| Christiane Henriette, Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | |
|---|---|
| Christiane Henriette, Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont | |
| Spouse | Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont |
| Father | Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken |
| Mother | Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken |
| Born | 16 November 1725 Rappoltsweiler |
| Died | 11 February 1816 (aged 90) Arolsen |
Christiane Henriette of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (16 November 1725, Rappoltsweiler – 11 February 1816, Arolsen) was a Countess of Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld by birth and by marriage a Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont.
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Christiane Henriette was the daughter of the Count Palatine and Duke Christian III of Zweibrücken (1674–1735) from his marriage to Caroline (1704–1774), daughter of Count Ludwig Crato of Nassau-Saarbrücken. Christiane Henriette was the sister of the Duke Christian IV, the Great Landgravine and of Field Marshal Frederick Michael. She was also an aunt of the first Bavarian king Maximilian I.
She married on 19 August 1741 in Zweibrücken prince Karl August of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1704–1763). After the death of her husband, she was from 1764 to 1766 Regent of the principality and guardian for her in the for hir first-born son.[1] In the years 1764 to 1778, the New Castle at Arolsen was built as her Wittum by Franz Friedrich Rothweil.
Christiane Henriette was considered highly educated in arts and sciences. She was a close friend of the anthropologist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach[2] Christiane collected a comprehensive library,[3] which by 1788 included about 6,000 volumes[4] and in her Arolsen Castle, she maintained an art and natural history collection.[5]
When she died, Christiane left behind a considerable debt,[6] which is why parts of her library and art collection had to be auctioned off in 1820 had.[7]
Christiane Henriette died in 1816 and was buried in the park of her New Castle at Arolsen.
From her marriage with Karl August, Christiane Henriette had the following children: