Elisabeth of Hesse (1502-1557)
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth of Hesse was a Hessian princess and by marriage Hereditary Princess of Saxony. After the death of her husband, Crown Prince John of Saxony, she managed her Wittum
, the Saxon districts of Rochlitz and Kriebstein and other possessions, independently. This earned her the nickname "Elisabeth of Rochlitz".
against the Hessian estates, who, after the death of her father, William II of Hesse
in 1509, in violation of his the instructions in his testament, formed a five-member council, chaired by the steward Ludwig von Boyneburg to Lengsfeld. This Council took over the government of the territory for the Landgrave, Elizabeth's brother Philip I
, and took Anna and her children under guardianship.
During that period Elizabeth lived with her mother, at her Wittum
in Gießen
, while her brother remained in Kassel
under the supervision of Ludwig von Boyneburg to Lengsfeld.
Elizabeth and her mother were financially dependent on the Council and did not receive much money. This is evident among other things, an incident in 1512. In that year, Anna's sister Catherine
married Duke Henry IV of Saxony
. On this occasion, Anna wanted to introduce her daughter Elisabeth at the Saxon court, as she had been promised at a very early age to John, the eldest son of George the Bearded
. Anna requested some Damask
for a proper dress from the council, but the request was denied. Anna then decided not to take her daughter to Dresden
, because of her "shabby clothes". As a result, Elisabeth became very down to earth and in touch with ordinary citizens.
Only in 1514 did Anna succeed in obtaining guardianship over herself and her children, as well as the regency of Hesse. Anna was given the guardianship of her children, but matter of state, she had to consult on an advisory board. Elisabeth, her brother and her mother then lived together in Kassel again.
Elisabeth and Johann were married in the church of Kassel 1516, as per betrothal dowry of 25,000 guilders paid by George the Bearded to William2 of Hesse when Elisabeth was 3 years old, then in 1518 Elisabeth was kidnapped by her then 14 year old brother Phillip1 of Hesse (son of William2 of Hesse), never returning to Johann. Elisabeth and Johann had a daughter recorded in the church of Kassel's records and Elisabeth was not present at the christening. The daughter was placed into Marienthon, the same convent Katherine Von Bora and other nuns escaped from into Martin Luther's care in 1525 during the Protestant Reformation.
issued (they were related in the fourth degree). Elizabeth still lived with her mother in Kassel. In 1516 John came to Marburg, where the nuptials took place. It was not until January 1519, that Elisabeth permanently lived at court in Dresden. The marriage took place on 7 June 1519 in Kassel.
In Dresden she constantly fought for her independence against Duke George the Bearded and his court officials.
In Dresden, they had, as was her mother, constantly fighting for their independence against Duke George the Bearded and the court officials. The ever-ailing John could not catch on with his overbearing father either. The couple had no children and the pressure at the court led Elisabeth to chronic insomnia. During this period she first showed her character and her diplomatic skills. For example, she restored the peace between her brother and her mother when her mother wanted to remarry and Philip was against. Elisabeth mediated between the two again when there was tension because of the Reformation in Hesse (her mother held the Catholic faith). During this period, she also acted as a nurse for Maurice of Saxony
.
, a district she had received as Wittum
when she married. The Saxon court, however, did not grant her her own budget, which would have put her in the same situation as her mother had been in. She managed to avoid this, with the help of her brother. She received the district of Rochlitz (this included Rochlitz
Town and Rochlitz Castle, Mittweida
and Geithain
) and the Kriebstein
district (including Waldheim
and Hartha
). Consequently, she is referred to in literature often by the nickname "of Rochlitz".
Elisabeth allowed the Lutheran doctrine in her territory from 1537 onwards, while rest of Saxony, under her father in law, still adhered strictly to Catholicism. Her brother sent her in the same year the Protestant preacher Johann Schütz. During this time she was also advisor of Duke Maurice of Saxony
, when he took over from his father. In Rochlitz, Elisabeth brought up Barbara
, the daughter of her brother and later Countess of
Württemberg-Mömpelgard.
