Countess Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen (1558 – 9 September 1599), , was a countess from the House of Waldeck and through marriage successively Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg and Countess of Nassau-Siegen.
Biography Magdalene was born in 1558All sources only mention this year of birth. as the youngest daughter of Count Philip IV of Waldeck-Wildungen and his third wife Countess Jutta of Isenburg-Grenzau.Menk (2004), p. 194.Dek (1970), p. 86.Dek (1968), p. 232.Hoffmeister (1883), pp. 23–24.Other sources that mention both parents indicate other parents. The exact date and place of Magdalene's birth are unknown.
Magdalene married at Dek (1970), p. 86 states married in Hanau. on 5 February 1576Hoffmeister (1883), p. 27, however, states the date 2 February 1576. to Count Philip Louis I of Hanau-Münzenberg (21 November 1553Dek (1968), p. 231. – Hanau, 4 February 1580), the eldest son of Count Philip III of Hanau-Münzenberg and Countess Palatine Helena of Simmern.Dek (1968), p. 229. Philip Louis succeeded his father in 1561 and was first under the regency of his uncle Count John VI the Elder of Nassau-SiegenDek (1968), p. 228. (Philip III of Hanau-Münzenberg and John VI the Elder of Nassau-Siegen were both sons of Countess Juliane of Stolberg-Wernigerode). Politically, the marriage could represent a conscious withdrawal on her groom's part from the politically dominant influence of his guardian, John VI the Elder of Nassau-Siegen.Compare G. Menk (1982), pp. 154 ff and G. Schmidt (1989), p. 548. Philip Louis died "Donnerstag nach Purificationis Mariæ, zwischen 4 und 5 Uhr Nachmittag durch eine Ohnmacht, welche ihre Gnaden ganz unversehentlich über Tisch und dem Spielen ankommen" ("Thursday after Purificationis Mariæ, between 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon by a fainting which His Grace completely unexpectedly suffered at the table and at the games").Dek (1968), pp. 233–234.
Magdalena remarried at Dillenburg CastleMenk (2004), pp. 193–194.The other sources that mention a place of marriage, state married in Dillenburg. on 9 December 1581All but one of the sources that mention a full date of marriage, state this date. Hoffmeister (1883), p. 27, however, states the date 24 November 1581. to Count John VII the Middle of Nassau-Siegen (,Menk (2004), p. 193.Aβmann & Menk (1996).Glawischnig (1974) states that he was born in Siegen. All older sources that mention a place of birth, state that he was born in Dillenburg. 7 June 1561All sources that mention a full date of birth, state this date. – Siegen Castle,Lück (1981), p. 126.The other sources that mention a place of death, state that he died in Siegen. 27 September 1623All but one of the sources that mention a complete date of death, state this date. Only Glawischnig (1974) states the date 7 October 1623. It is not clear whether the author meant to convert the date mentioned by the other sources to the Gregorian calendar, nor whether the date mentioned by the other sources is according to the Julian calendar.), the second son of Count John VI the Elder of Nassau-Siegen and his first wife Landgravine Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg.All sources that mention both parents, name these parents. Through his marriage to Magdalene, John the Middle strengthened relations within the Wetterauer Grafenverein and thus contributed to the strengthening of the House of Nassau.Lück (1981), p. 92. John the Middle was a cousin of Magdalena's first husband.Dek (1968), pp. 228–229, 231–232, 234. Magdalena's great-grandmother Countess Joanne of Nassau-Siegen, was an older sister of Count John V of Nassau-Siegen, the great-grandfather of John the Middle. Magdalene's great-great-grandmother Countess Jutta of Eppstein-Münzenberg was a granddaughter of Count Adolf I of Nassau-Siegen, the elder brother of Count Engelbert I of Nassau-Siegen, the grandfather of Count John V.
Magdalene died at Idstein CastleThe other sources do not mention a place of death. on 9 September 1599,All sources that mention a full date of death, state this date. where she stayed for the funeral of her nephew Count John Philip of Nassau-Idstein. She was buried in the in the in Dillenburg on 13 September 1599. Bernhard Textor wrote a Leichenpredigt for Magdalene which was published in Herborn in 1600.
John the Middle remarried at Rotenburg CastleGlawischnig (1974) states married in Rotenburg/Fulda. Textor von Haiger (1617), p. 153 states married in Rotenburg in Hessen and specifies that this was the Beilager and that the Heimführung took place on 3 September 1603 in Dillenburg. on 27 August 1603All but one of the sources that mention a full date of marriage, state this date. Only Glawischnig (1974) mentions the date 6 September 1603. It is not clear whether the author intended to convert the date mentioned by the other sources to the Gregorian calendar, or whether the date mentioned by the other sources is according to the Julian calendar. to Duchess Margaret of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (Haus Sandberg am Alsensund near Sonderburg, 24 February 1583 – , Siegen, 10/20 April 1658The other sources that mention the place and date of death, state that she died in Siegen on 10 April 1658.), the youngest daughter of Duke John II the Younger of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and his first wife Duchess Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen.Textor von Haiger (1617), p. 153.
When his father died on 8 October 1606, John the Middle succeeded his father together with his brothers William Louis, George, Ernest Casimir and John Louis.Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 219. On 30 March 1607 the brothers divided their possessions.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 115. John acquired Siegen, Freudenberg, Netphen, Hilchenbach, and the Haingericht.
