Anna of Saxony, Electress of Brandenburg
Encyclopedia
Anna of Saxony was a princess of Saxony
by birth and Electress of Brandenburg by marriage.
from his marriage to Margaret of Austria, daughter of the Duke Ernest of Austria.
On 12 November 1458 Anna married Albert Achilles of Brandenburg, later Elector Albert III Achilles, in Ansbach
. To further cement the tie between the House of Wettin and the House of Hohenzollern
, the marriage contract also planned a marriage between Anna's brother Albert and Albert Achilles' daughter from his first marriage, Ursula
, but both married children of King George of Poděbrady
of Bohemia
instead.
As her Wittum
, Anna received Hoheneck Castle
and district, plus Leutershausen
and Colmberg
. Through her marriage, she became stepmother to Albert Achilles's four children from his earlier marriage with Margaret of Baden
. At the time of Anna's marriage, Albert Achilles held all the Franconian possessions of the Hohenzollerns. In 1470, he also inherited the Electorate of Brandenburg. In 1473 Anna agreed to a new House law, which made Mark Brandenburg
indivisible, but allowed the Franconian possessions to be shared among several sons. This meant that John Cicero, Albert Achilles's son from his first marriage, would become Elector of Brandenburg, but Anna's two sons would inherite the Frankish possessions.
Albert Achilles specified in his will that Anna was entitled to income and residency in Neustadt an der Aisch
, Erlangen
, Dachsbach
, Baiersdorf
and Liebenow. Her sons, however, would retain sovereignty over those territories. Anna survived her husband by 26 years and resided mostly in Neustadt an der Aisch, where she maintained a relatively luxurious court.
Anna died in 1512 and was buried in Heilsbronn Abbey
. The memorial on her tomb was built about 1502 and is still preserved.
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
by birth and Electress of Brandenburg by marriage.
Life
Anna was a daughter of the Elector Frederick II of SaxonyFrederick II, Elector of Saxony
Frederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
from his marriage to Margaret of Austria, daughter of the Duke Ernest of Austria.
On 12 November 1458 Anna married Albert Achilles of Brandenburg, later Elector Albert III Achilles, in Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
. To further cement the tie between the House of Wettin and the House of Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
, the marriage contract also planned a marriage between Anna's brother Albert and Albert Achilles' daughter from his first marriage, Ursula
Ursula of Brandenburg
Ursula, Margravine von Brandenburg was a German noblewoman.She was the daughter of Johann Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg and Margarethe of Saxony....
, but both married children of King George of Poděbrady
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...
of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
instead.
As her Wittum
Wittum
Wittum , Widum or Witthum is a medieval Latin legal term, known in marital and ecclesiastical law.- Provide for a widow at the wedding :...
, Anna received Hoheneck Castle
Hoheneck Castle
Castle Hoheneck Castle is a medieval Castle above Ipsheim and also a district of the municipality of Ipsheim in the Landkreis Neustadt -Bad Windsheim in Mittelfranken in Bavaria...
and district, plus Leutershausen
Leutershausen
Leutershausen is a municipality in the district of Ansbach, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Altmühl, 12 km west of Ansbach.-History:...
and Colmberg
Colmberg
Colmberg is a municipality in the district of Ansbach in Bavaria in Germany....
. Through her marriage, she became stepmother to Albert Achilles's four children from his earlier marriage with Margaret of Baden
Margaret of Baden
Margaret of Baden was a Margravine of Baden by birth and by marriage Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach. She was the daughter of Jacob, Margrave of Baden-Baden, and his wife Catherine of Lorraine....
. At the time of Anna's marriage, Albert Achilles held all the Franconian possessions of the Hohenzollerns. In 1470, he also inherited the Electorate of Brandenburg. In 1473 Anna agreed to a new House law, which made Mark Brandenburg
Mark Brandenburg
Mark Brandenburg may refer to:*Mark Brandenburg *The historical Margraviate of Brandenburg in Germany*The historical Province of Brandenburg in Germany*The present-day federal state of Brandenburg in Germany...
indivisible, but allowed the Franconian possessions to be shared among several sons. This meant that John Cicero, Albert Achilles's son from his first marriage, would become Elector of Brandenburg, but Anna's two sons would inherite the Frankish possessions.
Albert Achilles specified in his will that Anna was entitled to income and residency in Neustadt an der Aisch
Neustadt an der Aisch
Neustadt an der Aisch is a small town in the northern part of Bavaria , within the Franconian administrative region Middle Franconia,...
, Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
, Dachsbach
Dachsbach
Dachsbach is a so called "Marktgemeinde" , a municipality in the district of Neustadt -Bad Windsheim, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia in northern Bavaria in Germany....
, Baiersdorf
Baiersdorf
Baiersdorf is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in northern Bavaria, Germany.-Location:The major part of Baiersdorf is idyllically situated on a terrace which preserves the town from being flooded by the close Regnitz river...
and Liebenow. Her sons, however, would retain sovereignty over those territories. Anna survived her husband by 26 years and resided mostly in Neustadt an der Aisch, where she maintained a relatively luxurious court.
Anna died in 1512 and was buried in Heilsbronn Abbey
Heilsbronn Abbey
Heilsbronn Abbey was a Cistercian monastery at Heilsbronn in the district of Ansbach in Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It was part of the Diocese of Eichstätt.-History:...
. The memorial on her tomb was built about 1502 and is still preserved.
Offspring
Anna had thirteen children from her marriage to Albert Achilles:- Frederick II (1460–1536), Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
- married in 1479 princess Sophia of Poland (1464-1512)
- AmalieAmalie of BrandenburgAmalie of Brandenburg was Princess of Brandenburg by birth and by marriage Countess Palatine and Duchess of Zweibrücken and Veldenz.- Life :...
(1461–1481)
- Amalie
- married in 1478 Count Palatine Kaspar of ZweibrückenKaspar, Count Palatine of ZweibrückenKaspar, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and Veldenz was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1489 to 1490. He was the son of Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and Johanna of Croÿ. In 1478 in Zweibrücken he married Amalie of Brandenburg , daughter of Albert III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg. Amalie...
(1458-1527)- Anna (* / † 1462)
- Barbara (1464–1515)
- married firstly in 1472 Duke Henry XI. by Crossen and Glogau (ca. 1430-1476)
- married secondly in 1476 King Vladislav II of Bohemia (1456-1516) (divorced in 1500)
- Albert (* / † 1466)
- SibylleSibylle of BrandenburgSibylle of Brandenburg was a Princess of Brandenburg by birth and by marriage Duchess of Jülich and Duchess of Berg.- Life :...
(1467–1524)
- married in 1481 Duke Wilhelm IV of Jülich-Berg (1455-1511)
- SiegmundSiegmund, Margrave of BayreuthSiegmund of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was the sixth but third surviving son of Albrecht III, Margrave of Brandenburg, Ansbach and Bayreuth. On the death of his father on 11 March 1486, his elder brothers Johann Cicero and Friedrich succeeded to Brandenburg and Ansbach respectively, and Siegmund...
(1468–1495), Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach - Albert (* / † 1470)
- Dorothea (1471–1520), Abbess in BambergBambergBamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
- George (1472–1476)
- Elisabeth (1474–1507)
- Siegmund
- married in 1491, Count Hermann VIII of Henneberg-Aschach (1470-1535)
- Magdalene (1476–1480)
- Anastasia (1478–1534)
- married in 1500 Count William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen (1478-1559)