Louise of Anhalt-Dessau
Encyclopedia
Louise of Anhalt-Dessau was a German princess of the House of Ascania in the branch of Anhalt-Dessau
and by marriage Duchess of Legnica
-Brzeg
-Wołów-Oława.
She was the fifth child (but third daughter) of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
.
. At that time, her husband was only co-ruler with his older brothers George III
and Louis IV
. Only four years later, in 1652, Louise gave birth to her first child, a daughter called Karolina
.
One year after receiving the inheritance of their uncle George Rudolf of Legnica in 1653, George III, Louis IV, and Christian decided to divide up their domains; Christian obtained the small and poor duchies of Wołów and Oława. Louise and her husband settled in Oława, where she gave birth in 1657 a second daughter, Louise, who died on 6 February 1660 at age thirty-two months. Seven months later, on 29 September, the Ducal couple's third child, the long-awaited son and heir, George William
, was born. Louise had her fourth and last child in 1664, a second son called Christian Louis, who lived only one month.
The eventual inheritance of all the Legnica lands to Christian seemed inevitable, since none of his older brothers had surviving male issue. The deaths of Louis IV in 1663 and George III in 1664 finally left Christian as sole ruler of all the family lands.
Duke Christian died on 28 February 1672. His only surviving son, George William, succeeded him in Legnica
-Brzeg
, but because he was a minor, the regency was held by his mother Louise, who was the regnant Duchess of Wołów-Oława as her Oprawa wdowia ("dower rights"), in accordance with her husband's will.
The Duchess-Regent, who was a tolerant and generous person, financially assisted the Catholic
s, thereby earning the hatred of the Protestant population of the Duchy. They decided to accelerate the formal proclamation of the young Duke George William as an adult. Despite Louise's protests, Emperor Leopold I declared George Wilhelm an adult and ruler of his Duchy as of 14 March 1675. One of the first acts of the Duke was to strip his mother of Wołów, a part of her Oprawa wdowia. However, George William's reign was short; he died eight months later, on 21 November, a victim of smallpox
. Without issue, the House of Piast became extinct in the male line with him.
Louise retained her Oprawa wdowia and retired to Oława, where she spend her last years constructing the Baroque Silesian Piast mausoleum at the church of St. John the Baptist in Legnica
, also called the Piasteum, where she had buried the remains of her husband, son, and some of their ancestors. She died in 1680 and was buried next to her husband. Her estates were taken over by the Holy Roman Empire
.
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality and later a duchy located in Germany. It was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. The capital of the state was Dessau. Anhalt-Dessau experienced a number of partitions throughout its existence with Anhalt-Köthen being...
and by marriage Duchess of Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
-Brzeg
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
-Wołów-Oława.
She was the fifth child (but third daughter) of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau....
, by his first wife Agnes, daughter of Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
-External links:...
.
Life
Louise married Christian, Duke of Brieg-Oława, on 24 November 1648 in her native city of DessauDessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
. At that time, her husband was only co-ruler with his older brothers George III
George III of Brieg
George III of Brieg , was a Duke of Brzeg since 1633 and Legnica-Wołów during 1653-1654 ....
and Louis IV
Louis IV of Legnica
Louis IV of Legnica , was a Duke of Brzeg since 1633 , of Wołów and Legnica since 1653 ....
. Only four years later, in 1652, Louise gave birth to her first child, a daughter called Karolina
Karolina of Legnica-Brieg
Karolina of Legnica-Brieg , was a Princess of Legnica-Brzeg and by marriage Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg and Princess of Denmark....
.
One year after receiving the inheritance of their uncle George Rudolf of Legnica in 1653, George III, Louis IV, and Christian decided to divide up their domains; Christian obtained the small and poor duchies of Wołów and Oława. Louise and her husband settled in Oława, where she gave birth in 1657 a second daughter, Louise, who died on 6 February 1660 at age thirty-two months. Seven months later, on 29 September, the Ducal couple's third child, the long-awaited son and heir, George William
George William, Duke of Liegnitz
George William of Legnica was the last Duke of Legnica and Brieg since 1672 until his death.He was the eldest but only surviving son of Christian, Duke of Legnica-Brzeg-Wołów-Oława by his wife Louise, daughter of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.-Life:Duke Christian, who spent many years in...
, was born. Louise had her fourth and last child in 1664, a second son called Christian Louis, who lived only one month.
The eventual inheritance of all the Legnica lands to Christian seemed inevitable, since none of his older brothers had surviving male issue. The deaths of Louis IV in 1663 and George III in 1664 finally left Christian as sole ruler of all the family lands.
Duke Christian died on 28 February 1672. His only surviving son, George William, succeeded him in Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
-Brzeg
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
, but because he was a minor, the regency was held by his mother Louise, who was the regnant Duchess of Wołów-Oława as her Oprawa wdowia ("dower rights"), in accordance with her husband's will.
The Duchess-Regent, who was a tolerant and generous person, financially assisted the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s, thereby earning the hatred of the Protestant population of the Duchy. They decided to accelerate the formal proclamation of the young Duke George William as an adult. Despite Louise's protests, Emperor Leopold I declared George Wilhelm an adult and ruler of his Duchy as of 14 March 1675. One of the first acts of the Duke was to strip his mother of Wołów, a part of her Oprawa wdowia. However, George William's reign was short; he died eight months later, on 21 November, a victim of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. Without issue, the House of Piast became extinct in the male line with him.
Louise retained her Oprawa wdowia and retired to Oława, where she spend her last years constructing the Baroque Silesian Piast mausoleum at the church of St. John the Baptist in Legnica
Legnica
Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
, also called the Piasteum, where she had buried the remains of her husband, son, and some of their ancestors. She died in 1680 and was buried next to her husband. Her estates were taken over by the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.