Gedwigy of Denmark ( dated. Hedevig af Danmark ; August 5, 1581 , Frederiksborg , the Danish kingdom - November 26, 1641 , Prettin , Elector of Saxony ) - Princess of Denmark, daughter of the King of Denmark Frederick II from the Oldenburg family, in marriage - Elector of Saxon.
| Gedwigy Danish | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dates Hedevig af danmark | |||||||
 Portrait of an unknown brush | |||||||
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| Predecessor | Sofia Brandenburg | ||||||
| Successor | Magdalena Sibylla Prusskaya | ||||||
| Birth | August 5, 1581 Frederiksborg , the kingdom of Denmark | ||||||
| Death | November 26, 1641 (60 years) Prettin , Saxon Elector | ||||||
| Burial place | Freiberg Cathedral , Freiberg | ||||||
| Rod | Oldenburg | ||||||
| Father | Frederick II | ||||||
| Mother | Sofia Mecklenburg-Gustrovskaya | ||||||
| Spouse | Christian II | ||||||
| Religion | Lutheranism | ||||||
Biography
Princess Gedwig of Denmark was born at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød on August 5, 1581. She was the seventh child and fourth daughter of Frederick II, King of Denmark and his wife Sophia of Mecklenburg-Gustrow. She was the sister of Princess Anne of Denmark, the future Queen of England and Scotland and Prince Christian of Denmark, the future King of Denmark under the name of Christian IV. Most of Gedwig’s childhood passed in her mother’s homeland in Mecklenburg.
On September 12, 1602, Dresden was married to a cousin, Christian II, Elector of Saxony . The marriage was childless. Christian II died in Dresden on June 23, 1611.
After the death of her husband, Gedwig received the title of widowed Elector of Saxony and remained at the court, where she enjoyed great prestige. She supported the power of the new Elector, Johann George I, but the courtiers considered her to be their sovereign. Gedwig retained the right to oversee trade relations in the state. She spent the money she received on building churches and helping the poor, sick and disabled.
Gedwig, the sister of the king of Denmark and the daughter-in-law of the king of Great Britain, helped the elector elector Johann George I in solving important diplomatic tasks. She organized marriages of five of his seven children. During the Thirty Years War, diplomatic talent helped her defend her territories from hostilities.
Widowed, Gedwig lived in the castle of Lichtenburg. She visited Denmark twice more: in 1631 for the funeral of her mother and in 1634 for the wedding of the crown prince's nephew. Gedwig of Denmark died on November 26, 1641 in the castle of Lichtenburg in Prettin.
Sources
- Hedevig, Kurfyrstinde af Sachsen i Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (1. udgave, bind 7, 1893), forfattet af JA Fridericia (Danish)
- Ute Essegern: Hedwig von Dänemark . In: Sächsische Biografie. Herausgegeben vom Institut für Sächsische Geschichte und Volkskunde, bearb. von Martina Schattkowsky. (him)
- Mara R. Wade: Widowhood as a space for patronage - Hedevig, Princess of Denmark and the Electress of Saxony (1581-1641) (eng.)