Sophie von Dönhoff

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Sophie Countess Dönhoff

Countess Sophie Juliane Friederike von Dönhoff (born October 17, 1768 in Beynuhnen in East Prussia; † January 28, 1834 or 1838 at the Beerbaum estate in the then Oberbarnim district ) was married to the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II .

Her parents were Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Dönhoff (* February 8, 1723 - December 1, 1774) and his wife Sophie Charlotte von Langermann (* May 16, 1740 - August 31, 1793), daughter of General Adolf Friedrich von Langermann .

Life

Sophie Countess von Dönhoff came to the Prussian court in 1789 as lady-in-waiting to Queen Friederike Luise . The following year, on April 11, 1790, she was wedded to the left hand of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II in the Charlottenburg Palace Chapel . She was called " Hebe " at court because of her youthful figure . In addition, she was a gifted pianist and singer.

Strong differences between the couple already led to the separation in June 1792. At this time the king was under the influence of Hans Rudolf von Bischoffwerder and Wilhelmine Enke . Sophie von Dönhoff tried to weaken these relationships. Friedrich Wilhelm in turn rejected her interference, especially in political matters. Her contemporary Anne-Henri Cabot de Dampmartin judged in 1811: “Countess Dönhoff captivated with the interplay of charms, amiability, caprices and whims which inflame passions even more. But she said it was her right to have a say like a ruler. But the king did not love that. Despite his politeness towards women, he felt himself to be a ruler. He forgave nothing of his dignity. The Dönhoff played the sovereign. The king, on the other hand, hated discussing politics with women. "

Although the marriage lasted only a short time, they had two children:

Equipped with an annual pension of 8,000 thalers, Countess Dönhoff first went into exile in Neuchâtel , where her daughter was born in 1793. In the following year she sold her inherited shares in the East Prussian estates for 162,000 thalers to her sister and moved to Angermünde . In 1795 she was able to move into her own country house built for her there, which was surrounded by a magnificent park. Life in the provincial town was not enough for the spirited woman in the long run. She looked for a sphere of activity where she could find appropriate confirmation and distraction. In 1805, Countess Dönhoff acquired the Beerbaum estate in the Oberbarnim district (today the municipality of Heckelberg-Brunow in the Märkisch-Oderland district ) for 106,000 thalers and devoted herself to running the estate. In 1817/1818 she had a manor house built there. The estate finally passed to Count Pückler via the only one of eight grandchildren who married .

Sophie Juliane von Dönhoff was buried in the Beerbaum churchyard. During the GDR era, the grave and cemetery fell into disrepair. In October 2010 a new grave slab was unveiled in the presence of the Countess' descendants. The new grave slab was designed by the artist Otto Schack with historical letters and coats of arms and engraved in marble by his son.

On October 17, 2012, her 244th birthday, a memorial plaque was unveiled in Beerbaum as part of the “ Women's Places ” project .

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ The Beynuhnen estate in Klein Beynuhnen , which belongs to her family, is generally considered to be her place of birth, but Groß Beynuhnen would also be possible .
  2. ↑ The year of death is indicated differently in the literature. For 1834 see for example German biography .
  3. ↑ a b Märkische Onlinezeitung : Hochadel in Beerbaum , October 19, 2010, accessed July 2, 2017
  4. ↑ a b Le Denhoff - Too clever for a mistress , Amt Falkenberg-Höhe, July 17, 2007, accessed January 6, 2018.
personal data
SURNAME Dönhoff, Sophie von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dönhoff, Sophie Juliane Countess of
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Wife of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II.
DATE OF BIRTH October 17, 1768
PLACE OF BIRTH Beynuhnen in East Prussia
DATE OF DEATH January 28, 1834 or January 28, 1838
Place of death Good Beerbaum , Oberbarnim