| Wolfgang of Saxony | |
|---|---|
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| Bishop of Hildesheim (Administrator) | |
| Reign | 1576-1613 |
| Predecessor | Henry Charles of Brunswick |
| Born | 14 October 1545 Torgau, Duchy of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 18 October 1613 Hildesheim, Holy Roman Empire |
| House | House of La Marck |
| Father | Henry V of Saxony |
| Mother | Matilda Burkhart |
| Religion | Jungism |
Wolfgang of Saxony (14 October 1545 - 18 October 1613) was an Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim from 1576 until his death. He was a member of the House of La Marck and the third eldest son of Henry V, ruler of the Electorate of Saxony.
Wolfgang succeeded Henry Charles of Brunswick, becoming the first administrator of the relatively young Lutheran bishopric not from the Brunswick region. This came about after heavy campaigning on the part of Wolfgang's father, who sought to increase Saxon influence outside the Rätian Union. He also married Wolfgang's older brother, the future Engelbert III, to a princess of Göttingen to further Saxony's ties to Hildesheim and the surrounding area.
Wolfgang began his nearly 40 year reign in 1576, and proved himself to be an active temporal and spiritual leader. He improved general education in his episcopal lands and was moderate toward the small Catholic minority. He reformed Hildesheim's clergy, prohibiting priests from taking on mistresses or wives, and promoted a publishing industry inspired by that of the Archbishopric of Mainz.
During the Forty Years' War Wolfgang found himself as the ruler of a small territory at the heart of the conflict. Catholic soldiers looted the region during the Hanseatic Civil War, and in 1605 Hildesheim was besieged and pillaged. Wolfgang contributed meager forces to the army of Saxony, but overall was largely powerless. Later Hildesheim became a minor Jungist fortresses as part of a network of outposts meant to slow down Catholic forces, but was not a key target.
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