Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz (11 December 1856 – 9 August 1929) was an Austrian noblewoman and a noted archaeologist.

Early life and ancestry

Princess Marie Gabriele Ernestine Alexandra was born in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in 1856 as the daughter of Hugo, Prince of

Windisch-Grätz The House of Windisch-Graetz, also spelled Windisch-Grätz, is an Austrian-Slovenian aristocratic family, descending from Windischgraz in Lower Styria (present-day Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia). The noble dynasty serving the House of Habsburg achieve ...

(himself son of Weriand,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

of Windisch-Graetz and Princess Maria Eleonore Carolina of

Lobkowicz The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is a Czech noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The family also belong to the Ge ...

) and his wife, Duchess Louise of

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...

(herself the eldest daughter of

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...

Paul Frederick and Princess Alexandrine of Prussia).

Biography

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

on 5 May 1881, she married her first cousin, the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

-born Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, second son of

Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis II (German: ''Friedrich Franz II;'' 28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a Prussian officer and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883. Biography He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, the e ...

, and his wife,

Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz Princess Augusta Reuss, Junior Line (Auguste Mathilde Wilhelmine Reuß; 26 May 1822 – 3 March 1862) was Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as the first spouse of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Early life Princess A ...

. The couple had three surviving children, all of whom were raised as

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, Marie's religion, and lived a quiet life in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, where they befriended Cardinal Sarto (later

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...

), who often visited the family and acted as their spiritual advisor. On 21 April 1884 Duke Paul Frederick deferred his and his sons' rights of succession to

in favour of his younger brothers and their sons, so they would take precedence over him and his. In 1887 her husband, raised a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

, converted to Roman Catholicism, the religion of his wife and their common children. Marie née Windisch-Graetz surveyed several archaeological excavations in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

Carniola Carniola ( sl, Kranjska; , german: Krain; it, Carniola; hu, Krajna) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region sti ...

, including excavations at

Hallstatt Archaeological Site in Vače The Hallstatt Archaeological Site in Vače is an Eastern Hallstatt archaeological site in Klenik, a village near Vače on the border between the Styria and Lower Carniola regions in central-eastern Slovenia. It is best known for the Vače Situla, ...

. Some of the artifacts were sold to museums in

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

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 ...

by her daughter

Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, also ''Manette'' (Marie Antoinette Margarethe Mathilde; 28 May 1884 – 26 October 1944) was the second daughter of Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg and the Austrian-born Princess Marie of Windi ...

. In 1906 after raising the concerns of his nephew

Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Frederick Francis IV (Friedrich Franz Michael; 9 April 1882 – 17 November 1945) was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and regent of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He inherited the throne when he was fifteen years old in 1897 and was forced to ...

, about his expenses Duke Paul Frederick and his wife were ordered to submit expenditures to the comptroller of the royal household.

Children

* Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg (1882–1904) * Duchess Marie Louise of Mecklenburg (1883–1883) *

(1884–1944) * Duke Henry Borwin of Mecklenburg (1885–1942) married 1. Elizabeth Tibbits Pratt (1860-1928); 2. Natália Oelrichs (1880-1931) and 3. Karola Ernestine von Alers (1882-1974), daughter of Wilhelm Karl Georg von Alers and Adelaide Marie Pauline Ernstine von Chamisso de Boncourt. * Duke Joseph of Mecklenburg (1889–1889)

References

Literature

* Viola Maier: ''Die Herzogin Marie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1856–1929).'' In: Julia K. Koch, Eva-Maria Mertens (eds.): ''Eine Dame zwischen 500 Herren. Johanna Mestorf, Werk und Wirkung'' (= ''Frauen, Forschung, Archäologie.'' Bd. 4). Waxmann, Münster etc., 2002, , pp. 257–265. * Andrea Rottloff: ''Archäologen'' (= '' Die Berühmten''). Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 2009, pp. 87–89. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marie of Windisch-Graetz, Princess 1856 births 1929 deaths Austrian princesses Duchesses of Mecklenburg-Schwerin House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin People from Ludwigslust Windisch-Graetz Austrian women archaeologists Archaeologists from Vienna Nobility from Vienna