Emilie Ortlöpp
Encyclopedia
Countess Emilie of Reichenbach-Lessonitz née Ortlöpp (born: 13 May 1791 in Berlin
; died: 12 February 1843 in Frankfurt
) was the mistress
and later second wife of Elector
William II
of Hesse.
s Johann Christian Ortlöpp and his wife Agnes Louise Sophie, née Weißenberg from Berlin, and from 1812, the mistress of the Elector William II of Hesse, whom she had met during a stay in Berlin. He brought her to Kassel in 1813, leading to a de facto termination of his marriage with Princess Augusta of Prussia
, but for political reasons, he was not allowed to divorce
his wife. In 1815, William and Augusta were separated from bed and board.
Emilie was admitted at court, and later lived in the Reichenbach Palace at the corner of Königsstraße and Friedrichsplatz. In 1821, William raised her to Countess Reichenbach (named after Reichenbach Castle in Hessisch Lichtenau
) and in 1824, she received the Austria
n title of Countess of Lessonitz after William had purchased the Moravian estates of Lessonitz, Bzenec
and Dolní Moštěnice for her. At the same time she and her children received the Austrian citizenship.
Their relationship caused a scandal; they even received death threats. The Countess was probably unpopular and was alleged to have had a negative impact on William's politics, or at least some of his political failures were attributed to her.
Their relationship was one of the reasons why the William did not return to his capital Kassel
after the 1830 revolution. He initially moved to Hanau
and later to Frankfurt
, where he acquired a palace
in the Neue Mainzer Straße and later a garden house in the Gallus district.
Augusta
died on 19 February 1841. William and Emilie married morganatically
on 8 July 1841 at Bzenec Castle in Moravia
. Their witness was State Chancellor Prince Klemens von Metternich.
Emilie died on 12 February 1843 in Frankfurt am Main to a liver infection and was buried at the Main Cemetery in Frankfurt. The Elector commissioned the architect Friedrich Hessemer, to create a mausoleum
in the Byzantine style. The crucifix
inside was created by the sculptor Johann Nepomuk Zwerger. The marble sarcophagus was commissioned by the Countess's children and created in 1863 by the sculptor Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz
. Elector Frederick William, who had succeeded his father by then, tried every diplomatic means available to prevent his father's sculpture from being installed in the mausoleum, but achieved nothing in the Free City of Frankfurt
. Today, the tomb with a capstone from 1847, contains six coffins.
After Emilie's death, William married a third time, with Karoline von Berlepsch (1820–1877). He died on 20 November 1847 and was buried in the royal crypt of the St. Mary's Church in Hanau.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
; died: 12 February 1843 in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
) was the mistress
Mistress
Mistress may refer to:* Mistress , a woman, other than the spouse, with whom a married individual has a continuing sexual relationship* Schoolmistress, or female school teacher...
and later second wife of Elector
Elector
Elector may refer to:* Prince-elector or elector, a member of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors...
William II
William II, Elector of Hesse
-Biography:William was the eldest surviving son of William I, Elector of Hesse and Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark and Norway. He succeeded as Elector of Hesse on his father's death in 1821.-Marriage and issue:On 13 February 1797 in Berlin, William married Princess Augusta of Prussia, fourth...
of Hesse.
Life
Emilie was the second daughter of the goldsmithGoldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
s Johann Christian Ortlöpp and his wife Agnes Louise Sophie, née Weißenberg from Berlin, and from 1812, the mistress of the Elector William II of Hesse, whom she had met during a stay in Berlin. He brought her to Kassel in 1813, leading to a de facto termination of his marriage with Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia was a German salonist and electress consort of Hesse. She was the third daughter and fifth child of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the first consort of William II, Elector of Hesse. Augusta was a talented painter...
, but for political reasons, he was not allowed to divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
his wife. In 1815, William and Augusta were separated from bed and board.
Emilie was admitted at court, and later lived in the Reichenbach Palace at the corner of Königsstraße and Friedrichsplatz. In 1821, William raised her to Countess Reichenbach (named after Reichenbach Castle in Hessisch Lichtenau
Hessisch Lichtenau
Hessisch Lichtenau is a small town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in eastern Hesse, Germany. It was the 2006 host of the 46th Hessentag.-Location:...
) and in 1824, she received the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n title of Countess of Lessonitz after William had purchased the Moravian estates of Lessonitz, Bzenec
Bzenec
Bzenec is a town in the southeast of Moravia, in the Czech Republic. It lies in the South Moravian Region. The population is 4,305 . Bzenec was first mentioned in 1015 . In 1330 it became a town.- Districts :* Bzenec* Domanín...
and Dolní Moštěnice for her. At the same time she and her children received the Austrian citizenship.
Their relationship caused a scandal; they even received death threats. The Countess was probably unpopular and was alleged to have had a negative impact on William's politics, or at least some of his political failures were attributed to her.
Their relationship was one of the reasons why the William did not return to his capital 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 :...
after the 1830 revolution. He initially moved to Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
and later to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, where he acquired a palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
in the Neue Mainzer Straße and later a garden house in the Gallus district.
