Karolina of Legnica-Brieg (b. Brzeg, 2 December 1652 - d. Wrocław, 24 December 1707), was a Princess of Legnica-Brzeg and by marriage Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg and Princess of Denmark.
She was the eldest daughter of Christian, Duke of Legnica-Brzeg-Wołów-Oława by his wife Louise, daughter of John Casimir, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.
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Karolina was the eldest child of her parents. They gave her first name, which was never endowed to other member of the Piast dynasty before or after. Her baptism took place on 1 January 1653. As godfather was chosen the senior member of the family, Duke George Rudolf of Legnica; but at the time of her birth, he was seriously ill (he died thirteen days later, on 14 January), and for this, in the ceremony he was replace by her paternal uncle Louis IV.
During his early years Karolina witnessed the rule of his father as only child. In 1653 after the death of Duke George Rudolf, her uncles George III and Louis IV, together with her father Christian, inherited Legnica and Brzeg for one year as co-rulers, until they decided to made the division of their domains (1654). In the division, Christian received the most poor parts of the Duchy, Wołów and Oława. However, in 1664, after the deaths of his only suriviving brother George III, Karolina's father united under his rule the whole Duchy of Legnica-Brzeg.
Christian and his wife supervised their daughter's upbringing under the strong terms of the Calvinist faith. On 28 July 1657 Karolina's first sibling was born, Louise, whose godmother was the Queen Louisa Maria of Poland. Sadly, the girl died on 6 February 1660 after only thirty-two months of life. Seven months later, on 29 September, Duchess Louise gave birth the first son and heir, George William. Three years and five months later, on 15 January 1664 the youngest child of the Ducal couple was born, a second son called Christian Louis. Forty-three days later, on 27 February, the young prince died. In all, from the four children born to Duke Christian and his wife Louise of Anhalt-Dessau, only Karolina and George William survive infancy.
Duke Christian died on 28 February 1672 and was succeeded by his only surviving son George William, who was placed under the regency of his mother. A few months later, Karolina married with Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg. He was a great-great-grandson of King Christian III in male line. The groom was from a Catholic family and served in the Imperial army as a Colonel Cuirassier. Karolina probably met him through a Jesuit, being surrounded by her mother. Motivated by love rather than for dynastic reasons, she adopted the Catholic faith. On 4 July 1672 Karolina and Frederick married secretly and almost one year later, on 3 May 1673, the official wedding took place. On 12 January 1674 was born their only child, Leopold. However, the marriage proved unsuccessful and with the consent of Emperor Leopold I in August 1680 they became formally separated. In accordance with the legal arrangement of the separation, their son remain under the custody of the father.
On 21 November 1675 Karolina's brother George William, the last Piast ruler of Legnica-Brzeg, died underage and without male heirs. The Princess explore the possibility to succeeded him in his domains. However, the Emperor Leopold I, despite he was a Catholic, objected her plans. Only by Imperial Decree dated on 14 September 1680 she received an annual salary of 6,000 talers during her lifetime (later, the sum was reduced to 4,000 talers). Karolina settled his residence in Wrocław, the old city of her ancestors. She lived there alone, leading a devout life and giving to charitable activities.
Karolina died on 24 December 1707 in Wrocław. Her heart was placed in a silver urn in the local church of St. Klara (in the chapel of St. Hedwig), and her body was buried in the monastery of Trzebnica. This happened against her mother's wishes, who before her own death in 1680 had prepared her place in the mausoleum of the Dukes of Legnica, called Piasteum. In the place who supposedly had to contain the Karolina's remains was left an empty place.
Leopold of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Wiesenburg, Karolina's only child, succeeded his father as Duke when he died in 1724. He had only five daughters from his marriage with Marie Elisabeth, daughter of Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein: