Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Encyclopedia
Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1395 – 28 December 1442, Grimsby
) was a member of the House of Welf, a princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg
and by marriage, the Electress of Saxony
.
(† 1416) from his first marriage to Sophie († June 1400), daughter of Duke Wartislaw VI
of Pomerania.
As a 7-year-old she married on 8 May 1402 Margrave Frederick IV "the Warlike" of Meissen
(1370–1428), who in 1425 became the first Elector of Saxony, as Frederick I. The elector lost a large part of his army in the Hussite Wars
in a battle in 1425 at Most
. During Frederick's absence, Electress Catherine organized another army of 20,000 men, which rushed to Frederick's aid, but was defeated devastatingly in the Battle of Aussig in 1426.
Catherine spent time with her husband, but more frequently alone, at Mildenstein Castle in Leisnig
, which thereby developed into a private residence of the Saxon Electors.
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
) was a member of the House of Welf, a princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
and by marriage, the Electress of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
.
Life
Catherine was the only daughter and second child of the Duke Henry I of Brunswick-LüneburgHenry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry of Brunswick-Lüneburg , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called Henry the Mild, was prince of Lüneburg from 1388 to 1409 jointly with his brother Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, from 1400 to 1409 also of Wolfenbüttel, and from 1409 until his death sole prince of Lüneburg.Henry was the...
(† 1416) from his first marriage to Sophie († June 1400), daughter of Duke Wartislaw VI
Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VI of Pomarania was the eldest son of the Duke Barnim IV of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen....
of Pomerania.
As a 7-year-old she married on 8 May 1402 Margrave Frederick IV "the Warlike" of Meissen
Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Frederick IV of Meissen and Elector of Saxony was Margrave of Meissen and Elector of Saxony from 1381 until his death. He is not to be confused with his cousin Frederick IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, the son of Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia...
(1370–1428), who in 1425 became the first Elector of Saxony, as Frederick I. The elector lost a large part of his army in the Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
in a battle in 1425 at Most
Most
Most is the capital city of the Most District, situated between the Czech Central Mountains and the Ore Mountains, approximately northwest of Prague along the Bílina River and southwest of Ústí nad Labem.-Etymology:...
. During Frederick's absence, Electress Catherine organized another army of 20,000 men, which rushed to Frederick's aid, but was defeated devastatingly in the Battle of Aussig in 1426.
Catherine spent time with her husband, but more frequently alone, at Mildenstein Castle in Leisnig
Leisnig
Leisnig is a small town in the district of Mittelsachsen, federal Free State of Saxony in Germany.-History:A settlement in this location was first mentioned in 1046. The town features Mildenstein Castle which is over 1000 years old. The house Markt 13 shows the coat of arms of the family...
, which thereby developed into a private residence of the Saxon Electors.
Offspring
From her marriage Catherine had the following children:- Catherine, died young;
- Frederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II, Elector of SaxonyFrederick II was Elector of Saxony and was Landgrave of Thuringia .-Biography:...
(1412 – 1464); - Sigismund, Bishop of WürzburgWürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, (3 March 1416 – 24 December 1471); - Anna, (5 June 1420 – 17 September 1462), married to Louis I, Landgrave of HesseLouis I, Landgrave of HesseLouis I of Hesse , called "the Peaceful" was Landgrave of Lower Hesse from 1413-1458....
; - Catherine, (1421 – 23 August 1476, BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
), married to Frederick II, Elector of BrandenburgFrederick II, Elector of BrandenburgFrederick II of Brandenburg , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Biography:Frederick II was born in Tangermünde to Frederick I, Brandenburg's...
; - Henry, (21 May 1422 – 22 July 1435);
- William III, Duke of Luxemburg (1425 – 1482), Landgrave of Thuringia, Duke of Luxemburg; married
- in 1446, Anne of AustriaAnne, Duchess of LuxembourgAnne of Bohemia and Austria was a Duchess of Luxembourg in her own right, and as consort, Landgravine of Thuringia and of Saxony....
(1432–1462) - in 1463, Catherine of Brandenstein († 1492)
- in 1446, Anne of Austria