John the Middle died aged 62 and was buried in the in SiegenLück & Wunderlich (1956), p. 27.Lück & Wunderlich (1956), p. 33. on 5/15 November 1623. There he had planned the construction of a dignified burial vault for the dynasty he founded. For this, there are remarkable notes in Latin, partly in elegiac couplets, for a projected memorial and burial place of the sovereign family, from the time around 1620, with the names of all 25 children from his two marriages, also with details of birth, marriage and death of his relatives. Since the project was not carried out, the burials of the members of the sovereign family between 1607 and 1658 took place in the inadequate burial vault under the choir of the mentioned parish church.Menk (2004), p. 184. At a time hitherto unknown, Magdalene was interred there with her husband John the Middle. On 29 April 1690Lück & Wunderlich (1956), p. 27 however, state the date 26 April 1690. Magdalene and John were transferred to the in Siegen.
Issue
First marriage Magdalene was constantly pregnant during her first marriage with Philip Louis I of Hanau-Münzenberg, giving birth to four children in just four years, although only two of them survived infancy:Dek (1968), p. 242. Count Philip Louis II (Hanau, 18 November 1576 – Hanau, 19 August 1612), succeeded his father as Count of Hanau-Münzenberg in 1580. Married in Dillenburg on 23 October/2 November 1596 to Countess Catherine Belgica of Nassau (Antwerp, 31 July 1578 – The Hague, 12/22 April 1648), daughter of Prince William I the Silent of Orange and Duchess Charlotte of Bourbon-Montpensier. Juliane (13 October 1577 – 2 December 1577), buried in the choir of the in Hanau. William (26 August 1578 – 4 June 1579), also buried in the choir of St. Mary's Church in Hanau. Count Albrecht (12 November 1579 – Strasbourg, 19 December 1635), succeeded his father as Count of Hanau-Schwarzenfels in 1580. Married on 16 August 1604 to Countess Ehrengard of Isenburg-Birstein (1 October 1577 – Frankfurt, 21 September 1637).
Second marriage From the marriage of Magdalene was also frequently pregnant during her second marriage with John VII the Middle of Nassau-Siegen, giving birth to 12 more children in just 15 years:Huberty, et al. (1981), pp. 233–234.Dek (1970), pp. 86–89.Dek (1968), pp. 248–249.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), pp. 115–118. John Ernest (Siegen Castle, 21 October 1582Jul. – Udine, 16/17 September 1617Jul.), was, among other things, a general in the Venetian army, involved in the Uskok War. Count John VIII the Younger (Dillenburg Castle, 29 September 1583Jul. – near Oudenaarde, 27 July 1638), succeeded his father as Count of Nassau-Siegen in 1623. Married in Brussels on 13 August 1618 to Princess (2 November 1594 – Brussels, 4 January 1663). Elisabeth (Dillenburg Castle, 8 November 1584 – , 26 July 1661), married in Wildungen in November 1604 to Count Christian of Waldeck-Wildungen (Eisenberg Castle, 24/25 December 1585 – , 31 December 1637). Adolf (Dillenburg Castle, 8 August 1586 – Xanten, 7 November 1608), was a captain in the Dutch States Army. Juliane (Dillenburg Castle, 3 September 1587 – Eschwege, 15 February 1643), married at Dillenburg Castle on 21 May 1603Jul. (Beilager) and in Kassel on 4 June 1603Jul. (Heimführung) to Landgrave Maurice of Hesse-Kassel (Kassel, 25 May 1572 – Eschwege, 15 March 1632). Anne Mary (Dillenburg Castle, 3 March 1589 – 22 February 1620), married in Dillenburg on 3 February 1611Jul. to Count ( – 13 March 1653), Count of Falkenstein and Broich. John Albert (Dillenburg, 8 February 1590 – Dillenburg, 1590). Count William (Dillenburg, 13 August 1592 – Orsoy, 7/17 July 1642), was since 1624 count in a part of Nassau-Siegen and since 1633 field marshal of the Dutch States army. Married at Siegen Castle on 17 January 1619 to Countess Christiane of Erbach (5 juni 1596 – Culemborg, 6 juli 1646). Anne JoanneThe given name Anne in Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 234. The given name Anna in Romein (1937), pp. 125–126, Van der Aa (1855), p. 1267 and Textor von Haiger (1617), p. 172. (Dillenburg Castle, 2 March 1594Jul. – The Hague, December 1636), married at near Mülheim an der Ruhr on 19 June 1619 to (Heusden (?), 12 June 1599 – near Maastricht, 3 September 1655), Lord of Brederode, Vianen, Ameide and Cloetingen. Frederick Louis (2 February 1595 – Dillenburg, 22 April 1600Jul.). Magdalene (23 February 1596 – 6 December 1662), married: in August 1631 to Bernhard Moritz Freiherr von Oeynhausen-Velmede (1602 – Leipzig, 20 November 1632); on 25 August 1642 (20 March 1591 – Bremen, 5 May 1652). John Frederick (10 February 1597 – 1597).
Known descendants Magdalene has many known descendants. All reigning European monarchs, with the exception of the Fürst of Liechtenstein, are descendants of her, and also the heads of the no longer reigning royal houses of Baden, Greece, Lippe, Prussia, Romania and Waldeck and Pyrmont. Other known descendants are:Lück (1981), pp. 163–166. the Prussian Field Marshal Fürst Leopold I of Anhalt-Dessau (der Alte Dessauer), the French Field Marshal Maurice of Saxony, the Austrian chancellor Klemens von Metternich, the Romanian writer Carmen Sylva, the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, the German chancellor Max von Baden, and the German fighter pilot from World War I Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron).
Ancestors