Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau

Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau
Portrait as Princess-Abbess of Herford with crosier, ca. 1680-1685. Herford Städtisches Museum.
Princess-Abbess of Herford
Reign	1680-1686
Duchess consort of Saxe-Weisselfels-Barby
Reign	1686-1706
Born	1 May 1665 Cölln an der Spree
Died	5 October 1706 (aged 41) Dessau
Spouse	Henry, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby
Issue	Frederick Henry, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby George Albert, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby Princess Henriette Marie
Father	John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Mother	Henriette Catherine of Orange-Nassau

Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau (1 May 1665 - 5 October 1706), was a German noblewoman by birth Princess of Anhalt-Dessau as member of the House of Ascania and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby.

Born in Cölln an der Spree, she was the fourth of ten children born from the marriage of John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Henriette Catherine of Orange-Nassau. From her nine older and younger siblings, five survive adulthood: Henriette Amalie (by marriage Princess of Nassau-Dietz), Marie Eleonore (by marriage Princess Radziwiłł and Duchess of Olyka), Henriette Agnes, Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Johanna Charlotte (by marriage Margravine of Brandenburg-Schwedt).^[1][2]

Life

In 1680, and thanks to her father's instigation, Elisabeth Albertine was chosen Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey as Elisabeth IV, securing with this the support of the Rhenish Imperial College prelate (German: Reichsprälatenkollegiums). She remained in the post for six years, until her marriage was arranged and moved to Barby; however, several Herford artists and merchants followed her.

In Dessau on 30 March 1686, Elisabeth Albertine married Henry, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby. Elisabeth Albertine's paternal great-great grandmother was Agnes of Barby-Mühlingen; this give to Henry some blood ties to the extinct House of Barby.

The marriage produced eight children, of whom only three survive adulthood:^[3][4]

1. John August, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 28 July 1687 - Dessau, 22 January 1688).
2. John August, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 24 July 1689 - Dessau, 21 October 1689).
3. Stillborn twin sons (Dessau, 1690).
4. Frederick Henry, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 2 July 1692 - The Hague, 21 November 1711).
5. George Albert, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels-Barby (Dessau, 19 April 1695 - Barby, 12 June 1739).
6. Henriette Marie (Dessau, 1 March 1697 - Weissenfels, 10 August 1719).
7. Stillborn daughter (Dessau, 5 October 1706).

Elisabeth Albertine died in Dessau aged 41, following complications in her last childbirth. She was buried in the Familiengruft, Barby.^[5]

Notes

1. Johann Georg II. Fürst v.Anhalt-Dessau in: Genealogy Database by Herbert Stoyan [retrieved 11 October 2014].
2. Genealogy of the House of Ascania in: Genealogy.euweb.cz [retrieved 11 October 2014].
3. Elisabeth Albertina Prinzessin v.Anhalt-Dessau in: Genealogy Database by Herbert Stoyan [retrieved 11 October 2014].
4. Elisabeth Albertine Prinzessin von Anhalt-Dessau in: thePeerage.com [retrieved 11 October 2014].
5. Anhalt-Dessau line in: Royaltyguide.nl [retrieved 11 October 2014].