Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este
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Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este (10 December 1776 – 23 June 1848), was an Electress of Bavaria as the second spouse of Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria.


Life


Early life

Archduchess Maria Leopoldine Anna Josephine Johanna of Austria-Este was born in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
on 10 December 1776 as the fourth child and third (but second surviving) daughter of
Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank withi ...
and of his wife, Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este. Her father, the second youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa, and her mother were the founders of the House of Habsburg-Este. Although Archduke Ferdinand wasn't as gifted as his eldest brother Joseph II, his rule as Governor General of Lombardy made him extremely popular; he and his wife sought closeness to their subjects and owed their high esteem above all to their social commitment. Ferdinand Karl and Maria Beatrice were loving parents and concentrated on the education of their children. They tried to raise their sons to high positions and marry their daughters favorably. Above all, Ferdinand's thoughts were marked by his mother's dynastic way of thinking, and so he made early favorable marriage plans for his children. Firstly, he arranged the marriage of his eldest daughter Maria Theresa (named after her grandmother) to Victor Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta and heir presumptive of King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia in 1789. Maria Leopoldine was at this time thirteen and had evolved into a fun-loving and pretty girl with a strong Italian temperament. Even then, she openly expressed her opinion and protested loudly against unjust treatment.


Electress of Bavaria

Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria was married since 1742 with Countess Palatine Elisabeth Auguste of Sulzbach; however their union wasn't happy and only produced one son, who died after one day of life. Charles Theodore was the father of numerous illegitimate children from his relationships with Françoise Després-Verneuil and Josefa Seyffert, who hadn't any claims to the Electorate. The Palatinate-Sulzbach branch of the House of Wittelsbach was threatened to die out after the death of the Elector, if he couldn't father any legitimate descendants. Therefore, Charles Theodore decided after the death of his wife in August 1794 to contract a second marriage with an Archduchess of the
Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine (german: Haus Habsburg-Lothringen) originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Austria, later successively Queen of Bohemia, Queen of Hungary, Queen of ...
dynasty, since they were regarded as one of the most prestigious ruling families in Europe. Looking for a suitable Habsburg bride in the new Electress of Bavaria,
Emperor Francis II Francis II (german: Franz II.; 12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor (from 1792 to 1806) and the founder and Emperor of the Austrian Empire, from 1804 to 1835. He assumed the title of Emperor of Austria in response ...
selected his cousin, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria-Este, who was described as a beautiful, well-grown and educated girl. Also a physical defect, a shorter left leg, is mentioned. Furthermore, their dance skills are praised and the potential ability to bear children was highlighted. The 18-year-old Maria Leopoldine had no idea of this marriage project and didn't know her 70-year-old bridegroom personally. While Archduke Ferdinand consented to the marriage between his young daughter and the aged Elector, his wife Maria Beatrice had doubts. Nevertheless, the marriage was agreed and the young Archduchess had to sacrifice her own happiness to the reasons of state. In early January 1795 Count Maximilian von Waldburg-Zeil zu Trauchburg arrived to Milan to negotiate the marriage contract for his master the Bavarian Elector. In the course of this visit, he gave the bride a portrait of her future husband and sent a detailed picture of the young Archduchess. In a letter to Charles Theodore, he describes Maria Leopoldine as a girl who is more Italian than German, both in appearance and in character. He praises her well-formed waist and the beautiful proportions of her round face. He also emphasized her piety and her knowledge of Italian, French and German. Charles Theodore was enthusiastic about the descriptions of his future wife and stated that, after his death, she would receive the Electoral Palace of Munich or Neuburg Castle as a widow's seat, and her court would be paid out from the state funds. In early February 1795 the engagement was officially announced, and on 15 February, the Carnival Sunday, the wedding ceremony took place in the Throne Room of the Innsbruck Hofburg. Only the closest family members were invited to the wedding, and three days later the newlyweds left Innsbruck for Bavaria. When they arrived to Munich, magnificent balls and feasts were organized and performed plays. Maria Leopoldine seemed at first to join her fate and fulfilled the expectations that her family and her husband made of her. The marriage, however, was doomed from the beginning, since the bride couldn't develop any feelings for her elderly groom. Soon after the wedding, she withdrew from her husband's attempts to approach her, and after a violent dispute she even refused to fulfill her marital duties. The young Electress avoided the company of her husband and sought the proximity of young people. Maria Leopoldine even showed openly against the marriage with the aged Elector. The Electress terrorized her husband and the entire court in Munich, and publicly took lovers from all social status. These included an Italian guardsman, the court musician Franz Eck, the famous Bavarian statesman Count
Maximilian von Montgelas Maximilian Karl Joseph Franz de Paula Hieronymus de Garnerin de la Thuile, Count von Montgelas (german: Maximilian Karl Joseph Franz de Paula Hieronymus de Garnerin de la Thuille Graf von Montgelas; 12 September 1759 Munich – 14 June 1838 ...
, the chamberlain Count Karl von Arco and the Augsburg canon and philandering Count Karl von Rechenberg. She also ended the relationship with her family in Austria, as she blamed them for her marriage; instead she chose to make an alliance with the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken in opposition to the alliance her husband had forged with her own Habsburg family. On 12 February 1799 Charles Theodore suffered a stroke and Maria Leopoldine immediately wrote the eventual successor Duke Maximilian Joseph of Palatinate-Zweibrücken to testimony her loyalty to him:


Widowhood

Elector Charles Theodore died on 16 February 1799 in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
. His death gave relief to his Bavarian subjects, his wife, and the Palatinate-Zweibrücken family. The last hope of the Sulzbach line would have been a possible pregnancy of Maria Leopoldine; however, she denied this, thus enabling the Zweibrücken line of the House of Wittelsbach to take control over the Electorate of Bavaria. The late Elector was in late February 1799 buried in the ''Theatinerkirche''. On 12 March, the new ruler Maximilian Joseph, made his entry into the Bavarian capital under the rejoicing of the population. Maria Leopoldine, now Dowager Electress, took residence in
Berg Castle Berg Castle ( lb, Schlass Bierg, ; french: Château de Berg; german: Schloss Berg), also called Colmar-Berg, is the principal residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. It is situated in the town of Colmar-Berg, in central Luxembourg, near the con ...
at
Lake Starnberg Lake Starnberg, or ''Starnberger See'' ) — called Lake Würm, or ''Würmsee'' , until 1962 — is Germany's second-largest body of fresh water, having great depth, and fifth-largest lake by area. It and its surroundings lie in three different Ba ...
. She received a generous income and given her own court. After her husband's death she quickly became known for her libertine lifestyle with permissive parties, until she became pregnant and for two years was forced to exiled herself in
Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...
to cover the scandal. Once there, Maria Leopoldine lived in a nobleman's palace and gave birth to an illegitimate son. The paternity of the child, as well as his identity and further fate are unknown. After returning to Bavaria in 1801 she bought the Stepperg Castle near
Neuburg an der Donau Neuburg an der Donau (Central Bavarian: ''Neiburg an da Donau'') is a town which is the capital of the Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district in the state of Bavaria in Germany. Divisions The municipality has 16 divisions: * Altmannstetten * Bergen, Neu ...
. Maria Leopoldine recognized the high economic potential of the beautiful and fertile area and found in the person of the entrepreneur and financial expert Joseph von Utzschneider a capable and competent consultant. By improving the agricultural use of the ground, he was able to increase its earnings immensely and achieve a high profit on the markets. Maria Leopoldine expanded her property by buying the neighboring Rennertshofen
brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...
with his respective lands. Thus, the Dowager Electress became very wealthy, but also supported financially poor peasant families of the area.


