Anna Sophia of Brandenburg

Anna Sophia of Brandenburg (18 March 1598 – 19 December 1659) was, through her marriage to Frederick Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a duchess of Braunschweig and Lüneburg, and princess of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. She was born a German princess as the daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, and Anna, Duchess of Prussia, the daughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia.

Life

Anna Sophia was born on 18 March 1598 Although Anna was described as intellectually superior to her spouse, she was also considered temperamental and strong-willed. Anna was in charge of her daughters education, and while the particulars of their education is not well-documented they were taught to write and read in German and instructed in religion.

After the death of Anna Sophia's childless great-uncle, John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg in 1609, his inheritance and the succession rights was claimed by the heirs of his two sisters, , his niece Anna of Prussia, Anna Sophia's mother, and his sister Anna of Cleves (1552–1632), married to Philipp Ludwig, Count Palatine of Neuburg, whose son and heir was Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg.

The idea of a marriage between Anna Sophia and Wolfgang Wilhelm had first been raised in 1610 during the meeting of the Protestant union in Schwäbisch Hall, but Anna Sophias mother was against such a match, while Wolfgang Wilhelm himself was hoping to make a marriage with the English princess Elizabeth Stuart or a Bavarian princess.

It was not until 1612/13 that serious marriage negotiations between Johann Sigismund and Wolfgang Wilhelm for Anna Sophias hand in marriage were begun . At that time Julich-Cleve was under the joint rule of both Wolfgang Wilhelm and Johann Sigismund as a result of the Treaty of Dortmund. This joint rule was in theory only meant to last until the dispute was settled.

Troubles began, when Wolfgang Wilhelm demanded an end to the joint rule and that the lands would be given as Anna Sophia's dowry and thereafter ruled solely by Wolfgang Wilhelm.As this demand seemed somewhat immodest to Johann Sigismund, a heated exchange of words arose between Wolfgang Wilhelm and Johann Sigismund, as a result of which Wolfgang Wilhelm left "after suffering a serious insult, threatening revenge with no uncertain terms." .

The engagement with Anna Sophia suddenly broken off, Wolfgang Wilhelm instead married Magdelene of Bavaria, converted to Catholicism, and allied himself with the Habsburgs.

In 1613, Johann Sigismund converted to Calvinism while his wife and daughters remained staunchly Lutheran.

Marriage

In September 1614, Anna Sophia was married to Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. and a concert with cornettists,which the court chief musician Michael Praetorius had specially composed pieces for.

Seven years older than Anna Sophia, Friedrich was interested in the martial arts and much "devoted to the pleasures of the table" was an alcoholic In one of the letters Anna Sophia had allegedly mentioned that she wished her husband would "break his neck"

Death Beginning in early 1650, Anna Sophia's health and mental capacities began to deteriorate. From 1655, she lived permanently in Berlin under close supervision and in confinement, with her mood alternating between "melancholy, violence and normality".

Ancestry