Friederike Charlotte of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Friederike Charlotte Leopoldine Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt (often referred to as Princess of Prussia) (born August 18, 1745 in Schwedt , † January 23, 1808 in Altona ) was the last princess of the Herford Monastery .
Life
It came from the Brandenburg-Schwedt branch line of the Prussian royal family. She was the daughter of Friedrich Heinrich Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt . The mother was Leopoldine Marie von Anhalt-Dessau . After her parents' marriage failed and her mother was exiled by Friedrich II to Kolberg, Friederike Charlotte got a job at Herford Abbey. As early as 1755, the Prussian king put her through as coadjutor of Abbess Hedwig Sophie von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf. This made Friederike Charlotte the designated successor.
Together with her sister Luise von Anhalt-Dessau , she was partly raised at the Prussian court. The mathematician Leonhard Euler sent the princess numerous letters in French between 1760 and 1762 on mathematics , philosophy and other subjects. These appeared between 1769 and 1773 under the title "Letters to a German Princess" also in print in Leipzig and St. Petersburg . The French edition alone saw 12 editions. Euler tried to explain physical issues and their philosophical backgrounds in a generally understandable way. Euler may also have been the princess' teacher.
On October 13, 1764 she became abbess of Herford and was the head of the monastery, which was directly under the imperial government. During her tenure she managed the property of the monastery and defended its rights against the city of Herford . Friederike Charlotte resided in Herford and maintained a royal household. In 1790 she donated a medal for the members of the monastery of St. Marien auf dem Berge near Herford, which belonged to her domain . For their time, recent studies suggest an economic decline for the monastery.
Although she tried to preserve the rights of the monastery in relation to the Prussian state, in the end the king made the decision in case of doubt. When it came to a criminal case against leading employees and officials of the monastery for forgery of a will, in 1798 Friedrich Wilhelm III. an Immediate Commission "to lead the board of trustees over the assets of the abbess" set up. The commission was dissolved again in 1799. Although Friederike Charlotte herself claimed jurisdiction over her servants, they were convicted by a Prussian court in 1800.
On August 15, 1802, the monastery was secularized . The fortune fell to the Prussian state. The abbess and the canonesses received a pension. From the advancing French troops, Friederike Charlotte fled to Altona, where she also died. She is buried in the collegiate church ( Wolderus chapel near the minster church ).
Individual evidence
- ^ Leonhard Euler; Letters to a German princess on various subjects in physics and philosophy. New edition Braunschweig, 1986 p. XXIf. Partial digitization
- ↑ Gisa Kleinebenne: The economic situation of the Herford abbey in the last years of its existence up to the beginning of secularization (1773-1802). In: Der Remensnider 1/2005 p. 10
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Hedwig Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf |
Abbess of Herford 1764–1802 |
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Friederike Charlotte of Brandenburg-Schwedt |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Brandenburg-Schwedt, Friederike Charlotte Leopoldine Louise von (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Princess Abbess of Herford Abbey |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 18, 1745 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Schwedt |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 23, 1808 |
| Place of death | Altona |