Friederike Charlotte of Brandenburg-Schwedt
Friederike Charlotte Leopoldine Louise of Brandenburg- Schwedt ( often also referred to as the Princess of Prussia ) ( born August 18, 1745 in Schwedt, † January 23, 1808 in Altona ) was last prince Abbess of Herford.
Life
She came from the sideline Brandenburg- Schwedt of the Prussian royal family. She was the daughter of Friedrich Heinrich Margrave of Brandenburg- Schwedt. The mother was Marie Leopoldine of Anhalt- Dessau. After the failure of her parents' marriage and the banishment of the mother by Frederick II to Kolberg Friederike Charlotte got a job in the Herford Abbey. Already in 1755 the Prussian king put them through as Koadjutorin the abbess Hedwig Sophie of Schleswig -Holstein - Gottorp. This Friederike Charlotte was the designated successor.
Together with her sister Luise of Anhalt- Dessau it was partially educated at the Prussian court. The mathematician Leonhard Euler was the Princess 1760-1762 sent numerous letters about mathematics, philosophy and other subjects in French. These published 1769-1773 under the title "Letters to a German Princess " and in print in Leipzig and St. Petersburg. But the French edition experienced 12 runs. Euler tried in enlightened intention in particular questions of physics and their philosophical backgrounds generally understandable way. Maybe Euler was also a teacher of the princess.
On October 13, 1764, she was abbess of Herford and served as head of direct imperial pin imperial princess. She has in her tenure managed the property of the congregation and their rights against the city of Herford defended. Friederike Charlotte resided in Herford and maintained in a manner befitting the royal household. In 1790, she founded an order badges for the members of belonging to their sphere of Stift St. Mary on the mountain at Herford. For its time, recent studies suggest attention to economic decline of the pen.
Although she has against the Prussian state is trying to preserve the rights of the congregation, but in the end decided in doubt the king. When it came to criminal proceedings against leading officials and officials of the pin due Testament forgery, in 1798 by Frederick William III. a Immediatskommission " to guide the guardianship over the assets of the abbess " used. The Commission was disbanded in 1799. Although Friederike Charlotte naturally claimed jurisdiction over their servants, they were convicted by a Prussian court in 1800.
On August 15, 1802, the monastery was secularized. The assets fell to the Prussian state. The abbess and the canonesses received a pension. Before the advancing French troops Friederike Charlotte fled to Altona, where she also died. Buried it is in the collegiate church.