1614 (MDCXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar and a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 1614th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 614th year of the 2nd millennium, the 14th year of the 17th century, and the 5th year of the 1610s decade. As of the start of 1614, the Gregorian calendar was 10 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.
Brandenburg–Prussia (German: Brandenburg-Preußen; Low German: Brannenborg-Preußen) is the historiographic denomination for the early modern realm of the Brandenburgian Royal dynasty of the House of Hohenzollern between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession upon the latter's extinction in the male line in 1618.
Another consequence of the intermarriage between the nobility was the acquisition / incorporation of the lands far to the west of Brandenburg–Prussia located in western Germany of the Holy Roman Empire (A.D. c. 800 / 962 to 1806), and situated in the lower Rhenish / Rhine River of the principalities of the Duchy of Cleves, County of Mark and County of Ravensberg after the signing and agreements in the Treaty of Xanten in 1614.