Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria

Life

Early life

Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha was born on 30 December 1654 as the third child and daughter of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (1608–1657) and his third wife, Eleonora Gonzaga (1630–1686). She also had had seven half-siblings from the previous two marriages of her father, only four of whom were still alive at the time of her birth. Her eldest full sibling, Archduchess Theresa Maria Josepha (1652–1653) died at the age of one and a half years, and her only younger sibling, Archduke Ferdinand Joseph Alois (1657–1658) also died in infancy.

Electoral Princess of the Palatinate

On 25 October 1678, twenty-four-years-old Maria Anna married twenty-years-old Electoral Prince Johann Wilhelm (John William) (1658–1716) from the House of Wittelsbach in Wiener Neustadt. He was the eldest son and heir of Philip William, Elector Palatine (1615–1690), and the brother-in-law of Maria Anna's eldest brother, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640–1705). The wedding ceremony was performed by Archbishop Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch. The couple settled in Düsseldorf and led an elaborate household there. In 1679, her father-in-law gifted them the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. Upon Philip William's death, Johann Wilhelm became Elector Palatine and Duke of Neuburg.

Issue

During her marriage, Maria Anna gave birth to two children, but neither survived infancy:

• Son (born and died 6 February 1683).
• Son (born and died 5 February 1686).

Death

Maria Anna died of tuberculosis during a visit to Vienna. She was buried there in the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church, the principal place of burial for members of the House of Habsburg.

Ancestry

Notes

References

• Harm Klueting, Wolfgang Schmale: The Empire and its territorial states in the 17th and 18th centuries, Volume 10, LIT Edit. Münster, 2004, p. 69.
• Constantin von Wurzbach: Maria Anna Josepha. Nr. 219. In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich, vol. 7, Edit. L. C. Zamarski, Vienna 1861, p. 29.

References

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3. K. Strauven: ''About Artistic life and work in Dusseldorf to [[Düsseldorf school of painting]] under Director [[Wilhelm von Schadow.. Schadow]]'', H. Voss, 1862, p. 12.
4. "Kurfürst Jan Wellem".
5. Gustav Prümm: ''A win for life'', Books on Demand, 2009, p. 54.
6. {{NDB. 5. 85. 86. Ferdinand III.. Eder, Karl. 118532529
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8. {{NDB. 5. 83. 85. Ferdinand II.. Eder, Karl. 118532510
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10. "GONZAGA: LINEA SOVRANA DI MANTOVA". Società Genealogica Italiana [Italian Genealogical Society].
11. (2002). "Gonzaga, Maria (1609–1660)". Gale Research.
12. {{BLKO
13. {{BLKO
14. {{cite ADB. 42. 717. 723. Wilhelm V. (Herzog von Bayern). Sigmund Ritter von Riezler. ADB:Wilhelm V. (Herzog von Bayern)
15. Cartwright, Julia Mary. (1913). "Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590". E. P. Dutton.