Erdmuthe Sophie von Sachsen (b. February 25, 1644, in Dresden; d. June 22, 1670, in Bayreuth) was a Saxon princess from the Albertine line of the House of Wettin and, through marriage, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. She was also an author, historian, and hymn composer.
Erdmuthe Sophie was a daughter of Elector John George II of Saxony (1613–1680) from his marriage to Magdalena Sibylle (1612–1687), daughter of Margrave Christian of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. The princess received a very thorough and comprehensive education under the guidance of individuals such as the Lutheran orthodox theologian Jakob Weller. At the age of 11, Erdmuthe Sophie was already composing hymns and studying constitutional and church history.
She married Margrave Christian Ernst of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1644–1712) on October 29, 1662, in Dresden. For the lavishly celebrated wedding, both the singspiel Sophia by Sigmund von Birken and the opera Il Paride (Italian; Paris) by Giovanni Andrea Bontempi premiered. For their wedding, Christian Ernst gifted her Colmdorf Castle.
In Bayreuth, Erdmuthe Sophie continued to engage intensively in scholarly studies and held a daily "history seminar" after devotions. Her first work, Handlung von der Welt Alter, des Heiligen Römischen Reichs Ständen, und derselben Beschaffenheit (A Treatise on the Ancient World, the Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and Their Nature), represents an early work of the Enlightenment. In this work, which included a biblical chronology, tables of rulers, and a directory of important German educational institutions, she critically examined Calvinism.
The Margravine was considered one of the most educated women of her time.
She died at the age of 26 from a metabolic disorder and was buried in the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Bayreuth. The Sophienberg near Haag is named after her, where the Sophienburg Castle was built for the Margravine between 1663 and 1668.
The poet Sigmund von Birken, with whom she was associated, dedicated the following verse to her:
Princess Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine of Prussia was a Prussian princess and composer. She was the eldest daughter of Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, and a granddaughter of George I of Great Britain. She was the older sister of Frederick the Great. In 1731, she married Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. The baroque buildings and parks built during her tenure shape much of the present appearance of the town of Bayreuth, Germany.
Johann George II was the Elector of Saxony from 1656 to 1680. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the House of Wettin.
John George IV was Elector of Saxony from 1691 to 1694.
Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Electress of Saxony from 1694 to 1727, Queen Consort and Grand Duchess Consort of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1697 to 1727 by marriage to Augustus II the Strong. Not once throughout the whole of her thirty-year queenship did she set foot in Poland-Lithuania, instead living in Saxony in self-imposed exile. Born a German margravine, she was called Sachsens Betsäule, "Saxony's pillar of prayer", by her Protestant subjects for her refusal to convert to Catholicism. Despite the allegiance of Christiane Eberhardine and her mother-in-law, Anna Sophie of Denmark, to Lutheranism, her husband and son, later Augustus III, both became Catholics, ensuring Catholic succession in the Albertine lands after a century and a half.
Christian Ernst of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a member of the House of Hohenzollern and Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck, known also as Dorothea von Holstein-Beck and Dorothea von Ziedewitz,, was a German princess of the House of Oldenburg and by marriage Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach.
Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark and Norway was the eldest daughter of King Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Electress of Saxony from 1680 to 1691 as the wife of John George III.
Sophia of Poland, was a Polish princess, member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, great-granddaughter of Emperor Sigismund and by marriage Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach.
Magdalene Sibylle of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Electress of Saxony from 1656 to 1680 as the wife of John George II. The daughter of Christian, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and Marie of Prussia, she was by birth a Markgräfin, or Margravine, and a member of the Brandenburg-Bayreuth branch of the House of Hohenzollern.
Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe Louise of Saxe-Eisenach was a member of the House of Wettin and through her two marriages became Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Electress of Saxony.
Sophie of Brandenburg was Electress of Saxony by marriage to Christian I, Elector of Saxony. She was regent from 1591 to 1601 during the minority of their son Christian II.
Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, was a Duchess consort of Courland by marriage to Duke Frederick Casimir Kettler of Courland, a Margravine consort of Brandenburg-Bayreuth by marriage to Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and a Duchess consort of Saxe-Meiningen by marriage to Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. She was joint regent in Courland during the minority of her son Frederick William, Duke of Courland from 1698 until 1701.
Emilie of Saxony was Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach as the third wife of Margrave George the Pious of Brandenburg-Ansbach. Since his two earlier wives died before his accession, she was the only one to hold the title of Margravine.
Marie of Prussia was a Prussian duchess by birth and Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth by marriage.
Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein was Countess of Wolfstein by birth and Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach by marriage.
Hedwig of Brandenburg, also called Hedwig of Ballenstedt, a member of the House of Ascania, was Margravine of Meissen from 1156 until 1190 by her marriage with Margrave Otto II.
Princess Frederica Caroline of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess in Saxony was a princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld by birth and, through marriage, the last Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Bayreuth.
Il Paride is an opera in five acts composed by Giovanni Andrea Bontempi who also wrote the libretto. The first Italian-language opera to be given in Dresden, it was first performed on 3 November 1662 at the Dresden Castle to celebrate the marriage of Erdmuthe Sophie von Sachsen, the daughter of John George II, Elector of Saxony, and Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. The opera was revived on 21 June 2011 at the Potsdam Sanssouci Festival and on 24 August 2012 at the Tyrolean State Theatre as part of the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music.
Sophia of Saxe-Weissenfels was a German aristocrat and culture patron, Margravine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth by marriage to George William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
Sophie Luise of Württemberg was a Margravine of Brandeburg-Bayreuth as the wife of Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.
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