Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Encyclopedia
Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Schwerin
, 1 July 1627 – Halle
, 11 December 1669) was a German
noblewoman, a member of the House of Mecklenburg
and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels.
She was the fourth child and second daughter of Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
by his first wife Anna Maria
, daughter of Enno III, Count of Ostfriesland. In older historiography she appears with a third name, Dorothea, but modern historians have discarded it.
and shortly afterwards to Denmark
, to the court of Dowager Queen Sophia (born Duchess of Mecklenburg-Güstrow). In 1629 Anna Maria was sent to Saxony
with Dowager Electress Hedwig
, to the latter's dower state, Castle Lichtenberg near Prettin
, where she was educated. After Hedwig's death in 1642, Anna Maria returned to Schwerin
, where she was reunited with her father, her mother having died in 1634. She also probably then met for the first time her stepmother, Marie Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg, and her three surviving half-siblings. Anna Maria was her father's favorite child of her father, as demonstrated by the cordial, even affectionate tone of the letters that they wrote to each other.
On 23 November 1647, in Schwerin
, Anna Maria married Augustus, second surviving son of Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony
, and moved with her husband to Halle
, the main city of his domains as Administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg
. During her marriage, she bore twelve children, including three daughters who died in infancy in 1663.
On 22 April 1657 her husband, by the terms of his father's will, received the towns of Weissenfels and Querfurt
as his own Duchy, and hence Anna Maria became Duchess consort of Saxe-Weissenfels.
Anna Maria died on 11 December 1669 in Halle and was buried in a magnificent coffin in the Schloss Neu-Augustusburg in Weissenfels. Her three infant daughters who had been buried in the Halle Cathedral were reinterred with her.
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
, 1 July 1627 – Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, 11 December 1669) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
noblewoman, a member of the House of Mecklenburg
House of Mecklenburg
The House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavic origin that ruled until 1918.- Origins :Niklot was a lord of the Wendish tribe of Obotrites. When the Holy Roman Empire expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with...
and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels.
She was the fourth child and second daughter of Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Adolf Frederick I was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from his father's death in 1592 until 1628 and again 1631–1658...
by his first wife Anna Maria
Anna Maria of Ostfriesland
Anna Maria of Ostfriesland was a German noblewoman.She was a daughter of Count Enno III of Ostfriesland and Anna of Holstein-Gottorp. Her paternal grandmother was Katharina of Sweden, a daughter of Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margareta Leijonhufvud.On 4 September 1622 she married Adolf...
, daughter of Enno III, Count of Ostfriesland. In older historiography she appears with a third name, Dorothea, but modern historians have discarded it.
Life
The wars involving Mecklenburg forced her father to send Anna Maria and her two older brothers, Christian Louis and Karl, first to SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and shortly afterwards to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, to the court of Dowager Queen Sophia (born Duchess of Mecklenburg-Güstrow). In 1629 Anna Maria was sent to Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
with Dowager Electress Hedwig
Hedwig of Denmark
Princess Hedwig of Denmark was the youngest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Electress of Saxony from 1602 to 1611 as the wife of Christian II....
, to the latter's dower state, Castle Lichtenberg near Prettin
Prettin
Prettin is a town and a former municipality in Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Annaburg. It was part of the former administrative community of Annaburg-Prettin....
, where she was educated. After Hedwig's death in 1642, Anna Maria returned to Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
, where she was reunited with her father, her mother having died in 1634. She also probably then met for the first time her stepmother, Marie Katharina of Brunswick-Dannenberg, and her three surviving half-siblings. Anna Maria was her father's favorite child of her father, as demonstrated by the cordial, even affectionate tone of the letters that they wrote to each other.
On 23 November 1647, in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
, Anna Maria married Augustus, second surviving son of Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony
John George I, Elector of Saxony
John George I was Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656.-Biography:Born in Dresden, he was the second son of the Elector Christian I and Sophie of Brandenburg....
, and moved with her husband to Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, the main city of his domains as Administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....
. During her marriage, she bore twelve children, including three daughters who died in infancy in 1663.
On 22 April 1657 her husband, by the terms of his father's will, received the towns of Weissenfels and Querfurt
Querfurt
Querfurt a town in Saalekreis district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated in a fertile area on the Querne, west from Merseburg, on a branch line from Oberroblingen. Pop. 12,935 .-History:...
as his own Duchy, and hence Anna Maria became Duchess consort of Saxe-Weissenfels.
Anna Maria died on 11 December 1669 in Halle and was buried in a magnificent coffin in the Schloss Neu-Augustusburg in Weissenfels. Her three infant daughters who had been buried in the Halle Cathedral were reinterred with her.