Dorothea von Velen
Encyclopedia
Dorothea von Velen was the mistress of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
. Born into an impoverished family of Berg
nobility, she came to Johann Wilhelm's attention as a lady-in-waiting to his second wife, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
. She bore Johann Wilhelm two children to survive to infancy, Frederika and Melusine, and is accredited with being the foremost advocate of religious toleration at the contemporary Palatine court, compelling Johann Wilhelm to issue the Religionsdeklaration of 1705.
At the age of 41, she married Otto Alexander, Bailiff of Seltz
. It was a happy marriage, even though Dorothea failed to give him any children. When Johann Wilhelm died, in 1716, the new Elector, Charles III Philip, expelled her from her apartment in the Electoral Palace, believing her a stain on his late brother the Elector’s honour. For the last ten years of her life, she lived in extreme poverty, being entitled only to the widow's allowance of the Bailiff of Seltz. She died of dysentery
.
Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine was Elector Palatine , Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube , Duke of Jülich and Berg , and Duke of Upper Palatinate and Cham...
. Born into an impoverished family of Berg
Berg
Berg is the word for mountain in various Germanic languages, and may also refer to:-People:* Alban Berg , Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School.* Paul Berg Berg is the word for mountain in various Germanic languages, and may also refer to:-People:* Alban Berg (1885-1935), Austrian...
nobility, she came to Johann Wilhelm's attention as a lady-in-waiting to his second wife, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici was the last scion of the House of Medici. A patron of the arts, she bequeathed the Medici's large art collection, including the contents of the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and the Medicean villas, which she inherited upon her brother Gian Gastone's death in 1737, and her...
. She bore Johann Wilhelm two children to survive to infancy, Frederika and Melusine, and is accredited with being the foremost advocate of religious toleration at the contemporary Palatine court, compelling Johann Wilhelm to issue the Religionsdeklaration of 1705.
At the age of 41, she married Otto Alexander, Bailiff of Seltz
Seltz
Seltz is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. It is located on the Sauer river near its confluence with the Rhine, opposite the German town of Rastatt.-History:...
. It was a happy marriage, even though Dorothea failed to give him any children. When Johann Wilhelm died, in 1716, the new Elector, Charles III Philip, expelled her from her apartment in the Electoral Palace, believing her a stain on his late brother the Elector’s honour. For the last ten years of her life, she lived in extreme poverty, being entitled only to the widow's allowance of the Bailiff of Seltz. She died of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
.