the arts who left a legacy extending to our times. He is also known as Leopold Wilhelm von Habsburg but as a son of the Emperor carried the title Archduke of Austria.
- He was the youngest son of Ferdinand II of Habsburg and of Maria-Anna of Bavaria (1574-1616), daughter of William V, Duke of Bavaria. His elder brother became Emperor Ferdinand III (1608-1657). Leopold became bishop and served as general in the Thirty Years' War.
When he assumed the government of the Spanish Netherlands, Leopold Wilhelm, being a great lover of art, employed the great Flemish painter David Teniers the Younger not only as a painter but as keeper of the collection of pictures he was then forming. With the rank and title of "ayuda de camara", Teniers took up his abode in Brussels shortly after 1647. Immense sums were spent in the acquisition of paintings for the archduke. A number of valuable works of the Italian masters, now in the Vienna Museum, came from Leopold's gallery after having belonged to Charles I and the duke of Buckingham.
- In the 1632-verse neohistory, Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria is also the younger brother of Maria Anna and conspires a bit in a cameo color role with his two sister behind the backs of his father's councilors and his teachers. Whether he plays a larger role going forward only time will tell.
Austria, Maria Anna of, Archduchess
- Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (13 January 1610 - 25 September 1665 Munich) (de: Maria Anna von Habsburg, Erzherzogin von Österreich, also known as Maria Anna von Bayern or Maria-Anna, Kurfürstin von Bayern). Born in Graz, her parents were Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor of Habsburg and Maria Anna of Bavaria.
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- She married Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria on the 15 July 1635 in Vienna, was the mother to Ferdinand Maria, elector of Bavaria (de Bavière (Wittelsbach)) and Maximilian Philip (30 September 1638 - 20 March 1704) (Landgrave, de Bavière (Wittelsbach), de Leuchtenberg).
The motivation of Maximilian for this swift remarriage (he had recently been widowed by Elisabeth Renata), was not so much political grounds as the hope of producing a prince to inherit.
Maria Anna is generally described as clever, cautious, energetic, stern, frugal, and experienced in matters of financial administration. In contrast to the Elector's first wife, Maria Anna was very interested in politics and well instructed about developments. She was not bound to the Habsburgs, but rather completely advocated the Bavarian standpoint. Additionally, she conducted lively exchanges of opinion with high officials of the Munich court and took part in meetings of the cabinet. After Maximilian's death, she undertook the regency for their oldest son, Ferdinand Maria.
| Preceded by OTL: Elizabeth of Lorraine NTL: Elizabeth Renata of Bavaria |
Electress of Bavaria 1635 – 1651 |
Succeeded by OTL: Henriette Adelaide of Savoy (Daughter-in-Law) NTL: Fled the marriage |
- First introduced as a fictionalized character in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, she is the heart of the storm of crises, some of which she has little to do with. Like the real Maria Anna, she is depicted as bright, clever, politically and socially astute, kind, considerate, and religious. Frugality and financial administration never arise in the 1632-verse, but her care in planning not only her escape, but that of the staff she discerns as loyal to her from Vienna goes far in confirming "cautious"—albeit leavened with a bit of youthful exuberance and illusions of invincibility.
- Making her way with a party on foot along the long road to Swabia and Switzerland she earns credits in the schools of unintended consequences and school of hard knocks. The party makes it to safety in the United States of Europe, and again she is cautious not to rely on her nominal enemies; although as she walks and suffers, she is mulling over intelligence and indications her cousin Don Fernando is tighter with the Grantvillers of the USE than she would have credited in Munich or Vienna, but elects to undertake more perils on the remainder of the journey to Bern.
The interests of others once there gather a new storm of threats and responses both from the burgers of the city and from without from the army of the ambitious Duke Bernard of Saxe-Weimer who seeks to force her into marriage and ensure he will achieve lands of his own.
USE communications and technology come into play through the diplomatic fast dancing of Becky Stearns still on scene in the Netherlands and matching steps and exercised authority by husband Mike Stearns from Magdeburg enabling her to escape with her virtue intact, and achieving a chastisement of more of Europe's notables.
