Wilhelmine von Grävenitz

Christine Wilhelmine Friederike of Grävenitz ( born February 4, 1686, Schwerin, † October 21, 1744 in Berlin) was the mistress of Duke Eberhard Ludwig von Württemberg ( 1676-1733 ). She came from the nobility of the Altmark Graevenitz. Since 1727 was their titulary Christina Wilhelmina, Countess of Vrbno and Freudenthal, reigning Countess Welzheim and Gochscheim, woman on Freudenthal and Neckar Boyhingen, born Countess of Graevenitz, or Landhofmeisterin Christina Wilhelmine Countess of Vrbno and Freudenthal, Welzheim and Gochscheim, woman to Freudenthal, Stetten and Brenz, born Countess of Grävenitz, named the Grävenitz.

Life

Wilhelmine of Grävenitz grew up in Mecklenburg in Güstrow. It was not until 1706, with 20 years, she came at the initiative of the Stuttgart Court Marshal of Staffhorst and her brother Friedrich Wilhelm von Grävenitz at the Württemberg court in Stuttgart. With the aid of the young woman of the Lord Chamberlain wanted to gain influence over the duke. You should distract Duke Eberhard Ludwig as a new playmate of his government duties. The scheming plan worked at first, but instead of a gallant Liebeständelei of limited duration, long time developed between Eberhard Ludwig and Wilhelmine of Grävenitz a love affair that lasted over twenty years, even against external resistors.

End of July 1707 married Eberhard Ludwig Wilhelmina in morganatic marriage, and made her Countess of Urach. The Imperial Count of Graevenitz for her brother and she passed Vienna on September 1, 1707, so that in November was officially announced that the Duke had married the Countess of Grävenitz, the future Countess of Urach hot. His wife Duchess Elisabeth Johanna had not consented to a divorce and turned to the emperor because of this bigamy. On the pressure of the marriage was dissolved again and Wilhelmine of Grävenitz banished from Württemberg. Eberhard Ludwig followed her first to Switzerland. In 1710 he brought them back to his court, by ( † 1729 ), married her to slip with the seventy -year-old Bohemian nobleman, Count Johann Franz Ferdinand of Vrbno and Freudenthal. This had to stay abroad was never allowed to consummate the marriage. For this he received in addition to a significant monetary compensation the title of Württemberg land steward, Privy Council and War of the Council. The financial inflow from Württemberg he used mainly for its Viennese gambling debts. , Now a " Landhofmeisterin " Grävenitz went unchallenged back to Stuttgart and took the first place at court. Even without biological children, she adopted her niece Wilhelmine Charlotte (1720-1771), her brother Karl Ludwig, the daughter of Maria Anna Claudine born Schaffalitzky of Muckadell.

She moved the Duke, the hunting and pleasure palace Ludwigsburg significantly to enlarge and eventually to relocate the residence along with the court there. Lived in Ludwigsburg and represented them at the side of the Duke, while the Duchess continued to live in Stuttgart Old Castle.

It participated actively in the government. 1717 she was admitted as a full member of the Secret Cabinet and had thus influence judicial, financial and grace things. In 1727 they acquired the place Freudenthal, where from the following year the Grävenitzsche castle was built for them.

1731 died Hereditary Prince Friedrich Ludwig, Eberhard Ludwig's only son. If the Duke fathered no other legitimate son, to him his Catholic cousin Karl Alexander should be followed on the throne and rule the Protestant Württemberg. Many forces wanted to prevent this. Eberhard Ludwig was again forced from the outside to give up the connection to Wilhelmine and to be reconciled with the Duchess. This time, the duke to the pressure and turned away from her. He deprived her of all the offices and let them arrest. 1732 she was released and banished. Your Württemberg possessions were deprived her. As compensation they received the considerable sum of 150,000 florins. She moved to Berlin, where she lived until her death in 1744. Her adopted daughter and niece Wilhelmine Charlotte Baroness von Grävenitz had come to Berlin and had on February 4, 1735 married the Prussian Major General of Cavalry, Georg Conrad von der Goltz.

After her fall to the erupted displeasure with their great influence. On their unpopularity an anecdote alludes to, the origin and veracity are not used. At her request, they may notably take into prayer, answered the Tübingen prelate John Osiander that human life begins at every service in the seventh petition of the Lord 's Prayer ( with the words: ' Deliver us from evil ').