Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst (15 September 1563 – 8 November 1607) was Electress of Brandenburg by marriage to

John George, Elector of Brandenburg John George of Brandenburg (german: Johann Georg von Brandenburg; 11 September 1525 – 8 January 1598) was a prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1571–1598). Early life Born as a member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was th ...

Early life

Elizabeth was a daughter of

Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt Joachim Ernest of Anhalt (21 October 1536 – 6 December 1586), was a German prince of the House of Ascania, ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst from 1551, and from 1570 sole ruler of all the Anhalt lands. Life Early life Joachim Ernest ...

(1536–1585), from his first marriage to Countess Agnes of Barby-Mühlingen (1540–1569).

Biography

On 6 October 1577 she married John George (1525–1598), in

Jagdschloss A ''Jagdschloss'' is a hunting lodge in German-speaking countries. It is a ''schloss'' set in a wildlife park or a hunting area (such as a forest, field or by a lake) that served primarily as accommodation for a ruler or aristocrat and his entou ...

Letzlingen Letzlingen is a village and a former municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Gardelegen Gardelegen (; nds, Garlä) is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is s ...

. Her husband was almost 40 years older than she was. Elisabeth was his third wife, and was 16 years younger than her stepson Joachim Frederick. The marriage was celebrated without many festivities, and Elizabeth was promised 400 guilders annually as her

dower Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law. ...

. Elizabeth brought as a

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

into the marriage 15 000 thalers and received as

jointure Jointure is, in law, a provision for a wife after the death of her husband. As defined by Sir Edward Coke, it is "a competent livelihood of freehold for the wife, of lands or tenements, to take effect presently in possession or profit after the dea ...

, besides a considerable pension, the city of Crossen, including

Crossen Palace Crossen Palace is a Baroque palace in the municipality of Crossen an der Elster in the east of the German federal state of Thuringia, located between Gera in the south and Zeitz in the north. It is situated on the hillside of White Elster valley ...

, plus the district and city of Züllichau and the lordship of Bobrowice (german: Bobersberg). Elisabeth was a patron of the scholar

Leonhard Thurneysser Leonard Thurneysser (22 July 1531 – 1595 or 1596; also known as Leonard Thurneisser zum Thurn) was a scholar and miracle doctor at the court of Elector John George of Brandenburg. Life Thurneysser was born in Basel, the son of a goldsmith. ...

. After her husband's death, weakened by child-bearing, she retired with her younger children to her widow seat of

. She is buried in the crypt of the Hohenzollerns in the

Berliner Dom The Berlin Cathedral (german: link=yes, Berliner Dom), also known as the Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church, is a monumental German Evangelical church and dynastic tomb (House of Hohenzollern) on the Museum Island in central ...

Issue

Her marriage to John George of Brandenburg produced the following children: #

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

(30 January 1581 – 30 May 1655) # Magdalena (7 January 1582 – 4 May 1616), married in 1598 to

Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

# Joachim Ernest (22 June 1583 – 7 March 1625) # Agnes (17 July 1584 – 26 March 1629), married: ## in 1604 Duke

Philipp Julius of Pomerania Philipp Julius (27 December 1584, in Wolgast – 6 February 1625) was duke of Pomerania in the ''Teilherzogtum'' Pomerania-Wolgast from 1592 to 1625. Biography Early life Philipp Julius was the son of Ernst Ludwig, Duke of Pomerania, and Sophia ...

; ## in 1628 Duke

Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg Francis Charles of Saxe-Lauenburg (born: 2 May 1594; died: 30 November 1660 in Neuhaus) was a prince of Saxe-Lauenburg and a general during the Thirty Years' War. Life Francis Charles was a son of the Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg (1547� ...

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

(22 March 1588 – 19 May 1611) # Elisabeth Sophia (13 July 1589 – 24 December 1629), married: ## in 1613 to

Reichsfürst Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors o ...

(Prince) Janusz Radziwiłł; ## in 1628 to Duke

Julius Henry of Saxe-Lauenburg Julius Henry (9 April 1586 – 20 November 1665) was duke of Saxe-Lauenburg between 1656 and 1665. Before ascending to the throne he served as Field Marshal in the imperial army. Life Before regency Born at Wolfenbüttel, he was a son of Duke ...

# Dorothea Sibylle (19 October 1590 – 9 March 1625), married in 1610 to Duke

John Christian of Brieg John Christian of Brieg ( pl, Jan Chrystian; german: Johann Christian; Ohlau, 28 August 1591 – Osterode in Ostpreußen (today Ostróda), 25 December 1639), was a Duke of Brzeg– Legnica–Wołów (since 1602; with his brother as co-ruler in Le ...

# George Albert (20 November 1591 – 29 November 1615) # Sigismund (20 November 1592 – 30 April 1640) # John (13 July 1597 – 23 September 1627), Bishop of Havelberg # John George (4 August 1598 – 27 January 1637)

References and sources

* Friederike Bornhak: ''Elisabeth von Anhalt: Kurfürstin von Brandenburg, dritte Gemahlin des Kurfürsten Johann Georg von Brandenburg, geboren 1563, gestorben 1607'', S. Geibel, 1889 * Ernst Daniel Martin Kirchner: ''Die Kurfürstinnen und Königinnen auf dem Throne der Hohhenzollern'', part 2l: ''Die letzten acht Kurfürstinnen'', Berlin, 1867, p. 34 ff.
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, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Anhalt-Zerbst, Elisabeth Of Electresses of Brandenburg Elisabeth 1563 births 1607 deaths People from Zerbst Burials at Berlin Cathedral