Bavaria, Albrecht, Duke of
- Duke Albrecht of Bavaria is heir apparent to the dignities of his childless brother Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria and dispossessed of his lands in Leuchtenberg in the Palatinate which were occupied by Swedish forces in the fall of 1631 in the sudden move south by Gustavus through Thuringia, the Palatinate, and into Bavaria after the September 17 victory at Breitenfeld and Leipzig left him in possession of the central northern plains of Geography of Germany.
- also Landgraf of Leuchtenberg, spouse of Mechthilde of Leuchtenberg
- Albrecht VI von Bayern (1584–1666)
- Landgraf of Leuchtenberg.
- In the 1632-verse: During 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, he and his family get trampled under during the 'witch hunt' for traitors by his brother the reigning duke Maximilian, such that he loses both younger children during the flight, his wife (Mechthilde of Leuchtenberg) and oldest son are killed, and he flees to exile in the NTL Bohemia ruled by Wallenstein.
Bavaria, Karl Johann Franz of
Oldest son and heir of Duke Albrecht and Mechthilde of Leuchtenberg; is killed along with mother in the "witch hunt" for traitors by the forces of his uncle Maximilian I in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis.
Bavaria, Maximilian Heinrich of
Young second son of Duke Albrecht and Mechthilde of Leuchtenberg; is separated from his father in the "witch hunt" for traitors by the forces of his uncle Maximilian I in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, and is feared dead. He made his way from the skirmish safely with brother Sigmund Albrect and is safe in USE territory at the end of 1634: The Baltic War.
Bavaria, Sigmund Albrect of
Young third son of Duke Albrecht and Mechthilde of Leuchtenberg; is separated from his father in the "witch hunt" for traitors by the forces of his uncle Maximilian I in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, and is feared dead. He made his way from the skirmish safely with brother Maximilian Heinrich and is safe in USE territory at the end of 1634: The Baltic War.
Bavaria, Elisabeth Renata of
- In OTL, better known as Elizabeth of Lorraine, the French princess and bride of Maximilian I `Elisabet Renata' was the daughter of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine in his marriage to Claude of Valois. Born 1574, she died of a lingering and painful cancer in 1635. Princess Elizabeth married Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria on 6 February 1595 in Nancy, but their marriage was childless.
- In the 1632-verse fiction, she plays an important political `what-if' background role as `Elizabet' dies a full year earlier after 38 years of marriage during the winter of 1633–34 from complications of pneumonia leaving a much bereaved loving and pious 60 year-old husband leaving her deathbed to write an oath in his own blood to abdicate and end his life in a monastery.[5]
| Preceded by Elizabeth of Bohemia |
Electress Palatine (Electress of Bavaria) 1623 – 1635 |
Succeeded by OTL: Maria Anna of Austria NTL: will likely skip a generation, Albrecht's wife died. |
- This opens up the duchy to factional disputes on the privy council, a core membership of which do not like or get along with his brother and heir, duke Albrecht, or his strong willed wife. The privy council convinces him to forget his oath and remarry, hence unconsoled and unschooled by the experience of seeing a loved one waste away in pain from cancer, the Elector is cold and standoffish towards the 26 year-old and self-confident, self-possessed and independent Archduchess Maria Anna when she arrives in Bavaria surrounded by much ceremony—to the point of never having a private conversation with the young lady. (See also: Dukes of Lorraine family tree)
Bavaria, Maximilian I, duke of
The famed Hapsburg nose is prominently obvious in this portrait of Maximilian I.
- Distraught and grieving at the sudden death of his wife, Elisabeth Renata, to pneumonia in January 1634 (NTL), Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria plays a central role in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis—the prologue to the work begins with him taking an oath he writes in his own blood to abdicate and spend the remainder of his life in a monastery. (In OTL, Maximilian's wife survives a bit over a year longer during a lingering death to cancer. In both time lines after the death of his wife, he becomes betrothed to Maria Anna.) Subsequently, his privy council convinces that he must take a new wife and the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria aged 25, the daughter of his long time ally Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary is selected for the pious 61 year old nobleman. Subsequently the Bavarian Crises flows from the basic incompatibilities between the two as brought to a head by the capture of two revered 'American' women of the new United States of Europe—Veronica Dreeson and Mary Simpson.
