Maria Anna of Bavaria () (21 March 1551,

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

– 29 April 1608,

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

) was a politically active Archduchess of Austria by her marriage to her uncle Archduke Charles II of Austria. She played an important role in the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

in Austria.

Biography

Maria Anna was a 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 Orlando di Lasso ( 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 William Byrd, Giovanni Pierlui ...

. On 26 August 1571 in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, the 20-year-old Maria Anna married her maternal uncle

Charles II of Austria Charles II Francis of Austria () (3 June 1540 – 10 July 1590) was an Archduke of Austria and a ruler of Inner Austria (Styria, Carniola, Carinthia and Gorizia) from 1564. He was a member of the House of Habsburg. Biography A native of Vienn ...

. The marriage was arranged to give Austria political support from Bavaria and Bavaria an agent in Vienna. The relation between Maria Anna and Charles was described as good, and the couple had 15 children in just 18 years. Maria Anna was described as confident, ambitious and a great lover of pomp and power, but foremost a devout Catholic. She participated in 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 The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

school in Graz, and spent her time in worship and religious charity. Maria Anna was widowed in 1590, but she continued to participate in politics as an advisor to 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

* 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 consorts Daughters of dukes 16th-century German nobility 17th-century German people Mothers of Holy Roman Emperors