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Frederica Henriette of Anhalt-Bernburg

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Friederica Henrietta von Anhalt-Bernburg
Princess of Anhalt-Köthen
Born(1702-01-24)24 January 1702
Bernburg, Anhalt-Bernburg, Holy Roman Empire
Died4 April 1723(1723-04-04) (aged 21)
Köthen, Anhalt-Bernburg, Holy Roman Empire
SpouseLeopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen
IssueGisela Agnes, Princess of Anhalt-Dessau
HouseAscania
FatherCharles Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg
MotherSophie Albertine of Solms-Sonnenwalde

Frederica Henriette of Anhalt-Bernburg (24 January 1702–4 April 1723) was a member of the House of Ascania and Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg by birth and a Princess of Anhalt-Köthen by marriage.

Life

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Frederica Henriette was born in Bernburg, Anhalt-Bernburg, Holy Roman Empire as the fourth daughter and the youngest child of Charles Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (1668-1721) by his first wife Sophie Albertine of Solms-Sonnenwalde (1672-1708).

In Bernburg on 11 December 1721 she married Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen and they had one daughter:

  1. Gisela Agnes (b. Köthen, 21 September 1722 - d. Dessau, 20 April 1751), married on 25 May 1737 to Leopold II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.

Prince Leopold is famous for being the patron of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Unlike her husband, Frederica Henrietta had little interest in music. Moreover, Leopold had to contribute more and more to the Prussian military, leaving him with less money for music.[1] The consequence of all this was the departure of Bach and his family to Leipzig in 1723.[2][3] Bach blamed Frederica Henriette's lack of interest in music for his having to leave Köthen, although she was dead by the time he took up his post in Leipzig.

Frederica Henrietta suffered from "pulmonary weakness", and died in April 1723 aged 21 and was buried in St. Jakob, Köthen.

References

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  1. ^ Johann Sebastian Bach's life (1685-1750) Archived 2013-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, chapter Köthen 1717-1723 - Part 2 (1720-1723); by Jan Koster, Professor Em. of Linguistics, University of Groningen
  2. ^ Hugo Riemann: Katechismus Der Musikgeschichte, S. 104, BiblioBazaar, 2009
  3. ^ Volker Ebersbach: Geschichte der Stadt Bernburg in zwei Bänden, Band 1, S. 117, Anhaltische Verlagsgesellschaft, 1998
Frederica Henriette of Anhalt-Bernburg
Born: 24 January 1702 Died: 4 April 1723
Preceded by Princess consort of Anhalt-Köthen
1721–1723
Succeeded by