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This short section requires expansion. | |
- Maximilian of Bavaria (1573–1651)
- called "the Great"; Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector (Kurfürst) of the Holy Roman Empire, and founder and head of Catholic League (German) and therefore de facto head of its armies
- In the 1632-verse: becomes very paranoid after losing his intended fiancée and starts terror and witch hunts in Bavaria, kills his sister-in-law duchess Mechtild, his brother Albrecht gets exiled in the flight to Bohemia taking that fork of a road whilst the Electors troops are in hot pursuit. This is likely to be a factor in the forthcoming 1635: Soldier of Bohemia sequel expected in 2008.
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1632 characters
Born: 17 April 1573 Died: 27 September 1651 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William V |
Duke of Bavaria 1597-1651 |
Succeeded by OTL: Ferdinand Maria NTL: To be continued... |
| Preceded by Frederick V |
Elector Palatine or Elector of Bavaria 1623-1651 |
|
Bedmar, Alfonso, Marquis of
- Bedmar in real life and in the series, is a professional diplomat nominally in the service of Hapsburg Spain. His loyalties are questionable to some degree for he ends up befriending the American embassy party in 1634: The Galileo Affair in Venice, and executes another bit of diplomatic legerdemain to facilitate the journey of Anna Maria to the Netherlands in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, in which he winds up with the new King in the Netherlands as an advisor in his capital at Brussels.
- Alfonso de la Cueva, marqués de Bedmar (1572–1655)
- Spanish diplomat, bishop and cardinal
- In the 1632-verse: becomes chancellor of the new kingdom in the Low Countries
Comenius, Johann, Bishop
- John Amos Comenius (Czech: Jan Ámos Komenský; Slovak: Ján Amos Komenský; German: Johann Amos Comenius;
Polish: Jan Amos Komeński; latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius) (March 28, 1592 – November 15, 1670) was a Czech teacher, scientist, educator, and writer. He was a Unity of the Brethren/Moravian Protestant bishop, a religious refugee, and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica Magna. Comenius became known as the teacher of nations.
- In the 1632 series, he first appears in "The Wallenstein Gambit" along with union agitator/organizer Red Sybolt in Morris Roth's newly acquired estate in Bohemia.
- Drexel, Jeremias
- A member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Drexel plays a background role in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis by writing a special alteration of the extravagant play "Belisarius" for the wedding festivities of Maximilian and Marie Anna's betrothal celebration—and clandestinely aiding the Jesuit helping Maria Anna with her plans to flee with the Father-General's (and by implication, from the Pope) direct orders. Neither character attends, Maria Anna choosing the bustling confusion of the day to be a good choice to flee Munich.
- Jeremias Drexel (1581–1638)
- Jesuit writer at the Munich court of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
- In the 1632-verse: ?
- Ernst, Duke
- — See Saxe-Weimer, Ernst, duke of
Eugenia, Isabella Clara, Infanta of Spain
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain, (12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633) was, together with her husband Albert VII, Archduke of Austria joint sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands. Born in Segovia on 12 August 1566, the daughter of Philip II of Spain and his third wife Elisabeth of Valois. Isabella's mother, Elisabeth of Valois, had originally been betrothed to Don Carlos of Spain, the son of Phillip but political complications unexpectedly necessitated her marriage to Philip instead. Despite the significant age difference between them, Philip was very attached to Elisabeth and when she later gave birth to Isabella Clara Eugenia on 12 August 1566 Phillip was overjoyed despite the child's sex; A sister, Catherine Micaela, the Infanta Catalina Micaela, joined the family the next year. Elisabeth had a miscarriage on October 3, 1568, and died the same day, along with her newborn infant son so Isabella grew up with her sister Catalina, beloved by her father and her stepmother Anna of Austria, Philip's fourth wife. Philip ultimately fathered five children by Anna, all of whom died in early childhood except his eventual actual heir and her half brother Philip III of Spain, Don Carlos having died before he could succeed to the throne. Isabella was the only person whom Philip II permitted to help him with his work, sorting his papers and translating Italian documents into the Spanish language for him. Isabella remained close to her father until his death on 13 September 1598, and served as his primary caretaker during the last three years of his life, when he was plagued by gout and frequent illness.
