Maria Amalia of Courland
Encyclopedia
Maria Anna Amalia of Courland (12 June 1653, Mitau – 16 June 1711, Weilmünster
) was a German noblewoman. A princess of Courland
from the Ketteler
family, she was also Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel via her marriage on 21 May 1673 to her first cousin Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
. She was the child of Jacob Kettler
and Margravine Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg, eldest daughter of George William, Elector of Brandenburg
.
(1610–1662) from his marriage to Louise Charlotte
(1617–1676), eldest daughter of the Elector George William
of Brandenburg.
On 21 May 1673, she married in Kassel
her first cousin Landgrave Charles I
of Hesse-Kassel
(1654–1730). Amalia had previously been engaged with Charles older brother, William VII
, but he died during his grand tour
at the young age of 19 years.
The Landgravine participated in the creation of Karlsaue Park in Kassel. The marmor fountain in the park contains a medallion by the influential Roman sculptor Pierre Etienne Monnot (1657–1733) depicting Maria Amalia.
She was described as modest, affable and pious.
She and her son Maximilian acquired Sensenstein Castle in 1699.
She died in 1711 and was buried in the St. Martin's Church in Kassel
.
The village of Mariendorf in Immenhausen
district was named after her.
Weilmünster
- Geography :Weilmünster is among the most richly wooded places in Limburg-Weilburg. The forestry office looks after not only the State Forest but also twelve municipalities’ woodlands in the south of the Limburg-Weilburg and Lahn-Dill districts.- Location :...
) was a German noblewoman. A princess of Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
from the Ketteler
Ketteler
Ketteler and also Kettler is the name of a German noble family of Westphalia. Goswin Ketteler zu Assen divided around 1440 the property with his younger brother Röttger. He built on his part of the ground a new house and called himself since then Kettler Neu Assen. He changenged the background of...
family, she was also Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel via her marriage on 21 May 1673 to her first cousin Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Karl I was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1670 till his death.Born at Kassel, he was the son of Wilhelm VI of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg, daughter of Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg. After the early death of his father, his mother ruled as regent until 1675...
. She was the child of Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
and Margravine Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg, eldest daughter of George William, Elector of Brandenburg
George William, Elector of Brandenburg
George William of Brandenburg , of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was margrave and elector of Brandenburg and duke of Prussia from 1619 until his death. His reign was marked by ineffective governance during the Thirty Years' War...
.
Life
Amalia was a daughter of the Duke Jacob of CourlandJacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
(1610–1662) from his marriage to Louise Charlotte
Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg
Louise Charlotte von Brandenburg , was a Duchess consort of Courland. She was politically active during her tenure as duchess consort....
(1617–1676), eldest daughter of the Elector George William
George William, Elector of Brandenburg
George William of Brandenburg , of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was margrave and elector of Brandenburg and duke of Prussia from 1619 until his death. His reign was marked by ineffective governance during the Thirty Years' War...
of Brandenburg.
On 21 May 1673, she married 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 :...
her first cousin Landgrave Charles I
Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Karl I was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel from 1670 till his death.Born at Kassel, he was the son of Wilhelm VI of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg, daughter of Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg. After the early death of his father, his mother ruled as regent until 1675...
of Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
(1654–1730). Amalia had previously been engaged with Charles older brother, William VII
William VII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
William VII of Hesse-Kassel was Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel.- Life :William was the eldest son of Landgrave William VI of Hesse-Kassel and his wife, Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg. William VII inherited the landgraviate when his fatehr died in 1663...
, but he died during his grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
at the young age of 19 years.
The Landgravine participated in the creation of Karlsaue Park in Kassel. The marmor fountain in the park contains a medallion by the influential Roman sculptor Pierre Etienne Monnot (1657–1733) depicting Maria Amalia.
She was described as modest, affable and pious.
She and her son Maximilian acquired Sensenstein Castle in 1699.
She died in 1711 and was buried in the St. Martin's Church 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 :...
.
The village of Mariendorf in Immenhausen
Immenhausen
Immenhausen is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 12 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
district was named after her.
Descendants
- William (1674–1676)
- Charles (1675–1677)
- Frederick (1676–1751), Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, King of Sweden
- married firstly in 1700 Louise Dorothea of Prussia (1680-1705)
- married secondly in 1715 Ulrika Eleonora of SwedenUlrika Eleonora of SwedenUlrika Eleonora or Ulrica Eleanor , also known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 5 December 1718 to 29 February 1720, and then Queen consort until her death....
(1688-1741)- Christian (1677-1677)
- Sophie CharlotteSophie Charlotte of Hesse-KasselSophie Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel was a princess of Hesse-Kassel and by marriage Duchess of Mecklenburg.- Life :...
(1678–1749)
- married in 1704 Duke Frederick William of Mecklenburg-SchwerinFrederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinFrederick William I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the reigning Duke in the Mecklenburg-Schwerin part of the territory from 1692 until 1713....
(1675-1713)- Karl (1680–1702)
- William VIII (1682–1760), Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
- married in 1717 Princess Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz (1691-1743)
- Leopold (1684–1704)
- Louis (1686–1706)
- Marie Luise (1688–1765)
- married in 1709 Prince John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz (1687-1711)
- MaximilianMaximilian of Hesse-KasselMaximilian of Hesse-Kassel was a prince of Hesse-Kassel and a Generalfeldzeugmeister, Generalfeldmarschall and finally Reichsgeneralfeldmarschall in the army of the Holy Roman Empire.-Life:...
(1689–1753)
- Maximilian
- married in 1720 Princess Frederica Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt (1698-1777)
- George (1691–1755)
- Eleanor (1694-1694)
- Wilhelmine Charlotte (1695–1722)