Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau

Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau (1 May 1665 – 5 October 1706), was a German noblewoman by birth Princess of Anhalt-Dessau as member of the House of Ascania and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby.

Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau
Portrait as Princess-Abbess of Herford with crosier, ca. 1680–1685. Herford Städtisches Museum.
Princess-Abbess of Herford
Reign1680–1686
Duchess consort of Saxe-Weisselfels-Barby
Tenure1686–1706
Born(1665-05-01)1 May 1665
Cölln an der Spree
Died5 October 1706(1706-10-05) (aged 41)
Dessau
SpouseHenry, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby
IssueFrederick Henry, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby
George Albert, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby
Princess Henriette Marie
HouseAscania
FatherJohn George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
MotherHenriette Catherine of Orange-Nassau

Born in Cölln an der Spree, she was the fourth of ten children born from the marriage of John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Henriette Catherine of Orange-Nassau. From her nine older and younger siblings, five survive adulthood: Henriette Amalie (by marriage Princess of Nassau-Dietz), Marie Eleonore (by marriage Princess Radziwiłł and Duchess of Olyka), Henriette Agnes, Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Johanna Charlotte (by marriage Margravine of Brandenburg-Schwedt).[1][2]

Life

In 1680, and thanks to her father's instigation, Elisabeth Albertine was chosen Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey as Elisabeth IV, securing with this the support of the Rhenish Imperial College prelate (German: Reichsprälatenkollegiums). She remained in the post for six years, until her marriage was arranged and moved to Barby; however, several Herford artists and merchants followed her.

In Dessau on 30 March 1686, Elisabeth Albertine married Henry, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby. Elisabeth Albertine's paternal great-great grandmother was Agnes of Barby-Mühlingen; this give to Henry some blood ties to the extinct House of Barby.

The marriage produced eight children, of whom only three survive adulthood:[3][4]

  1. John August, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 28 July 1687 – Dessau, 22 January 1688).
  2. John August, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 24 July 1689 – Dessau, 21 October 1689).
  3. Stillborn twin sons (Dessau, 1690).
  4. Frederick Henry, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 2 July 1692 – The Hague, 21 November 1711).
  5. George Albert, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 19 April 1695 – Barby, 12 June 1739).
  6. Henriette Marie (Dessau, 1 March 1697 – Weissenfels, 10 August 1719).
  7. Stillborn daughter (Dessau, 5 October 1706).

Elisabeth Albertine died in Dessau aged 41, following complications in her last childbirth. She was buried in the Familiengruft, Barby.[5]

References
  1. Johann Georg II. Fürst v.Anhalt-Dessau in: Genealogy Database by Herbert Stoyan Archived 2014-10-16 at the Wayback Machine [retrieved 11 October 2014].
  2. Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the House of Ascania". genealogy.euweb.cz. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  3. Elisabeth Albertina Prinzessin v.Anhalt-Dessau in: Genealogy Database by Herbert Stoyan Archived 2014-10-16 at the Wayback Machine [retrieved 11 October 2014].
  4. Elisabeth Albertine Prinzessin von Anhalt-Dessau in: thePeerage.com [retrieved 11 October 2014].
  5. Anhalt-Dessau line in: Royaltyguide.nl Archived 2011-10-20 at the Wayback Machine [retrieved 11 October 2014].
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