AUGUSTUS I. (1526-1586), elector of Saxony, was the younger son of Henry, duke of Saxony, and consequently belonged to the Albertine branch of the Wettin family. Born at Freiburg on July 31 1526, and brought up as a Lutheran, he received a good education at the University of Leipzig. He acted as regent of Saxony in 1552 during the absence of the elector, his elder brother Maurice. Augustus was visiting Denmark when by Maurice's death in July 1553, he became elector of Saxony.
The first care of the new elector was to come to terms with John Frederick, head of the Ernestine branch of the Wettin fam ily, and to strengthen his own hold upon the electoral position. By a treaty made at Naumburg in Feb. 1554, John Frederick recog nized Augustus as elector of Saxony in return for the grant of Altenburg and other lands. The elector, however, was continually haunted by the fear that the Ernestines would attempt to deprive him of the electorate, and his policy both in Saxony and in Ger many was coloured by this fear.
In imperial politics Augustus acted upon two main principles: to cultivate the friendship of the Habsburgs, and to maintain peace between the contending religious parties. To this policy may be traced his share in bringing about the religious peace of Augustus in 1555, his tortuous conduct at the diet of Augsburg II years later, and his reluctance to break entirely with the Calvinists. On one occasion only did he waver in his allegiance to the Habsburgs. In 1568 a marriage was arranged between John Casimir, son of the elector palatine, Frederick III., and Eliza beth, a daughter of Augustus, and for a time it seemed pos sible that the Saxon elector would support his son-in-law in his attempts to aid the revolting inhabitants of the Netherlands. Augustus also entered into communication with the Huguenots; but his aversion to foreign complications prevailed, and the incip ient friendship with the elector palatine soon gave way to serious dislike.
The hostility between the Albertines and the Ernestines gave serious trouble to Augustus. A preacher named Matthias Flacius, who held an influential position in ducal Saxony, began to make personal attacks on Augustus, and to incite Duke John Frederick to make an effort to recover his position. Associated with Flacius was a knight, William of Grumbach, who made inroads into elec toral Saxony. After some delay, Grumbach and his protector, John Frederick, were placed under the imperial ban, and Augustus was entrusted with its execution. His campaign in 1567 was short and successful. John Frederick surrendered, and passed his time in prison until his death in 1595; Grumbach was taken and executed; and the position of the elector was made quite secure.
The elector imposed a strict form of Lutheranism in his domin ion, and tortured and imprisoned the "Crypto-Calvinists" who followed the teaching of Melanchthon. In 1576 he made a seri ous but unsuccessful attempt to unite the Protestants upon the basis of some articles drawn up at Torgau. The change in Saxony, however, made no difference to the attitude of Augustus on im perial questions, and he continued to support the Habsburgs.
As a ruler of Saxony, Augustus was economical and enlightened. He favoured trade by encouraging Flemish emigrants to settle in the country, by improving the roads, regulating the coinage and establishing the first posts. He was specially interested in benefit ing agriculture, and added several fine buildings to the city of Dresden. His laws were numerous and comprehensive. The con stitution of 1572 was his work, and by these laws the church, the universities and the police were regulated, the administration of justice was improved, and the raising of taxes was placed upon a better footing (see SAXONY).
In Oct. 1585 the electress Anna died, and a few weeks later Au gustus married Agnes Hedwig, a daughter of Joachim Ernest, prince of Anhalt. He died at Dresden on Jan. 21 1586. By his first wife he had 15 children, but only four of these survived him, among whom was his successor, the elector Christian I. (I560-9I). Augustus was a covetous, cruel and superstitious man, but these qualities were redeemed by his political caution and his wise methods of government. He wrote a small work on agriculture entitled Kiinstlich Obst- and Gartenbiichlein.