Sibylle Elisabeth of Württemberg (10 April 1584–20 January 1606), was a princess from the Holy Roman Empire, a member of the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is an uradel, ancient German nobility, German dynasty and former royal family of the Kingdom of Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors ...

and by marriage Duchess of

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

. Born in Mömpelgard, she was the third of fifteen children born from the marriage of Duke Frederick I of Württemberg and Sibylla, daughter of Prince Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt.

Life

Duke Frederick I sought the connection to the House of Saxony and searched for a match for Sybille Elisabeth (his eldest daughter) among the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

princes who were allies of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Empire and were supportive of his quest for formal vassal ties to the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

. She married

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 C ...

on 16 September 1604. As ''

wittum Wittum (), Widum or Witthum is a medieval Latin legal term, known in marital and ecclesiastical law. Provide for a widow at the wedding The term referred initially to steps taken by a husband to provide for his wife if she became a widow. The wi ...

'', she was given the castle, city, and jurisdiction of Weißensee. The couple were granted a separate

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

which was mainly financed with revenue from the

Bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

Merseburg Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese ...

. Known for providing free medicines to the needy, Sybille Elisabeth suddenly died aged 21 in

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

after the birth of her only child, a stillborn son. She was buried in

Freiburg Cathedral Freiburg Minster ( or ) is the cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau, southwest Germany. The last duke of Zähringen had started the building around 1200 in romanesque style. The construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The minster was partly ...

(also known as St Mary's Cathedral).

References

*Ute Essegern
''Fürstinnen am kursächsischen Hof''. Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2007, p. 227. (online)
etrieved 4 November 2014 *Tobias Adami: ''Triumphus Veneris in nuptis …: Hochzeitsglückwünsche für Johann Georg Herzog von Sachsen und Sibylle Elisabeth von Württemberg, Tochter des Friedrich Herzog von Württemberg'', Sept. 1604. Stoeckel, 1604. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sibylle Elisabeth Of Wurttemberg 1584 births 1606 deaths Princesses of Württemberg Duchesses of Saxony ⚭Sibylle Elisabeth of Württemberg Deaths in childbirth Burials at Freiberg Cathedral Daughters of dukes