Margaret of Brandenburg (1511–1577)
Encyclopedia
Margaret of Brandenburg (1511 – after 3 November 1577) was a Princess of Brandenburg by birth and by marrying first a Duchess of Pomerania
and later a Princess of Anhalt
.
(1484–1535) from his marriage to Elisabeth (1485–1555) , daughter of King John of Denmark.
Duke George I
of Pomerania (1493–1531). She brought a dowry of into the marriage, enabling Geroge I to transfer a jointure
consisting of the districts of Barth, Damgarten, Tribsees
, Grimsby
and Klempenow to her. The marriage hap apparently been agreed during negotations at Grimnitz Castle about the constitutional relationship between Brandenburg and Pomerania. George I died a year after the marriage and Margaret enjoyed the revenue from het wittum
for only three years. She was quite unpopular in Pomerania and when Prince John IV of Anhalt asked for her hand, her stepson Philip I, Duke of Pomerania
had to levy a special tax to pay her dowry and redeem her jointure.
Margaret and George had a posthumous child, a girl named Georgia. Georgia went with her mother to Anhalt, but returned to Pomerania when she was eight years old. Margaret succeeded in tough negotiations with her stepson, Philip I, to delay her return until May 1543.
prince John V of Anhalt-Zerbst
(1504–1551). Her marriage to John soon proved unhappy. Margaret fled from her husband to her wittum, Roßlau Castle. Martin Luther
tried to mediate between John and Margaret. He visited her at Roßlau Castle and blamed her for leaving er husband cheekily. This started a fierce war or words. Luther later reported: I must have told her clearly enough, until I was attracting her wrath.
John eventually accused Margaret of marital infidelity and imprisoned her in 1550. John's personal physician was tortured to make him confess a relationship with the princess, but he did not budge. She managed to escape from her prison and after a number of adventures arrived half-naked and robbed at the court of her cousin King Christian III of Denmark
in Copenhagen.
Later, she lived for a while with her sister Elisabeth
, who advised her to protect herself by marrying for a third time. Elisabeth held her sister to be unreliable and unstable and warned her son-in-law Albert not to take in Margaret. Albert took her in anyway, and after his death George Frederick I, the administrator of Prussia, took care of her, because her own children refused to support her.
By the end of her life, the led an unsettled existence in the Pomeranian-Polish border region. She is said to have married a simple farmer. It is also alleged that she contacted her daughter Georgia during her pregnancy and even visited her in Schlochau under a false identity.
From her second marriage to John IV, she had the following children:
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and later a Princess of Anhalt
Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Zerbst was a principality located in Germany. It was established for the first time in 1252 following the partition of the principality of Anhalt. The capital of the state was located at Zerbst. Anhalt-Zerbst ceased to exist in 1396 when it was partitioned between Anhalt-Dessau and...
.
Life
Margaret was the youngest daughter of the Elector Joachim I of BrandenburgJoachim I, Elector of Brandenburg
Joachim I Nestor was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg . A member of the House of Hohenzollern, his nickname was taken from King Nestor of Greek mythology.- Biography :...
(1484–1535) from his marriage to Elisabeth (1485–1555) , daughter of King John of Denmark.
Duchess of Pomerania
She married her first husband on 23 January 1530 in BerlinBerlin
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...
Duke George I
George I, Duke of Pomerania
George I of Pomerania was a Duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffins.- Life :George was the eldest son of Duke Bogislaw X of Pomerania and his second wife Anna Jagiellonica, a daughter of King Casimir IV of Poland. He was named after his uncle and godfather, Duke Georg the Bearded of Saxony,...
of Pomerania (1493–1531). She brought a dowry of into the marriage, enabling Geroge I to transfer a jointure
Jointure
Jointure is, in law, a provision for a wife after the death of her husband. As defined by Sir Edward Coke, it is "a competent livelihood of freehold for the wife, of lands or tenements, to take effect presently in possession or profit after the death of her husband for the life of the wife at...
consisting of the districts of Barth, Damgarten, Tribsees
Tribsees
Tribsees is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 33 km southwest of Stralsund, and 40 km east of Rostock....
, Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
and Klempenow to her. The marriage hap apparently been agreed during negotations at Grimnitz Castle about the constitutional relationship between Brandenburg and Pomerania. George I died a year after the marriage and Margaret enjoyed the revenue from het 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 :...
for only three years. She was quite unpopular in Pomerania and when Prince John IV of Anhalt asked for her hand, her stepson Philip I, Duke of Pomerania
Philip I, Duke of Pomerania
Philip I of Pomerania was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast.- Life :Philip was the only surviving son of Duke George, from his first marriage to Amalie of the Palatinate. After his mother died, on 6 January 1525, he received his education at the court of his maternal grandfather in Heidelberg...
had to levy a special tax to pay her dowry and redeem her jointure.
Margaret and George had a posthumous child, a girl named Georgia. Georgia went with her mother to Anhalt, but returned to Pomerania when she was eight years old. Margaret succeeded in tough negotiations with her stepson, Philip I, to delay her return until May 1543.
Princess of Anhalt
Her second husband was on 15 February 1534 in 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:...
prince John V of Anhalt-Zerbst
John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
John V of Anhalt-Zerbst , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dessau...
(1504–1551). Her marriage to John soon proved unhappy. Margaret fled from her husband to her wittum, Roßlau Castle. Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
tried to mediate between John and Margaret. He visited her at Roßlau Castle and blamed her for leaving er husband cheekily. This started a fierce war or words. Luther later reported: I must have told her clearly enough, until I was attracting her wrath.
John eventually accused Margaret of marital infidelity and imprisoned her in 1550. John's personal physician was tortured to make him confess a relationship with the princess, but he did not budge. She managed to escape from her prison and after a number of adventures arrived half-naked and robbed at the court of her cousin King Christian III of Denmark
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
in Copenhagen.
Later, she lived for a while with her sister Elisabeth
Elisabeth of Brandenburg, Duchess of Brunswick-Calenberg-Göttingen
Elisabeth of Brandenburg was a princess of the House of Hohenzollern and a Margravine of Brandenburg by birth and by marriage Duchess of Brunswick-Göttingen-Calenberg and later and was Countess Consort of Henneberg...
, who advised her to protect herself by marrying for a third time. Elisabeth held her sister to be unreliable and unstable and warned her son-in-law Albert not to take in Margaret. Albert took her in anyway, and after his death George Frederick I, the administrator of Prussia, took care of her, because her own children refused to support her.
By the end of her life, the led an unsettled existence in the Pomeranian-Polish border region. She is said to have married a simple farmer. It is also alleged that she contacted her daughter Georgia during her pregnancy and even visited her in Schlochau under a false identity.
Marriages and issue
From her first marriage to George I, she had a daughter:- Georgia (1531–1573)
- married in 1563 Count Stanislaus Latalski of Labischin († 1598)
From her second marriage to John IV, she had the following children:
- Charles IKarl I, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstKarl I of Anhalt-Zerbst , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
(1534–1564), Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
- married in 1557 princess Anna of Pomerania (1531-1592)
- Joachim ErnestJoachim Ernest, Prince of AnhaltJoachim Ernest of Anhalt , was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and from 1570 sole ruler of all the Anhalt lands....
(1536–1586), Prince of Anhalt
- Joachim Ernest
- married firstly in 1560 Countess Agnes of Barby (1540-1569)
- married secondly in1571 Princess Eleanor of Württemberg (1552-1618)
- Marie (1538–1563)
- married in 1559 Count Albert X of Barby and Mühlingen (1534-1586)
- Bernhard VIIBernhard VII, Prince of Anhalt-ZerbstBernhard VII of Anhalt-Zerbst , was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst....
(1540–1570)
- Bernhard VII
- married in 1565 princess Clare of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1550-1598)
- Margaret (1541–1547)
- Elisabeth (1545–1574)
- married in 1570 Count Wolfgang II of Barby (1531-1615)