Countess von Arco

Suffering from intense loneliness, Maria Leopoldine began to search for a suitable husband. She chose Count Ludwig Jospeh von Arco (1773-1854), a member of a Northern Italy noble Arco family established in Munich, who accepted her request of marriage. However, because the groom wasn't of enough rank for an Austrian Archduchess and Bavarian Dowager Electress, Maria Leopoldine was forced to renounced to her Habsburg rights for the wedding, who took place on 14 November 1804 in Munich. However, soon afterwards, the conflicts and differences between Maria Leopoldine and her husband appeared, so that they even became separated for a while. While she managed her lands, the Count von Arco preferred the social life of Munich. Despite these circumstances, the union produced three children: * Count Aloys Nikolaus Ambros von Arco-Stepperg (6 December 1808 – 10 September 1891), married firstly Margravine Irene
Pallavicini The House of Pallavicini, also known as Pallavicino and formerly known as Pelavicino, is an ancient Italian noble family founded by Oberto II ''Pelavicino'' of the Frankish Obertenghi family. The Pallavicini of Genoa The first recorded member o ...
and secondly Pauline Oswald, his long-time mistress. He had issue, one daughter, from his second marriage. * Count Maximilian Joseph Bernhard von Arco-Zinneberg (13 December 1811 – 13 November 1885), married Countess Leopoldine von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg. Had issue, thirteen children (five sons and eight daughters). * Countess Caroline von Arco (26 December 1814 – 18 January 1815), died in infancy. Maria Leopoldine was a very dominant mother and focused on the education of her sons. The two children spent their early childhood in Stepperg Castle and were educated by private tutors. Eventually, she moved from Stepperg to Munich to allow their sons a better education. In Munich, she quickly became the center of social life again and became involved again in love affairs with younger men. In 1820, the 44-years-old Maria Leopoldine fell in love with Count Sigmund von Bechern, and during the next ten years, they had a passionate affair, until the young Count broke up the relationship to marry Baroness Askania von Krauss. In 1825 a change in Maria Leopoldine's life occurred when King
Ludwig I of Bavaria en, Louis Charles Augustus , image = Joseph Karl Stieler - King Ludwig I in his Coronation Robes - WGA21796.jpg , caption = Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825 , succession=King of Bavaria , reign = , coronation ...
succeeded his father. In contrast to the Countess von Arco, who opposed her family in Austria and favored the French way of life, the new King pursued a policy in favor of Germany and Austria. Nevertheless, he liked to get her financial, economic and political advice. The affair between the King and Lola Montez was strongly disapproved and was finally one of the caused of the King's abdication on 20 March 1848 in favor of his son Maximilian II. A few months later, on 23 June, she was traveling by carriage towards Salzburg. In
Wasserburg am Inn Wasserburg am Inn (Central Bavarian: ''Wassabuag am Inn'') is a town in Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The historic centre is a peninsula formed by the meandering river Inn. Many Medieval structures remain intact, giving the city ...
a driverless salt wagon crushed against the carriage, who was overturned. Maria Leopoldine was buried under the car and could only be freed after a few hours. She had fatal internal injuries, and died a few minutes after the rescue. She was initially buried in a crypt in the Stepperg church, but on 28 March 1855 her remains were moved to the von Arco family crypt, located on the lying east of Stepperg ''Antoniberg''. There was during 1852–1855 under the direction of Professor Ludwig Foltz was built a crypt chapel for Maria Leopoldine, who after her death she left a fortune of 15 million florins to her two sons.''The Gentleman's Magazine'' (1848): 334.


Honours

: Sovereign of the
Order of Saint Elizabeth The Order of Saint Elizabeth was an all-female chivalric and charitable order in the Kingdom of Bavaria. The following excerpt is from ''The Orders of Knighthood, British and Foreign'' (1884): History The first Consort of the Elector Charles T ...
(feminine order)


Ancestry


Footnotes


Bibliography

* Krauss-Meyl, Sylvia: ''Das "Enfant terrible" des Königshauses: Maria Leopoldine, Bayerns letzte Kurfürstin (1776-1848)''. Regensburg: Pustet, 1997. . * * Wolfgang Kunz: ''Maria Leopoldine (1776–1848) – Kurfürstin von Pfalz-Bayern und Geschäftsfrau.'' in: ''Mannheimer Geschichtsblätter.'' Neue Folge vol. 3, 1995, , pp. 255–274. * Friedrich Weissensteiner: ''Habsburgerinnen auf fremden Thronen.'' Ueberreuter, Vienna 2000, . * Constantin von Wurzbach
''Habsburg, Maria Leopoldine von Este''
in: '' Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich'', vol 7. Kaiserlich-königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1861, p. 5
online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Leopoldine Of Austria-Este, Archduchess 1776 births 1848 deaths Nobility from Milan House of Arco Austria-Este House of Wittelsbach Austrian princesses Modenese princesses Remarried royal consorts Electresses of Bavaria Duchesses of Jülich Duchesses of Berg