Johanna, Princess of Bismarck, Duchess of Lauenburg (born Johanna Friederike Charlotte Dorothea Eleonore von Puttkamer; 11 April 1824 – 27 November 1894) was a

Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

noblewoman and the wife of the 1st

Chancellor of Germany The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal Cabinet of Germany, government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Government of Germany, ...

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

Early life

She was born at Viartlum manor near

Rummelsburg Rummelsburg () is a subdivision or neighborhood (''Ortsteil'') of the Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin, borough (''Bezirk'') of Lichtenberg, Berlin, Lichtenberg of the German capital, Berlin. History Rummelsburg was founded in 1669. On 30 Jan ...

in the Prussian Province of Pomerania (present-day Wiatrołom,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

), the daughter of Heinrich von Puttkamer (1789–1871) and his wife, Luitgarde Agnes von Glasenapp (1799–1863). Her ancestors of the Puttkamer family, first mentioned in the 13th century, belonged to the circle of ''

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'' ...

'' families of

Farther Pomerania Farther Pomerania, Hinder Pomerania, Rear Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania (; ), is a subregion of the historic region of Pomerania in north-western Poland, mostly within the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, while its easternmost parts are within the Po ...

and were known for their devoted pietism.Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009 Johanna grew up in neighbouring Reinfeld palace (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 (1796-1882), 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 (), also called the Harz Mountains, 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'' der ...

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. Marie herbert wilhelm von bismarck ca 1855

Marie herbert wilhelm von bismarck ca 1855

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 in 1878 to

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Kuno zu Rantzau (1843-1917) * Herbert (1849–1904), diplomat and politician, had an affair with Princess Elisabeth zu Carolath-Beuthen, née Countess von Hatzfeldt-Trachenberg, married Countess Marguerite Hoyos von und zu Stichsenstein (1871-1945) * Wilhelm (1852–1901), administrative official, married his cousin, Sibylle von Arnim (1864-1945)

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 (1822-1846) and even entered a passionate affair with Princess Katarina Orlova (1840-1875), born Princess Trubetskoy, wife of the

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

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 () is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kępice, within Słupsk County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. Geography The settlement lies in Farther Pomerania on the left bank of the Wieprza river, approximately s ...

(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 People from Miastko People from the Province of Pomerania

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 Spiritus ...

Duchesses of Saxe-Lauenburg Princesses in the German Empire German Lutherans Princesses by marriage Spouses of chancellors of Germany