'''Ulrich Hosius''' ({{langx|de|Ulrich Hosse}}; {{langx|lt|Ulrichas Hozijus}}; {{langx|pl|Ulryk Hozjusz}}; {{circa|1455}}–1535 in Vilnius) was a noble of German descent from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He is known for supervising several large construction projects in Vilnius. His son Stanislaus Hosius rose to the ranks of a Catholic bishop, cardinal and Papal legate.
==Biography== ===Royal mint=== Hosius was born in Pforzheim. His brother served at the court of the Margraviate of Baden. Hosius married a widow from Kraków in 1500 and became city's resident in 1503. Together with two relatives, he supplied silver to the royal mint.<ref name=maciu/> In 1504, they moved to Lithuania where they were offered rent of Vilnius Mint and a customs post in Kaunas. Hosius directed Vilnius Mint, but it was closed by the Grand Duke Sigismund I the Old in 1506. Due to protests by Lithuanian nobles, the mint was reopened in 1508. He continued to direct the mint until its closure in 1529. This work allowed Hosius to accumulate a large personal fortune and he build his residence on the present-day Vokiečių Street.<ref name=maciu/>
===Construction projects=== In 1513, Hosius was appointed as a supervisor (aedilis) of the reconstruction of the Lower Castle by Sigismund I the Old. From 1515, Hosius supervised the construction of royal mills in the Grand Duchy; a third of the mills' revenue belonged to Hosius.<ref name=maciu/> Hosius supervised the construction of the first water-supply system of Vilnius. He also constructed the Green Bridge (1532–1534), one of the first permanent bridges across the Neris River.<ref name=vle/> It was a wooden bridge on brick footing and had checkpoints to collect tolls.<ref name=maciu/> In 1535, Hosius started the construction of a hospital attached to the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit, which was finished by his son Jan in 1570.<ref name=vle/>
===Other positions=== It is likely that Hosius was treasurer of Michael Glinski (mentioned in written sources in 1509). Hosius was the castellan of Vilnius (chief administrator of the Vilnius Castle) from 1518 to his death in 1535.<ref name=maciu/> In 1528, he became Standard-bearer of Vilnius.<ref name=vle/>
==Wealth== For loyal service, Sigismund I the Old gifted him the village of Bezdonys in 1516. He also owned three houses in Vilnius, two houses in Kraków, and revenue streams from royal mills and tolls from the Green Bridge.<ref name=maciu/>
==References== <references>
<ref name=maciu>{{cite web |first=Arvydas |last=Maciulevičius |title=Ulrichas Hozijus: tarp verslo ir tarnybos karaliui |url=https://www.ldkistorija.lt/ulrichas-hozijus-tarp-verslo-ir-tarnybos-karaliui/ |work=Orbis Lituaniae |publisher=Vilniaus universitetas |access-date=4 April 2019}}</ref>
<ref name=vle>{{cite encyclopedia |first= |last= |date=23 April 2020 |orig-year=2005 |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/ulrich-hosius/ |title=Ulrich Hosius |encyclopedia=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras |language=lt |access-date=16 February 2025 }}</ref>
</references>
==Further reading== * {{cite journal | first = M. |last=Gumowski | year = 1926 | title = Ulryk Hozjusz, ojciec kardynała, horodniczy wileński | journal = Przegląd powszechny | volume = 171 | language=pl}} * {{cite journal | first = Mirosław |last=Gajewski | title = Z historii Bezdan | journal = Nasza Gazeta | volume = 10 | issue = 446 | url = http://archiwum99.tripod.com/446/bezdan.html |language=pl}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hosius, Ulrich}} Category:1450s births Category:1535 deaths Category:15th-century Lithuanian nobility Category:16th-century Lithuanian nobility Category:15th-century Polish nobility Category:16th-century Polish nobility
Category:Mayors of Vilnius Category:People from Pforzheim
Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:People from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania