Duchess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony (22 November 1610 – 24 October 1684) was duchess consort of

Holstein-Gottorp Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp () is the historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, also known as Ducal Holstein, that were ruled by the dukes of Schlesw ...

as the spouse of Duke Friedrich III of Holstein-Gottorp. As a widow, she became known as a patron of culture.

Biography

She was a daughter of

John George I, Elector of Saxony John George I (5 March 1585 – 8 October 1656) was Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656. He led Saxony through the Thirty Years' War, which dominated his 45 year reign. Biography Born in Dresden, John George was the second son of the Elector Chr ...

, and his spouse Princess

Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia (31 December 1586 – 12 February 1659) was an Electress of Saxony as the spouse of John George I, Elector of Saxony. She is a 6th times matrilineal great grandmother to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Life ...

. She was engaged in 1627 and married in 1630. Her marriage was arranged by the Danish queen Dowager Sophie, and the duchess Dowager of Saxony,

Hedwig of Denmark Princess Hedwig of Denmark (5 August 1581 – 26 November 1641) was the youngest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Electress of Saxony from 1602 to 1611 as the wife of Christian II. The marriage wa ...

. In her dowry, she brought paintings by

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is know ...

. In 1659, she became a widow, and in 1660 moved to Wittum Husum Castle. Her household at

Husum Husum (, frr, Hüsem) is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". It is also the home of ...

became renowned as a culture center, and she herself a noted patron. She produced an interpretation of the Bible in 1664.

Marriage and issue

She was married on 21 February 1630 to Duke Friedrich III of Holstein-Gottorp and had sixteen children: # Sofie Auguste (5 December 1630 – 12 December 1680), married on 16 September 1649 to

John VI, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst John VI of Anhalt-Zerbst (Zerbst, 24 March 1621 – Zerbst, 4 July 1667), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. He was the only son of Rudolph, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, by his second wife Mag ...

. Mother of

John Louis I, Prince of Anhalt-Dornburg John Louis I, Prince of Anhalt-Dornburg (4 May 1656, in Zerbst – 1 November 1704, in Dornburg), was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Dornburg, as well as a grandfather of Catherine the Great. He w ...

, grandmother of

Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (29 November 1690, in Dornburg – 16 March 1747, in Zerbst) was a German prince of the House of Ascania, and the father of Catherine the Great of Russia. He was a ruler of the Principality of Anh ...

, and great-grandmother of

Catherine II of Russia , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

. # Magdalene Sibylle (24 November 1631 – 22 September 1719), married on 28 November 1654 to

Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg Güstrow(26 February 1633 – 6 October 1695) was the last ruler of Mecklenburg-Güstrow from 1636 until his death and last Lutheran Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Ratzeburg from 1636 to 1648.Jonathan ...

. Mother of

Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (28 August 1667 – 15 March 1721) was List of Danish consorts, Queen of Denmark and List of Norwegian consorts, Norway as the first spouse of King Frederick IV of Denmark. In 1708–09, she was regent during her hus ...

, Queen of Denmark. # Johann Adolf (29 September 1632 – 19 November 1633). # Marie Elisabeth (6 June 1634 – 17 June 1665), married on 24 November 1650 to

Louis VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Louis VI of Hesse-Darmstadt (german: Ludwig) (25 January 1630 – 24 April 1678) was Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1661 to 1678. He was the eldest of three sons of the Landgrave George II of Hesse-Darmstadt and Sophia Eleonore of Saxony. M ...

. # Friedrich (17 July 1635 – 12 August 1654). # Hedwig Eleonore (23 October 1636 – 24 November 1715), married on 24 October 1654 to King

Charles X of Sweden Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...

. # Adolf August (1 September 1637 – 20 November 1637). # Johann Georg (8 August 1638 – 25 November 1655). # Anna Dorothea (13 February 1640 – 13 May 1713). # Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (3 February 1641 – 6 January 1695). # Gustav Ulrich (16 March 1642 – 23 October 1642). # Christine Sabine (11 July 1643 – 20 March 1644). # August Friedrich (6 May 1646 – 2 October 1705), Prince-Regent of Eutin and Prince-Bishop of Lübeck; married on 21 June 1676 to Christine of Saxe-Weissenfels (daughter of

Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels Augustus of Saxe-Weissenfels (Dresden, 13 August 1614 – 4 June 1680, Halle), was a Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Querfurt of the House of Wettin and administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. He was the fourth (but second surviving) son of J ...

, and his first wife

Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1 July 1627, in Schwerin – 11 December 1669, in Halle) was a German noblewoman, a member of the House of Mecklenburg and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels. She was the fourth child and second daughter ...

). No issue. # Adolf (24 August 1647 – 27 December 1647). # Elisabeth Sofie (24 August 1647 – 16 November 1647), twin of Adolf. # Auguste Marie (6 February 1649 – 25 April 1728), married on 15 May 1670 to

Frederick VII, Margrave of Baden-Durlach Friedrich VII Magnus of Zähringen (23 September 1647 – 25 June 1709) was the Margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1677 until his death. Born at Ueckermünde, he was the son of Margrave Friedrich VI and Countess Palatine Christine Magdalene of ...

Ancestry

References

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Article in the Dansk biografisk Lexicon
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Marie Elisabeth of Saxony, Duchess Duchesses of Holstein-Gottorp 1610 births 1684 deaths House of Wettin German patrons of the arts Nobility from Dresden 17th-century philanthropists Albertine branch