Maria Theresia Elisabeth of Austria
Maria Theresia Elisabeth Archduchess of Austria (born March 20, 1762 in Vienna , † January 23, 1770 in Vienna) was a daughter of Joseph II and Isabella von Bourbon-Parma . She was the first granddaughter of Empress Maria Theresa . The young Maria Theresa was baptized after her paternal grandmother with the full name Maria Theresia Elisabeth Philippine Luise Josepha Johanna .
Origin and life
Maria Theresa's parents, Crown Prince Joseph II (the future emperor) and Princess Isabella von Bourbon-Parma were married in Vienna on October 16, 1760. Isabella became pregnant at the end of 1761, and on March 20, 1762, she gave birth to a daughter who was baptized Maria Theresia Elisabeth and immediately received the status of Archduchess of Austria. On the maternal side, little Maria Theresa of Philip V of Spain descended from the French Bourbon dynasty, on the paternal side she could show Maria Theresa of Austria and her husband, the Roman-German Emperor Franz I Stephan, as her grandparents .
The little Archduchess was not yet two years old when her mother, who had smallpox, had another dramatic birth on November 22, 1763 with the birth of sister Christina. The death of the smaller Archduchess on the same day and the consequences of her own illness shook Isabella of Parma so much that she followed her daughter into death on November 27th, even if she was heartbroken. The father was heartbroken and found refuge in love for his young daughter. Maria Theresia Elisabeth was now a half-orphan and initially remained Maria Theresa's only grandchild. Maria's youngest paternal aunt, Archduchess Marie Antoinette (Maria Antonia), was only seven years older than herself.
Early end of life
Only a month after her seventh birthday, Archduchess Maria Theresa was diagnosed with pneumonia. Her father, then emperor, did everything in his power to save her. However, medicine was not yet able to save the Archduchess at this time, Maria Theresa died on January 23, 1770 with a very high fever. Her father was heartbroken. When Maria Theresa died, her father shouted into the sky: "I stopped being a father. Oh my God, give me my daughter again ..."
The young Archduchess was Maria Theresa's second grandchild, who died at a young age. It is said of the Empress that she kept her granddaughter's clothes and shoes.
Maria Theresa was buried next to her mother in the Capuchin Crypt in Vienna. Her sarcophagus was made larger according to Joseph's request and shows the young Archduchess sleeping on a bed, flanked by two crowns.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Gerda and Gottfried Mraz: Maria Theresia - Your life and your time, Südwest Verlag, Munich 1979, page 188
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Maria Theresia Elisabeth of Austria |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Maria Theresia Elisabeth Archduchess of Austria; Maria Theresia Elisabeth Philippine Luise Josepha Johanna (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Daughter of Joseph II and Isabella of Bourbon-Parma |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 20, 1762 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vienna |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 23, 1770 |
| Place of death | Vienna |