Elisabeth of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony

Elisabeth of Bavaria-Munich (2 February 1443, Munich – 5 March 1484, Leipzig) was a princess of Bavaria-Munich by birth and by marriage Electress of Saxony.

Life

Elizabeth was a daughter of the Duke Albert the Pious of Bavaria-Munich (1401–1460) from his marriage to Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (1420–1474), daughter of the Duke Eric I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen.

She married on 25 November 1460 in Leipzig ^[1] with the prince who later became the Elector Ernest of Saxony (1441–1486). The engagement took place some ten years before and the marriage should have taken place in 1456, according to the marriage agreement. In 1471, a new palace was built on the Castle Hill in Meissen, as a residence for the royal household. Elisabeth was a key influencing factor for the careful education of her children and especially their scientific training.^[2] The marriage of the royal couple was seen as happy and Ernest loved his wife dearly.^[3]

The Princess, who is considered the matriarch of the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin, died after a long illness, aged 41. At the end of her life, she was bedridden and for her care a bed with wheels and a hoist was used.^[4] Elisabeth died almost simultaneously with her son Adalbert and her mother-in-law Margaret. Ernest died in August of the same year. Elizabeth's son, Frederick the Wise was said to have written to Spalatin that he had ridden from one funeral to the next.^[5]

Children

From their marriage with Ernest, Elizabeth had the following children:

• Christina (1461–1521)

married in 1478 King John I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1455-1513).

• Frederick the Wise (1462–1525), Elector of Saxony
• Ernst (1464–1513), Archbishop of Magdeburg, Administrator of Halberstadt
• Adalbert (1467–1484), Administrator of the Archdiocese of Mainz.
• John the Steadfast (1468–1532), Elector of Saxony

married firstly in 1500 Princess Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1481-1503)

married secondly in 1513 Princess Margarete of Anhalt (1494-1521)

• Margarete (1469–1528)

married in 1487 Duke Henry I of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1468-1532)

• Wolfgang (1473–1478)

References

• Reiner Gross: Die Wettiner, W. Kohlhammer Verlag, 2007, p. 83

Footnotes

1. ^ Gustav von Hasselholdt-Stockheim: Herzog Albrecht IV. von Bayern und seine Zeit, Wagner, 1865, p. 328
2. ^ Johann Christian Konrad Hofmann: Zeitschrift für Protestantismus und Kirche, vol 44-45, A. Deichert, 1862, p. 2
3. ^ Franz Otto Stichart: Das Königreich Sachsen und seine Fürsten, C. L. Hirschfeld, 1854, p. 97
4. ^ Carola Fey, Steffen Krieb, Werner Rösener: Mittelalterliche Fürstenhöfe und ihre Erinnerungskulturen, V&R Unipress GmbH, 2007, p. 267
5. ^ Karl Wilhelm Böttiger: Geschichte des Kurstaates und Königreiches Sachsen, vol. 2, F. A. Perthes, 1867, p. 409