Augusta
Princess Augusta of Prussia
Princess Augusta of Prussia was a German salonist and electress consort of Hesse. She was the third daughter and fifth child of Frederick William II of Prussia and Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the first consort of William II, Elector of Hesse. Augusta was a talented painter...
died on 19 February 1841. William and Emilie married morganatically
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...
on 8 July 1841 at Bzenec Castle in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
. Their witness was State Chancellor Prince Klemens von Metternich.
Emilie died on 12 February 1843 in Frankfurt am Main to a liver infection and was buried at the Main Cemetery in Frankfurt. The Elector commissioned the architect Friedrich Hessemer, to create a mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
in the Byzantine style. The crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
inside was created by the sculptor Johann Nepomuk Zwerger. The marble sarcophagus was commissioned by the Countess's children and created in 1863 by the sculptor Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz
Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz
Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz was a German sculptor.Launitz was born a Baltic German in Grobin, Courland, which was then part of the Russian Empire. He was raised in Vechelde in the Duchy of Brunswick in 1809 after the death of his parents. In 1815 he began studying jurisprudence at the...
. Elector Frederick William, who had succeeded his father by then, tried every diplomatic means available to prevent his father's sculpture from being installed in the mausoleum, but achieved nothing in the Free City of Frankfurt
Free City of Frankfurt
For almost five centuries, the German city of Frankfurt am Main was a city-state within two major Germanic states:*The Holy Roman Empire as the Free Imperial City of Frankfurt...
. Today, the tomb with a capstone from 1847, contains six coffins.
After Emilie's death, William married a third time, with Karoline von Berlepsch (1820–1877). He died on 20 November 1847 and was buried in the royal crypt of the St. Mary's Church in Hanau.
Issue
Emilie and William had eight children:- Louise (born: 26 February 1813 in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
; died: 3 October 1883 in Baden-BadenBaden-BadenBaden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
), married on 15 May 1845 with Imperial Secret Councillor Count Charles August von Bose (born: 7 November 1814 in Garmisch; died: 25 December 1887 in Baden-BadenBaden-BadenBaden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
). Louise von Bose was an important patron of the arts. - Julius William (born: 4 October 1815 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
; died: 15 January 1822 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
). - Amalia Wilhelmine Emilie (born: 31 December 1816 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
; died: 28 July 1858 in DresdenDresdenDresden 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....
).- married in 1836 Count William of Luckner (born: 29 January 1805; died: 19 February 1865); divorced 1839
- married in 1840 Charles of Watzdorff (born: 9 March 1807 in DresdenDresdenDresden 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....
; died: 5 December 1846 DresdenDresdenDresden 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....
) - married Count William von Luckner again in 1847
- Charles (born: 24 August 1818 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
; died: 26 September 1881 in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
)- married on 20 December 1861 with Clementine Richter (born: 28 August 1842 in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
; died: 13 July 1902 in Bad IschlBad IschlBad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn, Bad Ischl, Haiden, Jainzen, Kaltenbach, Lauffen, Lindau, Pfandl, Perneck, Reiterndorf and Rettenbach...
)
- married on 20 December 1861 with Clementine Richter (born: 28 August 1842 in Prague
- Emilie (born: 8 June 1820 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
; died: 30 January 1891 in BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
)- married on 10 March 1839 with Count Felix Zichy-Ferraris of Zich and Vásonkeö (born: 20 November 1810; died: 8 September 1885 in SzilvásSzilvásSzilvás is a village in Baranya county, Hungary.-Reference:...
, Hungary)
- married on 10 March 1839 with Count Felix Zichy-Ferraris of Zich and Vásonkeö (born: 20 November 1810; died: 8 September 1885 in Szilvás
- Friederike (born: 16 December 1821 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
, died 23 February 1898 in WeilburgWeilburgWeilburg is, with just under 14,000 inhabitants, the third biggest town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany, after Limburg an der Lahn and Bad Camberg.- Location :...
)- married on 3 November 1841with Baron William of Dungern (born: 20 June 1809 in WeilburgWeilburgWeilburg is, with just under 14,000 inhabitants, the third biggest town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany, after Limburg an der Lahn and Bad Camberg.- Location :...
; died: 3 July 1874 in Bad WildbadBad WildbadBad Wildbad is a town in Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located in the government district of Karlsruhe and in the district of Calw. Its coordinates are 48° 45' N, 8° 33' E. About 11,250 people live there...
)
- married on 3 November 1841with Baron William of Dungern (born: 20 June 1809 in Weilburg
- William (born: 29 June 1824 in KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
; died: 19 January 1866 in Neuchâtel)- married on 19 March 1857 Baroness Amélie Goler of Ravensburg (born: 27 April 1838 in KarlsruheKarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
; died: 14 March 1912 in FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
)
- married on 19 March 1857 Baroness Amélie Goler of Ravensburg (born: 27 April 1838 in Karlsruhe
- Helene (born: 8 August 1825 at Schloss Wilhelmshöhe Castle; died: 14 May 1898 in MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
)- married on 4 January 1844 with Baron Oswald of Fabrice (born: 8 January 1820 in BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
; died: 3 June 1898 in Munich)
- married on 4 January 1844 with Baron Oswald of Fabrice (born: 8 January 1820 in Bonn