# Anna sophia of brandenburg

Anna Sophia of Brandenburg (18 Mars 1598 – 19 Decemberg 1659) through marriage to Frederick Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, she was duchess of Braunschweig and Lüneburg, and princess of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. She was born a German princess as the daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, and Anna, Duchess of Prussia, daughter of Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia

## Life

Anna Sophia was born on 18 March 1598 in Berlin, as the eldest daughter of Johann Sigismund and Anna of Prussia. Catherines maternal grandparents were Marie Eleonore of Cleves and Albert Frederick of Prussia, while her paternal grandparents were Joachim Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg and his first wife Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin.
The relationship between her parents was said to be volatile; with her father prone to drunken rages where her mother is reported to have thrown plates and glasses at her spouse during arguments. Altough Anna described as intellectually superior to her spouse, she was also considered temperamental and strong-willed.
In 1613 Johann Sigismund converted to Calvinism while his wife and two youngest remained staunchly Lutheran. Anna Sophia and her brother also converted to calvinism.

## Marriage

In 1614, Anna Sophia was married to Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, he was seven years older than her and the marriage would turn out to be unhappy. Frederick Ulrich was an alcoholic and between 1616 and 1622, owing to his diminished capability as a ruler her was deposed by his mother (and Anna Sophias mother in law), Elizabeth of Denmark, with the help of Frederick Julius maternal uncle, King Christian IV of Denmark. Anna Sophia and her mother in law never got along.
In 1620 Anna Sophia sheltered her sister Maria Eleonora in Braunschweig and supported her marriageto Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Their brother George William would not approve of their sisters marriage because it would jeopardize Brandenburgs status as neutral and drag them in to the Thirty Years' War. Her marriage to Frederick Ulrich having deteriorated Anna Sophia began a love affair with the army officer Julius Heinrich of Saxen-Lauenburg with whom she also corresponded. While traveling her lover was ambushed by Anna Sophias,brother-in-law Christian of Halberstadt and while looting his things there was found several letters from Anna Sophia to Julius Heinrich talking about her hatred for her husband and his family and her support for the Catholic side of the conflict in the Thirty years war.
In 1623, Anna Sophia separated from her husband and under pretence of a family visit she left Braunschweig and returned to her family in Berlin.
She would later manage to gain control of her dower lands.
They had no children and Frederick tried to get a divorce from Anna, though he died before the divorce was completed.

## Later life

In 1626 Anna Sophias mother Anna of Prussia died, this was followed by the betrothal of Anna Sophias youngest sister Catherine to the Transylvanian prince Gabor Bethlen. After the proxy marriage the bride set off accompanied by her sister Anna Sophia, for her new homeland, where a second marriage in person performed in Kosice in Transylvania (now in Slovakia) took place.
In 1634 her husband Frederick Julius died a result of a double fracture of the femur and was buried in St. Mary's Church in Wolfenbüttel. While visiting her in 1644, her sister Catherine died in the court of Anna Sophia, in Schöningen
Anna Sophia now widowed retired to Schöningen, where she founded a renowned school, the Anna-Sophianeum.

## Death

Anna Sophia passed away on 19 December,1659.