Johanna Friederike Charlotte Dorothea Eleonore, Princess of Bismarck, Duchess of Lauenburg (née von Puttkamer; 11 April 1824 – 27 November 1894) was a
Prussian
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
noblewoman and the wife of the 1st
Chancellor of Germany
The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the ...
,
Otto von Bismarck
Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of ...
.
Early life
She was born at
Viartlum manor near
Rummelsburg
Rummelsburg () is a subdivision or neighborhood (''Ortsteil'') of the borough (''Bezirk'') of Lichtenberg of the German capital, Berlin.
History
Rummelsburg was founded in 1669. On 30 January 1889 it became a rural municipality, with the name of ...
in the Prussian
Province of Pomerania (present-day Wiatrołom,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
), the daughter of Heinrich von Puttkamer (1789–1871) and his wife Luitgarde Agnes von Glasenapp (1799–1863). Her ancestors of the
Puttkamer noble family, first mentioned in the 13th century, belonged to the ''
Uradel
(, German: "ancient nobility"; adjective or ) is a genealogical term introduced in late 18th-century Germany to distinguish those families whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century or earlier. The word stands opposed to '' Briefadel'' ...
'' dynasties of
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Hinder Pomerania, Rear Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania (german: Hinterpommern, Ostpommern), is the part of Pomerania which comprised the eastern part of the Duchy and later Province of Pomerania. It stretched roughly from the O ...
and were known for their devoted pietism.
[Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009] Johanna grew up in neighbouring Reinfeld estate (Barnowiec), which her father acquired shortly after her birth.
Life
Johanna met Otto von Bismarck, then owner of
Kniephof estate (Konarzewo), in 1844. The
Prussian Junker had associated with Pomeranian pietist circles around Adolf von
Thadden-Trieglaff, mainly because he had desperately fallen in love with Thadden's daughter
Marie. The young woman appreciated his advances, nevertheless, as she was already engaged to Bismarck's school friend
Moritz von Blanckenburg, she introduced him to her friend Johanna von Puttkamer at her wedding ceremony. However, not until the married couple took both Otto and Johanna on a journey to the
Harz
The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...
mountains in 1846 did the two seem to become closer to each other. Marie's sudden death from meningitis in November 1846 tipped the scales and Bismarck finally asked Heinrich von Puttkamer for the hand of his daughter.
Marriage and issue
On 28 July 1847 Johanna married Otto von Bismarck in the parish church of
Alt-Kolziglow (modern Kołczygłowy) near Reinfeld. The couple had three children:
*Marie (1848–1926), married Count Kuno zu
Rantzau in 1878
*
Herbert (1849–1904), diplomat and politician, had an affair with
Princess Elisabeth von Carolath-Beuthen, née Countess von
Hatzfeld-Trachenberg, married Countess Marguerite
Hoyos von und zu Stichsenstein
*
Wilhelm (1852–1901), administrative official, married his cousin Sibylle von
Arnim
Later life
Unpretentious and deeply religious, Johanna was a loyal friend and an essential support throughout her husband's career. Though Otto von Bismarck never completely got over his love for the late Marie von Thadden and even entered a passionate affair with Princess Katharina
Orlova, wife of the
Russian envoy
Nikolay Alexeyevich Orlov, his marriage with Johanna turned out to be a happy one. Johanna's considerable influence on her husband's politics is documented by their voluminous correspondence, nevertheless, she was rivaled by sharp-witted liberal
salonnières like Countess
Marie von Schleinitz.
Death
Johanna died on 27 November 1894 at the Bismarck manor in
Varzin (Warcino), aged 70. Her husband had a chapel built in the Varzin park, where she was buried. Later, her mortal remains were transferred to the
Bismarck Mausoleum in
Friedrichsruh
Friedrichsruh () is a district in the municipality of Aumühle, Herzogtum Lauenburg district, Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany. Friedrichsruh manor is known as a residence of the princely House of Bismarck, mainly of Chancellor Otto von ...
.
References
External links
Genealogy of Johanna von Puttkamer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puttkamer, Johanna Von
1824 births
1894 deaths
German Lutherans
German princesses
Princesses by marriage
People from Bytów County
People from the Province of Pomerania
Spouses of chancellors of Germany
Duchesses of Saxe-Lauenburg
Johanna
Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek /h/ cou ...
Johanna
Johanna is a feminine name, a variant form of Joanna that originated in Latin in the Middle Ages, including an -h- by analogy with the Latin masculine name Johannes. The original Greek form ''Iōanna'' lacks a medial /h/ because in Greek /h/ cou ...