Maria of Saxony, Duchess of Pomerania

Maria of Saxony
Duchess consort of Pomerania-Wolgast
Tenure	27 February 1536–14 February 1560
Spouse	Philip I, Duke of Pomerania
among others... Issue
John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania Ernst Ludwig, Duke of Pomerania Barnim X, Duke of Pomerania Margaret, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg Anna, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Casimir VI, Duke of Pomerania
House	House of Wettin
Father	John, Elector of Saxony
Mother	Margaret of Anhalt-Köthen
Born	15 December 1515(1515-12-15) Weimar
Died	7 January 1583(1583-01-07) (aged 67) Wolgast
Religion	Lutheranism

Croÿ Carpet of 1554 or 1556

Maria of Saxony (German: Maria von Sachsen; 15 December 1515, Weimar – 7 January 1583, Wolgast) was a member of the Ernestine line of the house Wettin and a Princess of Saxony by birth and by marriage a Duchess of Pomerania.

Life

Mary was the eldest daughter of the Elector John "the Steadfast" of Saxony (1468–1532) from his second marriage to Margaret of Anhalt-Köthen (1494–1521), daughter Prince of Waldemar VI of Anhalt-Zerbst.

She married on 27 February 1536 in Torgau Duke Philip I of Pomerania (1515–1560). The marriage of the couple is depicted on the so-called Croÿ Carpet, which shows, in addition to the bridal couple and their families, the Reformers Johannes Bugenhagen, Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon. The carpet comes from Cranach's workshop and is now in the Pomerania State Museum in Greifswald. During the ceremony, Martin Luther is reproted to have dropped one of the rings, whereupen and he said: "Hey, devils this is none none of your business!.^[1]

The marriage of Philip with Maria was meant to ally to Pomerania with Saxony, which was leading the evangelical faction in the Diet. The marriage had been mediated by the Reformer Johannes Bugenhagen. Later that year, Pomerania joined the Schmalkaldic League.

After her husband's death Mary lived, who had been promised the district of the Pudagla as her Wittum, initially continued living at Wolgast Castle. In 1569, her son Ernest Louis, took over the business of government in the Duchy and granted her the income from the land of the former monastery Pudagla as jointure and in 1574, he built her Pudagla Castle using materials from the demolished monastery buildings.^[2]

Issue

From her marriage with Philip, Maria had the following children:

• George (1540–1544)
• John Frederick I (1542–1600), Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast

married in 1577 Princess Erdmuthe of Brandenburg (1561-1623)

• Bogislaw XIII (1544–1606), Duke of Pomerania-Barth

married firstly, in 1572 Princess Claire of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1550-1598)

married secondly, in 1601 Princess Anne of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (1577-1616)

• Ernest Louis (1545–1592)

married in 1577 Princess Sophia Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1561-1631)

• Amalie (1547–1580)
• Barnim X (1549–1603), Duke of Pomerania-Rügenwalde

married in Anna Maria of Brandenburg (1567-1618)

• Eric (1551-1551)
• Margaret (1553–1581)

married in 1574 Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg (1547-1619)

• Anna (1554–1626)

married in 1588 Duke Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1528-1603)

• Casimir VI (1557–1605), bishop of Cammin

Ancestry

References and sources

• Horst Robert Balz, Gerhard Krause, Gerhard Müller: Theologische Realenzyklopädie, vol. 27, de Gruyter, Berlin, 1997, p. 44 (Digitized)
• Carola Jäggi, Jörn Staecker: Archäologie der Reformation, de Gruyter, Berlin, 2007, p. 355 ff (Digitized)
• Heinrich Karl Wilhelm Berghaus: Landbuch des Herzogthums Pommern und des Fürstenthums Rügen, vol. 1, Anklam, 1865, p. 544 (Digitized)
• This page is a translation of its German equivalent.

External links

• Women in power 1540-1570

External links

1. ^ Jodócus Donatus Hubertus Temme: Die Volkssagen von Pommern und Rügen, Berlin 1840, p. 86
2. ^ Dirk Schleinert: Die Geschichte der Insel Usedom, Hinstorff, Rostock, 2005, ISBN 3-356-01081-6, p. 67f

Persondata
Name
Alternative names
Short description	Duchess of Pomerania
Date of birth	15 December 1515
Place of birth	Weimar
Date of death	7 January 1583
Place of death	Wolgast