After the defeat of the Schmalkalden League, Elisabeth had left her retirement home in Rochlitz. Her brother gave her the Hessian part of Schmalkalden
as a widow seat. She lived here from 1547 at court in Hesse. Her brother fell into imperial captivity, and his wife, Christine of Saxony
(1505–1549) took steps to get him released. During this time, Elizabeth was often in Kassel, in order to care for the education of Philip's children. In 1556 Elisabeth fell seriously ill, after which her brother set up the first pharmacy in the city of Schmalkalden. She died on 6 December 1557 in Schmalkalden and was buried in the St. Elisabeth's Church in Marburg. It was one of the last Landgrave burials in the St. Elisabeth's Church.
Wittum
Wittum , Widum or Witthum is a medieval Latin legal term, known in marital and ecclesiastical law.- Provide for a widow at the wedding :...
, the Saxon districts of Rochlitz and Kriebstein and other possessions, independently. This earned her the nickname "Elisabeth of Rochlitz".
Childhood and Youth
Her childhood was marked by the struggle of her mother Anna of Mecklenburg-SchwerinAnna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Anna, Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was by marriage Landgravine of Hesse.She was a daughter of Duke Magnus II of Mecklenburg , and Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin...
against the Hessian estates, who, after the death of her father, William II of Hesse
William II, Landgrave of Hesse
William II was Landgrave of Lower Hesse from 1493 and Landgrave of Upper Hesse after the death of his cousin, William III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse in 1500....
in 1509, in violation of his the instructions in his testament, formed a five-member council, chaired by the steward Ludwig von Boyneburg to Lengsfeld. This Council took over the government of the territory for the Landgrave, Elizabeth's brother Philip I
Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
, and took Anna and her children under guardianship.
During that period Elizabeth lived with her mother, at 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 :...
in Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
, while her brother remained in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
under the supervision of Ludwig von Boyneburg to Lengsfeld.
Elizabeth and her mother were financially dependent on the Council and did not receive much money. This is evident among other things, an incident in 1512. In that year, Anna's sister Catherine
Catherine of Mecklenburg
Catherine of Mecklenburg , Duchess of Saxony, was the daughter of the Duke Magnus II of Mecklenburg and Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin. She married on 6 July 1512 in Freiberg Duke Henry the Pious of Saxony...
married Duke Henry IV of Saxony
Henry IV, Duke of Saxony
Henry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxony was a Duke of Saxony from the House of Wettin.-Biography:Heinrich was the second son of Albert, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie Podiebrad, princess of Bohemia...
. On this occasion, Anna wanted to introduce her daughter Elisabeth at the Saxon court, as she had been promised at a very early age to John, the eldest son of George the Bearded
George, Duke of Saxony
George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony , was duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539.Duke George was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece.-Early life:...
. Anna requested some Damask
Damask
Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave...
for a proper dress from the council, but the request was denied. Anna then decided not to take her daughter to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, because of her "shabby clothes". As a result, Elisabeth became very down to earth and in touch with ordinary citizens.
Only in 1514 did Anna succeed in obtaining guardianship over herself and her children, as well as the regency of Hesse. Anna was given the guardianship of her children, but matter of state, she had to consult on an advisory board. Elisabeth, her brother and her mother then lived together in Kassel again.
Elisabeth and Johann were married in the church of Kassel 1516, as per betrothal dowry of 25,000 guilders paid by George the Bearded to William2 of Hesse when Elisabeth was 3 years old, then in 1518 Elisabeth was kidnapped by her then 14 year old brother Phillip1 of Hesse (son of William2 of Hesse), never returning to Johann. Elisabeth and Johann had a daughter recorded in the church of Kassel's records and Elisabeth was not present at the christening. The daughter was placed into Marienthon, the same convent Katherine Von Bora and other nuns escaped from into Martin Luther's care in 1525 during the Protestant Reformation.
At court in Dresden
The engagement between Elizabeth and John took place on 8 March 1515, after the Pope issued a dispensationDispensation
Dispensation may refer to:* Dispensation , the suspension, by competent authority, of general rules of law in particular cases in the Catholic Church* Dispensation , a period in history according to various religions...
issued (they were related in the fourth degree). Elizabeth still lived with her mother in Kassel. In 1516 John came to Marburg, where the nuptials took place. It was not until January 1519, that Elisabeth permanently lived at court in Dresden. The marriage took place on 7 June 1519 in Kassel.
