Sophia Hedwig von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel

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Sophia Hedwig von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1561–1631), Duchess of Pommern-Wolgast

Sophia Hedwig von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (* December 1, 1561 at Hesse Castle ; † January 30, 1631 in Loitz ; also Sophie ) was a princess of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel and by marriage Duchess of Pommern-Wolgast .

Life

Wolgast Castle , 1652
Loitz Castle , 1652
Ludwigsburg Palace

Sophia Hedwig was the eldest child of Duke Julius of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1528–1589) from his marriage to Hedwig (1540–1602), daughter of Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg . The parents took care of a comprehensive and careful education for the princess, for whom marriage negotiations were started at an early stage.

At the age of 16, she married Duke Ernst Ludwig von Pommern-Wolgast (1545–1592) in Wolgast on October 20, 1577 . Accompanied by Sophia Hedwig, her father also sent theologians to persuade the Wolgast court to accept the Lutheran formula of concord . As a result of his marriage, Ernst Ludwig had structural changes made to Wolgast Castle and the medieval northeast wing redesigned into a new house . The duchess, described as ingeniously like her mother, looked after the poor and the sick, although she was not deterred by an outbreak of plague .

After 15 years of marriage, Ernst Ludwig died in 1592. In addition to the personal property already promised in the marriage contract, the office and Loitz Castle , he also confirmed the Ludwigsburg Castle near Greifswald , which was given to his wife in 1586, and also gave her the Jamitzow estate on the Peenestrom. She soon exchanged the latter for the Zerpenzyn estate opposite the town of Loitz, which was named Sophienhof in 1594. The children stayed with their mother and moved with her to the Loitz widow's residence the following year. Sophie Hedwig wrote a memorial song for the death of her husband, which was included in the Lobwasser psaltery in 1593 . From 1597 to 1601 she accompanied her son to Wolgast, to help him under the supervision of the guardian Duke Bogislaw XIII. to support the introduction to the business of government.

Sophia Hedwig had Sophia Hedwig redesigned Loitz Castle, which was converted into a Renaissance building during her husband's lifetime . She also had the Marienkirche in Loitz rebuilt and expanded. While the castle has completely disappeared, parts of the princely pews with a double portrait of her and her husband as well as numerous coats of arms of her ancestors have been preserved in the town church. In the listing of the court of her personal property in 1593, an official governor, a rent master, court master, court master, a female court as well as chamber, kitchen, cellar and stable servants were active.

Sophia Hedwig was described as interested in economic processes, but also wasteful and domineering. She is considered one of the most important duchesses in Pomerania. She survived her son by almost six years and died in the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, which is why her funeral was delayed by almost two years. Sophia Hedwig was buried in the grave of the Pomeranian dukes, the Petrikirche in Wolgast. Her sarcophagus, like that of her husband, son and in-laws, was painstakingly restored a few years ago.

progeny

Sarcophagus of Duchess Sophia Hedwig

From their marriage, Sophia Hedwig had the following children:

⚭ 1600 Friedrich Kettler , Duke of Courland and Semigallia (1569–1642)
⚭ 1604 Princess Agnes of Brandenburg (1584–1629)

literature

Coat of arms and autograph of Sophia Hedwig in the register of David von Mandelsloh (1605)
  • Dirk Schleinert : Sophia Hedwig (1561-1631). Duchess of Pomerania-Wolgast . In: Dirk Alvermann , Nils Jörn (Hrsg.): Biographisches Lexikon für Pommern . Volume 2 (= publications of the Historical Commission for Pomerania. Series V, Volume 48.2). Böhlau Verlag, Cologne Weimar Vienna 2015, ISBN 978-3-412-22541-4 , pp. 266–269.
  • Dirk Schleinert : Duchess Sophia Hedwig von Pommern-Wolgast - a picture of life . In: ders., Ralf-Gunnar Werlich: Loitz - City on the Peene. Contributions to history and their architectural monuments (contributions to Pomeranian regional, church and art history, vol. 10) . Thomas Helms Verlag, Schwerin 2008, pp. 101–114.
  • Dirk Schleinert : The Loitz office from 1592 to 1631. On the economic and financial basis of a princely widow's residence . In: Martina Schattkowsky (Ed.): Widowhood in the early modern times. Princely and noble widows between foreign and self-determination . Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2003, pp. 378–402.
  • Dirk Schleinert : The wedding of Duke Ernst Ludwig of Pomerania with Sophia Hedwig of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel in 1577 - In: Pomerania. Journal of Culture and History. 37th vol., 1999, no. 4, pp. 7-15.
  • Albrecht Classen: My soul is starting to sing . Peeters Publishers, 2002, p. 363 f.
  • Monika Schneikart: The "regiment" of the Dowager Duchess Sophia Hedwig von Pommern-Wolgast (1561-1631). Mother of the country or "women rule" . In: Baltic Studies NF 98 (2012), pp. 31–50.

Web links

Commons : Sophia Hedwig von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Heinrich Heppe: History of the Lutheran Concordienformel und Concordie , Elwert, 1858, p. 311
  2. ^ Roderich Schmidt: The historical Pommern , Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar, 2009, p. 174
  3. ^ Wilhelm Havemann: History of the Lands Braunschweig and Lüneburg , 1855, p. 418 digitized
  4. ↑ Dirk Schleinert: The Loitz office from 1592 to 1631. On the economic and financial basis of a princely widow's seat in: Martina Schattkowsky (Ed.): Widowhood in the early modern times. Princely and noble widows between foreign and self-determination , Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2003, pp. 378–402.
  5. ↑ Linda Maria Koldau : Frauen-Musik-Kultur , Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar, 2005, p. 393
  6. ↑ Dirk Schleinert, On the history of the Loitzer Castle , in: Dirk Schleinert, Ralf-Gunnar Werlich: Loitz - city on the Peene. Contributions to history and its architectural monuments (Contributions to Pomeranian regional, church and art history, vol. 10) , Schwerin 2008, pp. 33–46
  7. ↑ Ralf-Gunnar Werlich: The heraldic ancestral gallery of Duchess Sophia Hedwig von Pommern-Wolgast in the Loitzer parish church of St. Marien , in: Dirk Schleinert, Ralf-Gunnar Werlich: Loitz - city on the Peene. Contributions to history and its architectural monuments (Contributions to Pomeranian regional, church and art history, vol. 10) , Schwerin 2008, pp. 127–166
  8. ↑ Ute Essegern: Fürstinnen am kursächsischer Hof , Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2007, p. 45
  9. ↑ Julius H. Biesner: History of Pomerania and Rügen , Koch, 1839, p. 397
personal data
SURNAME Sophia Hedwig von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sophie Hedwig von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (alternative form of name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Duchess of Pomerania-Wolgast
DATE OF BIRTH December 1, 1561
PLACE OF BIRTH Hesse Castle
DATE OF DEATH January 30, 1631
Place of death Loitz