Misplaced Pages

Maria Josepha of Austria

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Marie Josepha)

Queen of Poland from 1733 to 1757
Maria Josepha
Portrait by Louis de Silvestre, 1733
Tenure5 October 1733 –17 November 1757
Coronation17 January 1734
Wawel Cathedral, Kraków
Electress consort of Saxony
Tenure1 February 1733 –17 November 1757
Born(1699-12-08)8 December 1699
Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire
Died17 November 1757(1757-11-17) (aged 57)
Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
BurialCatholic Court Church, Dresden
Spouse Augustus III of Poland ​ ​(m. 1719)
Issue
...among others
HouseHabsburg
FatherJoseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
MotherWilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick

Maria Josepha of Austria (Maria Josepha Benedikta Antonia Theresia Xaveria Philippine, Polish: Maria Józefa, Lithuanian: Marija Juozapa; 8 December 1699 – 17 November 1757) was the Queen of Poland, Grand Duchess of Lithuania and Electress of Saxony by marriage to Augustus III. From 1711 to 1717, she was heir presumptive to the Habsburg monarchy.

Family

Archduchess Maria Josepha (painting c. 1710)

Maria Josepha was born in Vienna, an Archduchess of Austria, the eldest child and eldest daughter of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife, Princess Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg. She was named Josepha in honor of her father. During the times of her childhood, the House of Habsburg had no male heirs, as her only brother, Archduke Leopold Joseph of Austria (1700-1701) died in infancy. During the reign of her grandfather, Maria Josepha's father and uncle signed the Mutual Pact of Succession of 1703, which was issued by her grandfather, Emperor Leopold I, and effectively made Maria Josepha the heiress presumptive to her uncle, Emperor Charles VI. However, Charles VI's Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 annulled the earlier agreement and made his eldest daughter Maria Theresa his successor instead of eldest his niece, Maria Josepha.

Marriage

A marriage between Maria Josepha and Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony (1696–1763) had been suggested by Frederick's father, August II the Strong, since 1704. The fact that Maria Josepha was not allowed to marry a non-Catholic, however, prevented the marriage. When Augustus converted to Catholicism in 1712, the negotiations became serious.

Emperor Charles VI forbade Maria Josepha and her sister from marrying until they renounced their positions in the line of succession, securing the succession for Charles's future daughter Maria Theresa. Maria Josepha renounced her claim on 10 August 1719. Ten days later, Maria Josepha and Frederick Augustus married. Through this marriage between the Houses of Wettin and Habsburg, Frederick Augustus II's father hoped to place Saxony in a better position should there arise a war of succession to the Austrian territories. The couple's eldest surviving son, Frederick Christian, eventually succeeded his father as Elector of Saxony. In Saxony, the couple lived at Dresden Castle. The marriage has been described as a happy one, and Augustus was apparently never unfaithful.

Queen and electress

In 1733, Frederick Augustus was elected King and Grand Duke of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as August III the Saxon. Maria Josepha was crowned on 17 January 1734. Queen Maria Josepha was described as ambitious, intelligent and religious. She founded many churches and convents and gave her strong support to the Polish-Lithuanian Jesuits.

As queen of Poland, grand duchess of Lithuania and electress of Saxony, she divided her time between the two nations. Though Saxony was her main residence, she enjoyed her stays in Poland-Lithuania because it was a Catholic nation where she could exercise her faith openly. Between November 1734 to February 1736, she and Frederick Augustus made their longest visit to Poland-Lithuania, prolonged because of the War of the Polish Succession. They continued to make frequent trips, lasting between five and eight months each, plus several shorter trips lasting a couple of months less. She learned to speak Polish and was often present during the assemblies of the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. During her absences from home, she frequently corresponded with her children in French, having a somewhat closer relationship to them than usual for her class. She gave them pet names and encouraged them to write to her in an informal way. She shared an interest in music, art and hunting with her spouse, and they usually spent their autumns at the Palace of Hubertusburg for the hunting season.

