Dorothea Susanne of Simmern
Encyclopedia
Dorothea Susanne of Simmern (15 November 1544, Simmern
– 8 April 1592, Weimar
) was a princess of the Electoral Palatinate and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weimar
.
(1515–1576) from his marriage to Marie
(1519–1567), daughter of Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
.
She married on 15 June 1560 in Heidelberg
Duke John William, of Saxe-Weimar
(1530–1573). After their marriage, the couple lived mostly in Weimar. After the death of her husband Elector August, of Saxony acted as guardian of her children. This policy was meant to isolate the children from their mother's political and religious influence. She was assigned a new residence ouside Weimar, appropriately named New House. The Red Castle in Weimar was built for her from 1574 to 1576. She used it as her widow seat after its completion
Its Renaissance portal is decorated with an alliance coat of arms
of Dorothea Susanne and her husband.
In 1581, the widowed Duchess turned to wrote to her brothers, Louis VI
and John Casimir to induce the guardian of her eldest son, Elector August in Dresden, to promote the marry her eldest son with a Württemberg princess.
Dorothea Susanne died in 1592 and was buried in the church of St Peter and Paul in Weimar; her motto wasI Know That My Redeemer Lives.
Simmern
Simmern is a town of 8,000 inhabitants in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the district seat of the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, and the seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde...
– 8 April 1592, Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
) was a princess of the Electoral Palatinate and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weimar
Saxe-Weimar
Saxe-Weimar was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The chief town and capital was Weimar.-Division of Leipzig:...
.
Life
Dorothea Susanne was the daughter of elector palatine Frederick IIIFrederick III, Elector Palatine
Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559...
(1515–1576) from his marriage to Marie
Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach was a Princess of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and by marriage Electress Palatine.- Biography :...
(1519–1567), daughter of Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Casimir of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Margrave of Bayreuth from 1515 to 1527.- Family background :...
.
She married on 15 June 1560 in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
Duke John William, of Saxe-Weimar
John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
John William , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was also the last Duke of Saxony and Landgrave of Thuringia.He was the second son of John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and Sybille of Cleves....
(1530–1573). After their marriage, the couple lived mostly in Weimar. After the death of her husband Elector August, of Saxony acted as guardian of her children. This policy was meant to isolate the children from their mother's political and religious influence. She was assigned a new residence ouside Weimar, appropriately named New House. The Red Castle in Weimar was built for her from 1574 to 1576. She used it as her widow seat after its completion
Its Renaissance portal is decorated with an alliance coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Dorothea Susanne and her husband.
In 1581, the widowed Duchess turned to wrote to her brothers, Louis VI
Louis VI, Elector Palatine
In the history of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis VI, Elector Palatine was an Elector from the Palatinate-Simmern branch of the house of Wittelsbach. He was the first-born son of Frederick III, Elector Palatine and Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach...
and John Casimir to induce the guardian of her eldest son, Elector August in Dresden, to promote the marry her eldest son with a Württemberg princess.
Dorothea Susanne died in 1592 and was buried in the church of St Peter and Paul in Weimar; her motto wasI Know That My Redeemer Lives.
Offspring
From her marriage, Dorothea Susanne had the following children:- Frederick William I, Duke of Saxe-WeimarFrederick William I, Duke of Saxe-WeimarFrederick William I , was a duke of Saxe-Weimar. He was the eldest son of John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar and Dorothea Susanne of Simmern.-Life:...
(b. Weimar, 25 April 1562 - d. Weimar, 7 July 1602).
- first married in 1583 Princess Sophia of Württemberg (1563-1590)
- married secondly in countess palatine Anna Maria of Neuburg
- Sibylle Marie (b. Weimar, 7 November 1563 - d. Altenburg, 20 February 1569).
- stillborn son (Weimar, 9 October 1564).
- John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Weimar, 22 May 1570 - d. Weimar, 18 July 1605).
- married in 1593 princess Dorothea Maria of AnhaltDorothea Maria of AnhaltDorothea Maria of Anhalt , was by birth a member of the House of Ascania and princess of Anhalt...
(1574-1614)- MariaMaria, Abbess of QuedlinburgDuchess Maria of Saxe-Weimar was Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg from 1601 until her death.Born in Weimar, Maria was the daughter of John William, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and Sybille of Cleves....
(b. Weimar, 7 October 1571 - d. Quedlinburg, 7 March 1610), Abbess of QuedlinburgQuedlinburg AbbeyQuedlinburg Abbey was a house of secular canonesses in Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded in 936 on the initiative of Saint Mathilda, the widow of Henry the Fowler, as his memorial...
(1601–1610).
- Maria