Anna Pavlovna
Anna Pavlovna of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, Grand Duchess of Russia also, Anna Pavlovna called (born January 7, jul. / 18th January 1795 greg. In Saint Petersburg , † 1. March 1865 in The Hague ) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1840 until 1849.
Life
Childhood and youth
Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna was born in 1795 in Gatchina Palace . She was the youngest daughter of the Russian Tsar Paul I and the Tsarina Maria Fjodorovna, née Princess Sophie Dorothee von Württemberg . She was also the sister of Tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I of Russia.
She spent most of her childhood with her mother and brothers Michail and Nikolaus in Tsarskoye Selo . She was appropriately trained by tutors and governesses . She received lessons in German, English and French as well as mathematics and history. The young Grand Duchess showed a particular talent in handicrafts and painting.
After the failed marriage project between Napoleon Bonaparte and Anna's older sister Katharina in 1809 , the latter intended to take Anna Pavlovna as his wife instead of Katharina's. Tsarina Maria Feodorovna hesitated for a long time to give the French emperor an answer so that he would lose interest in this connection. In 1810 he married Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria , the daughter of Emperor Franz II.
marriage
On February 21, 1816 Anna Pavlovna married the future King of the Netherlands, Wilhelm II of Orange-Nassau, in the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg . The connection was previously proposed by Anna Pavlovna's brother Tsar Alexander I after Russia created an alliance with the Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna . Thereupon Wilhelm was invited to Russia so that he could get to know Anna better. Anna finally agreed to the marriage. The wedding was performed according to the Orthodox and then according to the Lutheran rite. Anna remained true to the Orthodox faith until the end of her life. Alexander Pushkin created a literary memorial to the wedding with the poem To the Prince of Orange . The bride's dowry was one million rubles and the fabulous wealth aroused covetousness. In 1829, in Brussels, which at the time was still part of the Netherlands and the couple's residence at the time, Anna Pavlovna's famous jewels were stolen. Most of them were found and brought back, but suspicions also fell on her husband, who was constantly in need of money. The Crown Prince was not exonerated until two years later - the thief was caught and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Their jewels are still among the treasures of the Dutch crown treasure.
Anna and Wilhelm had five children together:
- William III. (1817-1890)
- Wilhelm Alexander Friedrich Konstantin Nikolaus Michael (1818–1848), called Sascha
- Heinrich (1820–1879)
- Wilhelm Alexander Friedrich Ernst Casimir (1822–1822)
- Sophie (1824–1897), married in 1842 to Karl Alexander von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1818–1901)
Anna was initially shocked by the conditions in her new home country, which were in contrast to those in her native Russia. In particular, she alienated the class system and the class divisions within it, as well as the small distance between the Dutch monarchs and the public, which was more strictly treated in Russia. She had some difficulty adjusting to that. Until the Belgian Revolution in 1830, Anna and Wilhelm lived mainly in Brussels, which they preferred to other cities, as it reminded them of Russia. Anna soon became a charity when she founded a hospital for soldiers wounded during the Belgian Revolution in 1830 and a sewing school for poor women and girls in 1832.
The couple's marriage was considered turbulent. Her husband's adultery has always led to conflict. They lived largely apart from one another until 1843. Nevertheless, she tried to mediate between her husband and her father-in-law, King Wilhelm I , and to reduce tensions in political problems. Otherwise she stayed away from politics, despite strong convictions. Anna has been described as intelligent, sensitive, and loyal to her family. She also had a violent temper. During her time in Holland, she learned Dutch, which she soon spoke better than her husband, and studied the history and culture of the country. She founded more than 50 orphanages.
On October 7, 1840, King Wilhelm I abdicated in favor of his son and Anna became Queen of the Netherlands. On February 1, 1842, she became the 343rd lady of the royal order of Queen Maria Luisa .
As queen, Anna never became very popular. She was seen by the public as dignified, but arrogant and aloof. Strict etiquette was always awaiting her at the royal court. She valued pomp, etiquette, formal ceremonies, and rituals. Anna corresponded regularly with her mother and brothers in Russia and also cherished the memory of her native country. She founded a Russian boys' choir in which the members were dressed in traditional costumes. She was said to have always remained the Russian Grand Duchess, more than Queen of the Netherlands.
After the death of her husband in 1849, she left the royal palace, withdrew from court life and led a secluded life. Anna developed a tense relationship with her niece and daughter-in-law Sophie von Württemberg , the wife of her son Wilhelm and the daughter of her late sister Katharina Pawlowna . Allegedly, she was jealous of Katharina's beauty and her previous status as her mother's favorite child, and now projected any jealousy onto her daughter-in-law. After a dispute with her son King Wilhelm III. in 1855 she initially wanted to return to Russia, but in the end she didn't.
Monuments
The place is called Anna Paulowna in North Holland after her . In the central part of The Hague ( Zeeheldenkwartier ) there is the lively square with the name Anna Paulownaplein and the Anna Paulownastraat crossing the square. The plant genus of paulownia (with the bluebell tree ) was named after her by Philipp Franz von Siebold .
literature
- Jean-Charles Volkmann: Généalogie des rois et des princes. Éditions Jean-Paul Gisserot, Paris 1998, ISBN 2-87747-374-0 .
- Oranje, ons vorstenhuis door de eeuwen heen. De koningen en hun family. Lekturama, Breda 1990, ISBN 90-5141-173-1 .
Web links
- Institute for Dutch History: Anna Paulowna
- Sapphire jewelry by Anna Pavlovna
- Biography , The House of the Romanovs (Russian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Anna Pavlovna - Hermitage Amsterdam. In: www.hermitage.nl. Retrieved May 3, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c Kenneth: Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna. In: www.rusartnet.com. Retrieved May 3, 2016 .
- ↑ Lotte Burkhardt: Directory of eponymous plant names - Extended Edition. Part I and II. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin , Freie Universität Berlin , Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5 doi: 10.3372 / epolist2018 .
| predecessor | Office | Successor |
|---|---|---|
| Wilhelmine of Prussia | Queen of the Netherlands 1840–1849 |
Sophie of Württemberg |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Anna Pavlovna |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Anna von Romanow-Holstein-Gottorp; Anna Paulowna |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Queen of the Netherlands |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 18, 1795 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Petersburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 1, 1865 |
| Place of death | The hague |