Eleanor of Anhalt-Zerbst

Eleonore of Anhalt-Zerbst (10 November 1608, in Zerbst – 2 November 1681, in Østerholm Castle, Als) was a member of the House of Ascania and a princess of Anhalt-Zerbst by birth and by marriage Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Norburg.

Eleanor of Anhalt-Zerbst
Eleanor of Anhalt-Zerbst, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Norburg
Born(1608-11-10)10 November 1608
Zerbst
Died2 November 1681(1681-11-02) (aged 72)
Østerholm Castle on Als
Noble familyHouse of Ascania
Spouse(s)Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Norburg
FatherRudolph, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
MotherDorothea Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Life

Eleanor was a daughter of Prince Rudolph of Anhalt-Zerbst (1576-1621) from his first marriage to Dorothea Hedwig (1587-1609), daughter of Duke Heinrich Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

She married on 15 February 1632 in Norburg with Duke Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Norburg (1581-1658). She was his second wife. The ducal court in Nordborg had meager financial resources and Eleanor's children had to seek a career elsewhere.[1] The theologian Christoph Wilhelm Megander acted as her confessor from 1653 onwards. During the reign of her step-son John Bogislaw, the duchy experienced a bankruptcy and the fief was terminated by Denmark.

Eleanor died in 1681 on her widow's seat Østerholm Castle on Als[2] and was buried beside her husband.[3]

Issue

From her marriage Eleanor had the following children:

  • Unnamed child (1633–1633)
  • Elisabeth Juliane (1634–1704)
married in 1656 Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1633–1714)
married in 1678 Count Christopher of Rantzau-Hohenfeld (1625–1696)
  • Christian Augustus (1639–1687), English admiral
  • Louise Amöna (1642–1685)
married in 1665 Count John Frederick I of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein-Oehringen (1617–1702)
  • Rudolph Frederick (1645–1688)
married in 1680 Countess Bibiane of Promnitz (1649–1685)

See also

References
  • August B. Michaelis, Julius Wilhelm Hamberger: Einleitung zu einer volständigen Geschichte der Chur- und Fürstlichen Häuser in Teutschland, Meyer, 1760, p. 587
  • Hans Nicolai Andreas Jensen: Versuch einer kirchlichen Statistik des Herzogthums Schleswig, vol. 2, Kastrup, 1841, p. 1636

Footnotes
  1. Friedrich Buelau: Geheime Geschichten und räthselhafte Menschen, Sammlung verborgener oder vergessener Merkwürdigkeiten, 1855, p. 454
  2. Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte: Archiv für Staats- und Kirchengeschichte der Herzogthümer Schleswig, Holstein, Lauenburg und der angrenzenden Länder und Städte, vol. 4, Verlag D.C.C. Schwers Wittwe, 1840, p. 312
  3. W. Lesser: Topographie des Herzogthums Schleswig, vol. 1-2, C. Schröder & Comp., 1853, p. 113


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