Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1395 – 28 December 1442, Grimma) was a member of the House of Welf, a princess of Brunswick-Lüneburg and by marriage, the Electress of Saxony.

Life

Catherine was the only daughter and second child of the Duke Henry I of Brunswick-Lüneburg († 1416) from his first marriage to Sophie († June 1400), daughter of Duke Wartislaw VI of Pomerania.

As a 7-year-old she married on 7 February 1402 Margrave Frederick IV "the Warlike" of Meissen (1370–1428), who in 1425 became the first Elector of Saxony, as Frederick I. The elector lost a large part of his army in the Hussite Wars in 1421 in the Battle of Brüx. During Frederick's absence, Electress Catherine organized another army of 20,000 men, which rushed to Frederick's aid, but was defeated devastatingly in the Battle of Aussig in 1426.

Catherine spent time with her husband, but more frequently alone, at Mildenstein Castle in Leisnig, which thereby developed into a private residence of the Saxon Electors.

She is buried in the Princely Chapel in Meissen Cathedral.

Offspring

From her marriage Catherine had the following children:

1. Catherine, died young;
2. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony (1412 – 1464);
3. Sigismund, Bishop of Würzburg, (3 March 1416 – 24 December 1471);
4. Anna, (5 June 1420 – 17 September 1462), married to Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse;
5. Catherine, (1421 – 23 August 1476, Berlin), married to Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg;
6. Henry, (21 May 1422 – 22 July 1435);
7. William III, Duke of Luxemburg (1425 – 1482), Landgrave of Thuringia, Duke of Luxemburg; married
   1. in 1446, Anne of Austria (1432–1462)
   2. in 1463, Catherine of Brandenstein († 1492)

References

• Jens Kunze, The Leisnig district in the 15th Century, p. 191
• General German Real-Encyclopaedia for the educated classes, Volume 5 by FA Brockhaus Verlag Leipzig, p. 633

1. Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
2. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg
3. Catherine Antonovna of Brunswick
4. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick
5. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
6. Henry the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
7. Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Margravine of Brandenburg-Küstrin
8. Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
9. George, Duke of Brunswick
10. Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick
11. Magnus I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
12. Catherine of Brunswick
13. Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
14. Elizabeth of Denmark, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
15. Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
16. Catherine Elisabeth of Brunswick
17. Frederick I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
18. John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick
19. Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick
20. Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg