Elizabeth of Görlitz

Elisabeth
Depiction on the tomb of Elisabeth von Görlitz, Duchess of Luxembourg, in Trier (Germany)
Duchess of Luxemburg
Reign	1415-1419/1425-1443
Predecessor	Anthony
Successor	Philip I
Born	November 1390 Hořovice
Died	2 August 1451 (aged 60) Trier
Spouse	Antoine, Duke of Brabant John III, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing
House	House of Luxemburg
Father	John of Görlitz
Mother	Richardis Catherine of Sweden

Elisabeth of Görlitz (November 1390 – 2 August 1451) was a Duchess regnant of Luxemburg from 1411 to 1443.

Elisabeth was the only daughter and heiress of John of Görlitz, the third son of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. He was Duke of Lusatia and Görlitz, and also Elector of Brandenburg for a brief period. Her mother, Richardis Catherine of Sweden, was the daughter of King Albert of Sweden.

The Duchy of Luxemburg was mortgaged to Elisabeth by her uncle the King Sigismund of Hungary, who later also became King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor. He was unable to repay the loan, and subsequently left Elisabeth in control of the duchy.

Her first marriage took place in Brussels on 16 July 1409, to Antoine, Duke of Brabant. He defended her against three uprisings of the Luxemburg nobility, until his death in 1415. They had two children:

• William (2 June 1410 – 10 July 1410, Brussels)
• unknown (1412)

John of Bavaria was her second husband. He died in 1425, and they did not have any children. After his death, she became heavily indebted.

In 1441, she made a treaty with Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, allowing him to immediately assume the administrative duties of Luxemburg and inherit the duchy upon her death. He agreed to this, but chose to launch a night attack on the territory two years later, taking immediate control. Elisabeth was subsequently expelled from Luxemburg by Philip's forces.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Elizabeth of Görlitz

16. Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor               8. John I of Bohemia                       17. Margaret of Brabant               4. Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor                             18. Wenceslaus II of Bohemia               9. Elisabeth of Bohemia                       19. Judith of Habsburg               2. John of Görlitz                                   20. Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania               10. Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania                       21. Elisabeth of Lindow-Ruppin               5. Elisabeth of Pomerania                             22. Casimir III of Poland               11. Elisabeth of Poland                       23. Aldona of Lithuania               1. Elisabeth, Duchess of Luxemburg                                         24. Henry II, Lord of Mecklenburg               12. Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg                       25. Anna of Saxe-Wittenberg               6. Albert, King of Sweden                             26. Eric, Duke of Södermanland               13. Euphemia of Sweden                       27. Ingeborg of Norway               3. Richardis Catherine of Mecklenburg                                   28. Gunzelin VI, Count of Schwerin               14. Otto I, Count of Schwerin                       29. Richardis of Tecklenburg               7. Richardis of Schwerin                             30. John III of Werle               15. Matilda of Werle                       31. Matilda of Pomerania

Further reading

• Joseph Calmette. Die großen Herzöge von Burgund. Callwey, München 1963; Eugen Diederichs Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-424-01312-9
• Michael Erbe. Belgien - Niederlande - Luxemburg – Geschichte des niederländischen Raumes. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-17-010976-6
• Jörg K. Hoensch. Die Luxemburger – Eine spätmittelalterliche Dynastie gesamteuropäischer Bedeutung 1308–1437. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-17-015159-2
• Jörg K. Hoensch. Kaiser Sigismund – Herrscher an der Schwelle zur Neuzeit 1368–1437. C. H. Beck, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-406-41119-3
• Walter Kaemmerer (1959), "Elisabeth von Görlitz", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German) 4, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 445; (full text online)