Duchess Sabine of Württemberg

Sabine of Württemberg
Spouse(s)	William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel
Noble family	House of Württemberg
Father	Christopher, Duke of Württemberg
Mother	Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Born	2 July 1549(1549-07-02) Montbéliard
Died	17 August 1581(1581-08-17) (aged 32) Rotenburg an der Fulda
Burial	St. Martin's Church, Kassel

Sabine of Württemberg (2 July 2, 1549, Montbéliard – 17 August 1581, Rotenburg an der Fulda) was a princess of Württemberg by birth and by marriage, the first Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.

Life

Sabine was a daughter of the Duke Christopher of Württemberg (1515–1568) from his marriage to Anna Maria (1526–1589), daughter of the Margrave George of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach.

She married on 11 February 1566 in Marburg Landgrave William IV of Hesse-Kassel, whose younger brother Louis IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg was already married with Sabines older sister Hedwig and whom she had met when William negotiated Louis's marriage with her father. Their wedding was celebrated very lavishly.

The countess looked after the welfare of the country and founded the Free Court Pharmacy in Kassel, which served not only to supply the court but to the entire population of Kassel.

Sabine Wilhelm and marriage has been described as a happy one. Wilhelm determined in his first will that, in the event of his premature death, Sabine would act as regent of the country for her eldest son Maurice. She died, however, in 1581, before her husband and in a new testament, he declared his son William to have reached majority.

Sabine died in 1581 and was buried in the St. Martin's Church in Kassel.

Offspring

From her marriage Sabine had the following children:

• Anna Marie (1567–1626)

married in 1589 Count Louis II of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1565-1627)

• Hedwig (1569–1644)

married in 1597 Count Ernst of Schaumburg (1569-1622)

• Agnes (1569-1569)
• Sophie (1571–1616)
• Maurice (1572–1632), Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel

married firstly, in 1593 Countess Agnes of Solms-Laubach (1578-1602)

married secondly, in 1603 Countess Juliane of Nassau-Dillenburg (1587-1643)

• Sabine (1573-1573)
• Sidonie (1574–1575)
• Christian (1575–1578)
• Elisabeth (1577–1578)
• Christine (1578–1658)

married in 1598 Duke John Ernest II of Saxe-Eisenach (1566-1638)

• Julie (1581-1581)

References

• Walther Ribbeck. (1898) (in German). "Wilhelm IV. (Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel)". In Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). 43. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 32–39. (added material in her husband's entry)
• Anke Hufschmidt: Adlige Frauen im Weserraum Zwischen 1570 und 1700: Status, Rollen, Lebenspraxis, Aschendorff, 2001, p. 202,
• Pauline Puppel: Die Regentin, p. 310

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia.

Vacant Title last held by Christine of Saxony as Landgravine of Hesse

Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel 31 March 1567–17 August 1582

Vacant Title next held by Agnes of Solms-Laubach

Persondata
Name	Sabine of Württemberg
Alternative names	Sabine von Württemberg (German)
Short description	Princess of Württemberg by birth, and by marriag, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel
Date of birth	2 July 1549
Place of birth	Montbéliard
Date of death	17 August 1581
Place of death	Rotenburg an der Fulda