Maria Anna of Bavaria (21 March 1551,

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– 29 April 1608,

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

)Maria von Wittelsbach
/ref> was a politically active Archduchess of Austria by marriage to Archduke Charles II of Austria. She played an important role in the

counter reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

in Austria.

Life

Maria Anna was the daughter of

Albert V, Duke of Bavaria Albert V (German: ''Albrecht V.'') (29 February 1528 – 24 October 1579) was Duke of Bavaria from 1550 until his death. He was born in Munich to William IV and Maria Jacobäa of Baden. Early life Albert was educated at Ingolstadt by Catholic ...

and Anna of Austria. She was given an elementary education in Latin and religion, but a high education in music, likely by

Orlando di Lasso Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...

. On 26 August 1571 in

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, Maria Anna married her maternal uncle,

Charles II of Austria Charles II Francis of Austria (german: Karl II. Franz von Innerösterreich) (3 June 1540 – 10 July 1590) was an Archduke of Austria and ruler of Inner Austria (Styria, Carniola, Carinthia and Gorizia) from 1564. He was a member of the House o ...

. The marriage was arranged to give Charles political support from Bavaria, and Bavaria an agent in Vienna. The relation between Maria Anna and Charles are described as good. Maria Anna was described as confident, ambitious and a great lover of pomp and power, but foremost as a devoted Catholic. She participated in the affairs of state, and successfully benefited a powerful counter reformation in the domains of her spouse. She continued her education in music, benefited the Jesuit school in Graz, and spent her time in religious worship and religious charity. Maria Anna was widowed in 1590. She continued to participate in politics as the adviser of her son and encouraged him to continue the counter reformation and work against the Protestant clergy and nobility. In 1608, she retired to the Nunnery of St Clare in Graz. Her correspondence is partially preserved.

Issue

Ancestry

Bibliography

* HAMANN, Brigitte, ''Die Habsburger: Ein Biografisches Lexicon'' (Munich: Piper, 1988). * SÁNCHEZ, Magdalena, (2000) A Woman's Influence: Archduchess Maria of Bavaria and the Spanish Habsburgs. In C. Kent, T.K. Wolber, C.M.K. Hewitt (Eds.) ''The lion and the eagle: interdisciplinary essays on German-Spanish relations over the centuries'' (pp. 91–107). New York: Berghahn Books.

References

#WorldRoots.com

* http://www.nad.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=18720 * http://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Maria_(Erzherzogin_von_%C3%96sterreich) * http://de.wikisource.org/wiki/BLK%C3%96:Habsburg,_Maria_von_Bayern {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Anna Of Bavaria House of Wittelsbach 1551 births 1608 deaths Austrian royal consorts