In Dresden she constantly fought for her independence against Duke George the Bearded and his court officials.
In Dresden, they had, as was her mother, constantly fighting for their independence against Duke George the Bearded and the court officials. The ever-ailing John could not catch on with his overbearing father either. The couple had no children and the pressure at the court led Elisabeth to chronic insomnia. During this period she first showed her character and her diplomatic skills. For example, she restored the peace between her brother and her mother when her mother wanted to remarry and Philip was against. Elisabeth mediated between the two again when there was tension because of the Reformation in Hesse (her mother held the Catholic faith). During this period, she also acted as a nurse for Maurice of Saxony
Maurice, Elector of Saxony
Maurice was Duke and later Elector of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity....
.
Rochlitz and Schmalkalden
When John died on 11 January 1537, Elizabeth moved to RochlitzRochlitz
Rochlitz is a major district town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Rochlitz is the head of the “borough partnership Rochlitz” with its other members being the boroughs of Königsfeld, Seelitz und Zettlitz...
, a district she had received as 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 :...
when she married. The Saxon court, however, did not grant her her own budget, which would have put her in the same situation as her mother had been in. She managed to avoid this, with the help of her brother. She received the district of Rochlitz (this included Rochlitz
Rochlitz
Rochlitz is a major district town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Rochlitz is the head of the “borough partnership Rochlitz” with its other members being the boroughs of Königsfeld, Seelitz und Zettlitz...
Town and Rochlitz Castle, Mittweida
Mittweida
Mittweida is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, in the Mittelsachsen district. It is situated on the Zschopau River, 18 km north of Chemnitz, and 54 km west of Dresden....
and Geithain
Geithain
Geithain is a town in the Leipzig district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Geithain is situated 30 km northwest of Chemnitz, and 40 km southeast of Leipzig...
) and the Kriebstein
Kriebstein
Kriebstein is a municipality in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany....
district (including Waldheim
Waldheim
- Places :* Waldheim, Saskatchewan, a town in Saskatchewan, Canada* Waldheim, Saxony, a town in Saxony, Germany* Waldheim , a suburban district of Hanover, Germany...
and Hartha
Hartha
Hartha is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 11 km west of Döbeln, and 12 km north of Mittweida....
). Consequently, she is referred to in literature often by the nickname "of Rochlitz".
Elisabeth allowed the Lutheran doctrine in her territory from 1537 onwards, while rest of Saxony, under her father in law, still adhered strictly to Catholicism. Her brother sent her in the same year the Protestant preacher Johann Schütz. During this time she was also advisor of Duke Maurice of Saxony
Maurice, Elector of Saxony
Maurice was Duke and later Elector of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity....
, when he took over from his father. In Rochlitz, Elisabeth brought up Barbara
Barbara of Hesse
Barbara of Hesse, Duchess of Württemberg-Mömpelgard was a German noblewoman, and the wife of Duke George I of Württemberg-Mömpelgard. Her second husband was Count Daniel of Waldeck.- Family :...
, the daughter of her brother and later Countess of
Württemberg-Mömpelgard.
After the defeat of the Schmalkalden League, Elisabeth had left her retirement home in Rochlitz. Her brother gave her the Hessian part of Schmalkalden
Schmalkalden
- Notable people :*Christoph Cellarius, scholar, born 22 November 1638, died 4 June 1707 in Halle*Christian Karl August Ludwig von Massenbach, colonel, born 16 April 1758, died 21 November 1827 at Białokosz...
as a widow seat. She lived here from 1547 at court in Hesse. Her brother fell into imperial captivity, and his wife, Christine of Saxony
Christine of Saxony
Christine of Saxony was a German noble, landgravine of Hesse. She was the regent of Hesse in 1547-1549....
(1505–1549) took steps to get him released. During this time, Elizabeth was often in Kassel, in order to care for the education of Philip's children. In 1556 Elisabeth fell seriously ill, after which her brother set up the first pharmacy in the city of Schmalkalden. She died on 6 December 1557 in Schmalkalden and was buried in the St. Elisabeth's Church in Marburg. It was one of the last Landgrave burials in the St. Elisabeth's Church.