Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Encyclopedia
Frederick Augustus II was the last ruling grand duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia
, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
. After her death, he married Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
, a daughter of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
. It was a double wedding, in which Princess Charlotte of Prussia
(daughter of the Crown Prince
and Crown Princess
of Prussia
) married Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen on the same day as Elisabeth Anna in Berlin. The marriages were the first such occasions performed since Prussia had become the German Empire
in 1870. Due to this increased status, the weddings were attended by many important personages, including King Leopold II of Belgium
and his wife Queen Marie Henriette
. The Prince of Wales
also attended, as one of the brides (Charlotte) was his niece.
Frederick Augustus and Elisabeth Anna had two children:
Elisabeth died on 28 August 1895, before he succeeded as Grand Duke. Before her death, her husband had been building a new residential palace; once she died, Frederick named the new building the Elisabeth-Anna-Palais
in her honor.
On 24 October 1896, Frederick Augustus married Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
, a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. He succeeded as Grand Duke of Oldenburg in 1900, making Elisabeth Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg.
Frederick Augustus and Elisabeth had four children:
Frederick was forced to abdicate his throne at the end of World War I
, when the former Grand Duchy of the German Empire joined the post-war German Republic. He and his family took up residence at Rastede Castle, where he took up farming and local industrial interests. A year after his abdication, he asked the Oldenburg Diet for a yearly allowance of 150,000 marks
, stating that his financial condition was "extremely precarious".
In 1931, Frederick died in Rastede. Elisabeth died on 3 September 1955, having been widowed for 24 years.
Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia
Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia was a German princess. She was the second child of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau...
, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau
Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau was a princess from the House of Ascania. She was the third child of Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt and Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia.-Family:...
and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Carl Nicolaus of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach . Prince Frederick Charles was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I...
. After her death, he married Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Marriages and issue
On 18 February 1878, Frederick Augustus married Princess Elisabeth Anna of PrussiaPrincess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia
Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia was a German princess. She was the second child of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau...
, a daughter of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Carl Nicolaus of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach . Prince Frederick Charles was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I...
. It was a double wedding, in which Princess Charlotte of Prussia
Princess Charlotte of Prussia
Princess Charlotte of Prussia , Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen was the second child born to Prince Friedrich of Prussia and Princess Victoria...
(daughter of the Crown Prince
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
and Crown Princess
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
) married Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen on the same day as Elisabeth Anna in Berlin. The marriages were the first such occasions performed since Prussia had become the 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...
in 1870. Due to this increased status, the weddings were attended by many important personages, including King Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
and his wife Queen Marie Henriette
Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria was the queen consort of King Leopold II of Belgium.-Family:...
. The Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
also attended, as one of the brides (Charlotte) was his niece.
Frederick Augustus and Elisabeth Anna had two children:
| Name | |Death | Duchess Sophia Charlotte Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg was a member of the House of Holstein-Gottorp. She was the only surviving child of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg by his first wife Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia.Sophia Charlotte is best known for her unhappy and well-publicized marriage... | 2 February 1879 | 29 March 1964 | married Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Prince Eitel Friedrich was the second son of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany by his first wife, Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein... , a younger son of Wilhelm II of Germany. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess Margaret | 13 October 1881 | 20 February 1882 | died young. | ||
Elisabeth died on 28 August 1895, before he succeeded as Grand Duke. Before her death, her husband had been building a new residential palace; once she died, Frederick named the new building the Elisabeth-Anna-Palais
Elisabeth-Anna-Palais
The Elisabeth-Anna-Palais is a secular red-brick building in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony.- History :Usually the ducal family resided in Schloss Oldenburg, but Frederick Augustus decided to build this as their new home, on a site now on line between the Schloss and the Augusteum...
in her honor.
On 24 October 1896, Frederick Augustus married Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg by his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt...
, a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. He succeeded as Grand Duke of Oldenburg in 1900, making Elisabeth Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg.
Frederick Augustus and Elisabeth had four children:
| Name | |Death | Nicolas Frederick William, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg was the eldest son of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg... | 10 August 1897 | 3 April 1970 | married Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1899–1948) Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the only daughter of Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and wife of Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg.-Early life:... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duchess Alexandrine | 25 March 1900 | 26 March 1900 | |||
| Duchess Ingeborg Alix | 1901 | 1996 | married Prince Stephan Alexander Victor of Schaumburg-Lippe, a younger son of Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe | ||
| Duchess Altburg Marie Mathilde Olga Duchess Altburg of Oldenburg Duchess Altburg Marie Matilda Olga of Oldenburg was a daughter of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg by his second wife Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Early life:... |
1903 | 2001 | married Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the heir apparent to the throne of the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont and a General in the SS. From 1946 until his death he was the head of the Princely House of Waldeck and Pyrmont... |
||
Frederick was forced to abdicate his throne at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when the former Grand Duchy of the German Empire joined the post-war German Republic. He and his family took up residence at Rastede Castle, where he took up farming and local industrial interests. A year after his abdication, he asked the Oldenburg Diet for a yearly allowance of 150,000 marks
Marks
Marks , also spelled Marx, named after Karl Marx, is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Saratov. Population: It was founded in 1767 as a Volga German community called Baronsk . It was soon renamed Yekaterinenshtadt , after Catherine the Great. In 1918, it was granted town...
, stating that his financial condition was "extremely precarious".
In 1931, Frederick died in Rastede. Elisabeth died on 3 September 1955, having been widowed for 24 years.