She was devoted to Catholicism and especially venerated Saint Francis Xavier and was actively involved in the building of the Catholic Hofkirche in Dresden. Her personal confessor, the Jesuit Fr. Anton Hermann, criticized her for being too religious from what was proper for someone not a Catholic religious order member. She attended mass twice and eventually four times a day and kept more devotions than was normal for a nun or a monk. Fr. Anton Hermann eventually lectured her that she was more fervent than could be regarded as modest for a lay person. Maria Josepha did not persecute non-Catholics, and once stressed to the heir to the throne that he should not persecute them but allow them all freedom while being guided by the Catholic faith. She also gave alms to both Catholic and Protestant poor. Despite her personal strict moral code, she was reportedly not a prude and got along well with her spouse's illegitimate half-siblings.

Queen Maria Josepha was politically active and, though not formally proclaimed regent during the absence of her spouse, she informally acted as his representative. It was known and acknowledged by the court that she participated in the affairs of state, and the ministers and ambassadors duly reported to her. She also managed a large diplomatic correspondence. She was rivalled in her influence over her spouse by Heinrich von Brühl. Maria Josepha was reportedly not on good terms with her eldest son Frederick Christian. She wished for her younger son Francis Xavier to be elected king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania rather than having Frederick Christian succeed his father on both thrones, and she prevented Frederick Christian and his spouse from visiting Poland-Lithuania, thus preventing them from making connections there. She undermined any attempts of Frederick Christian to found a power base of his own before the death of his father, and among other things prevented a meeting between him and his spouse with Empress Maria Theresa of Austria in 1754.

During the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740, she claimed the throne on behalf of her spouse. She relinquished her claim in favor of her sister, Maria Amalia's spouse, and in 1742, made an alliance with Austria.

Queen Maria Josepha wearing Polish jupeczka fur garment (by Pietro Rotari, 1755

Death

During the Seven Years' War, Maria Josepha stayed behind in Dresden with her son, Frederick Christian and his spouse Maria Antonia, after her husband left on 20 October 1756. She remained in Dresden when the city was taken by the Prussian Army. She, as well as Frederick Christian and his spouse Maria Antonia, were all placed under house arrest at the palace of Dresden guarded by a Prussian commandant.

Maria Josepha was banned from writing to her sons, but did engage in correspondence with invisible ink and use her net of correspondents to help her son and daughter-in-law encourage resistance in Saxony against the invading Prussians. Despite several restrictions, she managed to channel secret information about Saxon Field Marshal Maximilian Ulysses Browne, besieged by Frederick the Great at Struppen. On 4 April 1757, her Mistress of the Chamber, Countess Esther Anna Regina von Ogilvy, was arrested. Her last letter of 6 September was sent to the Austrian empress through her exiled son, in which she also states that this would be her last, as she was too heavily guarded.

On 17 November 1757, Maria Josepha died in Dresden of a stroke and was buried in the Wettin vault of the Katholische Hofkirche ("Catholic Court Church") in Dresden.

Issue

Maria Josepha and Frederick Augustus had 14 children recognized by historians:

  1. Frederick August of Saxony (1720–1721) died in infancy.
  2. Prince Joseph August of Saxony (1721–1728) died in childhood.
  3. Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony (1722–1763) married Maria Antonia of Bavaria and had issue.
  4. Maria Amalia of Saxony (1724–1760) married Charles III of Spain and had issue.
  5. Maria Margaretha of Saxony (1727–1734) died in childhood.
  6. Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony (1728–1797) married Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria and had no issue.
  7. Francis Xavier of Saxony (1730–1806) married morganatically Maria Chiara Spinucci and had issue.
  8. Maria Josepha of Saxony (1731–1767) married Louis, Dauphin of France and had issue.
  9. Charles of Saxony (1733–1796) married Countess Franciszka Korwin-Krasińska and had issue.
  10. Maria Christina of Saxony (1735–1782) died unmarried.
  11. Maria Elisabeth of Saxony (1736–1818) died unmarried.
  12. Albert of Saxony (1738–1822) married Maria Christina of Austria and had issue.
  13. Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (1739–1812) died unmarried.
  14. Maria Kunigunde of Saxony (1740–1826) died unmarried.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Maria Josepha of Austria
8. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
4. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
9. Maria Anna of Austria
2. Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
10. Philip William, Elector Palatine
5. Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg
11. Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt
1. Maria Josepha of Austria
12. George, Duke of Brunswick-Calenberg
6. John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Calenberg
13. Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt
3. Wilhelmine Amalie of Brunswick
14. Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern
7. Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate
15. Anne Gonzaga

