Sophia Eleonore of Saxony

Sophia Eleonore of Saxony (23 November 1609 – 2 June 1671) was a duchess of Saxony by birth and the landgravine of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1627 to 1661 through her marriage to Landgrave George II. She was the eldest surviving child of John George I, Elector of Saxony, and Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia.

Life She was born in Dresden as the daughter of John George I, Elector of Saxony and Princess Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia.

She married Landgrave Georg II of Hesse-Darmstadt on 1 April 1627 in Torgau, aged seventeen. In the middle of Thirty Years' War their marriage was lavishly celebrated with the first opera in German language: Dafne. They had fifteen children; she raised them as strict Lutherans. However, her daughter Elisabeth Amalie, later Electress Palatine, converted to Roman Catholicism in 1653.

Sophie Eleonore showed huge interest in antiquarian books which she collected. Her contribution to the Hesse-Darmstadt court library is still visible today. She survived her husband by ten years and died in Darmstadt.

Children She had fifteen children with George II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt: Louis VI (1630–1678) Magdalena Sybilla (1631–1651) George (1632–1676), married Dorothea Augusta, Duchess of Holstein-Sonderborg Sophia Eleonore (1634–1663), married Landgrave William Christoph of Hesse-Homburg Elisabeth Amalie (1635–1709), married Philip William, Elector Palatine Louise Christine (1636–1697) Anna Maria (1637-1637) Anna Sophia II, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg (1638-1683) Amalia Juliana (1639-1639) A stillborn daughter (1640) Henrica Dorothea (1641–1672), married Count John II of Waldeck-Landau John (1642–1643) Augusta Philippina (1643–1672) Agnes (1645-1645) Marie Hedwig (1647–1680), married Duke Bernhard I of Saxe-Meiningen

Sophie Eleonore also suffered four miscarriages: A miscarried daughter (1633) A miscarried daughter (1644) A miscarried son (1646) A miscarried son (1649)