At age 31 on 18 April 1599, Isabella finally married her cousin Archduke Albert of Austria, the younger brother of her former fiancé Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor. Albert was the joint sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands and the former viceroy of Portugal. As Albert also was the Archbishop of Toledo, he had to be released from his religious commitments by Pope Clement VIII before the wedding could take place, a circumstance with was neither unusual nor unforeseen—secondary male heirs were frequently pledged to the church as early as birth. Her nephew Don Fernando, the Cardinal-Infante Fernando was named Cardinal at the age of eleven years—long before ever taking holy orders. Shortly before Philip II died on September 13, 1598, he renounced his rights to the Netherlands in favor of his daughter Isabella and her husband. Isabella and Albert's three children all died in infancy, and with Alberts eventual death, Isabella inherited the Burgundian Circle, though her nephew Phillip IV of Spain in our timeline reaquired a claim.
- Legacy in the Spanish Netherlands
Beginning in 1601, the couple ruled the Spanish Netherlands together, and after Albert's death Isabella was appointed governor of the Netherlands on behalf of the King of Spain since they had no heirs. A false anecdote links Isabella, the siege of Ostend, and the horse coat colour isabelline. The reign of Albert and Isabella is considered the Golden Age of the Spanish Netherlands. The reign of the Archdukes Isabella Clara Eugenia and Albert of Austria is a key period in the history of the Spanish Netherlands. After four decades of war, it brought a period of much-needed peace and stability to the economy of the Southern Netherlands. In addition to economic prosperity, the actions of the Archdukes stimulated the growth of a separate South Netherlandish identity. The Archdukes consolidated the authority of the House of Habsburg over the territory of the Southern Netherlands and largely succeeded in reconciling previous anti-Spanish sentiments.
When it became clear that independence would not be possible, the Archdukes' goal became to reincorporate the Southern Provinces into the Spanish monarchy. In pursuit of that goal and to get their political agenda to all Flemish social classes, the Archdukes used the most diverse mediums. The visual arts, with the baroque popularized in the wake of the Catholic Reformation, was the perfect tool. Thus Isabella and her husband stimulated the growth of this artistic movement, which resulted in the creation of the Flemish Baroque.
Their patronage of such artists as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Coebergher, the De Nole family, the Van Veens and many others were the beginning of a Golden Age in the Southern Netherlands. This, coupled with the political configuration of the period, made the Archdukes' Court at Brussels one of the foremost political and artistic centers in Europe of that time. It became the testing ground for the Spanish Monarchy's European plans, a boiling pot full of people of all sorts: from artists and diplomats to defectors, spies and penitent traitors, from Spanish confessors, Italian counselors, Burgundian functionaries, English musicians, German bodyguards to the Belgian nobles. The Treaty of London and the Twelve Years' Truce were brought about thanks to the active involvement of the Archdukes in the negotiations. Brussels became a vital link in the chain of Habsburg courts and the diplomatic conduits between Madrid, Vienna, Paris, London, Lisbon, Graz, Innsbruck, Prague and The Hague could be said to run through Brussels.
When Albert died in 1621, Isabella joined the order of the Sisters of St. Clare, and became the governor of the Netherlands on behalf of the King of Spain. She was succeeded as Governor by Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, the third son of her half brother Philip III of Spain in 1633.
- Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (1566-1633*), Infanta of Spain, Archduchess of Austria and the joint sovereign of the Seventeen Provinces, is the heir to the territories of the Spanish Netherlands and beloved of her nephew the Cardinal-Infante, Don Fernando, who was appointed governor-general of the Spanish Netherlands by his brother Phillip IV of Spain who expected to inherit the Burgundian Circle from his aunt. She plays a supportive advisor role in various books of the main plot threads and even dares to meet with the demon of aristocracy, the adamant and tireless organizers of the COC's (Committees of Corespondence), Gretchen Richter.
Fernando, Don
- aka Ferdinand, Cardinal-Infante Don
- The Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand or Don Fernando in the timeline of 1632 successfully re-conquers most of the Low countries aided by the League of Ostend in 1633 (and by the time period covered by the corpus of the first four 1634 based novels) and settles into a long winters siege of Amsterdam— where he is found advised by his dowager aunt, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain, and diplomat/Painter Rubens. While besieging Amsterdam, he comes into contact with various citizens of the USE and begins gradually contemplating cutting a deal with the Prince of Orange to become a monarch and found a dynasty of his own in the territories of the combined Low Countries, at the expense of his older brother, king Philip IV of Spain.
