Anna of Württemberg

Anna of Württemberg (Polish: Anna Wirtemberska; 12 June 1561 in Stuttgart – 7 July 1616 in Chojnów), was a German princess, member of the House of Württemberg, and by her two marriages Duchess of Oława-Wołów and Legnica.

She was the daughter of Christoph, Duke of Württemberg, by his wife Anna Maria, daughter of George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Life

In Brzeg on 16 September 1582, Anna married with John George, second son of George II the Pious, Duke of Brzeg. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter, but both died shortly after the birth.

Duke George II died on 7 May 1586 and his two sons inherited only Oława-Wołów as co-rulers, because he left Brzeg to his widow Barbara as her Oprawa wdowia. Anna and her husband settled their residence in Oława. John George died there six years later, on 6 July 1592.

In her husband's will, Anna received the Duchy of Oława as her Oprawa wdowia, with full sovereignty until her own death. However, two years later, on 24 October 1594, Anna remarried with the twice widower Duke Frederick IV of Legnica. According to the terms of the Oprawa wdowia the beneficiary lost her lands if she remarried or became a nun (the self-resignation wasn't count). In consequence, Anna was stripped of the government over Oława, which was retaken by Joachim Frederick, the brother of her first husband.

Duke Frederick IV died on 27 March 1596, after only seventeen months of childless marriage. Anna, widow for second time, retired to Chojnów, where she died twenty years later.

References

• Marek, Miroslav. "Complete Genealogy of the House of Württemberg". Genealogy.EU. 
• Gnealogical database by Herbert Stoyan