Erdmuthe of Brandenburg (26 June 1561 – 13 November 1623) was a
Princess of Brandenburg and by marriage
Duchess of Pomerania.
Life
Erdmuthe was born in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, the eldest daughter of the Elector of Brandenburg
John George (1525–1598) from his second marriage to
Sabina Sabina may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions
* Sabina (region), region and place in Italy, and hence:
* the now Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina (-Poggio Mirteto), Italy
* Magliano Sabina, city, Italy
* Pozzaglia Sabina, city, Italy
*Fara Sab ...
(1548–1575), daughter of the Margrave
George of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach. The princess was her father's favorite child on account of her love for science and Latin literature.
She married on 17 February 1577 in
Stettin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...
(Szczecin)
John Frederick of Pomerania (1542–1600). At the age of 7 years she was engaged to the 26 years old John Frederick. On this occasion, the old inheritance treaty between the two houses and the entitlements in case one of them would go extinct, were redefined. The marriage was described as a happy one, but it remained childless. After a miscarriage,
Elizabeth of Doberschütz gave her a drug to lower the fever. Elizabeth was later accused of having bewitched Erdmuthe and making her barren.
Erdmuthe was instrumental in the initiation of the marriage of her nephew
Christian II of Saxony
Christian II of Saxony (23 September 1583 – 23 June 1611) was Elector of Saxony from 1591 to 1611.
He was born in Dresden, the eldest son of Christian I of Saxony and Sophie of Brandenburg. He belonged to the Albertine line of the House of Wet ...
with
Hedwig of Denmark and Norway. In 1596, she wrote a prayer book for her sister
Sophie
Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise".
People with the name Born in the Middle Ages
* Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson
* Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess o ...
(1568–1622), which is one of the oldest prayer books for women.
After her husband died on 9 February 1600, Erdmuthe received the district of
Stolp as
Wittum Wittum (), Widum or Witthum is a medieval Latin legal term, known in marital and ecclesiastical law.
Provide for a widow at the wedding
The term referred initially to steps taken by a husband to provide for his wife if she became a widow. The wi ...
and lived in the castle of Stolp. After the death of Schantes of Tessen in 1608, she also spent time on the
outwork
An outwork is a minor fortification built or established outside the principal fortification limits, detached or semidetached. Outworks such as ravelins, lunettes (demilunes), flèches and caponiers to shield bastions and fortification curtains ...
of
Schmolsin castle. She appointed
Michael Brüggemann
Michael Brüggeman(n) (; ; 1583, Stolp – 1654) was a German Lutheran pastor, preacher and translator living in the town of Schmolsin (Smołdzino), Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania (german: Herzogtum Pommern; pl, Księstwo Pomo ...
as a chaplain at the Castle Church in Stolp.
[Günther Schulz: ''Church in the East'', volume 37, Oxford University Press, 1994, p. 45] She died in
Stolp.
References
* Daniel Martin Ernst Kirchner: ''The Electors and queens on the throne of the Hohenzollerns'', Wiegandt & Greaves, 1867, p. 30
;Notes
External links
women in power in the period 1600-1640 (in English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erdmuthe Of Brandenburg
1561 births
1623 deaths
German duchesses
16th-century German people
17th-century German people
Pomeranian nobility
House of Hohenzollern
People from Berlin
People from Słupsk
Daughters of monarchs