Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte Georgine Friederike Luise Duchess of Mecklenburg -Strelitz ( born November 17 1769 in Hannover, † May 14 1818 in Hildburghausen ) was the eldest daughter of Charles II, Duke of Mecklenburg [- Strelitz ] and Princess Friederike Caroline of Hesse- Darmstadt. Charlotte was built in 1785 by marriage Duchess of Saxe- Hildburghausen.

With her ​​sisters, Queen Louise of Prussia, Queen Frederica of Hanover and Princess Therese von Thurn und Taxis, it was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. The " four beautiful and noble sisters on the throne " Jean Paul dedicated his novel titanium.

Life

Childhood and youth

Charlotte grew up in Hanover, where her father, in the service of his brother George III. , Acted as governor. When Charlotte was twelve years old, her mother died and she was first brought up by her mother 's sister, Charlotte, who the father married in 1784, and the governess of Magdalena Wolzogen. Her siblings were housed after the death of her step- mother with her grandmother in Darmstadt. Charlotte was pulled at that time already to Hildburghausen.

Duchess of Saxe- Hildburghausen

The princess married 15 -year-old on September 3, 1785 in Hildburghausen, Duke Frederick of Saxony- Hildburghausen, which was still standing until 1787 under regency of his Urgroßonkels Joseph Frederick.

The marriage was less harmonious, Frederick, who was his wife inferior mentally far, Charlotte treated soon indifferent. However, the Duchess lived not only in less fortunate families, but also in difficult financial circumstances. The country had been made until 1806 because of the ruinous financial policy of Frederick's predecessors under imperial receivership and the Duke was only a reduced civil list.

Charlotte's father, who had often stayed with his two sons at his eldest daughter in Hildburghausen, became president of the credit commission and moved in 1787 to make it to Hildburghausen. 1792 fled their grandmother Princess Charlotte's George with his siblings before the advancing French army to Hildburghausen. The grandmother remarked about Charlotte's husband: " [ ... ] the of his duties, only the marital operates with zeal. Charlotte, who has never loved this man is constantly pregnant. " The reunified family spent in Hildburghausen carefree weeks. 1793 ended the grandmother 's exile and traveled to Frankfurt, where Luise her future husband, Frederick William met.

To her Strelitz family and their children Charlotte had a very intimate and loving relationship. She was with her sister Therese on October 9, 1806 in Erfurt in the Prussian king with her sister Luise headquarters It was here that the Declaration of War by Frederick William III. had been instrumental in Napoleon, at the Luise. 1803 and 1805 stayed the Prussian royal couple to visit in Hildburghausen, for this purpose approved the receivership the interior of the castle in Hildburghausen to renew something.

A friend of the court and godfather of Charlotte's son Edward was also Christian Steward of Wetzhausen to bed castle. About a visit to Charlotte, accompanied by their daughter, Therese, Princess of Bavaria, on the bed castle in Franconia Steward writes to Fouqué: "Our Crown Princess of Bavaria and the Erbprinzess of Weilburg were with her ​​mother, the Duchess of Hildburghausen; and since I knew this lovely daughters from his youth, and they were always kind to me, so got into them the desires on to visit the old steward at his castle and she and her mother and her brother George and the Prince of Weilburg, the brave man of Waterloo and really only a small suite arrived on Sunday afternoon. " Many spectators had come to see the Bavarian Crown Princess. Upon receiving the guests Steward had the lower ranked Charlotte want to lead in the first castle, which rejected it with reference to their daughter. Steward replied, " Highness will forgive graciously, as long as the castle stands here has had the precedence of the daughter of the mother at all times. " Therese took then the other arm of the baron and they proceeded to the third through the castle gate.

The Duchess related half of their annual income for the poor care, pensions, education and apprenticeship costs. After the death of her sister who had it built in 1815, the Luis monument in the city park of Hildburghausen.

The Musenhof

The literature interested Charlotte was zealous promoter of the spiritual life of the residence. She loosened the etiquette rules and took a musician, painter and poet at the court. This also since May 1799 belonged to the writer Jean Paul. This writes on 25 May 1799 his friend Otto: " Here I am sitting for a week and quite soft. In the first place you think you paint the heavenly duchess, with beautiful childlike eyes, the whole face full of love and charm and youth, with a nightingales - glottis and a mother's heart [ ... ] they love and read me [ ... ] I am at lunch and dinner always asked [ ... ] Yesterday, I fantasized before the court on the wing.. Again, I have a decent brother and sister community and may be of Zinzendorf " Again he writes Otto on October 27, 1799: " I knew ahead that the Court was in Seidingstadt where I 'm going out today on one night. The beautiful Duchess was with my Einfluge here and let me come on immediately before boarding a few minutes. Except for a lover I know nothing more beautiful than this sweet shape. "

Charlotte gave the bourgeois Jean Paul the title of Legation Council and the writer became engaged to one of her ladies in waiting. The betrothal with Karoline Moist Moist of life but was released later.

