Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg

Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg, wood sculpture in Gifhorn's palace chapel

Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg (1518–1576) was a Princess of Saxe-Lauenburg and Duchess of Brunswick-Gifhorn by marriage.

Life

Clara was born on 13 December 1518 in Lauenburg upon Elbe, a daughter of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg (1470–1543) and his wife Catherine (1488–1563), daughter of Duke Henry I of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

She married Duke Francis of Brunswick-Gifhorn (1508–1549) on 29 September 1547 in the Saxe-Lauenburgian castle at Neuhaus in Darzing. The couple were greatly loved by their subjects even if their short marriage of convenience was unlucky. Clara, who was very benevolent and went into medicine, used to prepared a herbal beer (Kräuterbier) for the poor and sick, which was produced long after her death.^[1]

Following the untimely death of her husband, Clara lived at the dower pledged to her as a life annuity in Fallersleben.,^[2] where she finished building work on her castle in 1551 and presided over a boom in the local economy. Later she went to the court of her daughter in Barth, where she died on 27 March 1576. Clara was interred in St. Mary's Church there.^[3] Her tomb in the castle chapel in Gifhorn is empty.^[4]

Descendants

Clara had two daughters from her marriage:

• Catherine (1548–1565)

∞ 1564 Burgrave Henry VI of Meißen (1536–1572)

• Clara (1550–1598)

∞ 1. 1565 Prince Bernhard VII of Anhalt (1540–1570)

∞ 2. 1572 Duke Bogislaw XIII of Pomerania (1544–1606)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg

16. Eric IV, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg               8. Bernard II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                       17. Sophie of Brunswick-Lüneburg               4. John V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                             18. Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania               9. Adelheid of Pomerania-Stolp                       19. Sophia of Holstein               2. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                                   20. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg               10. Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg                       21. Elisabeth of Bavaria               5. Dorothea of Brandenburg                             22. Frederick I, Elector of Saxony               11. Catherine of Saxony                       23. Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg               1. Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg                                         24. William the Victorious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               12. William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                       25. Cecilia of Brandenburg               6. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                             26. Bodo VII, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode               13. Elisabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode                       27. Anna of Schwarzburg               3. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel                                   28. Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania               14. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania                       29. Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg               7. Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast                             30. Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania               15. Sophia of Pomerania-Stolp                       31. Maria of Masovia

References

1. H. Ch. Heimbürger, Wilhelm der Jüngere, Herzog von Braunschweig-Lüneburg u. Stammvater des Hauses Hannover: Ein Lebens- and Zeitbild nach ungedruckten and gedruckten Quellen dargestellt, E. H. Ch. Schulze, 1857, p. 10
2. Ernst of Malortie: Beiträge zur Geschichte des Brunswick-Lüneburgischen Hauses and Hofes, Hahn, 1864, p. 85,
3. Andrea Baresel-Brand: Grabdenkmäler nordeuropäischer Princeenhäuser im Zeitalter der Renaissance 1550-1650, Verlag Ludwig, 2007, S. 212
4. Schloss Gifhorn at www.kuris-reisen.de.

Sources

• Johann H. Steffens: Johann Henry Steffens Auszug aus der Geschichte des Gesammthauses Brunswick-Lüneburg, Bartsch, 1785, S. 381

External links

• Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg-Ratzeburg (German)
• The Reformation in Lauenburg Land under Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg (German)