References

  1. Sachsen, Albert Herzog zu (1990), "Maria Josepha (Josepha), Erzherzogin von Österreich", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 16, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 197; (full text online)
  2. "Under the Pactum Mutuae Successionis of 1703 (purely a family agreement) Charles VI had succeeded before his nieces. His son, if he had one, would follow him, but if he died childless, or left only daughters, Joseph's daughters would succeed him." (Potter, p. 393).
  3. ^ Watanabe-O'Kelly, p. 265.
  4. ^ Helen, Watanabe-O'Kelly (2004). "Religion and the Consort: Two Electresses of Saxony and Queens of Poland (1697–1757)". In Campbell Orr, Clarissa (ed.). Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort. Cambridge University Press. pp. 252–275. ISBN 0-521-81422-7.
  5. Watanabe-O'Kelly, p. 270.
  6. Watanabe-O'Kelly, p. 271.
  7. Watanabe-O'Kelly, p. 266.
  8. ^ Genealogie ascendante jusqu'au quatrieme degre inclusivement de tous les Rois et Princes de maisons souveraines de l'Europe actuellement vivans [Genealogy up to the fourth degree inclusive of all the Kings and Princes of sovereign houses of Europe currently living] (in French). Bourdeaux: Frederic Guillaume Birnstiel. 1768. p. 100.

Sources

  • Potter, George R. The New Cambridge Modern History.
  • Helen, Watanabe-O'Kelly (2004). "Religion and the Consort: Two Electresses of Saxony and Queens of Poland (1697–1757)". In Campbell Orr, Clarissa (ed.). Queenship in Europe 1660–1815: The Role of the Consort. Cambridge University Press. pp. 252–275. ISBN 0-521-81422-7.

External links

Media related to Maria Josepha of Austria, Queen of Poland at Wikimedia Commons

Maria Josepha of Austria House of Habsburg Born: 8 December 1699
Royal titles
Preceded byKatarzyna Opalińska Queen consort of Poland
Grand Duchess of Lithuania

1734–1757
Vacant
Preceded byChristiane Eberhardine of
Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Electress consort of Saxony
1733–1757
Succeeded byMaria Antonia of Bavaria
Austrian archduchesses by descent
Generations are numbered by male-line descent from Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor. Later generations are included although Austrian titles of nobility were abolished and outlawed in 1919.
1st generation
2nd generation
3rd generation
4th generation
5th generation
6th generation
7th generation
8th generation
9th generation
10th generation
11th generation
12th generation
13th generation
14th generation
15th generation
16th generation
17th generation
18th generation
  • * also an infanta of Spain
  • ** also an infanta of Spain and Portugal
  • ^ also a princess of Tuscany
  • # also a princess of Modena
Royal consorts of Poland
Piast dynasty
Fragmentation
period
Přemyslid dynasty
Restored Piast dynasty
Capet-Anjou dynasty
Jagiellonian dynasty
Elective monarchy
Royal consorts of Lithuania
Kingdom of Lithuania
House of Mindaugas (1236–1263)
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
House of Gediminids (1285–1440)
House of Jagiellon (1440–1569)
Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth
Elected (1569–1795)
Electresses of Saxony
Categories: