Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp

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A portrait of Johanna, presumably by Antoin Pesne, c.1746

Johanna Elisabeth, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp (24 October 1712 - 30 May 1760), was a princess of the House of Holstein-Gottorp and later the Electress of Anhalt-Zerbst. She is best known as the mother of Catherine the Great of Russia. She was born on 24 October 1712 at Gottorp, the daughter of Christian August, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and Albertine, Margravine of Baden-Durlach. She was the Regent of Anhalt-Zerbst from 1747 to 1752 for her minor son.

Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, the future Catherine the Great, Johanna's Daughter

Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp

[edit] Early Life

She had been brought up at the court of Brunswick, by her godmother and aunt by marriage, Elizabeth Sophie Marie, the Duchess of Brunswick-Luneberg, to whom the duke of Holstein-Gottorp was glad to relinquish one of his several daughters. Johanna grew up on the same footing as her cousin, the duchess's daughter and it was the duchess who arranged her marriage at 15 and provided her dowry.

Johanna was married in 1727 to Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, who coincidently had the same Christian name as her father, who had died the previous year. He was a general in the Prussian army, and served under Frederick II of Prussia. After her marriage, Johanna went travelled with her husband to Stettin, a city on the limits of the bay of Pomerania, where the base of the regiment of her husband was located. It is said that a father-daughter like relationship developed between Johanna and her husband.

[edit] Duchess

Johanna found her existence with her sober, middle aged husband in the misty grey and dull town of Stettin a far cry form the livelier atmosphere she had grown up in the Court of Brunswick. The city offered little scope for a young girl like Johanna, who craved for an exciting social life. Neither did the birth of her first child bring her much joy. Her attitude towards Sophie was always ambivalent. The birth was a difficult one and Johanna seems to have thought that the reward was insufficient, considering what she went through. According to her daughter, she nearly died in the process and it took her 19 weeks to recover.

The main governor of Anhalt-Zerbst, cousin of August Christian apparently could not have children and his older brother, Luis, were unmarried. this meant that if Johanna were to give her husband a son, her position and that of her husband would change considerably, and she would be able to leave Stettin forever. Therefore Johanna's priority thus remained the Political advancement of her children and to give them a more distinguished future than she had, being forced to marry a man of a lower rank, despite being the granddaughter of a king of Sweden. However, she always wanted to be a step ahead of her daughter, constantly feeling jealous of her and wanting to put her down, to the extent that she even allowed her brother, Georg Ludwig of holstein gottorp to play around with sophie, who openly displayed a strong liking for Sophie, so much so as kissing her on the lips often. Infatuated by Sophie, Georg Ludwig proposed marriage, which was thoroughly considered by his sister, who had begunt o think of Sophie as a future Sister-in-law and friend. However, this was never to happen as the Empress Elizabeth of Russia sent a letter to johanna requesting her and her daughter's presence at the royal palace in Russia.

For the adored boy, however, everything was tried, but without success. The thermal baths which he was put under left like result a respiratory disease him debilitated that it until dying. For Johanna this was a hard blow, since he was his favorite son. When the prince of Anhalt-Zerbst died was succeeded by Luis de Anhalt-Zerbst, who appointed to his nephew Federico like his successor. By this the family transferred itself to Zerbst.

[edit] In Russia

When her brother Adolf Frederick was chosen to succeed to the throne of Sweden, Johanna began to forge the idea to marry to its daughter with a party of high rank. Their hopes are realised when the Empress Elizabeth I of Russia chooses to the Sofia young person like wife for her nephew and heir to the throne of Russia, Pedro Mother and daughter left to Moscow, where Sofia had to also change its religion of orthodox catholic to and by the same its christian name, being called since then Catherine. Johanna, that in the beginning was welcomed with all the honors that deserved like future mother-in-law of zarevich, successively begins to put in background until completely moving away him it of the daughter, whose rank in the court was almost to the same height that the one of zarina. Johanna tries to remain at least in the court until the marriage of its daughter. But rumors of a love affair with Count de Beckij (well-known to conspire against zarina) caused that Elizabeth threatened commanding to both from return to Germany. After the marriage between Catherine and Peter, Johanna was dismissed and prohibited the entrance to Russia, it was even prevented to maintain correspondence him with his daughter, although this one managed to send some letters to him of clandestine form.

[edit] Regent and later life

In 1747, she was widowed and made regent of Anhalt-Zerbst in plac eof her minor son. She ruled until 1752. After this, Johanna went to live to Paris. She died on 30 May 1760 at age 47 at Paris, France.