Dorothea Susanne of Simmern

Life

Dorothea Susanne was the daughter of Elector Palatine Frederick III (1515–1576) from his marriage to Princess Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1519–1567), daughter of Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

She married on 15 June 1560 in Heidelberg Duke John William, of Saxe-Weimar (1530–1573). After their marriage, the couple lived mostly in Weimar. After the death of her husband, Elector August of Saxony acted as guardian of her children. This policy was meant to isolate the children from their mother's political and religious influence. She was assigned a new residence outside Weimar, appropriately named New House. The Red Castle in Weimar was built for her from 1574 to 1576. She used it as her widow seat after its completion. Its Renaissance portal is decorated with an alliance coat of arms of Dorothea Susanne and her husband.

In 1581, the widowed Duchess turned to write to her brothers, Louis VI and John Casimir to induce the guardian of her eldest son, Elector August in Dresden, to promote the marry her eldest son with a Württemberg princess.

Dorothea Susanne died in 1592 and was buried in the church of St. Peter und Paul in Weimar; her motto was I Know That My Redeemer Lives.

Issue

From her marriage, Dorothea Susanne had the following children:

• Frederick William I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Weimar, 25 April 1562 - d. Weimar, 7 July 1602). : first married in 1583 Princess Sophia of Württemberg (1563-1590) : married secondly in countess palatine Anna Maria of Neuburg
• Sibylle Marie (b. Weimar, 7 November 1563 - d. Altenburg, 20 February 1569).
• stillborn son (Weimar, 9 October 1564).
• John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (b. Weimar, 22 May 1570 - d. Weimar, 18 July 1605). : married in 1593 princess Dorothea Maria of Anhalt (1574-1614)
• Maria (b. Weimar, 7 October 1571 - d. Quedlinburg, 7 March 1610), Abbess of Quedlinburg (1601–1610).

References

• Christoph Heinrich Gottlob: Saxon History, Volume 2, Weidmann, 1782, p. 146 ff.

Footnotes

References

1. State Museums of Berlin: ''Restored Works of Art in the German Democratic Republic'', Association of Artists of the GDR, 1979, p. 180
2. "Heraldik: Photos von Wappen in architektonischem Zusammenhang, Dokumentation und Datenbank".
3. Anne-Simone Knöfel: ''Dynasty and Prestige: The marriage policy of the Wettin family'', Böhlau Verlag, Köln Weimar, 2009, p. 438 ff
4. Max Lobe: ''Devices: mottos and aphorisms'', BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009, p. 172