- In this 'evolution in his thinking' (parts of his seduction are covered in most of the works, including the first three Grantville Gazettes) he is aided and abetted by the machinations of Mike Stearns and Ambassadoress Rebecca Abrabanel Stearns who is on scene in the siege of Amsterdam. Both Gretchen Richter and Jeff Higgins play a role in redirecting the Cardinal-Infante thoughts, which turn to founding his own dynasty instead of taking holy vows, an act of despite for his older brother, but one approved of by his Aunt Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain, who is the actual administrator of the Spanish Netherlands, and is also influenced strongly by the embassy party.
- In the fictional events, she puts her will into such an order so that Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand will inherit her claim, and in the end of 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, he declares himself
"king in the Netherlands"
—providing a "convenient" political fig-leaf of doubt as to whether the new kingdom is subject to his brother.
- Moreover, Don Fernando receives permissions from the pope to recant the childhood vows that had him slated for holy orders and as 1634: The Bavarian Crisis ends marries his Austrian Habsburg cousin, the Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria who has had adventures— fleeing a likely disaster-of-a-marriage from Munich in the very heart of Bavaria— with her fathers' old ally (and much older) Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. In her escape through Switzerland, she was aided by various agents of the United States of Europe and directly by Veronica Dreeson and Mary Simpson of Grantville. In the end, the Prime Minister of the United States of Europe (USE) sends an aircraft to convey Don Fernando to his prospective bride, and the couple by return flight to the Netherlands.
- Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand (1609–1641)
- also known as Fernando and as Ferdinand von Österreich; Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Cardinal, Infante, Archbishop of Toledo and military commander
- In the 1632-verse: conquers the Dutch and becomes an independent king of the Low Countries, marries his first cousin 'Maria Anna of Austria' who escapes the intended marriage to her aged uncle 'Maximilian of Bavaria'
of Saxony, John George
Prince-Elector John George I, Elector of Saxony is perhaps the most vilified historical character in the 1632 series canon. Flint calls him the Prince of Hem and Haw, the king of doubt, and paints him as repeatedly saying both yes and no. He and Gustavus Adolphus are introduced in the same scene where the Golden King, the Lion of the North is depicted breaking furniture and cursing up a royal storm, mainly raging at John George of Saxony who would not negotiate a deal to let his Army (In Pomerania and Brandenburg) cross through into northern Thuringia to succor Magdeburg from Tilly's forces.
In OTL history: Gradually, however, he was made uneasy by the obvious trend of the imperial policy towards the annihilation of Protestantism, and by a dread lest the ecclesiastical lands should be taken from him; and the issue of the edict of restitution in March 1629 put the capstone to his fears. Still, although clamouring vainly for the exemption of the electorate from the area covered by the edict, John George took no decided measures to break his alliance with the emperor. He did, indeed, in February 1631 call a meeting of Protestant princes at Leipzig, but in spite of the appeals of the preacher Matthias Hoe von Hohenegg (1580-1645) he contented himself with a formal protest.
Meanwhile Gustavus Adolphus had landed in Germany, aiming to relieve Magdeburg. Gustavus attempted to conclude an alliance with John George to allow him to cross the Elbe at Wittenberg, but John George remained hesitant to join the Protestant cause and the discussions went nowhere. Hoping that an alliance would be concluded eventually, Gustavus avoided any military action.
The Count of Tilly, commander of the main imperial force, was also concerned about the possibility of an alliance, no matter how unlikely it was at the time. In order to preempt any such move, he invaded Saxony and started to ravage the countryside. This had the effect of driving John George into the alliance he had hoped to preempt, which was concluded in September 1631. The Saxon troops were present at the battle of Breitenfeld, but were routed by the imperialists, the elector himself seeking safety in flight. Meanwhile, Gustavus' other forces stood to their guns, refused the broken left flank and scored one of the most decisive victories recorded in modern warfare—a smashing victory which effectively destroyed the Catholic forces as an army.
Despite the ignomious behavior of his army, John George soon took the offensive moving south and somewhat east into Bohemia while Gustavus crossed Thuringia (North to South) in the west and counter-attacked Ferdinand II and Duke Maximillian's southern catholic army in the middle Rhine valley (capturing Franconia and The Electoral Palatinate), driving the catholic forces back into Austria and Bavaria. Marching into Bohemia the Saxons occupied Prague, but John George soon began to negotiate for peace and consequently his soldiers offered little resistance to Wallenstein, who drove them back into Saxony after he was re-retained by Ferdinand II. However, for the present the efforts of Gustavus Adolphus prevented the elector from deserting him, but the position was changed by the death of the king at Lützen in 1632, and the refusal of Saxony to join the Protestant league under Swedish leadership.
Still letting his troops fight in a desultory fashion against the imperialists, John George again negotiated for peace, and in May 1635 he concluded the important treaty of Prague with Ferdinand II. His reward was Lusatia and certain other additions of territory; the retention by his son Augustus of the archbishopric of Magdeburg; and some concessions with regard to the edict of restitution. Almost at once he declared war upon the Swedes, but in October 1636 he was beaten at Wittstock; and Saxony, ravaged impartially by both sides, was soon in a deplorable condition. At length in September 1645 the elector was compelled to agree to a truce with the Swedes, who, however, retained Leipzig; and as far as Saxony was concerned this ended the Thirty Years' War. After the peace of Westphalia, which with regard to Saxony did little more than confirm the treaty of Prague, John George died (1656).
Although not without political acumen, he was not a great ruler; his character appears to have been harsh and unlovely, and he was addicted to drink and other diversions such as hunting.
- Johann Gerhard
- ???
- Johann Gerhard (1582–1637)
- Lutheran theologian
- In the 1632-verse: ?
Harvey, William
Dr. William Harvey, the rediscoverer of the circulatory system first appears as a fictionalized character in the Ring of Fire story "A matter of Consultation" where he runs afoul of the nurses Ann Jefferson and Sharon Nichols. In the aftermath of the tale, Harvey visits Grantville and is provided copies of some medical references as well as some strategic encyclopedia pages he'd been reading to kill time concerning the history of England of his time and the fate of king Charles I of England. These materials have far reaching consequences in the plotlines begun in 1633 as the English monarchy begins what will soon become a familiar over-theme in the series—actions of and by the crowned heads of Europe anticipating or trying to prevent matters documented in the histories reported from the town from the future, Grantville.
Appears in the stories:
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Kircher, Athanasius
Athanasius Kircher (sometimes spelled Kirchner) was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar and Polymath who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology and medicine.
He made an early study of Egyptian hieroglyphs and maintained a huge corespondence (with over 700 notables of the day). One of the first people to observe microbes through a microscope, he was thus ahead of his time in proposing that the plague was caused by an infectious microorganism and in suggesting effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Kircher has been compared to Leonardo da Vinci for his inventiveness and the breadth and depth of his work. A scientific star in his day, towards the end of his life he was eclipsed by the rationalism of René Descartes and others. One scholar, Edward W. Schmidt, has called him "the last Renaissance man".
The Ring of Fire series employs Fr. Kircher in a variety of short stories and as a backdrop character for the exposition of religious strife during the Thirty Years' War in the novels 1634: The Galileo Affair and 1634: The Bavarian Crisis. In the former his role is relatively minor, as he steps in as curate of Saint Mary's Parish for the parish priest—the newly named last resort Ambassador of the embattled and newly organized United States of Europe (USE) to the Most Serene Republic of Venice—Fr. Lawrence Mazarre. He plays a larger role in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis where he forms part of an Jesuit information network that helps resolve the personal and political concerns of the staunchly Catholic heroine, Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria and the aid she receives in her flight from citizens and government functionaries of the State of Thuringia-Franconia.
Mazarini
- Jules Mazarin, born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino (14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661) was an accomplished Italian politician who served as the chief minister of France (hand picked successor to Richelieu) from 1642 until his death, in our timeline (OTL).
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- In the 1632-verse: Mazarini makes his appearance in the flagship novel 1632 and the short story "Between the Armies" (Ring of Fire). Thereafter, he is a frequent mention in the Central European thread as events elsewhere are reacted to in Italy or sometimes, France, and in the events which occur in Southern Europe, especially in 1634–35, The Galileo Affair and The Cannon Law.
- Jules Cardinal Mazarin (1602–1661)
- served as the chief minister of France from 1642, until his death. Mazarin succeeded his mentor, Cardinal Richelieu
- In the 1632-verse: Becomes embroiled in a three way contest for his loyalty; the USE, to whom he was a diplomat during the NUS period, and with which he has become familiar; France, whose leader, Richelieu, has read OTL history and wants to assure the value of his heir; and the Papacy, of which he is a part of the hierarchy.
