Elizabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont, Countess of Nassau-Saarbrücken (also known as ''Isabella of Lotharingen''; in Lorraine – 17 January 1456 in

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...

) was a pioneer of the

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Early New High German Early New High German (ENHG) is a term for the period in the history of the German language generally defined, following Wilhelm Scherer, as the period 1350 to 1650. The term is the standard translation of the German (Fnhd., Frnhd.), introduce ...

language. Around 1437, she translated and edited four French romances () by

Odo Arpin of Bourges Odo Arpin of Bourges (also Arpinus, Harpinus, or Harpin) ( 1060 – c. 1130) was a medieval viscount, crusader and monk. He inherited the lordship of Dun and became viscount of Bourges between 1092 and 1095 after marrying Matilda of Sully, whose s ...

, Sibille, Loher & Maller and Hug Chapler.

Life

Elizabeth was the daughter of Frederick of Lorraine (1368-1415) and

Margaret of Joinville Margaret of Joinville (french: links=no, Marguerite de Joinville; 1354–1418), was a French noblewoman. From 1365 until her death, she was the ruling Lady of Joinville and Countess of Vaudémont. Family Her father was Henry, Lord of Joinville ...

( – 1418). In 1412, she became the second wife of Count Philip I of Nassau-Weilburg-Saarbrücken (1368-1429). After his death in 1429 to 1438 she took over the regency for her infant son, Philip II (1418-1492) of the Nassau-Saarbrücken territory, the areas along the middle

Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player *Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Esto ...

, along the Blies, in eastern Lorraine, in today's Donnersbergkreis, around the city of Kirchheimbolanden, in the Taunus area, along the Lahn as well as Commercy in Lorraine on the Meuse. She managed to keep her possessions together and to avoid disputes with her many neighbours. During her rule,

was developed into a residence town. She resided at Saarbrücken Castle on the Castle Rock with its steep slope towards the Saar. Until then, the territory had had no centralized administration, and its rulers had travelled constantly between their scattered possessions, in order to maintain their claim to power by being physically present some of the time in each and every possession ("rule by travelling around"). Elisabeth died on 17 January 1456. Contrary to the customs of the ancient Counts of Saarbrücken, who were buried in Wadgassen, Elisabeth chose to be buried in the Collegiate Church in Sankt Arnual, which is now part of Saarbrücken. For the next 200 years, all Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken would be buried here.

Legacy

Elisabeth took care of her inheritance during her lifetime. In 1439, she divided her possessions among her two sons. The elder son, Philip II received the territories on the right bank of the Rhine; the younger son, John II received the territories on the left bank. Apparently John II, unlike his brother, was interested in his mother's literary activities. Among other things, he had magnificent manuscripts made of the novels his mother had translated These manuscripts and early printed copies are now held by the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel and the State and University Library in Hamburg. In April 2007, a large poster exhibition of Elisabeth's novels was held in Saarbrücken, in the framework of the city's participation in the activities of Luxembourg as Cultural Capital of Europe. A European Writers' Congress in Saarbrücken on 16 October 2007 had as its motto , with which Elisabeth began her translations.

Marriage and issue

Elisabeth was the second wife of Count Philip I of Nassau-Weilburg-Saarbrücken (1368-1429) and had the following children with him: # Philip II of Nassau-Weilburg #

John II of Nassau-Saarbrücken John II of Nassau-Saarbrücken (4 April 1423, in Saarbrücken – 15 July 1472, in Vehingen) was a son of Philipp I, Count of Nassau-Weilburg and Elisabeth of Lorraine-Vaudémont. He was Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken from 1429 to 1472. He marrie ...

# Johannetta (d. 1 February 1481, Römhild), married on 22 June 1422 to Count

George I of Henneberg George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...

# Margarete (26 April 1426 – 5 May 1490), married in 1441 to Gerhard of Rodemachern

References

* * * Bernhard Burchert: ''Die Anfänge des Prosaromans in Deutschland. Die Prosaerzählungen Elisabeths von Nassau-Saarbrücken'', Lang, Frankfurt, Bern and New York, 1987 * Thomas Cramer: ''Geschichte der deutschen Literatur im späten Mittelalter'', dtv, Munich, 2000, * Wolfgang Haubrichs, Hans-Walter Herrmann and Gerhard Sauder (eds.): ''Zwischen Deutschland und Frankreich. Elisabeth von Lothringen, Gräfin von Nassau-Saarbrücken'', in the series ''Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Saarländische Landesgeschichte und Volksforschung,'' vol. 34, St. Ingbert: Universitäts-Verlag, Röhrig, 2002, * Ulricke qnd Manfred Jacobs: ''Die Grenzgängerin Elisabeth von Lothringen'', Gollenstein, Blieskastel 2007, * Yvonne Rech and Hans-Walter Herrmann: ''Elisabethenwege. Reisen auf den Wegen einer bedeutenden Frau. in Reiseführer'. Regionalverband Saarbrücken, Saarbrücken, 2008 * Kerstin Joost-Schäfer: ''Die dichtende Gräfin — Elisabeth von Lothringen'', in: ''Saarbrücker Zeitung'', section ''Momente'', 13/14 March 2010, p. E 8 (special page)

External links

*
Literature by Elisabeth

Literature about Elisabeth

Elisabeth in the State and university Library in Hamburg

Elisabeth in the Saarländische Biografien
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elizabeth Of Lorraine Vaudemont German translators Writers from Saarland House of Lorraine 1395 births 1456 deaths Countesses of Nassau Year of birth uncertain 15th-century German people 15th-century German women German women novelists Burials at Stiftskirche Sankt Arnual (Saarbrücken)