Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg
Eleonore Magdalene Therese von Pfalz -Neuburg ( born January 6, 1655 in Dusseldorf, † January 19, 1720 in Vienna) was a Countess Palatine of Neuburg and by marriage Empress of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.
Life
Eleonore Magdalene was the eldest daughter of the Elector Philipp Wilhelm of the Palatinate (1615-1690) from his second marriage with Elisabeth Amalie (1635-1709), daughter of the Landgrave George II of Hesse -Darmstadt. Eleanor was very carefully trained, she was versed in several languages and proficient in music, composition and poetry. Treated by her mother with cold, the princess developed in early youth a deep religious seclusion and cherished to spend her life in the convent, which she tried the desire. The project was however thwarted. Therefore, initially rejected all candidates for her hand. To King James II of England, she should have said that they 'll say no more on the altar to him.
She married on December 14, 1676 in Passau, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I ( 1640-1705 ). Since the two previous women, Margarita Teresa of Spain and Claudia Felicitas of Tyrol had borne no ( surviving ) heir to the throne, was expected of her male offspring. Even after the death of Leopold's first wife, Eleanor worked as a bride of the Emperor in conversation. Criterion was that the Neuburger princesses were considered fertile; Eleanor had 16 siblings, of which almost all had reached adulthood. Eleanor lived up to expectations and gave birth to her husband beside some daughters and two sons, which they prevented the premature extinction of the House of Habsburg.
In the year 1689 was crowned on 19 January 1690 the Prince-Abbot of Fulda Placidus von Droste to the Empress, a week before her eldest son was also crowned king of Germany in Augsburg Eleanor Queen of Hungary and a year later in Augsburg. In 1688 Eleanor had renewed the statutes of the company founded twenty years before Star Cross Order.
The close relationship between the Wittelsbach in Dusseldorf and the Habsburgs in Vienna were not only underlined again in the marriage of Eleanor's brother Elector Johann Wilhelm with Emperor Leopold half-sister Maria Anna, also two court chancellor of Austria came from Palatinate - neuburgischen services. In the absence of its own members of the Habsburg house at the time of Emperor Leopold the newfound brother and sisters-in- line of the Wittelsbach Palatinate -Neuburg gained importance. Eleanor's younger brothers began shining careers in the imperial church; her sisters passed through their marriages to the first thrones of Europe. In 1685 the Vienna Court of Pfalz- Neuburg, the supported in their succession in the Palatine Electorate.
Eleanor was devoted to her husband and nursed him devotedly in his last illness until death. The Emperor did not want to read in French, she translated him her seemingly important state papers to his knowledge. After the death of her eldest son in 1711, she took over for her younger son, who succeeded him as Emperor and was located at that time in Spain, until his return, the business of government, where she was supported by her daughters. This year Eleanor appointed later to become the Count Alexander Károlyi to top generals. and ended in the Peace of Szatmar the rebellion of Prince Francis II Rákóczi.
Personality
Eleanor was described as strict and pious woman who worked intensively with religious matters. It is reported that she had laid before her marriage so long in the sun until they got a sunburn, so they do not please the Emperor and he did not marry. Also they have their precious bracelets provided with inwardly directed tips, so that they had the same time as Bußwerkzeuge. After the death of her husband, the Empress never took off the mourning clothes. An eye-witness said about it: " She wears constantly mourning and truly, nothing can be sadder here, as grief. Not the least little bit of white linen one sees everything black crepe; Neck, ears, jaws with his pleated pieces covered with the same fabric and the face that looks out at the center, looks as if it would stand in the pillory. " Even if they do, Leopold 's sake, went to the opera, she had a prayer book here, in which she was always reading in between, because they had no time for such frivolities. When her confessor wanted to boast their virtues in an essay, they asked for the records and threw them into the fire. Eleonore Magdalene wrote himself a devotional book, which was also published. Through the efforts of Empress Eleonore came the famous miraculous image of the Weeping Madonna of Potsch in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. Beatified Capuchin Marco d' Aviano was one of her counselors and pastors.
The Empress died after a preserved in a chapel during prayer " apoplexy ". After her own request Eleonore Magdalene was buried in a very simple wooden coffin in the garb of the Order of the slaves of Mary, bore the inscription " Eleonora Magdalena Theresia, poor sinner ." It was not until her granddaughter Maria Theresa had Eleonore Magdalene 's remains patient transfer in a ceremonial coffin. Her heart was buried separately and is located in the heart of the Habsburg crypt in the Loreto chapel, Vienna St. Augustine's Church.
The grave was found in 1980 a Gold Medal of the Order of the slaves of virtue.
Progeny
With her husband Eleonore Magdalene had the following children:
- Joseph I (1678-1711), Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
- Christina Maria Josepha (* / † 1679 )
- Maria Elisabeth (1680-1741), Governor of the Austrian Netherlands
- Leopold Joseph (1682-1684)
- Maria Anna Josepha (1683-1754)
- Maria Theresia (1684-1696)
- Charles VI. (1685-1740), Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
- Maria Josepha (1687-1703)
- Maria Magdalena (1689-1743)
- Maria Margaretha (1690-1691)