Elisabeth of Saxony

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Elisabeth of Saxony
Born(1552-10-18)18 October 1552
Wolkenstein Castle in Wolkenstein
Died2 April 1590(1590-04-02) (aged 37)
Heidelberg
Noble familyHouse of Wettin
Spouse(s)John Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern
FatherAugust, Elector of Saxony
MotherAnna of Denmark

Elisabeth of Saxony (born: 18 October 1552 at Wolkenstein Castle in Wolkenstein – died: 2 April 1590 in Heidelberg) was an Saxon princess from the House of Wettin by birth and by marriage Countess Palatine of Simmern.

Life

Elisabeth was a daughter of the Elector August of Saxony (1526–1586) from his marriage to Anna (1532–1585), daughter King of the Christian III of Denmark.

She married on 4 June 1570 in Heidelberg during the Diet of Speyer with Count Palatine John Casimir of Simmern (1543–1592). August opposed the policies of John Casimir, who was a Calvinist and friendly to France. With this marriage, August hoped to woe John Casimir over to the Lutheran side. However, he did not succeed. The Catholics in Germany regarded the marriage as a provocation against the Habsburg dynasty and an attempt to form a united Protestant front.

The Calvinist Johann Casimir tried to break the religious opposition of his Lutheran wife. In October 1585, she was arrested and accused of adultery and a murder plot against her husband. Even her brother, Elector Christian I, was convinced of her guilt. She converted to Calvinism while in captivity, and died shortly afterwards.

Marriage and issue

From her marriage with John Casimir, Elizabeth had the following children:

  • Unnamed son (1573)
  • Marie (1576–1577)
  • Elisabeth (1578–1580)
  • Dorothea (1581–1631), married in 1595 Prince John George I of Anhalt-Dessau (1598–1618)
  • Unnamed daughter (1584)
  • Unnamed daughter (1585)

Ancestors

Family of Elisabeth of Saxony
16. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony (1412–1464)
8. Albert III, Duke of Saxony (1443–1500)
17. Margaret of Austria, Electress of Saxony (1416–1486)
4. Henry IV, Duke of Saxony (1473–1541)
18. George of Poděbrady (1420–1471)
9. Sidonie of Poděbrady (1449–1510)
19. Kunigunde of Sternberg (1425–1449)
2. August, Elector of Saxony (1526–1586)
20. Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg (1417–1477)
10. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg (1441–1503)
21. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1420–1491)
5. Catherine of Mecklenburg (1487–1561)
22. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania (1425–1474)
11. Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1460–1504)
23. Sophie of Pomerania, Duchess of Pomerania (1435–1497)
1. Elisabeth of Saxony
24. King Christian I of Denmark (1426–1481)
12. King Frederick I of Denmark (1471–1533)
25. Dorothea of Brandenburg (1430–1495)
6. King Christian III of Denmark (1503–1559)
26. John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499)
13. Anna of Brandenburg (1487–1514)
27. Margaret of Thuringia (1449–1501)
3. Anne of Denmark, Electress of Saxony (1532–1585)
28. John IV, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (1439–1507)
14. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (1470–1543)
29. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg (1446–1519)
7. Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (1511–1571)
30. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1463–1514)
15. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg (1488–1563)
31. Catherine of Pomerania (d. 1526)

Royal descendants

References

  • August von Kluckhohn (1877), "Elisabeth (Pfalzgräfin bei Rhein)", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 6, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 7–8
  • Friedrich von Bezold (1881), "Johann Casimir, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 14, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 307–314
  • Karl von Weber: Archiv für die sächsische Geschichte, p. 215
  • Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften: Die letzten Jahre der Pfalzgräfin Elisabeth, Proceedings of the III Cl., 1873, 1879