Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (23 June 1593 – 25 March 1650) was a German princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel who became a Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg by marriage.

Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel
Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg
Born(1593-06-23)23 June 1593
Wolfenbüttel
Died25 March 1650(1650-03-25) (aged 56)
Altenburg
Spouse
(m. 1612; died 1615)
(m. 1618; died 1639)
IssueElisabeth Sophie, Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
HouseHouse of Welf
FatherHenry Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
MotherElizabeth of Denmark and Norway

Life

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Elisabeth was born in Wolfenbüttel, the daughter of Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1564–1613) from his second marriage with Elizabeth (1573–1625), eldest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark.

Elisabeth married first on 1 January 1612 in Dresden, to Duke August of Saxony (1589–1615), the administrator of the diocese of Naumburg. August suddenly died at the age of 26, after only three years of marriage.

Elisabeth's second husband was John Philip of Saxe-Altenburg (1597–1639). They married on 25 October 1618 in Altenburg.

Elisabeth died on 25 March 1650 in Altenburg and was buried in the Brethren Church in Altenburg, to which she had donated a beaker.[1] The motto of the Duchess, who was with both an Albertine and an Ernestine,[2] was: All my delight is in God.[3] An oval gold ducats exists, depicting Elisabeth exists, showing her effigy on the obverse and a crowned "E" on the reverse. Elisabeth was a member of the virtuous society under the name the Pious.[4]

Offspring

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Elisabeth suffered four miscarriages during her first marriage:

  • A miscarried daughter (1612)
  • A miscarried daughter (1613)
  • A miscarried son (1614)
  • A miscarried son (1615)

From her second marriage, Elisabeth had only one surviving daughter:

  • Elisabeth Sophie (1619–1680), married in 1636 Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Gotha (1601–1675)
  • Stillborn daughter (1620)
  • Miscarriage (1621)
  • Stillborn son (1622)
  • Miscarriage (1623)
  • Stillborn daughter (1624)
  • Miscarriage (1625)
  • Miscarried daughter (1626)
  • Miscarriage (1628)
  • Miscarriage (1629)
  • Miscarriage (1630)
  • Stillborn son (1631)
  • Stillborn son (1632)

References

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  • New Journal for the History of the Germanic peoples, Volume 1, Issue 1–4, Anton, 1832, p. 88 digitized
  • Ute like to eat:princesses at the Saxon court, Leipzig University Press, 2007, p. 128
  • Moritz Theodor Frommelt: Sachsen-Altenburg geography or history, Klinkhardt, 1838, p. 129

Footnotes

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  1. ^ C. E. von Malortie: contributions to the history of Brunswick-Lüneburg house and yard, Volume 2, Han'sche Hofbuchhandlung, 1864, p. 154
  2. ^ Theodore O. Weigel, Gustav Eduard Köhler: album of autographs for two hundred years celebration on 24 October 1848 of the Peace Treaty of Westphalia on 24 October 1648, T. O. Weigel, 1849, p. 9
  3. ^ Max Lbe. Mottos: devices and aphorisms, Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 2009, p. 210
  4. ^ Erika Alma Metzger, Richard E. Schade, Language societies, gallant female poets, Rodopi, 1989, p. 617
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