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Albrecht von Wallenstein, one of the most prominent figures of the 17th century, was not only a famous military leader and a capable organizer. He also distinguished himself as a politician and sought to increase his and his family's prestige by transforming his own estates into a semi-independent principality. The pinnacle of his efforts for emancipation and social rise was the acquisition of Mecklenburg (1628–29), thanks to which he moved among the leading princes of the empire and real rulers.