Josina Walburgis van Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (1615-1683) was sovereign Princess Abbess of
Thorn Abbey from 1631 until 1632.
[Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort, Josina Walburgis van]
in: Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland, retrieved 3/01/2014/ref>
She was born to count Johann Dietrich von Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (1585-1644) and Josina de la Marck (1583-1626) and was placed in the abbey by her father. Thorn had been ruled by her two maternal aunts in succession ( Anna von der Marck and Josina II von der Marck) and she was elected Princess abbess by the will of her father in 1631.
The following year, she was the subject of a great scandal when she secretly married count Herman Frederik van den Bergh (1605-1669), son of Count Hendrik van den Bergh, and was deposed from her office: she was locked up by her father in another convent, but managed to escape and join her spouse in 1636.Aachen
Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants.
Aachen is locat ...
.
in Laak, in ''Kastelen in Nederland'', ANWB guide (first edition 1943), archive.org, page 83, edition 1965
She is best known today for her extraordinary grave monument designed in 1685 by Johannes Bossier, which was originally installed in the
Dominican church of Maastricht (today a book store). After the French occupation disbanded the monasteries, the most treasured contents of that church, including the grave monument of the Count and Countess Van den Bergh, were re-installed in 1805 in the
Basilica of Saint Servatius
The Basilica of Saint Servatius () is a Roman Catholic Church (building), church dedicated to Saint Servatius, in the center of Maastricht, Netherlands. The architecturally hybrid but mainly Romanesque architecture, Romanesque church is situated ...
in Maastricht.
Locatie grafmonumenten St-Servaaskerk 33.jpg, location of the grave monument of the Count and Countess Van den Bergh
Tomba del conte herman frederick van de bergh e sua moglie judoca walburgus, post 1683, 03.jpg, The alabaster effigy of Josina watches over the sleeping body of her husband Herman Frederik
References
*Wil Tiemes, Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort, Josina Walburgis van, in: Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Josina Walburgis van Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort
1615 births
1683 deaths
Abbesses of Thorn