Sibylle of Saxony

Sibylle of Saxony
Princess Sibylle of Saxony, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg, painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg
Tenure	1543–1571 1574–1581
Born	2 May 1515 Freiberg
Died	18 July 1592 (aged 77) Buxtehude
Burial	Ratzeburg
Spouse	Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
House	House of Wettin
Father	Henry IV, Duke of Saxony
Mother	Catherine of Mecklenburg
Religion	Lutheranism

Sibylle of Saxony (2 May 1515 in Freiberg – 18 July 1592 in Buxtehude) was a Saxon princess of the Albertine line of House of Wettin and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg.

Life

Sibylle was the eldest child of the Duke Henry IV of Saxony (1473–1541) from his marriage to Catherine of Mecklenburg (1487–1561), daughter of the Duke Magnus II of Mecklenburg.

She married on 8 February 1540 in Dresden Duke Francis I of Saxe-Lauenburg (1510–1581). This relationship turned out to be important for Sibylle's brother Maurice during the Schmalkaldic War. The marriage proved unhappy and Francis accused Sibylle of vindictive and unloving acts^[1] In later years, Sibylle and Francis reconciled again. In 1552, Sibylle asked her brother Maurice to financially assist her husband, so he could redeem some goods and villages from Lübeck.^[2]

In 1588, the Duchess played a prominent role in the affair of her son Maurice, who lived in Buxtehude in the Altkloster Abbot's House since 1585/86, with Adam von Tschammer's wife Gisela against whom she initiated a trial witchcraft.

Sibylle died in 1592 in Buxtehude and was buried in the Cathedral of Ratzeburg.

Offspring

From her marriage to Francis, Sibylle had the following children:

• Albert (*1542 – 1544*)
• Dorothea (Lüneburg, *11 March 1543 – 5 April 1586*, Herzberg am Harz), ∞ Wolfgang, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (*1531 – 1595*)
• Magnus II (*1543 – 14 May 1603*, Ratzeburg)
• Ursula (*1545 – 22 October 1620*, Schernebeck), married in 1569 Henry, Duke of Brunswick-Dannenberg
• Francis II (*1547 – 1619*)
• Henry (*1 November 1550 – 22 April 1585*, Vörde), as Henry III Prince-Archbishop of Bremen (1567–1585), as well as Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (Henry II, 1574–1585) and Paderborn (Henry I, 1577–1585), married Anna von Broich
• Maurice (*1551 – 1612*), married in 1581 Katharina von Spörck, divorced in 1582
• Sidonia Catharina (*?– 1594*), married in 1567 (1) Wenceslaus III Adam, Duke of Cieszyn and in 1586 (2) Emmerich III Forgach, Upper Gespan of the Duchy of Teschen
• Frederick (*1554 – 1586*, Cologne), canon at the Cologne and Bremen Cathedrals

Ancestors

Ancestors of Sibylle of Saxony

16. Frederick I of Saxony (1370–1428)               8. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony (1412–1464)                       17. Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1395–1442)               4. Albert III, Duke of Saxony (1443–1500)                             18. Ernest of Austria (1377–1424)               9. Margaret of Austria (1416–1486)                       19. Cymburgis of Masovia (1394/97-1429)               2. Henry IV of Saxony (1473–1541)                                   20. Victor of Kunštát and Poděbrady (1403–1427)               10. George of Poděbrady (1420–1471)                       21. Anna of Wartenberg (1403-1427)               5. Sidonie of Poděbrady (1449–1510)                             22. Adlige Smil of Sternberg (-1431)               11. Kunigunde of Sternberg (1425–1449)                       23. Barbara of Pardubitz (-1433)               1. Sibylle of Saxony (1515-1592)                                         24. John IV of Mecklenburg (1370–1422)               12. Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg (1417–1477)                       25. Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1400-1450)               6. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg (1441–1503)                             26. Frederick I of Brandenburg (1371–1440)               13. Dorothea of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1420–1491)                       27. Elisabeth of Bavaria (1383–1442)               3. Catherine of Mecklenburg (1487–1561)                                   28. Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast (1400–1457)               14. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania (1425–1474)                       29. Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg-Ratzeburg (-1462)               7. Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin (1460–1504)                             30. Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania-Stolp               15. Sophie of Pomerania-Stolp                       31. Maria of Masovia

References

• Edward Machatschek: History of the Kingdom of Saxony: According to credible sources: deeds, documents, annals, chronicles, memorial books, memoirs, reports of the nuncius, commentaries, bullaria, private and public letters, speeches, state papers and collections of laws, as proven by careful comparison of older and newer histories, p. 301
• Peter von Kobbe: History and regional description of the Duchy of Lauenberg, Volume 1, p. 295, p. 336 ff.

External links

• http://www.pkgodzik.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Geschichte_und_Politik/Fortgang_der_Reformation_im_Lauenburger_Land.pdf

Footnotes

1. Johann Samuel Ersch" General Encyclopedia of the sciences and arts in alphabetical order, p. 60
2. Johannes Herrmann, Günther Wartenberg, Christian Winter Political correspondence of the Duke and Elector Maurice of Saxony, Volume 5, p. 778