- Medici, Claudia de'
- Claudia de' Medici is the widow of Archduke Leopold of Austria-Tirol and a presence in the court of Ferdinand II and his wife.
Mendoza, Dona Mencia de
- Doña Mencia de Mendoza is a sister to Cardinal Bedmar and the chief attendant and confidant of Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. When Maria Anna and her party makes their escape from Munich on the morning of a huge festival/play, Mendoza stays behind in the outer suite running interference for the Archduchess who is claimed to be indisposed by severe menstrual cramps. The Archduchess is particularly solicitous of her welfare during the escape from Munich in 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, and sends Susanna Allegretti to delay her own escape and assist the Doña on her old hobbled legs to make her own escape when the subterfuge carried on by the Doña must be undone and the courts physician insists on seeing Maximilian's bride-to-be. Susanna just manages to escape the resultant security alert, and the Doña is safely hidden within the palace and escapes later.
Mercy, Franz von
- Bavarian general in the service of Maximilian I.
Olearius, Adam
Adam Olearius (born Adam Oehlschlaeger) (ca. August 16, 1603– February 22, 1671), German scholar, mathematician, geographer and librarian. He became secretary to the ambassador sent by Frederick III, duke of Holstein-Gottorp to the Shah of Persia, and published two books about the events and observations during his travels. He was born at Aschersleben, near Magdeburg. After studying at Leipzig he became librarian and court mathematician to Duke Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp, and in 1633 he was appointed secretary to the ambassadors Philip Crusius, jurisconsult, and Otto Bruggemann or Brugman, merchant, sent by the duke to Muscovy and Persia in the hope of making arrangements by which his newly-founded city of Friedrichstadt should become the terminus of an overland silk-trade. This embassy started from Gottorp on October 22, 1633, and travelled by Hamburg, Lubeck, Riga, Dorpat (five months' stay), Revel, Narva, Ladoga, and Novgorod to Moscow (August 14, 1634). Here they concluded an advantageous treaty with Michael Romanov, and returned forthwith to Gottorp (December 14, 1634-April 7, 1635) to procure the ratification of this arrangement from the duke, before proceeding to Persia. All of these travels are forstalled in the 1632-verse timeline, where instead Fredrick III becomes an ally of both Gustavus and the up-timers in Grantville whom Olearius encounters in 1631 of the neohistorical timeline.
In that encounter, Adam Olearius was introduced as the traveling companion of Dr. William Harvey visiting a village between Jena and Grantville in "A matter of Consultation" where he is portrayed as gallant, charming, and someone obviously attracted to and interested in nurse Anne Jefferson, who ends up as part of the diplomatic party trapped in the siege of Amsterdam beginning in the novel 1633, continued in three Grantville Gazettes stories by Flint, and the long awaited 1634: The Baltic War, where the couple announce intentions to get married and even discuss income arrangements, employment, etc.
- Appears in the series stories:
"A Matter of Consultation" in the anthology Ring of Fire
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- 1633
- "Portraits" in the anthology Grantville Gazette I
- "Steps in the Dance" in the anthology Grantville Gazette II
- "Postage Due" in the anthology Grantville Gazette III
- 1634: The Baltic War
- 1634: The Bavarian Crisis
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Pappenheim, Gottfried
General Gottfried Pappenheim was a famous cavalry commander during the Thirty Years' war, employed by the imperial armies of the German Catholic League. He led a famous cavalry force known as Pappenheim's Black Cuirassiers, and appears in his historic role in the three chapters of 1632 detailing the First Battle of Breitenfeld. Like in OTL, Pappenheim ends up in the employ of Albrect von Wallenstein, but the Battle of Alte Vista is altered in the neohistory due to the alliance with the up-timers and their firearms, and Pappenheim appears in the series as a personality in "Here Comes Santa Claus" in the anthology Ring of Fire where he acts as an emissary from Wallenstein and helps to foil a terrorist action at a town-wide Christmas celebration.
Orange, William I, Prince of
Prince William I of Orange, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg (April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584). In the series, deceased father of Prince of Orange, Fredrick Hendrik; assassinated "in the year of Prince Hendrick's birth [6]. A capable statesman, he was also widely known as William the Silent (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger), was born in the House of Nassau. He became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau. He was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648.