Wilhelmine von Sagan

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Princess Katharina Friederike Wilhelmine Benigna von Kurland, Duchess of Sagan (February 8, 1781 in Mitau (Jelgava) - November 29, 1839 in Vienna) was a noblewoman from the ruling family of Courland (today part of Latvia). She is mainly known for her relationship with Klemens Metternich, a statesman of the Austrian Empire.

French transcription of her name is "Wilhelmina Catherine Frédérique Biron", Czech "Kateřina Frederika Vilhelmína princezna Kuronská". Among the Czechs she is known as "Kateřina Zaháňská" (Zaháň is Czech name for Żagań).

Wilhelmine was born to Peter von Biron, the last Duke of Courland, and his third wife Anna Charlotte Dorothea von Medem (1761-1821). She had three conjugal sisters: Maria Luise Pauline (1782-1845), Johanna Katharina (1783-1876), wife of HSH Fürst Don Francesco, Duke of Acerenza (brother of the 8th Prince of Belmonte), and illegitimate Dorothea (1793-1862), later wife of Edmond de Talleyrand-Périgord (1787-1872), nephew of the French statesman Talleyrand.

Wilhelmine spent her earliest childhood in Mitau. In 1795 the Duke was forced to cede his Duchy to the Russian Empire and the family moved to the Duchy of Sagan (Żagań) in Silesia which was acquired in 1786. Among other properties bought by Biron during the 1780s was County Náchod in Bohemia which included Ratibořice Castle. Wilhelmine, who inherited both Sagan and Náchod, selected this castle as her summer residence.

The young duchess was very beautiful, intelligent, eloquent and educated in philosophy and history. She felt in love with Swedish general Gustav Armfelt, lover of her mother and her educator. The secret relation with 24 years older and married Armfelt gave her daughter Gustava (b. 1800 - d. 1881), born in secrecy in Hamburg. The delivery was traumatic and due to incompetent midwife she lost the ability to gave further births. Wilhelmine gave up the child (it was entrusted to a relative of Arnfelt) and never saw it again. She much regretted this decision later. To protect her reputation Arnfelt organized her marriage with prince Louis Rohan-Guémenée (1768–1836). The marriage was divorced in 1805.

Wilhelmine spent her life moving between Vienna, Prague, Ratibořice and Sagan (Żagań) and also undertook journeys to Italy, England and France. Her second marriage with prince Vasily Troubetzkoy (1776-1841) lasted from 1805 to 1806, ending in divorce. In Vienna she set up a saloon attended by the highest nobility. An attractive woman, she had many lovers from within these circles. As an example may serve the shortlived and turbulent relationship during the Spring 1810 with prince Alfred I. zu Windisch-Graetz, an Austrian army commander.

Metternich

Although Wilhelmine met Klemens Metternich (1773-1859) first in 1801 their intimate relation started during the Spring 1813. The passionate love between them is documented by letters from Metternich discovered in 1949 by Marie Ulrichová in Plasy Cloister. These letters (about 600) also describe minutiae details of political situation and decisions made by Metternich.

Modern historians speculate that Wilhelmine (who hated Napoleon) was the one who pushed Metternich away from cautious pro-French position. The 1813 negotiation that resulted in anti-Napoleon coalition between Prussia, Austria and Russia was held in Ratibořice Castle.

During Congress of Vienna (1814-15) the relationship ended, as Wilhelmine didn't like to play the role of mistress kept somewhere behind (Metternich was married).

Because of impossibility to have children she became foster parent for many young girls. During 1819 - 1828 the duchess was married to prince Karl Rudolf von der Schulenburg (1788–1856). The marriage also ended with divorce. What she feared - being alone - became reality in the end part of her life.

Relation with Božena Němcová

Božena Němcová (1820^?-1862), born Pankel/Panklová, was one of the poor family girls supported by the duchess. Němcová, who became writer, portrayed Wilhelmine in her 1855 novel The Grandmother ("Babička") as an ideal woman. The portrait is so touching that the Czech phrase "paní kněžna" (meaning "a princess") became synonym for Zaháňská.

Uncertain origin of Němcová (even her birth date is disputed), her beauty and intelligence and favour by the duchess made several historians believe that Němcová could be an illegitimate daughter of Wilhelmine and either Metternich, Count Karel Clam-Martinic or Windischgraetz.

Historian Helena Sobková in her recent work suggests that Němcová may be the illegitimate daughter of Dorothea (sister of Wilhelmine) and Karel Clam-Martinic, child that was born in secrecy in 1816 and whose further fate is unknown. (All four sisters had an illegitimate child - Johanna in age of 16). This suggestion, however, is not definitely proven.

Literature

* Clemens Brühl: "Die Sagan, das Leben der Herzogin von Sagan, Prinzessin von Kurland", Berlin, 1941, in German.
* Dorothy Gies McGuigan: "Metternich and the duchess ", 1975, ISBN 038502827X.
* Maria Ulrichová: "Clemens-Metternich – Wilhelmine von Sagan. Ein Briefwechsel 1813–1815", Graz - Köln, 1966. Published letters between Metternich and Wilhelmine, in German.
* Helena Sobková: "Kateřina Zaháňská", Prague, 1995, ISBN 80-20-40532-1. Monograph about the duchess, based on thorough research of archives, in Czech.

External links

* [http://perso.orange.fr/courlande/wilhelmine.htm Biography in French, several portraits]