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Caroline von Holnstein (8 May 1815 in Schloss Fronberg/
Schwandorf Schwandorf is a town on the river Naab in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany, which is the seat of the Schwandorf district. Sights * Catholic parish church of St. Jakob * Kreuzberg Church: Catholic parish, monastic and pilgrimage church of ...
– 24 July 1859, Fronberg/Schwandorf) was a German noblewoman, best known for her appearance in the
Gallery of Beauties The Gallery of Beauties (german: Schönheitengalerie) is a collection of 36 portraits of the most beautiful women from the nobility and middle classes of Munich, Germany, painted between 1827 and 1850 (mostly by Joseph Karl Stieler, appointed co ...
.


Early life

Caroline Maximiliana Maria Freiin von Spiering was the fifth child of Carl Theodor Baron von Spiering and his wife Johanna Nepumukena (''née'' Baroness von Enzberg). After her father's death in 1829 she began looking for a suitable husband eventually marrying Count von Holnstein in 1831. It was no love-match, though it did mean that the Holnstein lands passed in the direct line to the Baroness von Spiering. Caroline moved into the '' Palais Holnstein'' in Munich, where her husband's position opened many doors for her at court, though life among the nobility bored her. On 8 December 1833
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 ...
first saw her at a court academy.


Personal life

On 9 November 1831, aged 16, she married 34-year-old Count Carl Theodor von Holnstein aus Bayern (1797–1857), the son of Maximilian Joseph, Count of Holnstein, married to Princess Maria Josepha of
Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst was a county in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name Hohenlohe derives from the castle of Hohenloch near Uffenheim in Mittelfranken, which came into the possession of the descendants of Conrad o ...
(eldest daughter of Prince Charles Albert II). His grandfather, Count Franz Ludwig von Holnstein, was the illegitimate son of Emperor Charles VII of Bavaria and his mistress Maria Caroline Charlotte von Ingenheim. Together, they were the parents of: * Count Karl Theodor von Holnstein aus Bayern (1832–1832), who died at birth. * Countess Johanna von Holnstein aus Bayern (1833–1833), who died at birth. * Count Maximilian Carl Theodor von Holnstein aus Bayern (1835–1895), who was a playmate of princes
Ludwig Ludwig may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ludwig (surname), including a list of people * Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and co ...
and
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(both later
kings of Bavaria Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh' ...
); he brought Ludwig's "
Kaiserbrief The ''Kaiserbrief'' (English: Imperial Letter), is the letter to the German Federal princes signed by North German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck on 27 November 1870 and Bavarian King Ludwig II (born 1845, reign 1864–1886) on 30 November 1870. L ...
" to
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 ...
. Count von Holnstein's died in 1857 and his estates, including Schwarzenfeld Castle, were inherited by their only surviving son, Maximilian.


Second marriage

While married to the Count von Holnstein, Caroline met and fell in love with the married nobleman Baron Wilhelm von Künsberg, who returned her affections in secret. When Wilhelm's wife died she lived with him at Schloss Fronberg, her Spiering residence, and he left the
cuirassier Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adopt ...
s at her behest. Reportedly, Count von Holnstein tolerated the relationship but refused her an official separation, even going so far as to have her legitimate and illegitimate children educated together. Only the Count's death cleared Caroline's way to marry Wilhelm. she married Baron von Künsberg on 21 September 1857 at the Pilgrimage church of Kreuzberg in
Schwandorf Schwandorf is a town on the river Naab in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany, which is the seat of the Schwandorf district. Sights * Catholic parish church of St. Jakob * Kreuzberg Church: Catholic parish, monastic and pilgrimage church of ...
. Her illegitimate children were legitimized during her lifetime and on 7 July 1859 they were raised to the
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
n ''Freiherrenstand'' with the title Künsberg Freiherr von Fronberg. * Baron Wilhelm Maximilian Künsberg von Fronberg (1838–1909) * Baroness Wilhelmine Maria Caroline Künsberg von Fronberg (1841–1889) * Baron Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Künsberg von Fronberg (1842–1876) * Baron Rudolf Philipp Wilhelm Goswin Karl Künsberg von Fronberg (b. 1844) She died at Schloss Fronberg on 24 July 1859 and was buried there in a sarcophagus in a room adjacent to the castle chapel.


In popular culture

The painting of her in the
Gallery of Beauties The Gallery of Beauties (german: Schönheitengalerie) is a collection of 36 portraits of the most beautiful women from the nobility and middle classes of Munich, Germany, painted between 1827 and 1850 (mostly by Joseph Karl Stieler, appointed co ...
is 71.5 cm by 58 cm. On its back is written "Caroline Gräfin Holnstein aus Bayern geborene Freyin von Spiering erblickte das Licht der Welt auf dem Gute Frohnberg in Bayern dem 8. Mai 1815. Gemalt von J. Stieler 1834" ("Caroline countess Holnstein in Bavaria née Freyin von Spiering born at dem Gute Frohnberg in Bavaria on 8 May 1815. Painted by J. Stieler 1834"). It was still in the artist's studio on 18 February 1834 and was paid for in May that year.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holnstein, Caroline von 1815 births 1859 deaths German baronesses