Margaret of Münsterberg

Margaret of Münsterberg
Spouse(s)	Ernest I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
Noble family	Poděbrady
Father	Henry the Elder of Münsterberg
Mother	Ursula of Brandenburg
Born	25 August 1473(1473-08-25) Breslau
Died	28 June 1530(1530-06-28) (aged 56) Dessau

Margaret of Münsterberg (25 August 1473, Breslau – 28 June 1530, Dessau) was a Silesian princess of the house of Münsterberg by birth and Duchess of Anhalt by marriage to Prince Ernest I of Anhalt-Dessau (1474–1516). After her husband's death she ruled the principality as a regent for her underage sons.

Life

Margaret was the fourth child of the Duke Henry the Elder of Münsterberg (1448–1498) and his wife Ursula of Brandenburg (1450–1508). She received a strictly religious education from her parents. In 1494, she married Prince Ernest I of Anhalt from the line of Anhalt-Zerbst. After the other lines of the Anhalt family died out, Ernest could reunite the Principality of Anhalt for the first time since 1252. They took up their residence in Dessau.

Ernest died in 1516 and margaret took up the regency of the principality for her underage sons John IV and George III. Her regency was characterized by thrift and deep religiosity. She strictly opposed the Reformation, which started spreading from neighbouring Wittenberg in 1517. She found an ally in her first cousin Albert, who was Archbishop of Magdeburg. In 1525, Margaret launched the League of Dessau, an alliance of Catholic princes opposed to the Reformation. Her oldest son, John IV, who had been co-regent since 1522 and her second son George, who later became co-ruler as Geroge III, had already built up contacts with Martin Luther, but they did not lead their Principality into the Reformation until 1534 (with George III as the driving force), well after Margaret's death.

Margarethe of Münsterberg managed to regain some manors located east of Wörlitz, that had been pedged to neighbouring Electoral Saxony. For this reason, the Folwark Münsterberg in Griesen was named after her.

Descendants

• Thomas (1503-1503)
• John (1504-1550 or 1551)

married Margaret of Brandenburg (1511-1577), daughter of Elector Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg of Brandenburg (1484-1535)

• George (1507–1553)
• Joachim (1509–1561)

References and sources

• Wilhelm Hosäus (1884) (in German). "Margaretha, Fürstin zu Anhalt". In Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). 20. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 319–320.
• This page is a translation of its German equivalent.

External links

• http://www.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=8909

Persondata
Name	Margarethe von Münsterberg
Alternative names	Margarethe von Anhalt
Short description	Silesian princess of the house Münsterberg, by marriage, Princess of Anhalt
Date of birth	25 August 1473
Place of birth	Breslau
Date of death	28 June 1530
Place of death	Dessau