Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1786–1859)

Maria Pavlovna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia (Russian: Мария Павловна Романова ) (. . * 4 Februarjul / February 15 1786greg in Pavlovsk, near St. Petersburg, † June 23, 1859 at Schloss Belvedere in Weimar ) was a member of the house of Romanov Holstein -Gottorp by marriage and Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar- Eisenach.

Life

Her parents were Russian Tsar Paul I (1754-1801) and his wife Sophie Dorothee of Württemberg (1759-1828), a daughter of Duke Friedrich Eugen of Württemberg and Princess Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg- Schwedt Sophia. She was the younger sister of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. Her sisters were also married to European monarchs; Maria Pavlovna as was also sister of Anna Pavlovna, Queen of the Netherlands, and Catherine Pavlovna, Queen of Württemberg.

On August 3, 1804 married in St. Petersburg the Hereditary Prince Carl Friedrich of Saxe- Weimar. The marriage took place in St. Petersburg, because all connections with Russian grand dukes were sealed by a marriage in St. Petersburg.

Politically, its presence in Weimar of great importance. Through her ​​marriage to Carl Friedrich, the small, relatively insignificant plus impoverished Duchy of Saxe -Weimar -Eisenach with Russia and its Tsarist dynasty, at that time one of the most powerful and wealthy families in Europe allied. Even her first collection as a newlywed in Weimar made ​​a great impression when she arrived with a large number of splendid gifts from Russia, which were exhibited in Weimar Castle. The time of their arrival in Weimar coincided with the rise of Napoleon in France, which soon threatened almost all the states of Europe from there. For the almost defenseless duchy, which was allied to with Prussia and refused after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 to join the dependent of Napoleon Confederation of the Rhine, their presence was thus a kind of " life insurance", they did bring Russian protection against French expansionism.

After the defeat of Prussia in the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt in 1806, which was held on Saxony- weimarischem ground, fled Maria Pavlovna of Saxe-Weimar and did not return until the following year. Although the peace terms for the Duchy were hard, that the country has ever been able to preserve its independence, Maria Pavlovna was also thanks to because Napoleon was interested at this time in a settlement with the Russian Tsar and had to take Russian interests into account.

During the French Russian campaign Maria Pavlovna again left Weimar and went to Bohemia, where the Austrian troops under protection turned out. Only after the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig, she returned to Weimar. She participated at the Congress of Vienna, which brought the rise in rank with the Grand Duchy and significant territorial gains for Saxe-Weimar- Eisenach. However, with their desire to get the former principality of Fulda as an independent dominion granted, she could not prevail.

Died in 1828 her father Grand Duke Carl August and Maria Pavlovna's husband ascended the throne, she was the Grand Duchess.

Of special importance was the Grand Duchess as Fördererin of Arts at the Weimar court. She walked in the footsteps of her predecessor Anna Amalia, who once had the reputation of Weimar originally the " Court of the Muses ". But the libraries that were not only under the influence of significant writers and scholars such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Johann Gottfried Herder and Christoph Martin Wieland, music schools and also the collections of paintings owe much of their generous sponsorship. The Grand Duchess was decorate by renowned painters of their time for the writers room: Friedrich Preller the Elder adorned the Wieland - room and Bernhard von Neher was awarded the contract for the Goethe and Schiller room. For the latter Woldemar Hermann had to take over the Pilastergestaltung addition to the lockets. The Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar also has a music collection, although decimated by fire in 2004. Your liberal attitude, as also of the Grand Duke, owed ​​during the period of restoration under Metternich some artists who followed in other states were her asylum. Among them was the composer Franz Liszt, who was Kapellmeister. Weimar was not least because this bundled knowledge a kind of republic of letters. In Maria Pavlovna time, the industrialization of the small country fell.

Died in 1853 her husband, Grand Duke Carl Friedrich, and her son, Carl Alexander ascended the throne. As Grand Duchess mother still devoted to their diverse artistic and social projects and also traveled one last time in her native Russia. She was buried at the historic cemetery Weimar in a specially built for them Russian Orthodox grave chapel next to the Weimar Fürstengruft.

Social Commitment

Maria Pavlovna had a heart for the common people, the poor and their problems. They advocated the establishment of a savings association and participated in the livelihood of women. She used money from her private purse for social projects. Of the Weimarern she was loved and revered as " angels of the poor, the sick and orphans ."

Progeny

• Paul Alexander Carl Constantin Friedrich August (1805-1806)
• Marie Louise Alexandrina (1808-1877)

• Augusta Marie Luise Katharina (1811-1890)

• Carl Alexander August Johann (1818-1901), Grand Duke of Saxe -Weimar -Eisenach