Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm
Encyclopedia
Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm was the mother of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
, Prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
.
, Kingdom of Prussia
, German Empire
(now in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
), fourth child and daughter of Baron Aschwin of Sierstorpff-Cramm
(1846–1909), and his wife, Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff-Driburg
(1848–1900).
to Count Bodo of Oeynhausen (1881–1909), an officer in the 8th Hussars in Paderborn
, he was son of Count Erich of Oeynhausen, and his wife, Therese von Lenthe. They divorced in 1908 and had no children.
Armgard married secondly in 4 March 1909 at Oelber, Braunschweig
to Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
(1872–1934), the son of Ernest II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld, regent (1897–1904) of the Principality of Lippe
, and Countess Karoline von Wartensleben. The marriage was considered morganatic
. Thus, Armgard was created Countess of Biesterfeld in 8 February 1909.
They had two sons:
On 24 February 1916 she was made Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld with the style Serene Highness
by Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe
, and this title also applied to her two sons.
, Province of Brandenburg
(now Wojnowo
, Poland
), together with her late mate Alexis Pantchoulidzew. During the war
Armgard and Alexis wer observed by the local Gestapo
. Her past as apolitical with the service that the monarchist and anti-Stalinist Colonel Pantchoulidzew later in the war powers to the German Reich Railway, would have made her untouched. The SS
demanded in September 1944 in Recke
, one of Armgard properties, Schloss Woynowo Walde for military purposes. In March 1945, Armgard and Alexis give account of the withdrawal of the German
Wehrmacht
behind the Oder
-line in their estate at Neumark
.
Various writers, accused Armgard of sexual promiscuity among other things, intrigue practices, conspiracy, and -as her son Aschwin- of Nazi sympathies. In March 2004, her son Bernhard, tried to rectify this image with an open letter to The Times
.
, where she died at the age of 87.
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and father of six children, including the current monarch Queen Beatrix....
, Prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana of the Netherlands
Juliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
.
Early life
Armgard was born at Bad DriburgBad Driburg
Bad Driburg is a town and spa in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, pleasantly situated on the Aa and the historic railway Soest-Höxter-Berlin....
, Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
(now in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
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...
), fourth child and daughter of Baron Aschwin of Sierstorpff-Cramm
Baron Aschwin of Sierstorpff-Cramm
Baron Aschwin of Sierstorpff-Cramm was the maternal grandfather of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
(1846–1909), and his wife, Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff-Driburg
Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff-Driburg
Baroness Hedwig of Sierstorpff-Driburg was the maternal grandmother of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.-Early life and family:...
(1848–1900).
Marriages
Armgard married in 24 October 1905 at HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
to Count Bodo of Oeynhausen (1881–1909), an officer in the 8th Hussars in Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, he was son of Count Erich of Oeynhausen, and his wife, Therese von Lenthe. They divorced in 1908 and had no children.
Armgard married secondly in 4 March 1909 at Oelber, Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
to Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1872–1934)
-References:This article is based on this article on Dutch Wikipedia....
(1872–1934), the son of Ernest II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld, regent (1897–1904) of the Principality of Lippe
Principality of Lippe
Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...
, and Countess Karoline von Wartensleben. The marriage was considered morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
. Thus, Armgard was created Countess of Biesterfeld in 8 February 1909.
They had two sons:
- Prince Bernhard of Lippe-BiesterfeldPrince Bernhard of Lippe-BiesterfeldPrince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and father of six children, including the current monarch Queen Beatrix....
(29 June 1911 – 1 December 2004), married in 1937 to Juliana of the NetherlandsJuliana of the NetherlandsJuliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
, had issue. - Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld (13 June 1914 – 14 May 1988), married in 1951 to Simone Arnoux, no issue.
On 24 February 1916 she was made Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld with the style Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
by Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe
Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe
Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe was the final sovereign of the Principality of Lippe...
, and this title also applied to her two sons.
World War II
After the death of her husband in 1934, Armgard managed an estate in ReckenwaldeWojnowo, Lubusz Voivodeship
Wojnowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kargowa, within Zielona Góra County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Kargowa and north-east of Zielona Góra.-References:...
, Province of Brandenburg
Province of Brandenburg
The Province of Brandenburg was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:The first people who are known to have inhabited Brandenburg were the Suevi. They were succeeded by the Slavonians, whom Henry II conquered and converted to Christianity in...
(now Wojnowo
Wojnowo, Lubusz Voivodeship
Wojnowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kargowa, within Zielona Góra County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Kargowa and north-east of Zielona Góra.-References:...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), together with her late mate Alexis Pantchoulidzew. During the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Armgard and Alexis wer observed by the local Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. Her past as apolitical with the service that the monarchist and anti-Stalinist Colonel Pantchoulidzew later in the war powers to the German Reich Railway, would have made her untouched. The SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
demanded in September 1944 in Recke
Recke
Recke is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Recke is situated approx. 20 km north-east of Rheine and 25 km north-west of Osnabrück.-Neighbouring municipalities:* Ibbenbüren* Hopsten...
, one of Armgard properties, Schloss Woynowo Walde for military purposes. In March 1945, Armgard and Alexis give account of the withdrawal of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
behind the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
-line in their estate at Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
.
Various writers, accused Armgard of sexual promiscuity among other things, intrigue practices, conspiracy, and -as her son Aschwin- of Nazi sympathies. In March 2004, her son Bernhard, tried to rectify this image with an open letter to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
Life in the Netherlands
She lived from early 1952 with her partner Alexis Pantchoulidzew on House Warmelo to DiepenheimDiepenheim
Diepenheim is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Hof van Twente, about 5 km southwest of Goor.Diepenheim was a separate municipality until 2001, when it became a part of Hof van Twente....
, where she died at the age of 87.
Titles and styles
- 18 December 1883 – 24 October 1905: Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm
- 24 October 1905–1908: Countess Bodo of Oeynhausen
- 1908 – 4 March 1909: Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm
- 4 March 1909 – 24 February 1916: Countess Armgard of Biesterfeld
- 24 February 1916 – 27 April 1971: Her Serene Highness Princess Armgard of Lippe-Biesterfeld