Sophie Polyxena of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein

Countess Sophie Polyxena Concordia of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (28 May 1709 – 15 December 1781), , official titles: Gräfin zu Sayn, Wittgenstein und Hohenstein, Frau zu Homburg, Vallendar, Neumagen, Lohra und Klettenberg, was a countess from the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein and through marriage Fürstin of Nassau-Siegen.

Biography Sophie Polyxena Concordia was born in Berlin on 28 May 1709 as the second daughter of Count August of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein and his first wife, Countess Concordia of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein. Sophie Polyxena Concordia was baptised on 11 June in Berlin a week after the death of her mother.

Fürst Frederick William II of Nassau-Siegen, the husband of Sophie Polyxena Concordia. Portrait by Franz Lippold, 1733. Siegerlandmuseum, Siegen. Sophie Polyxena Concordia married at Ludwigseck Hunting Lodge near on 23 September 1728 to Fürst Frederick William II of Nassau-Siegen (, Siegen, – Nassauischer Hof, Siegen, ("Europäische Stammtafeln incorrectly states that he died on 3‑3‑1734.) Dek (1970) gives the same date and gives Siegen as place of death. In fact the prince died on 2‑3. See a) parish registers Siegen, b) State Archives Wiesbaden (130II 2209), notification dated Siegen 3‑3‑1734: «gestern nachtmittags zwischen 1 u. 2 Uhr»."

On the death of his father in 1722, Frederick William succeeded his father as the territorial lord of the Protestant part of the Principality of Nassau-Siegen and co-ruler of the city of Siegen. Frederick William also succeeded his father as count of Bronkhorst, lord of , , and , and hereditary knight banneret of the Duchy of Guelders and the County of Zutphen. Finally, Frederick William succeeded his father in a part of the Principality of Nassau-Hadamar. The following year, Frederick William died, aged 27. On 19 June Sophie Polyxena Concordia gave birth to her fifth daughter. Thus, there were no male heirs. Sophie Polyxena Concordia, the Dowager Fürstin, was compelled to accept that the Catholic Fürst, William Hyacinth, would take possession of the Reformed lands and the city of Siegen. However, the Fürsten Christian of Nassau-Dillenburg and William Charles Henry Friso of Nassau-Diez also laid claim to the inheritance. Their soldiers occupied the Nassauischer Hof in Siegen, while William Hyacinth was in Spain.

To drive out this occupation by Nassau-Dillenburg and Nassau-Diez, Elector Clemens August of Cologne called in the Landesausschuß in his countries bordering the Siegerland. On 20 August 1735, peasants from Cologne crossed the borders of the Principality of Nassau-Siegen and plundered "was ihnen vorkam" ("what was in front of them"). On 23 August, they were admitted to the (Catholic) castle and advanced with two to three thousand men to the (Reformed) Nassauischer Hof. But the armies of Nassau-Dillenburg and Nassau-Diez, united with the citizens of Siegen, forced the troops from Cologne to flee. Thus, the Reformed part of Siegerland remained under the rule of Nassau-Dillenburg and Nassau-Diez, and the Catholic part remained under the imperial administration.

During the visits to his German lands in 1741 and 1742, Prince William IV of Orange-Nassau stayed with Sophie Polyxena Concordia and her mother-in-law Amalie Louise in the Nassauischer Hof in Siegen. ("See Dek (1970), confirmed by the parish registers, notifications and an article in the Dillenburgische Intelligenz Nachrichten, LI.) Stück, Sonnabends, den 22 Decembris 1781: «Den 15ten dieses des Abends». Vorsterman van Oyen (1882) states she died in 1783."

When, during the renovation of the Fürstengruft in 1951, the marble slabs that had been placed in front of the niches in 1893 had to be reattached, it was possible to take a look inside the graves. It was discovered that many graves had already been opened. Behind the slabs were walls of field-baked bricks, some of which were loose and allowed a view into the interior of the niches. In the light of a strong flashlight one could see that on the coffin of Sophia Polyxena Concordia, the artistic bronze handles covered with patina were particularly striking.

Issue From the marriage of Sophie Polyxena Concordia and Frederick William the following children were born: (Siegen, 6 June 1729 – Burgsteinfurt, 2 April 1759), married in Siegen on 30 September 1748 to Count Charles Peter Ernest of Bentheim-Steinfurt (Burgsteinfurt, 30 August 1729 – Burgsteinfurt, 30 June 1780). Frederica Wilhelmine Polyxena (Nassauischer Hof, Siegen, 3 April 1730 – Wittgenstein Castle, Laasphe, 18 November 1733). Mary Eleonore Concordia (Siegen, 2 March 1731 – Kamen, 20 April 1759). Frederica Augusta Sophia (Nassauischer Hof, Siegen, 1 June 1732 – Nassauischer Hof, Siegen, 23 March 1733). Anne Charlotte Augusta (Nassauischer Hof, Siegen, 19 June 1734 – Untere Schloss, Siegen, 9 June 1759).

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