The Court developed under Charlotte to a " small -Weimar "; the present-day town of Hildburghausen slogan "The little classic" is a reminder. In addition to Jean Paul also many other contemporaries Charlottes have witnessed extraordinary singing talent, which earned her the name "Sing Lotte" and the reputation of one of the greatest singers of her time. Singing lessons when she was in Hanover from Italians Giuliani and later served in person at court concerts and church celebrations with. During Holy Week, she sang regularly at Christ Church of Hildburghausen Graun's Tod Jesu, in which the entire population had entrance to the church.

Death

Charlotte died on May 14, 1818 after a long illness. In reported her daughter Therese at her sister Luise: " eight or ten days ago in an anguished night in which its end seemed near, she talked us all a farewell and sent you distant loved her blessing - that's the best thing can give a good tender mother her children [ ... ] in those days, in which they in the most touching expressions took leave of us, I knelt by her bed of pain down and asked for her blessing. As her hand rested on my head, I said - not true for all of us dear mother - and she answered - for all [ ... ] We all got a (ring) from her dear hands. Him often looking 'll always live worthy of the intent, the best of mothers, always fixed in our hearts. "

Charlotte decreed to be buried in the new cemetery at the planned brick field in Hildburghausen. First provisionally in the Castle Church, Charlotte was interred as the first corpse there in 1819. The tomb was designed by Hofzimmermann home and 1824 installed. The green bronzed candelabra stands on four black balls with a top shell on top in the blazing flames are shown. The inscription wrote Friedrich Carl Ludwig Sickler. A little later let Prince Moritz of Saxe- Altenburg restore the candelabra. The tomb has a height of 4 meters and a diameter of about 12 meters. After the conversion of the castle church in a courtroom all local bodies of the royal crypt were transferred to the tomb of the Duchess Charlotte.

Progeny

Charlotte had her husband born 12 children:

• Friedrich (1786-1786)
• Charlotte (1787-1847) ∞ 1805 Prince Paul of Württemberg ( 1785-1852 )
• Auguste (1788-1788)
• Joseph (1789-1868), Duke of Saxe- Altenburg ∞ 1817 Duchess Amalie of Wurttemberg ( 1799-1848 )
• Friederike (1791-1791)
• Therese (1792-1854) ∞ 1810 King Ludwig I of Bavaria ( 1786-1868 )
• Luise (1794-1825) ∞ 1813 Duke Wilhelm of Nassau ( 1792-1839 )
• Franz (1795-1800)
• Georg (1796-1853), Duke of Saxe- Altenburg ∞ 1825 Princess Maria of Mecklenburg -Schwerin ( 1803-1862 )
• Friedrich (1801-1870)
• Maximilian (1803-1803)
• Eduard (1804-1852) ∞ 1 1835 Princess Amelia of Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen ( 1815-1841 ) ∞ 2 1842 Princess Luise Reuss to Greiz ( 1822-1875 )

Drive up

Duke Adolf Friedrich II of Mecklenburg -Strelitz (1658-1708) ∞ 1705 countess Emilie of Schwarzburg- Sondershausen (1681-1751)

Duke Ernst Friedrich I of Saxe- Hildburghausen (1681-1724) ∞ 1704 countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach (1683-1742)

Landgraf Louis VIII of Hesse- Darmstadt (1691-1768) ∞ 1717 countess Charlotte Christine Magdalene Johanna of Hanau- Lichtenberg (1700-1726)

Count Christian Karl Reinhard of Leiningen- Dabo (1695-1766) ∞ 1726 countess Katharina Polyxena of Solms- Roedelheim (1702-1765)

Duke Karl Mecklenburg (1708-1752) ∞ 1735 princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe- Hildburghausen (1713-1761)

Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse- Darmstadt (1722-1782) ∞ 1748 countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen - Falkenburg - Dagsburg (1729-1818)

Duke Charles of Mecklenburg -Strelitz (1741-1816) ( 1815 Grand Duke of Mecklenburg -Strelitz ) ∞ 1768 Princess Friederike Caroline Luise of Hesse- Darmstadt (1752-1782)

Duchess Charlotte of Saxe- Hildburghausen (1769-1818)