Frederick was the son of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Albert, Duke of Bavaria. He succeeded his father as Elector in 1486; in 1502, he founded the University of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon taught.
Frederick was Pope Leo X's candidate for Holy Roman Emperor in 1519, but helped secure the election of Charles V. Frederick secured an exemption from the Edict of Worms for Saxony, and ensured Luther would be heard before the Diet of Worms in 1521.
He protected Luther from the Emperor and Pope by taking him into custody at Wartburg Castle after the Diet of Worms. Frederick himself had little personal contact with Luther and remained a Roman Catholic.
Saxony borders on (from the east and clockwise) Poland, the Czech Republic and the German states of Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg.
The portions in the east of Saxony are the southern parts of the historical region of Lusatia (Lausitz) and are called Upper Lusatia (Oberlausitz); the minority of the Sorbs live in the region, which is bilingual today.
In the Congress of Vienna Saxony was forced to cede its northern territories to Prussia.
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